Chemically-sensitive field effect transistors for biosensor chips and system are disclosed. The itransisitors have a multi-layered structure for performing a set of measurements of a biological reaction involving a binding event for one or more biological analytes that may be label-free. The multilayer structure includes a first insulating layer above a substrate layer and a source electrode and a drain electrode disposed positioned over the first insulating layer; a second insulating layer above the first insulating layer and proximate the source and drain electrodes forming side wall members of a well for a fluid comprising the analytes; a 2D graphene layer forming a channel between source and drain electrodes; a solution gate, formed by fluid flowed over the channel, configured to enable determining differences between one or more sample I-Vg curves having a shifted and changed shape relative to a reference curve; embodiments may include ion-selective membranes and/or ion getters.

The sequencing of Nucleic Acids, such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or Ribonucleic acid (RNA), is a fundamental part of biological discovery. Such sequencing and/or the detection of the same is useful for a variety of purposes and is often used in scientific research, as well as medical advancement. For instance, the genomics and bioinformatics fields are concerned with the application of information technology and computer science to the field of molecular biology. In particular, bioinformatics techniques can be applied to process and analyze various genomic data, such as from an individual so as to determine quantitative and qualitative information about that data that can then be used by various practitioners in the development of diagnostic, prophylactic, and/or therapeutic methods for detecting, preventing, or at least ameliorating diseased states, and thus, improving the safety, quality, and effectiveness of health care. The need for such diagnostic, therapeutic, and prophylactic advancements have led to a high demand for low-cost sequencing, which in turn has driven the development of high-throughput sequencing, termed as Next generation sequencing (NGS).
Generally, the approach to DNA and/or RNA analysis, such as for genetic diagnostics and/or sequencing, involves nucleic acid hybridization and detection. For example, various typical hybridization and detection approaches include the following steps. Particularly, for genetic analysis, a DNA or RNA sample of a subject to be analyzed may be isolated and immobilized on a substrate. In such instances, the immobilized genetic material acts as a template for new nucleic acid synthesis. A probe of a known sequence identity, e.g., a disease marker, may be labeled and washed across the substrate. If the disease marker is present, a binding event will occur, e.g., hybridization, and because the probe has been labeled the hybridization event may either be or not be detected thereby indicating the presence or absence of the disease marker in the subject's sample.
For DNA sequencing, first, an unknown nucleic acid sequence to be identified, e.g., a single-stranded sequence of DNA of a subject, composed of a combination of unknown nucleotides, e.g., As, Cs, Gs, and Ts, is isolated, amplified, and immobilized on the substrate. Next, a known nucleotide labeled with an identifiable tag is contacted with the unknown nucleic acid sequence in the presence of a polymerase. When hybridization occurs, the labeled nucleotide binds to its complementary base in the unknown sequence immobilized on the surface of the substrate. The binding event can then be detected, e.g., optically or electrically. These steps are then repeated until the entire DNA sample has been completely sequenced, e.g., sequencing by synthesis. Typically, these steps are performed by a Next Gen Sequencer wherein thousands to millions of sequences may concurrently be produced in the next-generation sequencing process.
For example, a central challenge in DNA sequencing is assembling full-length genomic sequence data, e.g., of chromosomal sequences, from a sample of genetic material obtained from a subject. Particularly, such assembling includes one or more genomic analysis protocols, such as employing a mapping and/or an aligning algorithm, and involves mapping and aligning a fragment of identified sample sequence to a reference genome, yielding sequence data in a format that can be compared to a reference genomic sequence, such as to determine the variants in the sampled full-length genomic sequences. In particular, the methods employed in sequencing protocols do not produce full-length chromosomal sequences of the sample DNA.
Rather, in a typical sequencing protocol, sequence fragments, typically from 100-1,000 nucleotides in length, are produced without any indication as to where in the genome they map and align. Therefore, in order to generate full-length chromosomal genomic constructs, or determine their variance with respect to a reference genomic sequence, these fragments of DNA sequences need to be mapped, aligned, merged, and/or compared to the reference genomic sequence. Through such processes the variants of the sample genomic sequences from the reference genomic sequences may be determined.
However, as the human genome is comprised of approximately 3.1 billion base pairs, and as each sequence fragment is typically only from about 100 to 500 to 1,000 nucleotides in length, the time and effort that goes into building such full length genomic sequences and determining the variants therein is quite extensive, often requiring the use of several different computer resources applying several different algorithms over prolonged periods of time. In a particular instance, thousands to millions of fragments or even billions of DNA sequences are generated, mapped, aligned, and merged in order to construct a genomic sequence that approximates a chromosome in length. A step in this process may include comparing the sequenced DNA fragments to a reference sequence so as to determine where in the genome the fragments align.
In such instances, the raw genetic material must be processed so as to derive usable genetic sequence data therefrom. This processing may be done manually or via an automated sequencer. Typically, such processing involves obtaining a biological sample from a subject, such as through venipuncture, hair, etc. and treating the sample to isolate the DNA therefrom. Once isolated the DNA may be denatured, strand separated, and/or portions of the DNA may then be multiplied, e.g., via polymerase chain reaction (PCR), so as to build a library of replicated strands that are now ready to be sequenced, e.g., read, such as by an automated sequencer, which sequencer is configured to "read" the replicate strands, e.g., by synthesis, and thereby determine the nucleotide sequences that makes up the DNA. Further, in various instances, such as in building the library of replicated strands, it may be useful to provide for over-coverage when preprocessing a given portion of the DNA. To perform this over-coverage, e.g., using PCR, may require increased sample preparation resources and time, and therefore be more expensive, but it often gives an enhanced probability of the end result being more accurate.
More particularly, once the library of replicated strands has been generated they may be injected into an automated sequencer that may then "read" the strands, such as by synthesis, so as to determine the nucleotide sequences thereof. For instance, the replicated single stranded DNA may be attached to a glass bead and inserted into a test vessel, e.g., an array. All the necessary components for replicating its complementary strand, including labeled nucleotides, are also added to the vessel but in a sequential fashion. For example, all labeled "A", "C", "G", and "T's" are added, either one at a time or all together to see which of the nucleotides is going to bind at position one. After each addition a light, e.g., a laser, is shone on the array. If the composition fluoresces then an image is produced indicating which nucleotide bound to the subject location. More particularly, where the nucleotides are added one at a time, if a binding event occurs, then its indicative fluorescence will be observed. If a binding event does not occur, the test vessel may be washed and the procedure repeated until the appropriate one of the four nucleotides binds to its complement at the subject location, and its indicative fluorescence is observed. Where all four nucleotides are added at the same time, each may be labeled with a different fluorescent indicator, and the nucleotide that binds to its complement at the subject position may be determined, such as by the color of its fluorescence. This greatly accelerates the synthesis process.
Once a binding event has occurred, the complex is then washed and the synthesis steps are repeated for position two. For example, a marked nucleotide "A" may be added to the mix to determine if the complement at the position is a "T", and if so, all the sequences having that complement will bind to the labeled "T" and will therefore fluoresce, and the samples will all be washed. Where the binding happened the bound nucleotide is not washed away, and then this will be repeated for all positions until all the over-sampled nucleic acid segments, e.g., reads, have been sequenced and the data collected. Alternatively, where all four nucleotides are added at the same time, each labeled with a different fluorescent indicator, only one nucleotide will bind to its complement at the subject position, and the others will be washed away, such that after the vessel has been washed, a laser may be shone on the vessel and which nucleotide bound to its complement may be determined, such as by the color of its fluorescence. This continues until the entire strand has been replicated in the vessel.
A typical length of a sequence replicated in this manner is from about 100 to about 500 base pairs, such as between 150 to about 400 base pairs, including from about 200 to about 350 base pairs, such as about 250 base pairs to about 300 base pairs dependent on the sequencing protocol being employed. Further, the length of these segments may be predetermined, e.g., engineered, to accord with any particular sequencing machinery and/or protocol by which it is run. The end result is a readout, or read, that is comprised of a replicated DNA segment, e.g., from about 100 to about 1,000 nucleotides in length, that has been labeled in such a manner that every nucleotide in the sequence, e.g., read, is known because of its label. Hence, since the human genome is comprised of about 3.1 billion base pairs, and various known sequencing protocols usually result in labeled replicated sequences, e.g., reads, from about 100 or 101 bases to about 250 or about 300 or about 400 bases, the total amount of segments that need to be sequenced, and consequently the total number of reads generated, can be anywhere from about 10,000,000 to about 40,000,000, such as about 15,000,000 to about 30,000,000, dependent on how long the label replicated sequences are. Therefore, the sequencer may typically generate about 30,000,000 reads, such as where the read length is 100 nucleotides in length, so as to cover the genome once.
However, in part, due to the need for the use of optically detectable, e.g., fluorescent, labels in the sequencing reactions being performed, the required instrumentation for performing such high throughput sequencing is bulky, costly, and not portable. For this reason, a number of new approaches for direct, label-free detection of DNA hybridization reactions have been proposed. For instance, among the new approaches are detection methods that are based on the use of various electronic analytic devices. Such direct electronic detection methods have several advantages over the typical NGS platform. For example, the detector may be incorporated in the substrate itself, such as employing a biosystem-on-a-chip device, such as a complementary metal oxide semiconductor device, "CMOS". More particularly, in using a CMOS device in genetic detection, the output signal representative of a hybridization event can be directly acquired and processed on a microchip. In such an instance, automatic recognition is theoretically achievable in real time and at a lower cost than is currently achievable using NGS processing. Moreover, standard CMOS devices may be employed for such electronic detection making the process simple, inexpensive, and portable.
However, in order for next-generation sequencing to become widely used as a diagnostic in the healthcare industry, sequencing instrumentation will need to be mass produced with a high degree of quality and economy. One way to achieve this is to recast DNA sequencing in a format that fully leverages the manufacturing base created for computer chips, such as complementary metaloxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip fabrication, which is the current pinnacle of large scale, high quality, low-cost manufacturing of high technology. To achieve this, ideally the entire sensory apparatus of the sequencer could be embodied in a standard semiconductor chip, manufactured in the same fab facilities used for logic and memory chips. Recently, such a sequencing chip, and the associated sequencing platform, has been developed and commercialized by Ion Torrent, a division of Thermo-Fisher, Inc. The promise of this idea has not been realized commercially due to the fundamental limits of applying a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor, or MOSFET, as a biosensor. When a MOSFET is used in solution as a biosensor, it is referred to as an ISFET. A particular limitation, however, includes a lack of sensor sensitivity and signal to noise characteristics as the semiconductor node scales down to lower geometries of the transistor (gate length).
More particularly, a field effect transistor, FET, typically includes a source electrode and a drain electrode together forming a gate, and further including a channel region connecting the source and drain electrodes. The FET may also include an insulating barrier separating the gate from the channel. The operation of a conventional FET relies on the control of the channel conductivity, and thus the drain current, by a voltage, VGS, applied between the gate and source. For high-speed applications, and for the purposes of increasing sensor sensitivity, FETs should respond quickly to variations in VGS. However, this requires short gates and fast carriers in the channel.
Unfortunately, FETs with short gates frequently suffer from degraded electrostatics and other problems (collectively known as short channel effects), such as threshold-voltage roll-off, drain-induced barrier lowering, and impaired drain-current saturation, results in a decrease in sensor sensitivity. However, scaling theory predicts that a FET with a thin barrier and a thin gate-controlled region (measured in the vertical direction) will be robust against short-channel effects down to very short gate lengths (measured in the horizontal direction). Nevertheless, these effects make the use of such technologies difficult to employ in sequencing reactions.
Accordingly, the possibility of having channels that are very thin in the vertical dimension would allow for high-speed transmission of carriers as well as for increased sensor sensitivity and accuracy. What is needed, therefore, is a FET device that is configured in such a manner as to include a shorter gate than is currently achievable in present FET applications, which will allow such technologies to be fully deployed in sequencing reactions. Hence, a solution that includes such a FET device designed for use in biological applications, such as for nucleic acid sequencing and/or genetic diagnostics would especially be beneficial.

Graphene FET devices, systems, and methods of using the same for sequencing nucleic acids


A doll, apparently capable of learning through a combination of human speech and touch interaction, includes a speech generator for generating upon actuation the currently indexed sound in a predetermined sequence of sounds. The sequence of sounds evidences a stepwise learning process defined by a plurality of learning steps, each step being composed in turn of a predetermined subsequence of wrong sounds followed by correct sounds. A speech detector detects human speech when energized and, in response thereto, indexes the subsequence of sounds to the next sound within the current step and actuates the speech generator and, at the end of each step, indexes the sequence of sounds to the first sound of the next step and causes the speech generator to request the selected touch. A touch detector detects a selected touch when energized and, in response thereto, actuates the speech generator. The speech generator is responsive to each appropriate actuation of the speech and touch detectors for promptly generating the currently indexed sound after deactuation of the speech and touch detectors.

The present invention relates to a doll, and more particularly to a doll which is apparently capable of learning in response to human voice and touch interaction.
Among the wide variety of interactive dolls (that is, dolls which are capable of responding to particular types of human interaction) are dolls which open and shut their eyes, produce sounds (whether speech or other sounds, and whether accompanied by mouth movement or not), urinate, defecate, cry, and the like. Typically, the interaction is extremely limited in nature--for example, the doll opens and shuts its eyes in response to movement of the doll and/or urinates or defecates in response to the introduction of fluid or solids, respectively. The dolls which talk are capable of a prolonged interaction--for example, telling one or more lengthy stories, singing a variety of songs, or the like--yet a child playing with such a doll is only passively engaged through the act of listening for the most part, perhaps with occasional input from the child in the form of a selection of the particular story or song to be heard. Due to the limited attention span of a child, and since the doll does not require the full, active attention of the child, the child may lose interest in the doll and have his attention diverted elsewhere even while the doll is continuing to speak or sing.
It has been said that the best way to learn is to teach. While it cannot be gainsaid that there is educational value in having a child listen to a story spoken by a doll, the educational value is quite limited since the child is essentially passive in the process. If a child had a more active role to perform in his interaction with the doll, and particularly if the child were attempting to educate the doll, the child's attention would be less likely to be diverted and the child would be more likely to learn that which he is teaching. The ability of a child to teach a doll is especially attractive to the child since most of the time he is being taught by adults and has little opportunity to teach someone himself. While the fertile imagination of a child may create situations in which he tells the doll to do things and the doll responds appropriately (typically because the child has pressed appropriate buttons or the like), such activity does not truly simulate the learning process, which typically involves making errors initially and then, upon correction, learning to perform without error the matter which has been taught.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a doll which is apparently capable of learning in response to human interaction.
Another object is to provide such a doll which is capable of learning in response to being kissed and spoken to by a child.
A further object is to provide such a doll which requires constant interaction from a child and thus maintains the interest of the child over a prolonged period of time.
It is also an object to provide such a doll which initially makes errors in speech but, in response to interaction with the child, apparently learns to correct these errors.


An electrolyte for a rechargeable lithium battery includes a lithium salt; a non-aqueous organic solvent; and an additive including a compound represented by the Chemical Formula 1,

1. Field
Embodiments relate to an electrolyte for a rechargeable lithium battery and a rechargeable lithium battery including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Rechargeable lithium batteries may have a high energy density and have been used as a power source for small portable electronic devices. Rechargeable lithium batteries may use an organic electrolyte and may have two times the discharge voltage, or more, of a battery using an alkaline aqueous solution.

Electrolyte for rechargeable lithium battery, and rechargeable lithium battery including same


A rotor for use in speed sensing a transmission output shaft including circumferentially alternating teeth and voids which offers a variable reluctance flux path upon relative rotation thereof with respect to a fixed sensor. The rotor also includes an inward radially extending shoulder which is trapped between the yoke and a tapered roller bearing which also provides a surface over which the axial thrust required to trap the rotor may be distributed for application to a tapered roller bearing. Increasing the surface area of contact between the rotor and bearing minimizes premature bearing failures.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rotors for use in speed sensing and, more specifically, to rotors having a combined function of providing a variable reluctance magnetic path and an axial thrust bearing surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
Output shafts of transmissions are bearingly supported by pairs of tapered roller bearings disposed in a support member of the transmission case. An output yoke is press fitted on the output shaft to drivingly connect with a drive shaft. A speed sensing rotor is trapped between the yoke and the bearing, thereby driving the rotor with the yoke and bearing. The rotor is secured to an axially extending flange of shorter length in such a manner that the rotor extends beyond same to contact a radially extending surface of the tapered roller bearing. In this manner, a force is imposed on the bearing which causes a moment to be imposed on the bearing at a location radially displaced from the output shaft which imparts an unanticipated thrust force leading to premature bearing failure.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a combined speed sensing rotor and a radially extending thrust bearing surface.

Rotors having a combined function of providing a variable reluctance magnetic path and an axial thrust bearing surface


The invention relates to the production of nanoporous silica dielectric films and to semiconductor devices and integrated circuits comprising these improved films. The nanoporous films of the invention are prepared using silicon containing pre-polymers and are prepared by a process that allows crosslinking at lowered gel temperatures by means of a metal-ion-free onium or nucleophile catalyst.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the production of nanoporous silica dielectric films and to semiconductor devices and integrated circuits comprising these improved films. The nanoporous films of the invention are prepared using silicon containing pre-polymers and are prepared by a process that allows crosslinking at lowered gel temperatures by means of a metal-ion-free onium or nucleophile catalyst.
2. Description of the Related Art
As feature sizes in integrated circuits are reduced to below 0.15 μm and below, problems with interconnect RC delay, power consumption and signal cross-talk have become increasingly difficult to resolve. It is believed that the integration of low dielectric constant materials for interlevel dielectric (ILD) and intermetal dielectric (IMD) applications will help to solve these problems. While there have been previous efforts to apply low dielectric constant materials to integrated circuits, there remains a longstanding need in the art for further improvements in processing methods and in the optimization of both the dielectric and mechanical properties of such materials used in the manufacture of integrated circuits.
One type of material with a low dielectric constant is nanoporous silica films prepared from silicon containing pre-polymers by a spin-on sol-gel technique. Air has a dielectric constant of 1, and when air is introduced into a suitable silica material having a nanometer-scale pore structure, such films can be prepared with relatively low dielectric constants ("k"). Nanoporous silica materials are attractive because similar precursors, including organic-substituted silanes, such as tetraacetoxysilane (TAS)/methyltriacetoxysilane (MTAS)-derived silicon polymers are used as the base matrix and are used for the currently employed spin-on-glasses ("S.O.G.") and chemical vapor deposition ("CVD") of silica SiO2. Such materials have demonstrated high mechanical strength as indicated by modulus and stud pull data. Mechanical properties can be optimized by controlling the pore size distribution of the porous film. Nanoporous silica materials are attractive because it is possible to control the pore size, and hence the density, mechanical strength and dielectric constant of the resulting film material. In addition to a low k, nanoporous films offer other advantages including thermal stability to 900° C.; substantially small pore size, i.e., at least an order of magnitude smaller in scale than the microelectronic features of the integrated circuit; preparation from materials such as silica and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) that are widely used in semiconductors; the ability to "tune" the dielectric constant of nanoporous silica over a wide range; and deposition of a nanoporous film can be achieved using tools similar to those employed for conventional S.O.G. processing.
Thus, high porosity in silica materials leads to a lower dielectric constant than would otherwise be available from the same materials in nonporous form. An additional advantage, is that additional compositions and processes may be employed to produce nanoporous films while varying the relative density of the material. Other materials requirements include the need to have all pores substantially smaller than circuit feature sizes, the need to manage the strength decrease associated with porosity, and the role of surface chemistry on dielectric constant and environmental stability.
Density (or the inverse, porosity) is the key parameter of nanoporous films that controls the dielectric constant of the material, and this property is readily varied over a continuous spectrum from the extremes of an air gap at a porosity of 100% to a dense silica with a porosity of 0%. As density increases, dielectric constant and mechanical strength increase but the degree of porosity decreases, and vice versa. This suggests that the density range of nanoporous films must be optimally balanced between the desired range of low dielectric constant and the mechanical properties acceptable for the desired application.
Nanoporous silica films have previously been fabricated by a number of methods. For example, nanoporous films have been prepared using a mixture of a solvent and a silica precursor, which is deposited on a substrate suitable for the purpose. Usually, a precursor in the form of, e.g., a spin-on-glass composition is applied to a substrate, and then polymerized in such a way as to form a dielectric film comprising nanometer-scale voids.
When forming such nanoporous films, e.g., by spin-coating, the film coating is typically catalyzed with an acid or base catalyst and water to cause polymerization/gelation ("aging") during an initial heating step. In order to achieve maximum strength through pore size selection, a low molecular weight porogen is used.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,263 describes forming a nanoporous silica dielectric film on a substrate, e.g., a wafer, by applying a composition comprising decomposable polymer and organic polysilica i.e., including condensed or polymerized silicon polymer, heating the composition to further condense the polysilica, and decomposing the decomposable polymer to form a porous dielectric layer. This process, like many of the previously employed methods of forming nanoporous films on semiconductors, has the disadvantage of requiring heating for both the aging or condensing process, and for the removal of a polymer to form the nanoporous film. Furthermore, there is a disadvantage that organic polysilica, contained in a precursor solution, tends to increase in molecular weight after the solution is prepared; consequently, the viscosity of such precursor solutions increases during storage, and the thickness of films made from stored solutions will increase as the age of the solution increases. The instability of organic polysilica thus requires short shelf life, cold storage, and fine tuning of the coating parameters to achieve consistent film properties in a microelectronics/integrated circuit manufacturing process.
Formation of a stable porous structure relies on the condition that the porogen removal temperature is higher than the crosslinking temperature (or the gel temperature) of the matrix material. It was found that a stable nanoporous structure of less than 10 nm pore size cannot be produced when the concentration of the alkali cation such as sodium is below 200-300 ppb level in the spin-on solution. However, stringent requirement for low metal concentration must be met for IC applications. The general practice is to have metal concentration below 50 ppb in the spin-on solution. Therefore, there is a need to develop a low metal nanoporous silica film that can consistently give dielectric constant less than 2.5 and pore size less than about 10 nm in diameter. It has now been found that by the use of onium ions or nucleophiles the formation of a porous silica network at lower temperature in a low metal spin-on formulation can be facilitated. The effect of the onium ions or nucleophiles is to lower the gel temperature so that the rigid network is set in before the removal of the porogen, thus producing a nanoporous film without requiring the presence of an undesirable alkali ion.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Low metal porous silica dielectric for integral circuit applications


A method for remote services authentication in an internet hosted environment includes a high level process and functionality for a secure, practical and logically optimized inter-network authentication mechanism by employees, partners and customers of an enterprise into the hosted Internet site. The lightweight authentication and authorization mechanism can be most effectively implemented in Java as part of the application or web server servlet. The method for remote services authentication includes initial secure password establishment, subsequent authentication and authorization, as well as authentication and authorization upon resuming previously run sessions with the hosted server using Internet cookies.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to authentication and access management, in general, which combines processes, technologies and policies to manage digital identities and specify how they are used to access resources. More specifically, the methods and apparatus are related to authentication into Internet hosted environments via remote login. They involve an enterprise, i.e. the owner of the hosted site (or operations center), an enterprise's customers' mission-critical web applications or services hosted into the site, and partner companies working with the enterprise in the hosted environment delivering services to the customers. The customers may have end users logging into the site along with the customer, partner and enterprise's employees.
2. Relevant Background of the Invention
Authentication is any process by which the identity of someone is claiming that identity is verified. This usually involves a username and a password. However, it can also include any other method of demonstrating identity, such as a smart card, a retinal scan, voice recognition, or fingerprints. Authentication is equivalent to showing a drivers license at the ticket counter at the airport. Authorization is finding out if the person, once identified, is permitted to use a particular resource. This is usually determined by finding out if that person is a part of a previously established group with predefined characteristics, or has a particular level in the predefined set of security privileges. Finally, access control is a much more general way of defining the controlled access to a resource. Access can be granted or denied based on a wide variety of criteria such as the network address of the client, the time of day, the browser which the visitor is using, and the like. Access control is controlling a user's reach to a desired resource by some arbitrary condition which may or may not have anything to do with the attributes of that particular user.
Because these three techniques are so closely related, generally, in most real applications, it is difficult to analyze them separately from one another. In particular, in most of the real-world implementations, authentication and authorization are inextricably linked.
Basic authentication, which involves sending client-browser-stored passwords to a server over the Internet, and digest authentication, which implies sending digests of the passwords (such as MD5) to a server over the public wire, both suffer from the same major flaw. The password or its digest traversal may happen over an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) protocol. There are also temporary passwords sent for initial login (usually by email) "in the clear" or over unsecured networks. Encrypted or not, smart hackers can figure out how to use the password and/or the alongside content information traveling over the Internet. Secondly, text files are used to store authentication information. The problem with this technique is the burden of looking something up in a text file that has no index. Every user request needs to go through this time-costly operation. Since HTTP is stateless, authentication has to be verified every time that content is requested. This can be prohibitively slow, particularly for large numbers of users. In many cases, a valid username/password is rejected because the authentication module just had to spend so much time looking for the username in the file that the server timed out and returned a failed authentication. So, typically, an alternative is to use some variety of databases which are optimized for looking for a particular piece of information in a very large data set. The database builds indices in order to rapidly locate a particular record, and has query languages for swiftly locating records that match a particular criteria. There are numerous modules available for servers to authenticate using a variety of different databases. On a large scale, in the United States, there is for example, National Science Foundation's (NSF) "Participants for Advanced Computational Infrastructure", or PACI.
The focus of the present invention, however, is on small to medium sized, cost-effective Internet hosted shared environments; the types used by Application Service Providers (ASPs) where employees, customers and partners work together to provide and access business services based on Internet-based applications.
The economies of scale have driven computing platform vendors to develop products with very generalized capabilities. As a result, these products can be utilized in a wide variety of ways to accomplish a given set of business goals. These products possess varying ranges of privileges to operate on the resources in a given environment making the environment complex in terms of security and privacy. Secondly, most authentication mechanisms end up being cumbersome in the process of designing them to be highly secure. Some have easy-to-use but weak authentication and some employ overly complicated multiple login steps or packaged solutions that may have customization and administrative overhead. When employees as well as business partners and/or customers of an enterprise share a common business system for use, it becomes necessary to develop an overall authentication mechanism that is not only secure to protect the interests of the business entities, but also very friendly and easy to use and maintain. In addition, role-based access control helps to define authorization using people's roles and their functional characteristics in the operational environment of the hosted site. Access is the ability to do something with a computer resource (e.g., use, change, or view). Access control is the means by which the ability is explicitly enabled or restricted in some way (usually through physical and system-based controls). Computer-based access controls can prescribe not only who or what process may have access to a specific system resource, but also the type of access that is permitted. These controls may be implemented in the computer system, in external devices or software artifacts.
As shown below in FIG. 1, the context and background of the present invention includes primarily five types of inter-networked environments on the Internet: an Enterprise's corporate intranet—"Network1" 102; a Web Service provider network for customer's application hosting in the Customer Application Operations Center ("CAOC") by the enterprise—"Network2" 104; an Enterprise's (Business) Partner Network—"Network3" 106; an Enterprise's Customer Network—not explicitly shown in FIG. 1; and the Internet 108. All communication from Network 102 and Network 106 to Network 104 is via SSL over the Internet 108. There are also remote enterprise, partner and customer users, along with CAOC administrators communicating with the CAOC over the Internet 108.
The customer's web service or application resides at the enterprise's CAOC site. The primary components of the system are the web application, the application server which hosts the application and web server on the same or a different host as the application's host, the database server (where the passwords are stored) and two supporting application servers for data and system management and administration.
Enterprise employees, customers and partners as users of the web application log into the application over Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol (using browsers supporting SSL 3.0 or higher) from an enterprise's, partner's or customer's corporate network, or from the Internet. The user's IDs and passwords traverse the networks in encrypted form. The users of the service are the customers and their end users who subscribe to the application, but note that overall users includes employees of all tenant companies, partners and customers, as well as those of the enterprise. Administrators of the hosted site are either the enterprise or the partner employees, and follow the rules for employees and partners respectively. The partner users login from within their network, Network3, or from the Internet, as shown above. Similarly, customers login from their corporate networks or from the Internet.
While certain techniques exist for accomplishing role-based access on the Internet, they do not provide for a highly secure, non-persistent, in-memory cache of the cookie system, and a friendly way of invoking the re-login process to transparently and securely resume a user's login session using an encrypted cookie table cache and artifacts from the safer intranet LANs of the user. What is desired is a novel way to assert authentication and role-based authorization where a combination of a Business Unit ID and a Role ID establish uniqueness of a user's affiliation to its parent company and division on the shared hosted site. Further, the re-login should assert a user's function based on a basic or combinatorial role. Further, what is desired are artifacts on the client and server sides to not only establish validity of the re-login, but also confirming an ability to automatically diagnose, troubleshoot and isolate source of error—all across the Internet—in the cases of re-login failure or security compromise.

Methods and apparatus for persistence of authentication and authorization for a multi-tenant internet hosted site using cookies


A playback device reads a traffic file which is a dump file of traffic when malicious or benign traffic is generated and generates traffic based on the traffic file on a network having a security instrument that generates an event in accordance with the traffic. In addition, a determination device collects an event generated by the security instrument for the generated traffic and, on the basis of a feature extracted from the collected event, determines whether the event to be determined is for malicious traffic or benign traffic.

With the proliferation of the Internet, cyberattacks such as distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks and spam mail transmission are routinely made. Most of these attacks are caused by malignant software called malware. Attackers cause terminals or servers of ordinary users to be infected with malware and operate the malware to illegally control the terminals and the servers with the intention of launching attacks. These attacks have become an issue of public concern recently. For this reason, measures against the cyberattack, mainly against the malware infection, are urgently required.
Measures against cyberattacks include a technique of taking measures using anti-virus software or the like as entry measures to prevent infection, but it is difficult to completely prevent infection. Therefore, the importance of exit measures to prevent the spread of damage after malware infection is rising. In exit measures, it is important to find traces of attacks and discover malware-infected terminals. In response to discovering an infected terminal by exit measures, actions such as disconnection of the infected terminal from the network, filtering, and the like can be taken.
As a means for discovering malware-infected terminals, a technique of examining logs of devices present on the network has become an effective means (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1 and Non Patent Literature 1). In particular, since an event sensing log by a security instrument such as an intrusion detection system (IDS), next generation firewall, sandbox, and the like is based on know-how of experts with specialty in security, the event sensing log is regarded as an important source of information to discover malware-infected terminals.

Malicious event detection device, malicious event detection method, and malicious event detection program

NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION


In one embodiment, an apparatus cascades groups of serialized data streams through devices, and performs operations based on information communicated therein. A received group of serialized data streams is aligned, but not framed, and forwarded to a next device (e.g., a next stage in a linear or tree cascaded formation of devices). Eliminating the framing and subsequent serialization operations performed on the received group of serialized data streams reduces the latency of communications through the cascaded devices, which can be significant when considered in relation to the high-speed communication rates. The received group of serialized data streams is also framed to create a sequence of data frames for processing (e.g., associative memory lookup operations, controlling multiplexing of received downstream serialized data streams, general or other processing) within the device.

The communications industry is rapidly changing to adjust to emerging technologies and ever increasing customer demand. This customer demand for new applications and increased performance of existing applications is driving communications network and system providers to employ networks and systems having greater speed and capacity. In trying to achieve these goals, a common approach taken by many communications providers is to use packet switching technology.
The communication rates between devices affects the rate at which devices can operate in response to communicated information. As such, faster intercommunications techniques are continuously being developed and deployed. Interlaken is one example of a protocol that uses bundles of serial links to create a logical connection between two devices. Framed data is serialized and sent across the bundles of links. A receiving device reframes the serialized data to recover the original sequence of data frames.

Cascaded communication of serialized data streams through devices and their resulting operation


It is an object of the invention to provide an effective technique for avoiding the influence of reaction during tightening operation in the rotary fastening tool. Representative rotary fastening tool includes a tool body, a motor housed within the tool body, a driving-side rotating member that is rotationally driven by the motor, a driven-side rotating member that is disposed coaxially with the driving-side rotating member, a tip-end side rotating member that is disposed coaxially with the driven-side rotating member and rotationally driven via the driven-side rotating member, the tip-end side rotating member driving a tool bit to perform a tightening operation and a rotation control mechanism that allows the tip-end side rotating member to rotate in the tightening direction during the tightening operation of the tool bit, wherein, when the tip-end side rotating member is fixed to a workpiece with the tool bit during the tightening operation and when torque transmission from the driving-side rotating member to the driven-side rotating member is interrupted, the rotation control mechanism locks the tip-end side rotating member and the tool body together against rotation with respect to each other to prevent the tool body from rotating in the tightening direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotary fastening tool and typically to a rotary fastening tool with a torque limiter that interrupts torque transmission from the input side to the output side when torque acting on a tool bit reaches a set value.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese utility model publication No. 50-33759 discloses an electric screwdriver having a torque limiter that transits torque from the input side to the output side. In the known art, a pair of clutches for torque limiter is provided between the input side and the output side. The clutches have clutch teeth formed in the respective clutch surfaces facing with each other and engage with each other in the direction of rotation. One of the clutches is biased toward the other by a spring member. During screw-tightening operation, when the screw head is seated on the workpiece, torque acting upon the output side clutch increases. When the torque reaches a set value, power is interrupted.
In screw-tightening operation, a reaction force acts upon a housing that forms a driver body, in a direction opposite to the screw-tightening direction with respect to rotation on the axis of the tool bit. Therefore, the user holds the driver body (the handgrip) while applying a force in the screw-tightening direction in such a manner as to prevent the driver body from rotating by the reaction force. However, in this state, when the torque limiter is actuated and the reaction force acting upon the driver body is instantaneously eliminated, as its reaction, the user's hand holding the driver body is caused to move in the screw-tightening direction. Thus, in the known electric screwdriver having a torque limiter, the driver body unexpectedly rotates just after actuation of the torque limiter. Therefore, further improvement in ease of use is desired.


The present invention relates to a VPP voltage generator that generates a stable VPP voltage. The VPP voltage generator of the present invention generates a stable VPP voltage. Therefore, power consumption can be saved, a precharge time of word line can be prevented from increasing and a tRCD characteristic can be improved. It is thus possible to improve the operational performance of semiconductor memory devices.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor memory devices and more particularly, to a VPP voltage generator of a semiconductor memory device.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In general, a semiconductor memory device generates a VPP voltage (VPP) higher than an external voltage (VDD) and applies the generated VPP voltage to several circuits of the semiconductor memory device such as a word line driver, a bit line isolation circuit and a data output buffer.
The VPP voltage can compensate for the loss of threshold voltages of transistors included in the internal circuits of the semiconductor memory device. More particularly, in a DRAM including a memory cell consisting of one cell capacitor and one cell transistor, a VPP voltage (VPP) higher than a voltage (VDD) when data are '1' must be applied to the gate of the cell transistor in order to accurately store data in the memory cell.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a VPP voltage generator in the related art. Referring to FIG. 1, the VPP voltage generator 10 includes an oscillator 11 and a pumping circuit 12.
The oscillator 11 periodically generates a pumping control signal (CTL) of a pulse form. The pumping circuit 12 generates a VPP voltage (VPP) through a charge pumping operation in response to the pumping control signal (CTL). The VPP voltage (VPP) is supplied to word lines when the word lines to which memory cells are connected are activated in a memory cell array (not shown) of a semiconductor memory device.
In a burst write operation, a burst read operation and a refresh operation of the operations of a semiconductor memory device such as DRAM, the amount of the VPP voltage (VPP) consumed is increased. In the VPP voltage generator 10, however, a cycle (i.e., an oscillation cycle) where the oscillator 11 generates the pumping control signal (CTL) is fixed to a set value. Therefore, there is a problem in that the VPP voltage generator 10 does not generate a VPP voltage (VPP) suitable for each operating mode of the semiconductor memory device. This problem serves to degrade the operational performance of the semiconductor memory device. This will be described below in more detail.
For example, a case where the oscillation cycle of the oscillator 11 is set to be short and the amount of the VPP voltage (VPP) consumed is reduced can be considered. In this case, the pumping circuit 12 performs an excessive charge pumping operation in response to the pumping control signal (CTL) that is frequently generated by the oscillator 11. As a result, as the VPP voltage (VPP) becomes unnecessarily high, a phenomenon in which the VPP voltage exceeds a target voltage (i.e., an overshoot phenomenon) occurs.
If the VPP voltage (VPP) is overshooted as described above, the voltage of an activated word line becomes unnecessarily high. Therefore, when the word line is disabled, a problem arises because a precharge time (tRP) of the word line is increased. There is also a problem in that the amount current consumed is increased due to an excessive charge pumping operation of the pumping circuit 12.
Meanwhile, a case where the oscillation cycle of the oscillator 11 is set to be long and the amount of the VPP voltage (VPP) consumed is increased can be taken into consideration. In this case, the pumping circuit 12 performs the charge pumping operation in response to the pumping control signal (CTL) that is rarely generated by the oscillator 11. As a result, as the VPP voltage (VPP) is lowered, a target voltage is lowered.
If the VPP voltage (VPP) is lower than the target voltage as described above, a voltage level of the word line does not sufficiently rise up to the VPP voltage (VPP) when the word line is activated. Therefore, charge sharing between bit lines is not smooth and development between bit lines is not properly performed accordingly. As a result, problems arise because a RAS-To-CAS Delay (tRCD) characteristic is lowered and I/O margin of data is short.
Furthermore, if the VPP voltage (VPP) is lower than a target voltage, there are problems in that a data retention time reduces and a refresh characteristic decreases in the refresh operation of the semiconductor memory device. There is also a problem in that the operational performance of the semiconductor memory device is lowered since the refresh operation speed is reduced.

VPP voltage generator for generating stable VPP voltage


A nozzle device includes an upper cover module having a cavity, a plurality of stacked piezoelectric plate modules, a plug module, and a lower cover module. Each piezoelectric plate module includes a substrate, a piezoelectric material, an electrical connection, an upper electrode, and a lower electrode. The substrate includes multiple first through holes disposed correspondingly to the cavity. The piezoelectric material is located on the upper surface of the substrate. The electrical connection extends from the lower surface of the substrate, through the substrate, and to the bottom of the piezoelectric material. The lower electrode is located below the lower surface of the substrate and electrically connects to the electrical connection. The plug module includes plugs and second through holes corresponding to the first through holes. The lower cover module includes openings disposed according to the plugs of the plug module.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a nozzle device.
2. Related Art
Conventional droplet ejection apparatuses have a pressurization device, a pressurization chamber, a nozzle, and a filling hole. The nozzle communicates with the pressurization chamber. Liquid is introduced into the pressurization chamber through the filling hole. The pressurization device applies pressure on a sidewall of the pressurization chamber in order to eject droplets.
Usually, after the design of a droplet ejection apparatus is completed, it ejects droplets with a fixed size, which is not adjustable. Therefore, its application is not flexible.


A system for heat exchange processing of particulate solid material is disclosed. The particulate solids are flowed by gravity through a housing packed with flat, internally cooled (or heated) heat exchange panels spaced apart to define generally vertical channels for the passage of the solid particulate. The panels are formed of opposed metal sheets, sealed around their edges, spot welded together in limited areas of joinder, in a predetermined pattern over their surfaces, and hydrostatically expanded in the areas between to form surfaces that are quilt-like in appearance. The panels are configured in two alternate forms such that, when a plurality of panels are assembled in a stack, the hydrostatically expanded portions of one panel are disposed opposite the areas of joinder of an adjacent panel of alternate configuration, creating a sinuous, but relatively uniform flow path for the flow of particulate solids between panels. High system efficiency is achieved by enabling adjacent panels to be spaced closer together while still avoiding the problem of "bridging" of the solid particulate material between panels.

The present invention is directed to equipment for the processing of solid particulate materials to effect heat exchange. Most typically, the system is employed in the cooling of solid particulate materials during production processing.
It is known in the construction of heat exchange processors to employ hydrostatically expanded heat exchange panels within a heat exchange vessel, for the evaporation and concentration of liquids, for example. Such heat exchange panels are constructed by joining together a pair of sheet metal plates by welding the plates together around their peripheral edges to form a fluid tight enclosure. The facing sheets of metal are then secured together in limited areas of joinder, typically by spot welding. These areas are arranged in a predetermined uniform pattern over the entire flat surface area of the panel. For example, the areas of joinder may be a half to three quarters inch in diameter, spaced apart on, for example, four inch centers. Each panel is provided with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet substantially spaced from each other, typically at diagonally opposite corners of the panel. The thus prepared panels are then hydrostatically expanded by forcing fluid under relatively high pressure into the interior of the panel, preferably but not necessarily while the areas of joinder are mechanically clamped together. The panel areas between the areas of joinder are permanently deformed outwardly from the central plane of the panel to provide labyrinthine internal passages for the flow of heat exchange medium inside the panel.
Heat exchange panels of the type described above are generally known. The present invention provides a unique and advantageous way of employing such panels in a heat exchange system for the processing of solid particulate material in a way to greatly increase the efficiency of the heat exchange process for such material.
In accordance with the invention, a heat exchanger system is provided which includes a heat exchange housing provided with an inlet and an outlet for flowing particulate solids. Typically, the system operates by gravity flow, with the heat exchange housing being vertically oriented, with its inlet at the top and its outlet at the bottom. The heat exchange housing is packed with a series of flat heat exchange panels, of the general type described above, vertically oriented and arranged in parallel, closely spaced relation to define a plurality of vertically oriented narrow flow paths for moving the solid particulate material through the heat exchange housing.
Because of the quilt-like modulating surface contours of the heat exchange panel, "bridging" of the solid particulate material between panels becomes a problem as the spacing between panels is reduced. Inasmuch as the efficiency of the heat exchange operation is a significant function of the spacing between adjacent panels, the efficiency of a given system for a given particulate material can be optimized by reducing the space between adjacent panels as far as possible while avoiding problems of "bridging" of the particulate materials, especially in relatively convergent areas of adjacent, opposed panels.
Pursuant to the invention, a significantly improved and efficient heat exchange system for particulate solids is provided by constructing and arranging the heat exchange panels in such manner that the hydrostatically expanded portions of one panel are positioned directly opposite the areas of joinder of each adjacent panel. This provides, between each pair of panels, a passage of a sinuous character but with significantly greater uniformity of width over the entire surface areas of the plates. By minimizing areas of convergence, an adjacent pair of heat exchange panels may be moved closer together, for greater heat exchange efficiency, without exacerbating the problem of bridging of the particulate solids flowing through the system.
The structure of the invention is advantageously achieved by constructing the panels to be of two types. In a first alternate panel type, the areas of joinder are arranged in a first predetermined pattern. In a second alternate panel type, the configuration of the areas of joinder, is offset such that each area of joinder lies substantially midway between corresponding areas of joinder of the first alternate panels. When a series of alternate types of panels are assembled in a stack, the spacing between panels can be significantly reduced without causing bridging of the solid particulate material. This has two important advantages: First, because adjacent heat exchange panels are closely spaced, there is greater efficiency of heat transfer between the plates and a mass of flowing particulate solid material flowing there between. Secondly, the closer spacing of the panel allows for a greater number of the panels to be assembled in a housing of given size.
For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and to the accompanying drawings.

Heat exchange system for processing solid particulates


Solid state light emitting diode packages can be provided including a ceramic material and a leadframe structure, on the ceramic material, the leadframe structure including a portion thereof that integrates the leadframe structure with the ceramic material.

It is known to mount solid state light sources, such as semiconductor light emitting diodes (LEDs), in packages that may provide protection, color selection, focusing, and the like, for light emitted by the light emitting diode. A solid state light emitting diode may be, for example, an organic or inorganic light emitting diode. Some packages for light emitting diodes are described in U.S. Pre-grant Publication Nos. 2004/0079957, 2004/0126913, 2005/0269587, and 2008/0012036, which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and which are incorporated herein by reference as if set forth fully herein.
According to FIGS. 1A and 1B, a typical leadframe-based LED package 160 includes electrical leads, contacts or traces for electrically connecting the LED package to an external circuit. The package 160 can include a leadframe 102 and a molded package body 130 surrounding the leadframe 102 and a lens 140 mounted over a central region of the leadframe 102. Electrical leads 104, 106 extend from sides of the package body 130. Other optical features, such as reflectors, diffusers, etc., may be provided instead of or in addition to the lens 140.
The package body 130 may be formed of, for example, thermoset and/or a thermoplastic by transfer or injection molding, around the leadframe 102. The thermoplastic may include a liquid crystal polymer such as a Vectra® series polymers A130 and/or S135 available from Ticona Engineering Polymers. Other suitable liquid crystal polymers are available from Solvay Advanced Polymers. Polycarbonate, Lexan® from GE Polymers and/or PPA (polyphthalamide) from Solvay Advanced Polymers may also be used as the thermoplastic for the package body 130.
The package body 130 may expose the bottom surface of the central region of the leadframe 102 and may extend at least partially between lower surfaces 104b, 106b of the leads 104, 106 and a lower surface 102b of the central region of the leadframe 100 while exposing at least a portion of the lower surface 102b of the central region. Further, the package body 130 may have a bottom surface 130b that is coplanar with the bottom surface 102b of the central region of the leadframe 102. When the package 160 is mounted, the exposed surface 102b of the leadframe 102 may be placed into thermal contact with, for example, an external heatsink (not shown).
Other packages, as illustrated in FIG. 2, can include the leadframe 102 supporting a ceramic submount 101 with LEDs 103 thereon. A glass lens 140 can be mounted over the LEDs 103 and a reflector may be provided as part of the package. The LEDs 103 can be electrically connected to the leads 104, 106 by wires 150. Still other packages can include a silicon lens that is injection molded on the submount 101.

Solid state light emitting diode packages with leadframes and ceramic material


A photonic switching matrix comprises a plurality of wavelength converters at respective inputs of the matrix to assign a wavelength to each cell applied to an input of the matrix. An optical buffer common to all the outputs of the matrix stores each cell for a duration selectable between 0 and k.T.sub.c where k is an integer and T.sub.c is the duration of cell. A space routing stage comprises a filter for each output of the matrix passing to a given output only cells having a given wavelength. The converters and the buffer are controlled according to routing information indicating for each cell the output of the matrix to which said cell is addressed and for selecting the duration for which each cell is stored in the buffer so as to construct a queue for each output to avoid conflicts between two cells to be switched to the same output presented at the same time as the input of the switching matrix. The switching matrix has applications in telecommunication networks.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a photonic switching matrix for implementing a multistage switching network. It provides for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connections for switching data in the form of fixed length cells asynchronously time-division multiplexed onto optical fibers.
2. Description of the prior art
The article: ATM photonic switching network, reference 14B2 of TOPICAL MEETING ON PHOTONIC SWITCHING, KOBE, JAPAN, Apr. 12-14, 1990 describes a photonic switching matrix comprising:
an input interface module at each of the n inputs of the matrix for identifying the cells arriving at said input by reading a virtual channel label or virtual circuit group label included in the header of the cell and to convert the wavelength of each cell into a wavelength representing one output of the matrix; PA1 cell selectors each comprising a splitter and filters for distributing the cells to the outputs of the matrix according to their wavelengths; and PA1 an optical buffer for each output for storing cells addressed to the same output and which may be in conflict for access to that output. PA1 n optical memories having a capacity equal to one cell and which can be in the form of an optical delay line; and PA1 an n.times.m spectral division switch. PA1 a plurality of wavelength converters at respective inputs of the matrix to assign a wavelength to each cell applied to an input of the matrix; PA1 an optical buffer common to all the outputs of the matrix for storing each cell for a duration selectable between 0 and k.T.sub.c where k is an integer and T.sub.c is the duration of a cell; PA1 a space routing stage comprising a filter for each output of the matrix passing to a given output only cells having a given wavelength; and PA1 control means for controlling the converters and the buffer according to routing information indicating for each cell the output of the matrix to which said cell is addressed and for selecting the duration for which each cell is stored in the buffer so as to construct a queue for each output to avoid conflicts between two cells to be switched to the same output; PA1 (k+1) delay lines respectively introducing time-delays 0, . . . , k.T.sub.c and having outputs connected to inputs of the space routing stage; PA1 (k+1) combiners each having an output connected to an input of a delay line and n inputs; PA1 n splitters each having an input constituting an input of the buffer and (k+1) outputs; and PA1 (k+1).n optical gates each connecting an output of one of the n splitters to an input of one of the (k+1) combiners and controlled by the control means so that each splitter is connected to a single combiner at a time.
A disadvantage of this known type of switching matrix is that it requires an optical buffer for each matrix output. Each of these buffers comprises:
This n.times.m switch comprises wavelength converters for converting the wavelength of each cell, cell by cell, a combiner, a splitter and filters which can be tuned to route each cell into one of the optical memories. The optical memories being connected in series, they provide for introducing a time-delay between 0 and m times the duration of a cell.
A disadvantage of this known type matrix is that it requires a buffer for each matrix output which increases the number of components and therefore the manufacturing cost.
An object of the invention is to propose a simpler photonic switching matrix that is less costly than this known type matrix but which enables a multistage switching network to be implemented by combining a plurality of matrices in accordance with the invention and which caters for both point-to-multipoint connections and point-to-point connections.


An improved valve of the flapper plate type is disclosed, the valve comprising at least one flexible member for connecting the flapper plate and the arm actuating the flapper. The flexible member absorbs impact energy and allows restricted three dimensional movement of the flapper plate. The seals for the flapper plate and the seat comprise electrically conductive sealing materials.

Operation of many industrial processes requires regulation of flow of extremely fine or ultrafine powdery materials, often under circumstances that permit or tolerate only minimal leakage of the powder or any transporting gas. Where the powder is transported from a vacuum system, leakage of air or other gas by the valve destroys the vacuum and the efficiency of transport in the system. Additionally, many ultrafine particles are pyrophoric or highly combustible, so that leakage of air by the valve can result in an explosion hazard. Again, if the powder is an electrically conductive material, electric discharge on opening of certain types of valves may cause erosion of the valve seat at the least and explosion at the worst.
The regulation of transport of fine aluminum powder (e.g., 25 microns) has posed a significant problem. This material, though normally at least partially oxidized because of its pyrophoric nature, is electrically conductive and tends to stick to all valve components.
Among those valves previously employed in transport in such processes are valves referred to as flapper or clapper valves. These valves utilize a closing plate or disc anchored on and moving around a pivot, the plate being brought into sealing engagement with a seat for closing. In one valve that has seen duty in a number of industrial processes, the plate is fastened to a pivot arm by means of structure including an anchor pin. The pin fastening arrangement has proven unsatisfactory. In particular, the pin fastening arrangement permits sliding movement of the plate which results in erosion of the seat and plate seals, with consequent loss of sealing contact. Usage has also determined that the pin fastener structure also serves as a collection point for the powdery material and causes the pin to seize.
Accordingly, a need has existed for an improved valve which addresses and overcomes these problems. The invention is such a valve.


The invention is structured such as to improve a multi-beam exposure apparatus for scanning a plurality of beams, and provides an exposure apparatus in which no color shifting or no shading and no spread of a line is generated by reducing a mutual shifting of the respective beams so as to accurately overlap an image. A multi-beam exposure apparatus according to the invention has an optical element in the middle of an optical path between an image forming lens disposed between an optical deflecting apparatus and an image surface, and a light detector for detecting a horizontal synchronism, the optical element being structured such as to change an emitting angle in correspondence to a change of a wavelength due to a temperature change of a laser beam from a light source with respect to a main scanning direction and to shift a beam position at the same amount as a position shifting amount generated by an image forming lens according to a difference of a wavelength and in an opposite direction thereto, thereby guiding the beam to the same position on a detecting surface of the light detector for detecting the horizontal synchronism even in the case that wavelengths of the light beams from the light sources which emit two laser beams at every color separated into color components change according to a change of the temperature.

The present invention relates to a multi-beam exposure apparatus scanning a plurality of light beams and usable for a plural drum type color printer apparatus, a plural drum type color copier, a multicolor printer, a multicolor copier, a monochromatic high speed laser printer, a monochromatic high speed digital copier and the like.
For example, in an image forming apparatus such as a color printer apparatus, a color copying apparatus which employs an image forming unit including a plurality of photosensitive drums, there is employed an exposure apparatus which supplies a plurality of light beams having the number the same as the number of plural image data corresponding to separated color components, that is, at least the number of image forming units.
This kind of exposure apparatus has a plurality of semiconductor laser elements emitting a predetermined number of light beams corresponding to the image data at each of the separated color components, a first lens group stopping down a cross sectional beam diameter of the light beam after each of the semiconductor laser elements is emitted to a predetermined size and shape, an optical deflecting apparatus operated in accordance that a recording medium holding the image formed by each of the light beams continuously reflects in a direction perpendicular to a transferred direction, a second lens group image forming the light beam deflected by the optical deflecting apparatus on a predetermined position of the recording medium, and the like. Here, in many cases, a direction in which the laser beam is deflected by the optical deflecting apparatus is indicated to be a main scanning direction, and a direction in which the recording medium is transferred, that is, a direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction is indicated to be a sub scanning direction.
The exposure apparatus mentioned above is classified into an embodiment which employs a plurality of exposure apparatuses corresponding to each of the image forming units according to the applied image forming apparatus and an embodiment which employs a multi-beam exposure apparatus capable of supplying a plurality of light beams by means of one exposure apparatus. In this case, in recent days, in order to increase an image forming speed and improve a resolution, there has been also proposed a high speed printer apparatus capable of forming an image having a high resolution and forming an image at a high speed by exposing image data having the same color in a parallel manner.
However, in the exposure apparatus mentioned above, when a rotational speed of the reflection surface of the optical deflecting apparatus is increased in order to increase the speed of the image forming apparatus and improve the resolution, it is necessary to employ an expensive bearing such as an air bearing which can stand against the high speed rotation on the reflection surface. On the other hand, as well as the rotational speed of the motor has an upper limit, the motor capable of rotating at a high speed is expensive and a drive circuit for rotating the motor is also expensive, so that there is a problem that an increase of the rotational speed of the reflection surface corresponding to an increase of the cost can not expected. In this case, when the rotational speed of the reflection surface is increased, as a result, there is generated problems that the wind sound is increased as well as the wind damage on the reflection surface is accelerated.
On the other hand, it is possible to restrict an increase of the rotational speed of the motor when increasing the number of the reflection surfaces, however, since an image frequency is increased, there is a problem that a noise component superimposed on the image signal (image data) at a high possibility is increased. Further, when the image frequency is increased, there is a problem that various kinds of limitations are generated in designing or mounting the control circuit.
Accordingly, there has been proposed a multi-beam exposure which can reduce each of the rotational speed of the reflection surface and the image frequency by allocating a plurality of light beams to each of the separated color components and deflecting (scanning) them at one time, however, even in the case of employing the multi-beam exposure, there are various kinds of problems as mentioned below.
That is, in the multi-beam exposure, there is employed a method of using a plurality of light sources for each of the separated color components and combining the light beams emitted from each of the light sources at a color component unit so as to deflect (scan) as one light beam, and a semiconductor laser element is employed for the light source.
However, it has been known that a wavelength of the light beam (the laser beam) irradiated from the semiconductor laser element is varied in a luminescent wavelength according to a temperature of an environment in which the laser element is placed. Further, each of the semiconductor laser elements is different in a changing amount of the luminescent wavelength with respect to the temperature change. In this case, when the temperature is varied in the periphery of each of the semiconductor laser elements and levels of a change with age are different from each other in each of the laser elements, the wavelengths of the light beams emitted from the respective light sources are varied.
Further, since the characteristic of the semiconductor laser element includes a mode hopping phenomenon that the luminescent wavelength is about 1.5 nm changed with respect to the temperature change about 0.1xc2x0 C., it is hard to uniformly align the luminescent wavelength of all the laser elements at a wide environmental temperature range even when aligning the luminescent wavelength under a certain condition.
As mentioned above, in the case that the luminescent wavelength of the light beam irradiated from each of the semiconductor laser elements is changed due to the temperature change, in detection of a horizontal synchronism and definition of a writing position structured such as to arrange a beam detecting sensor for detecting the horizontal synchronism, for example, at a position equivalent to a mirror surface, to detect the fact that the light beam enters into the sensor by emitting the light beam prior to a timing at which the beam passes through the sensor, and to write the image by setting that the light beam is at the same position at the detecting timing and enters into the image area after a fixed time thereafter, an oscillating angle when the light beam is guided to each of the reflection surfaces of the deflecting apparatus becomes a different angle even when the timing at which the light beam enters into the sensor is the same.
That is, since the position of the beam detecting sensor is fixed, the writing position of the image is substantially maintained to a fixed value when writing the image a fixed time after detecting the fact that the light beam enters the sensor in the case that the luminescent wavelength is changed due to the temperature change, however, at a position opposite to the writing position, at which the exposure of the image is finished, there is a problem that a twice times of change (2xc3x97xcex94xcex8) is generated when setting the change amount of the oscillating angle on each of the reflection surfaces in the deflecting apparatus when the light beam scanned to the same place by the change component of the wavelength changing due to the change of the temperature reaches, to xcex94xcex8.
This generates a phenomenon that a color is shifted, a predetermined color can not reproduced and the like, in a color printer apparatus, and there is a problem of reduction of the resolution and generation of jitter caused by changing an outer diameter and a shape of a dot (an assembly of the light beam on the photosensitive body) constituting the image, in a high speed printer apparatus.
An object of the present invention is to provide an exposure apparatus for scanning a plurality of beams, in which difference between the respective beams is reduced and an image is accurately formed, thereby preventing a color shifting or a reduction of resolution from generating.
According to the present invention, there is provided a multi-beam exposure apparatus comprising a plurality of light sources for irradiating light beams having predetermined wavelengths, pre-deflection optical means for applying a predetermined optical characteristic to the light beam irradiated from each of the light sources, deflection means for deflecting the light beam passing through the pre-deflection optical means to a first direction corresponding to a direction in which a rotatably formed reflection surface is rotated at a predetermined speed, image formation optical means for continuously image forming the light beams deflected in the first direction by the deflection means on an image surface, detecting means for detecting at least one of the light beams passing through the image formation optical means and outputting predetermined signals corresponding to the light beams, and optical elements arranged between the deflection means and the detecting means and changing an emission angle in correspondence to a change of a wavelength of the light irradiated from each of a plurality of light sources.
Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a multi-beam exposure apparatus comprising a plurality of light sources, a first optical element for assembling light beams irradiated from the plurality of light sources to one light beam so as to give a predetermined characteristic, deflection means for deflecting the light beams supplied from the first optical element to a first direction corresponding to a direction in which the reflection surface is rotated, a second optical element extended out along the first direction and image forming the light beams deflected from the deflection means to a predetermined position so as to satisfy a function corresponding to a rotation of the reflection surface in the deflection means, detecting means arranged at a distance optically equivalent to a position at which the light beams passing through the second optical element reaches and in an area except an image area in which the light beam passing through the second optical element functions as an image and detecting at least one of the light beams passing through the second optical element so as to output a predetermined signal, and optical elements arranged between the second optical element and the detecting means, changing an emission angle in correspondence to a change of a wavelength of the light irradiated from the plurality of light sources due to a change of a temperature with respect to the first direction and shifting a position to which the light reaches to a direction having the same amount as a position shifting amount on the predetermined image surface generated by the second optical element due to a difference of the wavelength and having an opposite direction, thereby guiding the light having a wavelength which is changed due to a change of the temperature to the same position on the detecting surface of the detecting means in the case that the reflection surface of the deflection means has the same rotational angle.
Still further, according to the present invention, there is provided a multi-beam exposure apparatus comprising a plurality of light sources for irradiating lights having a predetermined wavelength at a predetermined temperature, pre-deflection optical means for assembling lights irradiated from the light sources to one light beam so as to give a predetermined characteristic, deflection means for deflecting a group of lights emitted from the pre-deflection optical means to a first direction, an image formation lens extended out in the first direction and image forming the lights deflected by the deflection means on a predetermined image surface at a uniform speed, detecting means defined at a distance optically equivalent to the predetermined image surface, arranged at a position in which the lights passing through the lens reaches and in an area except an image area among the predetermined image surface and detecting the lights passing through the lens so as to output a predetermined signal, and optical elements arranged on an optical path between the lens and the detecting means, changing an emission angle in correspondence to a change of a wavelength of the light irradiated from the plurality of light sources due to a change of a temperature with respect to the first direction and shifting a position to which the light reaches to a direction having the same amount as a position shifting amount generated by the lens due to a difference of the wavelength and having an opposite direction, thereby reducing a difference of the image of a main scanning direction position at a position opposite to a writing position in the first direction generated by a difference of the writing timing caused by the light being different from a reference wavelength in the wavelength.


Real-time image stabilization using computationally efficient corner detection and correspondence is provided. The real-time image stabilization performs a scene learning process on a first frame of an input video to obtain reference features and a detection threshold value. The presence of jitter is determined in a current frame of the input video by comparing features of the current frame against the reference features using the detection threshold value. If the current frame is found to be unstable, corner points are obtained from the current frame. The obtained corner points are matched against reference corner points of the reference features. If the number of matched corner points is not less than a match point threshold value, the current frame is modeled using random sample consensus. The current frame is corrected to compensate for the jitter based on the results of the modeling.

Environmental disturbances such as wind coupled with improper camera mounting may give rise to shaky video in the case of video cameras mounted in outdoor environments. Improper camera mounting may also give rise to shaky video even in an indoor environment. The camera shake results in frame-to-frame distortion, image blurring, or a combination of both depending on the frequency of the disturbance. Camera shake (herein also referred to as "jitter") is disturbing for human viewer, reduces compression efficiency, and may result in video unsuitable for video analytics, such as motion detection and tracking. Hence, there is a need to reduce camera shake in order to reduce the burden on the operator and improve the reliability of video analytics by reducing the number of false identifications. Reduced jitter also results in lower bit rates for compressed video. Consequently, less demand is placed on the computer network bandwidth when the video is transmitted, or on storage space requirements. Hence, camera stabilization is an important front-end feature of any surveillance system in order to achieve better overall performance.
Camera stabilization can be carried out by sensing the disturbance using active sensors, such as accelerometers or gyroscopes, and applying corrections either in hardware or software based approaches. The performance of those systems is limited by the intrinsic sensitivity of the sensors. This approach is typically taken for camcorder image stabilization, and is suited to the low frequency motion associated with handheld cameras. An advantage of systems based on accelerometers is the ability to compensate for camera jitter (or instability) even in featureless images under low illumination conditions, and are not influenced by objects moving in the field of view.
However, the disturbance-sensing approach is less effective for eliminating high frequency motion associated with the vibrations experienced by mounted cameras used in video surveillance and security. Such vibrations may be induced by wind or traffic, for example.
The surveillance field demands a robust technique for computation of homographies to deal with dynamic scene changes associated with moving objects. Consequently, a stabilization system for moving and Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) cameras needs to differentiate between intentional camera motions and unintentional camera movements.

Video stabilization in real-time using computationally efficient corner detection and correspondence


A content-based video story browsing system is disclosed including setting and representing relations between objects and places of the story. A content-based video story browsing system includes the steps of selecting objects and places as factors organizing contents of a video story and setting a relational graph relating the objects to corresponding places; setting a video story section and a representative scene as an events of contents development corresponding to the relations of the objects and the places; and displaying the video story section and the representative scene and its contents as browsing information corresponding to the relation selected from the relational graph.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video story browsing system and more particularly to a contents-based video story browsing system defining and representing the relationship of significant factors in a video story. The factors includes an object, a place, and/or an event in time. The present invention also relates to a video story browser representing an overall outline consisting of paragraphs summarizing significant events for a convenient video story browsing.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Video browsers and video story summarization in the related art generally utilize key frames to represent a large a amount of story contents. Thus, it is difficult and/or complicated to summarize and browse the overall content of a movie or drama by extracted key frames or a character-based story browsing. Moreover, presenting contents of some scenes is ambiguous, making it difficult browse the exact information.
Although picture images of a drama or a movie progress by interconnection of events, key frame browsing or character-based browsing is simply performed without presenting any interconnected relations of events. A video story browsing technique has been proposed for summarizing and browsing the overall contents by extracting key frames from dynamic images and graphically showing the time relationship of each key frames. This technique may be usable for a simple video file, but is not suitable for video files of huge volume such as a drama or movie with numerous interconnected events over time. Moreover, because picture images of greater volume produce a large number of key frames, it is difficult to graphically represent key frames. Accordingly, it is hard for a user to understand the graphically represented information.
Another technique of key frame-based video story summarization and browsing has been proposed in which classes are formed according to a length of a section from which a key frame is extracted. Generally, a small number of key frames are extracted from sections of longer lengths for higher classes and a greater number of key frames are extracted from sections of smaller sections for lower classes, thereby forming a tree structure. However, this structure cannot be used comprehensively to browse the overall contents with representative scenes because the key frames are extracted from a too large section for the higher classes, making it difficult to retrieve a desired part using the key frames.
Still another object-based browsing technique has been proposed in which objects of dynamic images are organized and an attribute of each object in a section is displayed. However, this technique also makes it difficult to understand the overall contents. In addition, it is often difficult to determine which attribute should be designated for each object during a search algorithm.
Therefore, since video stories such as a drama or movie progress by changing characters and places in time, it would not only be impossible to summarize the contents, but would be difficult to browse the overall contents just by watching extracted characters or scenes.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve at least the problems and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a content-based video story browsing system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a video story browsing system summarizing the contents of a video story according to the relations of an object, a place, an event, and time.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a content-based video story browsing system allowing a browsing by a relational graph reflecting a development of events in time with respect to a main object and place in a movie or drama.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a content-based video story browsing system allowing a browsing by sections of a movie or drama, each section describing events with respect to an object and a place in the section of the movie or drama.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a content-based video story browsing system allowing a browsing by relation of a main object and a place in which one relation is represented by a frame and description corresponding to the section of the story containing the relation.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a contents-based video story browsing system allowing browsing a video story based upon contents of a video story expressed by relations of a main object, a place, and an event, in which relations of plural objects and a place as well as the relations of one object and one place can be browsed.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a contents-based video story browsing system allowing summarization and browsing of a video story by displaying the contents of the video story in event paragraphs, in the form of a text or a text and representative scenes.
Additional. advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may he learned from practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purposes of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention discloses a contents-based video story browsing system based upon relations of objects and places. The contents-based video story browsing system includes a scheme indicating a video story section and a representative scene as information for the development of the story events.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a contents-based video story browsing system includes steps of selecting objects and places as factors organizing the contents of a video story and setting a relational graph relating the objects to corresponding places; setting a video story section and a representative scene as an event of contents development corresponding to the relations of the objects and the places; and displaying the video story section and the representative scene and its contents as the browsing information corresponding to the relation selected from the relational graph.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a contents-based video story browsing system includes the steps of setting a relational graph of main objects and places as factors organizing contents of a video story, and adding an event description of text along with position information of sections corresponding to the relation and a representative frame position information representing each section; displaying an object-place relational graph of the video story; and if at least one relation is selected from the relational graph, displaying a representative frame of each section in the selected relation and an event description based upon the position information, and screening a user-desired section.
The contents-based video story browsing system further includes a step of setting the object-place relational graphs with respect to the overall video files and each video file, and schematically browsing the overall contents of several video files from the relational graphs with respect to the overall video files and browsing in detail each video file.
According two another embodiment of the present invention, the overall outline of a video story is divided by significant events and event paragraphs representing each events, and a scheme indicating a video story section corresponding to each event paragraph is set. If a certain event is selected, the information about the corresponding story section is displayed in response to the selection.

Contents-based video story browsing system