Methods and apparatuses for a network element having DHCP proxy functionality are described. According to one embodiment, an exemplary method includes receiving, at a network element, a request for an IP address from a subscriber, in response to the request, on behalf of the subscriber, communicating with one or more IP address providers over a network to process the request, and responding to the subscriber with respect to the request as if the network element is an IP address provider, on behalf of the one or more IP address providers.

In the field of communications, the need for high-speed transmission of data, including video and audio, has continued to increase. Moreover, there has been an increase in the selection of services by which users can connect to a network, such as the Internet. Specifically, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) may allow for connectivity to the Internet through lower-speed connections at different rates, such as 56 kilobits/second, by employing a Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) line. Other choices for connection, which are at higher speeds, into a network can include Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service, and cable modem service over a Radio Frequency (RF) cable line. Further, other types of content providers may enable a subscriber to receive different types of media, such as a video stream, audio stream, etc.
In a typical DSL network, a network element supports a wide variety of features to facilitate the management, allocation and distribution of IP addresses. Normally, the subscriber profile can be configured locally on the network element or can be retrieved from a RADIUS (remote access dial in user server) remote server (e.g.). A subscriber profile determines how an IP address (and optionally the associated route for the subscriber LAN) would be provided to a certain subscriber.
Typically, a DHCP (dynamic host configuration protocol) server is responsible for allocating and assigning one or more IP addresses to one or more clients. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a typical network configuration. In this configuration, a network element 101 serves a relay agent with respect to DHCP server 102 for one or more clients 103 and 104. Typically, when client 103 desires to enter the network, client 103 sends a DHCP discovery broadcasts to network element 101. Network element 101 forwards the request to DHCP server 102. DHCP server 102 then returns an offer back to network element 101 which in turn forwards it back to client 103. When DHCP 102 assigns an IP address to client 103, DHCP 102 replies with a DHCP packet (e.g., a DHCPack) to client 103. When network element 101 forwards this DHCP reply to client 103, network element 101 installs an IP-host route and an ARP entry for the IP address assigned to client 103. Client 103 now has a valid IP address and it knows the IP address of the DHCP 102. Further communications between client 103 and DHCP 102, such as DHCP lease renewal and release, will take place between client 103 and DHCP 102 directly without substantially invoking network element 101.
However, since network element 101 may communicate and service thousands of clients. Each client may need to directly communicate with DHCP 102 for, for example, IP address renewal or release. DHCP 102 may also service other network elements, which may provide services for thousands of other clients. As a result, DHCP 102 may experience heavy traffic from all clients via all network elements.
An IP address may be explicitly released by the client or implicitly released through the expiration of the lease time. In either case, sub-released IP addresses should be available for allocation and assignment.
When client 103 releases the IP address back to DHCP 102, network element 101 has no knowledge whether the IP address has been released until network element 101 sees DHCP 102 assigns that IP address to another of network element's 101 clients. Instead, network element 101 keeps listening to the traffic associated with the IP address until network element 101 sees DHCP 102 assigns that IP address to another of network element's 101 clients. Thus, network element 101 may consider that the IP address is still in use even though client 103 has released the IP address (directly back to DHCP 102). In addition to the resources of network element 103 wasted on such listening, this approach may result in an under utilization of IP addresses where DHCP 102 is serially resulting the network elements. Specifically, where DHCP 102 is servicing multiple network elements, DHCP 102 cannot allocate and assign a released IP address to a first network element while a second network element is listening for that IP address (that is, since the second network element listening for the released IP address will not see the reallocation and assignment of that IP address to a client of the first network element. The second network element will not know to stop listening and problems arise if two network elements are listening for the same IP address). This restriction typically leads DHCP 102 to be configured to designate different blocks of IP address to different network elements; if a given network element needs additional IP addresses, DHCP 102 cannot give it IP addresses designated to another network element even if they are not being used.
In addition, DHCP 102 typically maintains all lease time information for all clients. As a result, every client's DHCP renewal or release has to be processed by DHCP 102, which significantly increases the overhead traffic of DHCP 102. Furthermore, since network element 101 has no knowledge when the lease time expires, network element 101 has to keep listening for the IP address associated with the expired lease. Since allowing a lease to expire has the same effect as a client explicitly releasing an IP address, listening to an IP address for which the lease has expired has the same disadvantages as those described above with regard to when a client explicitly releases an IP address.


A system and method are provided for quickly measuring the Root Mean Square (RMS) value of digital quadrature signals (I, Q) input to a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) transmitter. In general, in a W-CDMA transmitter such as that in a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), multiple channels are combined to provide the digital quadrature signal (I, Q) input to the transmitter. The RMS value of the digital quadrature signal (I, Q) may be determined using a number of consecutive samples of the digital quadrature signal (I, Q) over a period corresponding to mutually orthogonal segments of the spreading codes used for the transmitted channels. As a result of the mutual orthogonality of the segments of the spreading codes, a residual error of the RMS measurement is equal to zero, thereby providing an accurate RMS measurement in much less time than required by traditional RMS measurement schemes.

Battery-life, or efficiency, is a primary consideration when designing a mobile transmitter. One method of increasing the battery-life is to decrease current consumption of the transmitter during low power operation by decreasing the bias current. Changing the bias current of the transmitter also changes the gain, and thus the power step, of the transmitter. Thus, in order to achieve a target output power, it is desirable to have a power control system that corrects the gain of the transmitter after a change in bias current.
Traditional power control systems use a closed loop architecture where the output of the transmitter is coupled to a power detector. In order to measure the gain, the power detector uses an averaging filter that requires approximately 200 microseconds to remove the amplitude modulation from the detected signal. However, unlike the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), continuous time transmit schemes such as the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) modulation scheme of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) require that mobile terminals continuously transmit in each transmit slot. Further, for W-CDMA in the UMTS, any gain adjustments must be completed within approximately the first 50 microseconds of each time slot. Accordingly, the traditional power control systems are not suitable for measuring and adjusting the gain of the W-CDMA transmitter during the first 50 microseconds of a time slot.
One solution would be to use traditional power control systems to detect the gain in one time slot and adjust the gain in the next time slot. However, the bias current may change from one time slot to the next. As such, correcting the gain for one time slot based on the gain during the previous time slot is not desirable.
Commonly owned and assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/113,873, entitled POWER CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A CONTINUOUS TIME MOBILE TRANSMITTER, which was filed Apr. 25, 2005 and is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a system for controlling the output power of a continuous time mobile transmitter by controlling the gain of the transmitter that addresses the issues discussed above. In this system and other systems controlling output power by controlling the gain of the transmitter, the output power of the transmitter is a function of both the RMS value of the input signal as well as the gain of the transmitter (Pout=Gain×RMSIN).
W-CDMA in the UMTS provides multi-code operation which may result in variations in the Root Mean Square (RMS) value of the input signals provided to the transmitter. More specifically, by using orthogonal spreading codes, multiple channels may be combined to provide a digital input signal to the transmitter. However, due to changes in the number of combined channels, which channels are combined, and the gains applied to the channels, the RMS value of the input signal provided to the transmitter may vary. Thus, in order to provide accurate power control by controlling gain, there is a need for a system that corrects or compensates for variations in the RMS value of the input signal provided to the transmitter.
In order to compensate for variations in the RMS value of the input signal, some baseband processor manufacturers scale the input signal and provide the scaled input signal to the transmitter. However, due to errors inherent in the scaling process such as digital multiplication and bit resolution, the RMS value of the scaled input signal may still vary significantly. Thus, even in these systems, there is a need for a system and method for correcting compensating for variations in the RMS value of the input signal provided to the transmitter.

Fast RMS measurement of input I/Q signals in a W-CDMA system


The invention images dielectric polarization forces on surfaces induced by a charged scanning force microscope (SFM) probe tip. On insulators, the major contribution to the surface polarizability at low frequencies is from surface ions. The mobility of these ions depends strongly on the humidity. Using the inventive SFM, liquid films, droplets, and other weakly adsorbed materials have been imaged.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to imaging of liquids, liquid films, liquid droplets, weakly bound particles on surfaces, and surfaces of thick dielectric samples using scanning force microscopy (SFM).
2. Description of Related Art
Atomic force and scanning force microscopes have been used to image solid surfaces with regions of electrostatic charge or dielectric material using metal or metal-coated cantilever probe tips. However no technique has been successfully used, including scanning force microscopy and atomic force microscopy, to image the nanometer-scale structure of liquid films, surfaces, and adsorbates. It is important to understand the growth of thin films of water because water films alter the adhesion and lubricating properties of surfaces and the reactivity of solids with ambient gas molecules. Additionally, water is a common solvent and cleaning agent. A method to study the growth of thin films of water would be important for physics, chemistry, and biology. In chemistry, the contact angle of water is used to measure the chemical activity of the surface. In biological processes, water films are critical for ion transport. In the semiconductor industry, water is used to wash off surface residues including and similar to reactants and acids. It is very important to know of the presence of residual liquid residues on the surface. Several studies have been recently devoted to the layering and orientation of water molecules on surfaces (Q. Du, E. Freysz, Y. R. Shen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 72, 238, 1994; J. D. Porter and A. S. Zinn, J. Phys. Chem. 97, 1190, 1993; J. N. Israelachvili, Chem. Scr. 25, 7, 1985; AC. Chem. Res. 20, 415, 1987; J. Glosli and M. Philpott, Proceedings of the Symposium on Microscopic Models of Electrode-Electrolyte Interface, Electrochem. Soc. 93-5, 90, 1993). Ice-like structures have been predicted for the first layers of water molecules, but no experimental evidence is available to validate the predictions. A method and apparatus to image water surfaces with nanometer resolution would make it possible to study many basic aspects of wetting, including condensation, evaporation and chemical reactions. With such a tool, the validity of growth models and the structure of the first layers could be investigated at the molecular level. If this type of tool were available it would also enable people to map the location of liquid droplets in the nanometer range.
Modern scanning force microscopes (SFM) like the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and the atomic force microscope (AFM) can be used to obtain atomic-scale resolution of solid surfaces. SFM uses a probe tip attached to a spring, normally in the form of a lever or cantilever. Any of a number deflection sensor systems is used to measure displacement of the spring from its rest position under the influence of external forces, typically coming from the sample to be imaged.
SFM cantilever probe tips are available in a range of force constants (k), typically in the range between about 0.01 and 100 Newtons per meter (N/m). The resonant frequency (f) of the probe tip can typically range from 1 to 200 kHz. Probe tips are generally available with radii (R) of about 5 to about 0.01 micrometers (.mu.m). Many materials have been used for probe tips, including tungsten, platinum, other metal alloys, and semiconductors such as silicon or silicon nitride. Diamond has also been used as a SFM probe material. Conductive coatings have been applied to otherwise non-conducting probe tips.
Sometimes the SFM cantilever probe is used as a null displacement sensor, where a feed back loop in the SFM apparatus applies a compensating force to balance external forces from the sample. Operated in this mode, the SFM cantilever probe is maintained in a position as close to its rest position as possible. As the probe is rastered across the sample, the magnitude of the force required to prevent the probe from deviating from its rest position is measured and plotted as a function of probe location over the sample. The resulting two-dimensional plot is the image obtained under constant distance constraints.
More frequently, however, the SFM cantilever probe is allowed to deflect in response to external sample forces and, as the probe scans the sample, the magnitude of the deflection is measured and plotted as a function of location over the sample. This two-dimensional plot is the image. There are many types of sensor systems that can be used to measure the displacement of the cantilever. One of the most popular is the optical lever, using a segmented or differential photo diode (G. Meyer and N. M. Amer, App. Phys. Lett. V 53, p 1045, 1988; G. Meyer and N. M. Amer, App. Phys. Lett. V 56, p 2101, 1990). Other types of displacement sensor systems include an optical interferometer which may be based on optical fiber technology, electron tunneling sensors, capacitance based sensors, and piezoresistive sensors that directly detect lever deflection.
An SFM can be operated in a contact mode or in a non-contact mode. In the contact mode, the probe tip is pushed against the sample surface so the surface and probe tip are in close mechanical contact. In the contact mode, the lateral spatial resolution is approximately the width of the contact, about 1 nm. In the non-contact mode the probe tip is typically 5 nm to 1000 nm from the surface, a great distance compared to atomic bond distances. The probe tip and sample surface interact by long range forces such as van der Waals, electrostatic and magnetostatic forces. If the probe tip and/or sample are submerged in a liquid, they may interact via variations in chemical or electrochemical potentials. In air the lateral resolution for a probe tip of radius R that is separated from the sample surface by a distance D, is about (2 D R).sup.1/2 if D is smaller than R. If D is larger than R, the lateral spatial resolution is about equal to D.
Because liquid surfaces will be disturbed in a contact mode, liquids must be imaged in the non-contact mode. The SFM is operated in the non-contact mode by measuring any of several parameters. The deflection or displacement of a cantilever probe is one common measurement parameter. Another is modulation of an AC signal applied to the probe. Alternatively, the probe tip can be mechanically vibrated, and the effect of sample interaction with the vibration measured. Monitoring the change in mechanical vibration measures force gradients rather than magnitude. For solid samples, it is also possible to make measurements in a hybrid mode, sometimes referred to as a "tapping" mode, wherein parameters measured for contact and non-contact imaging are combined.
Van der Waals forces are always present and can be used for imaging. However, because they are very weak (the force is about 1 nN at 10 .ANG. distance for a 500 .ANG. probe tip radius), close proximity of the probe tip to the surface is required. Such close positioning to a liquid surface results in jump-to-contact instabilities. Electrostatic forces have a much longer range and magnitude than van der Waals forces and can be easily used to perform non-contact imaging of both conducting and insulating materials.
To use SFM to measure the electrostatic forces resulting from a charge distribution in the sample, a voltage is applied to the probe tip and the repulsion or attraction of the sample to the charged probe tip is measured. The charge distribution on the sample can result from polarizing a dielectric material, depositing fixed or mobile point charges in or on a non conducting sample, presence of differentially conducting domains in a sample, or, for conductors--applying a charge to an electrically isolated conductor or connecting the conductor to an external potential. Electrostatic forces on the sample can be detected with insulating probe tips, however the charge state of an insulating probe tip is difficult to control or characterize so most SFM measurements of electrostatic forces are made using conducting probe tips. Electrostatic forces in the sample can be measured using either dc or ac technology. Imaging of electrostatic fields by SFM has also been referred to as "scanning capacitance microscopy" and "Maxwell Stress Microscopy".
Martin, Abraham, and Wickramasinghe describe use of an AFM with a sharp tungsten probe to measure electrostatic forces with a spatial resolution of about 1000 .ANG. (Appl. Phys. Lett. V. 52, p 1103-5, 1988). When a voltage is applied between the probe tip and the conductive surface that is being imaged, the separation-dependent capacitance between the probe tip and sample creates a capacitive force that is dominant for separation distances larger than of a few tens of angstroms. This methodology is useful to image surface dielectric properties or electrostatic forces of conductive solids or very thin insulators (about 1000 .ANG.) on a conductive substrate. The Martin et al. capacitive type measurements verified the conductor and dielectric pattern of microcircuit on a semiconducting wafer. The conducting elements of the microcircuit comprised the counter electrode. The counter electrode location within about 2,000 .ANG. of the probe tip electrode was intrinsic to their measurement system because the conducting elements were an integral part of the sample that was being measured. Liquid samples could not be configured following their sample set-up.
Saurenbach and Terris describe a mode of AFM imaging for detection of static surface charge in a crystal of Gd.sub.2 (MoO.sub.4).sub.3 (Appl. Phys. Lett. V 56, p 1703-5, 1990). For the probe they use an electrochemically etched tungsten wire with the last 50-100 .mu.m of the wire bent at a right angle to form a cantilevered probe tip. The resonant frequency of the probe tip changes as a function of the electrostatic charge on the sample surface. As the probe tip scans the surface, its resonant frequency is measured to determine the location of static charge. The method of Saurenbach and Terris is limited to measurements of ferroelectric materials where domains are oriented by applying an electric field to the backside of the sample.
Free liquid surfaces cannot be studied using the techniques and apparatus described above. For liquids, if the probe tip comes into contact with the surface, strong capillary forces will cause the liquid to wet the probe tip and strongly perturb the liquid. In order to avoid bulging of the liquid surface that leads to wetting and capillary interaction, the probe tip must be kept at least several tens of angstroms from the imaging surface.
Electrostatic force microscopy has been used to study such properties, as capacitance, surface potential and charge or dopant distribution, in metal and semiconductor samples. It has also been used to deposit and image localized charges on thin film insulators. Although the dielectric properties of surfaces can be studied in this way, the activity in this direction has been limited to very thin, never more than about 2,000 .ANG., layers of insulating materials on conducting substrates.
In all of the scanning force microscopes currently in use the probe tip is polarized relative to a proximate ground or a counter electrode located at least within a couple of thousand angstroms of the probe tip. This limits the sample size to conductors and thin insulators.
In all known uses of SFM the probe and counter electrode have been closer than a few thousand angstroms. Current users of SFM place the probe tip within a few thousand angstroms of the sample surface. No-one has successfully imaged liquids using the conventionally configured SFM. It would be desirable to be able to image non-conducting samples with thickness greater than 0.2 .mu.m. It would also be very desirable to image liquids on insulating substrates. It would be extremely desirable to be able to image bulk liquids, or inhomogeneous liquids with disturbing the surface topology. It would be further desirable to be able to image insulating particles on thick insulating samples.

Method for imaging liquid and dielectric materials with scanning polarization force microscopy


A vehicular system includes a vehicle side unit and mobile devices registered to the vehicle side unit. The vehicle side unit transmits a first request signal designating a first mobile device. A replying section of the first mobile device replies a response signal when receiving the first request signal. A replying section of a second mobile device replies a non-designated report signal when receiving the first request signal at a time point different from a time point at which the first mobile device replies the response signal. The vehicle side unit includes a vehicle side receiving section receiving the signal transmitted from the replying section of each mobile device and a locked-in determiner determining that only the first mobile is locked in the compartment of the vehicle when the response signal from the first mobile device is received and the non-designated report signal is not received.

A vehicular system controlling lock or unlock of a door of a vehicle has been known. This kind of vehicular system controls a state switch between a lock state and an unlock state of each door of the vehicle according to an ID code comparison result between a mobile device, such as an electronic key, and a vehicle side unit via a wireless communication. This kind of system also permits an engine start under a condition that a person who carries the mobile device is in a compartment of the vehicle.
Technologies for avoiding locking the door with a mobile device left in the vehicle have been proposed for above-described vehicular system. Specifically, when multiple mobile devices are registered to one vehicle, the user may lock the door with one or more registered mobile devices left in the vehicle (for example, refer to patent literature 1).
In order to solve above-described difficulty, patent literature 1 discloses a vehicular system which determines the door lock with the mobile device left in the vehicle. Specifically, the vehicle side unit transmits a request signal to the inside space of the vehicle compartment. When the vehicle side unit receives a response signal from the registered mobile device, the vehicle side unit determines the door lock with the mobile device left in the vehicle.
In patent literature 1, the vehicle side unit transmits, as the request signal, ID code or key number code indicating key number. When a mobile device corresponding to the code transmitted as the request signal exists in the vehicle compartment, the mobile device returns a response signal. When the response signal is transmitted from the mobile device, the vehicle side unit determines the presence of the mobile device, which has the same code with the code transmitted in the request signal, in the vehicle. In patent literature 1, the vehicular system carries out the process (hereinafter, determination process), which determines whether the mobile device is left in the vehicle, for all of the registered mobile devices in order to determine the presence of each mobile device in the vehicle compartment. In the determination process, the request signal is transmitted to the mobile device, and the presence of the mobile device is determined based on whether the response signal is transmitted from the mobile device in response to the request signal.
In the vehicular system disclosed in patent literature 1, it takes quite a long time for determining the presence of all of the registered mobile devices in the vehicle compartment. The following will describe the details.
The mobile device transmits the response signal as a response only when the request signal transmitted from the vehicle side unit designates the mobile device itself. For determining the presence of all of the registered mobile devices in the vehicle compartment, the vehicle side unit needs to perform above-described determination process to each of the registered mobile devices in a predetermined order even in a case where only one mobile device (hereinafter, referred to as registered mobile device) that is registered to the vehicle exists in the vehicle. Thus, the vehicular system disclosed in patent literature 1 always requires quite a long time for determining the presence of all of the registered mobile devices in the vehicle compartment. That is, the vehicular system always requires a certain time period for performing the determination process for all of the registered mobile devices regardless of the actual number of the mobile devices that remain in the vehicle compartment.

Vehicular system, vehicle side unit, and mobile device


A lifting device for turnable parts of a furniture article has a scissors-type element, an electric motor actuating the scissors-type element and having a driven member formed as a rotatable nut, and a stationary threaded spindle on which the electric motor is displaceable.

The present invention relates to a lifting device for turnable parts of furniture articles.
More particularly, it relates to a lifting device for turning of heads and/or foot parts of a lattice furniture article.
For turning such parts of furniture articles many various frame structures are known. The frame structures are provided with an arresting toothing and a supporting lever which, depending on the angle of inclination, engages in a respective arresting element. Depending on the distance of the arresting element, steps between the individual angles of inclinations are produced. Therefore the known frame structures are not suitable for a stepless adjustment of the parts of the furniture articles to be turned. Moreover, the parts can be turned only manually. It is furthermore also disadvantageous that they can be turned back then to the stretched position when they are turned first to a greater angular position. The reason is that the frame structures are designed so that then the supporting lever can slide along the arresting elements. Moreover, these known frame structures are not suitable to equip for example available lattice articles.

Dewert Antriebs-und Systemtechnik GmbH & Co KG


A power conversion apparatus includes a case having a heat-dissipation property, and including a housing part formed to surround a predetermined space, a resin material having a thermal conductivity, the resin material being provided in the predetermined space, a coil disposed in the predetermined space, a coil case having a shape that fits with the housing part, the coil case being configured to house the coil, and a power semiconductor device disposed along a side wall of the coil case. The power semiconductor device is pressed and fixed between a side wall of the housing part and the side wall of the coil case in a state where a heat dissipation surface is in contact with the side wall of the housing part.

Conventionally, power conversion apparatuses such as a charger and an inverter are known.
In general, in power conversion apparatuses of the above-mentioned type, it is desirable to deal with heat dissipation of electric components (such as a power semiconductor device and a coil) mounted in the circuit board. As such, known power conversion apparatuses adopt a structure in which a circuit board in which electric components are mounted is housed in a casing formed of an aluminum member, and heat generated by the electric components is dissipated through the wall part of the casing. In such known power conversion apparatuses, the wall part of the casing is configured as a baseplate of a heat sink, and heat transmitted to the wall part of the casing is emitted through a fin of the heat sink provided outside the wall part (see, for example, PTL 1).

Power conversion apparatus, and method of manufacturing power conversion apparatus

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


A process for manufacture of molten carbonate fuel cell matrices in which an aluminate precursor material and a lithium salt are mixed in an aqueous or organic solvent, resulting in formation of a suspension, the suspension is heated to a temperature less than a boiling of the solvent, resulting in formation of a slurry comprising a lithium aluminate precursor material, at least one casting additive is added to the slurry, the slurry is formed into a desired shape, the desired shape is dried or cured to yield a green molten carbonate fuel cell structure, and the green molten carbonate fuel cell structure is heated after assembly into a molten carbonate fuel cell to the molten carbonate fuel cell operating temperature, resulting in transformation of the lithium aluminate precursor material to lithium aluminate.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for manufacturing lower cost molten carbonate fuel cell matrices which combines chemical synthesis or sol-gel powder synthesis techniques with tape casting or doctor blading. The chemical synthesis techniques enable the use of low cost precursor materials for the production of the high-purity, high surface area lithium aluminate matrices required for high performance molten carbonate fuel cells at a fraction of the cost of a vendor-provided lithium aluminate powder. Unlike traditional powder synthesis techniques which require complete solvent removal and a heat treatment and/or grinding procedure prior to use, in the process of this invention, the solvent utilized during the chemical or sol synthesis is also utilized as the tape casting solvent.
2. Description of Prior Art
Fuel cell testing in the United States and abroad has proven that high surface area, greater than about 10-15 m.sup.2 /g, low density, less than about 1.0 g/cm.sup.3, lithium aluminate (LiAlO.sub.2) is required to ensure submicron porosity and phase stability, characteristics required to ensure sufficient carbonate retention for maximum fuel cell performance and endurance. Due to the requirements for material purity and surface area, until now, a high cost alpha- or gamma-phase powder has been the only alternative for ensuring cell performance and endurance.
State-of-the-art molten carbonate fuel cell matrices are typically formed from expensive vendor LiAlO.sub.2 powder by tape casting. Tape casting involves suspending composite materials and a binder in aqueous or organic solvents and pouring the suspension into a doctor blade reservoir system. A blade opening is provided at the bottom of the reservoir and the slip is cast to a uniform height onto a moving substrate. A second blade provides improved dimensional control of the cast tape. The cast suspension passes through a drying section where the solvents evaporate, leaving behind a porous composite. Tape casting is taught, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,008 which also teaches a casting composition comprising a ceramic powder, an organic solvent, a binder, a plasticizer and dispersant, the dispersant being a polyvinyl alcohol/fatty acid ester, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,101.
Gel casting refers to a ceramic forming process in which a slurry of ceramic powders in a solution of organic monomers is cast in a mold. The monomer mixture is polymerized in situ to form gelled parts. See Omatete et al., "Gel Casting--A New Ceramic Forming Process," Ceramic Bulletin, Vol. 70, No. 10, pp. 1641-1649. In the sol-gel processing of ceramics and glass, ceramic materials are formed through a low-temperature chemical synthesis during which a sol is formed from precursor materials. The solution is polymerized into a gel structure and heat treated to form the ceramic or glass powder. See Johnson, Jr., "Sol-Gel Processing of Ceramics and Glass," Ceramic Bulletin, Vol. 64, No. 12 (1985); Pierre, "Sol-Gel Processing of Ceramic Powders," Ceramic Bulletin, Vol. 70, No. 8, (1991), pp. 1281-1288; and Yoldas, "Alumina Sol Preparation From Alkoxides," Ceramic Bulletin, Vol. 54, No. 3 (1975), pp. 289-290. See also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,695 which teaches a polymeric catalyst, such as poly(styrene)sulfonic acid, which can be used in the synthesis of sol-gel derived ceramic materials from metal alkoxides by reaction of the metal alkoxides and a reactive endcapped polymeric modifier.
A variety of researchers have utilized various chemical precursors to manufacture lithium aluminate powders and fibers of various lithium aluminate phases. In all cases, however, a powder is the end product which is formed in a separate manufacturing procedure into the molten carbonate fuel cell matrix. See for example, Watanabe et al., "Crystal Growth of Rod-Shaped Beta-LiAlO.sub.2," Journal of American Ceramic Society, 70 (10), C268-269 (1987); Kinoshita et al., "Preparation and Characterization of Lithium Aluminate," Material Research Bulletin, 13, 445-455 (1978); and Kinoshita et al., "Synthesis of Fine Particle Size Lithium Aluminate For Application in Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells," Material Research Bulletin, Vol. 14, (1979), pp. 1357-1368. U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,315 teaches a process for producing lithium aluminate powder by contacting a raw material powder of a lithium aluminate with water to form a hydrate, followed by dehydration by heating. U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,427 teaches a process for preparing lithium aluminosilicate or gamma lithium aluminate ceramics in which a short chain anhydrous alcohol is mixed with a liquid unpolarized aluminum alkoxide to which water is added for hydrolyzing. The resulting mixture is dried at a temperature below 300.degree. C. to evaporate the alcohols and water and obtain a crystalline powder having a structure identical to that of beta lithium aluminate. The powder is then shaped by isostatic or non-isostatic cold pressing, by pouring a slip, by spinning, or by extruding, and subsequently sintered at a temperature of about 800.degree. to 1200.degree. C. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,138 teaches a process for producing gamma lithium aluminate matrix layers for molten carbonate fuel cells using a slurry, the liquid phase of which is formed by an aqueous polyvinyl alcohol solution.

Sol-casting of molten carbonate fuel cell matrices


Chemical species such as nitrogen oxide (NO), carbon monoxide, and low molecular weight hydrocarbons (e.g., C1-C5 and saturated or ethylenically unsaturated) in an oxygen-containing gas stream, such as the exhaust stream from a diesel engine, or other lean burn engine, may be oxidized using a mixture of MnOx with one or more other base metal oxides, with or without palladium. The oxidation is effective at temperatures above about 200° C. to convert about ninety percent or more of the carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and to consume the hydrocarbons. The oxidation is also effective to convert much of the NO to NO2. In general, the mixed base metal oxides may be used as catalysts for the oxidation of nitrogen oxide in hot gas streams containing oxygen. They may optionally be used in a combination with palladium or platinum. But platinum, which is very expensive, does not have to be used in such oxidation reactions.

Diesel engines, some gasoline fueled engines, and many hydrocarbon fueled power plants are operated at higher than stoichiometric air-to-fuel mass ratios for improved fuel economy. Such lean-burning engines and other power sources, however, produce a hot gaseous exhaust with relatively high contents of oxygen, water, and nitrogen oxides (mostly NO and NO2, collectively, NOx). In the case of diesel engines, the temperature of the exhaust gas from a warmed up engine is typically in the range of about 200 degrees to 400 degrees Celsius, and has a representative composition, by volume, of about 10% oxygen, 6% carbon dioxide, 0.1% carbon monoxide (CO), 180 ppm hydrocarbons (HC), 235 ppm NOx and the balance substantially nitrogen and water. The exhaust gas often contains some very small carbon-rich particles. And to the extent that the hydrocarbon fuel contains sulfur, the exhaust from the combustion source may also contain sulfur dioxide. It is desired to treat such exhaust gas compositions to minimize the discharge of any substance to the atmosphere other than nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water.
The NOx gases, typically comprising varying mixtures of nitrogen oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), are difficult to reduce to nitrogen (N2) because of the oxygen (O2) content (and water content) in the hot exhaust stream. It is found that when much of the NO is oxidized to NO2, there are selective catalytic reduction additives and reaction methods for reducing much of the NO2 to nitrogen in the hot exhaust. But the effective and timely oxidation of NO (and CO and HC) in the exhaust has required the use of platinum as a catalyst. There is a need for a much less-expensive catalyst material for such oxidation reactions, whether in a combustion exhaust steam or in another gaseous environment.


An apparatus comprising a comb generator and multiple modulators is described. In one embodiment, the comb generator generates a multi-wavelength comb of optical frequencies. Each of the modulators receives the comb on one input as well as an input data signal on another input. Each of the modulators modulates the comb with its input data signal, thereby creating a modulated comb signal having duplicate signal sidebands on each spectral line of the comb. Each modulator outputs the modulated comb signal on the output.

The invention is related to the field of dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) for fiber optic communications systems; more particularly, this invention is related to non-blocking wavelength routers and reusing wavelengths.
Wavelength routers are being used widely today in optical systems. The current methods used to implement wavelength router functionality can be classified into two different categories based on the technique they employ to perform the wavelength routing. One of the two technique relies on an Optical-to-Electrical-to-Optical (OEO) conversion process, where an input signal carried by a specific wavelength carrier on an input fiber, is demultiplexed, converted to an electrical signal by a photo detector and electronic circuitry, and then switched electronically to the input of a wavelength specific optical transmitter that is associated with potentially one of several wavelength specific fiber optic multiplexer ports driving a specific output fiber. One of the problems with this approach is that with current technology, one needs a plethora of lasers to perform the routing function. Each port of an optical multiplexer that serves an output fiber needs its own wavelength-matched laser, and each laser needs its own high power consumption, temperature stabilization circuit. Furthermore, in high reliability applications, the 1+1 protection optics double laser cost and power consumption. Providing spares is extremely costly for this approach since the likelihood of a failure is independent of the wavelength of the laser.
The other widely used technique, which is still the subject of much development, attempts to achieve both bit rate and signal format transparency by reducing the amount of electronics in the signal path. The ultimate vision then is called the xe2x80x9cAll Optical Networkxe2x80x9d or AON. In the AON, tunable lasers, tunable filters and optical switches replace their electronic counterparts. In a typical wavelength router implementation using these tunable lasers and filters and optical switches, the outputs of modulated tunable lasers drive the input side of an optical switch that interconnects the signal to the appropriate output fiber by way of a wavelength multiplexer. While this approach achieves bit rate and signal format independence, and addresses the issue of spares as well, it does little if anything to reduce cost and component count.
Also noteworthy is that in both of the approaches discussed above, an independent data stream modulates each laser or wavelength.
An apparatus comprising a comb generator and multiple modulators is described. In one embodiment, the comb generator generates a multi-wavelength comb of optical frequencies. Each of the modulators receives the comb on one input as well as an input data signal on another input. Each of the modulators modulates the comb with its input data signal, thereby creating a modulated comb signal having duplicate signal sidebands on each spectral line of the comb. Each modulator outputs the modulated comb signal on the output.

Non-blocking wavelength router architecture with wavelength reuse capability


A recoil starter includes: a rope reel; a cylindrical cam; a coil spring; a reel spindle; an extending cylindrical portion; a recess; a hook; an engaging groove; an inner annular portion; and an outer annular portion, wherein: the extending cylindrical portion is inserted in the inner side of the recess; the coil spring is wound on the outer side of the extending cylindrical portion; the hook is engaged with the engaging groove; an end portion opposite the hook of the coil spring is engaged with the cylindrical cam; the inner annular portion is made flush; and the outer annular portion is made such that a portion corresponding to the engaging groove is formed to have the same height as that of the inner annular portion whereas an opposite side is formed to have a larger height than that of the inner annular portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recoil starter for starting an engine by pulling a starter rope wound on a rope reel to thereby rotate the rope reel, by transmitting the rotation of the rope reel to a cam by damper means, by rotating a drive pulley or flywheel magnet connected to the engine side, and by the rotation of the cam.
2. Background Art
There is already known a recoil starter, in which the rotation of the rope reel, as caused by pulling the starter rope, are transmitted to the cam so that the drive pulley on the engine side is rotated through a one-way rotation mechanism such as a centrifugal ratchet to be brought into and out of engagement with that cam. In this recoil starter, there is not only the structure in which the rope reel and the cam are integrated, but also the structure in which the rope reel and the cam are made separate and elastically connected through damper means so that the rotations of the rope reel are transmitted to the cam through a coil spring to thereby absorb the shock caused by the fluctuations of the load at the engine starting time and transmitted to user's the hands.
In the damper type recoil starter, there is also known the constitution in which a cylindrical reel spindle for supporting a rope reel and a cylindrical cam rotatably is so integrated inward on the axis of the output shaft of the engine from the inner face of a starter case formed to cover the side face having the engine output shaft arranged thereon to thereby support the rope reel and the cylindrical cam rotatably on the reel spindle. Moreover, the rope reel and the cylindrical cam are connected by inserting the extending cylindrical portion, as extended on one side of the cylindrical cam, rotatably in the recess formed on one side of the rope reel, and by winding the coil spring on the outer side of the extending cylindrical portion, and by bringing the coil spring into engagement at its one end with the rope reel and at its other end with the cylindrical cam.
Here, the leading end of the extending cylindrical portion of the cylindrical cam and the end portion of the coil spring are arranged such that they overlap the inner side and the outer side of the same seat face of the rope reel, respectively. When the extending cylindrical portion firmly contacts with the seat face of the rope reel, on the other hand, its friction causes a rotational resistance. Therefore, the cylindrical cam rather smoothly rotates, if a clearance is left between the leading end of the extending cylindrical portion and the seat face. When the rope reel is rotated, moreover, the coil spring is wound and fastened so that it is diametrically reduced to come closer to the extending cylindrical portion. When the coil spring is wound and fastened, therefore, the wire at the end portion of the coil spring may enter the clearance between the extending cylindrical portion and the seat face. This entry is easily repeated, once it occurs, to raise a problem that the coil spring is deformed to increase the stress but to deteriorate the durability.
Thus, according to JP-A-2006-132519, there is provided a structure, in which the leading end of an extending cylindrical portion (or a boss 41) of a cam member 15 is fitted in a receiving groove of a rope reel 14 by a faucet joint. According to this structure, the coil spring cannot enter, even if wound and fastened, the clearance between the extending cylindrical portion and the seat face of the end portion of the coil spring.


An adaptive interference suppression receiver for a DS/CDMA system includes: input signal generators outputting a part of received signals of receiver antennas that has a coding block's transfer code; adaptive filter blocks filtering a complex signal output from the input signal generators with a tap weight updated based on a constraint MMSE criterion and estimating phase and amplitude components of a specific user channel using the filtering output signal to generate a channel-estimated signal; a signal restorer combining the channel-estimated signal and the filtering output signal and restoring an original signal; a signal selector for selecting known training data signal or the restored signal; and error generators comparing the channel-estimated signal and the filtering output signal and calculating an error between the two signals.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a receiver for a MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) antenna CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an adaptive MMSE (Minimum Mean Square Error) interference suppression receiving apparatus for a space-time block coded DS (Direct Sequence)/CDMA communication system.
(b) Description of the Related Art
In general, the MIMO antenna system is a communication system that transmits space-time block coded data via multiple transmitter antennas after data spreading with a different code by users, and receives data from users via multiple receiver antennas.
The conventional technologies concerning the structure of a receiver for the space-time block coded MIMO antenna system are disclosed in the following documents: Ref. 1: S. M. Alamounti, A simple transmitter diversity scheme for wireless communications, IEEE J. Select. Areas Commun., vol. 16, pp. 1451–1458, October, 1998; Ref. 2: V. Tarokh, H. Jafarkhani, and A. R. Calderbank, Space-time block codes from orthogonal designs, IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, vol. 45, pp. 1456–1467, July 1999; and Ref. 3: A. F. Naguib, N. Seshadri, and A. R. Calderbank, Increasing Data Rate Over Wireless Channels, IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 76–92, May 2000.
Ref. 1 and Ref. 2 disclose a space-time block coded TDMA system using two transmitter antennas, an optimal block coding transmission method for a system using at least two transmitter antennas, and a maximum likelihood receiver for the same.
The maximum likelihood receiver proposed in the two references can be applied for space-time block coded DS/CDMA systems and can provides an antenna diversity gain proportional to the product of the number of transmitter antennas and the number of receiver antennas, thereby guaranteeing an excellent data detection performance relative to general Rake receivers.
But the maximum likelihood receiver, which is devised on the assumption that the interference signal and the background noise other than the desired user's transfer signals are AWGN (Additive White Gaussian Noise), has a deterioration of performance in a MAI (Multiple Access Interference) environment.
On the other hand, the receiver of Ref. 3 is designed to enhance a reception performance by eliminating interference signals of other users under a circumstance in which multiple users are present in the TDMA system after space-time block coding. But the receiver has a loss of receiver antenna diversity in the order of as much as the number of interference signals to be removed, causing a deterioration of reception performance.
The above reception methods for the space-time block coded TDMA communication system can be expanded to the reception method for the space-time block coded DS/CDMA communication system with a little modification. However, the maximum likelihood receiver has a deterioration of performance due to the MAI that inevitably occurs in the CDMA environment when multiple users share a single channel, and the interference suppression receiver of Ref. 3 has a deterioration of data detection performance caused by a loss of diversity gain.

Adaptive interference suppression receiving apparatus for space-time block coded direct sequence/code division multiple access communication system

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A customizable data filter system is disclosed, that is adapted to reduce the dimension of a searchable data base (100), and to enable performance of a database search and/or a data item selection, in relation to the reduced search space. The system comprises a Portable Customizable data Filter and Interface (PCFI) (204) storing at least a base data filter parameter, and able to provide a user interface by means of user selectable icons. The system also comprises a reader (210) for the PCFI (204), and database processing means (214) responsive to the data filter parameter and a user icon selection, wherein the reduced search space is defined by the filter parameter, and the database search and/or the data item selection is performed using the selectable icons.

Databases typically contain large volumes of data, and while this provides a user with access to significant resources which are searchable on-line, the very volume of the databases can make database searching cumbersome, slow and inconvenient. Software filters are often used in order to reduce a search space, thereby reducing time taken for a search. Traditionally, the user wishing to make use of a customisable filtered information service has required physical access to a personal computer (PC), or alternatively, to a web browser type of interface.
FIG. 1 depicts a data search space 100 within which a database search is to be conducted by the user (not shown) using a PC 102. A brute-force search of the data search space 100 is depicted by a bilateral arrow 104, this necessitating an exhaustive search of the data search space, typically a slow and inefficient process. This problem call be alleviated to some extent by using a software filter 106, depicted as a dashed box overlayed on a resultant alternative search procedure which is depicted by a bilateral arrow 110. This software filter 106 defines a reduced search space 108 within the original data search space 100, thereby enabling a reduced search 110 to be more rapidly conducted than the alternative 104. The traditional software filter 106 can be customised by the user by means of the PC, however as noted, the user requires physical access to the PC in order to define, and conduct the reduced search space search 110. A further disadvantage of creating software filters directly using PCs is a requirement to provide login and password information when accessing the PC.
As inter-data base connectivity becomes more prevalent, and as the number and variety of access points to databases proliferate, the need for a user to physically access a particular PC, or alternatively, to program another PC to define a customised software filter, represent impediments to the use of database search engines.


A processing apparatus is provided with processing circuitry 6, 8 and decoder circuitry 10 responsive to a received argument reduction instruction FREDUCE4, FDOT3R to generate control signals 16 for controlling the processing circuitry 6, 8. The action of the argument reduction instruction is to subject each component of an input vector to a scaling which adds or subtracts an exponent shift value C to the exponent of the input vector component. The exponent shift value C is selected such that a sum of this exponent shift value C with the maximum exponent value B of any of the input vector components lies within a range between a first predetermined value and a second predetermined value. A consequence of execution of this argument reduction instruction is that the result vector when subject to a dot-product operation will be resistant to floating point underflows or overflows.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of data processing systems. More particularly, this invention relates to the field of data processing systems providing vector floating point arithmetic.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to perform vector normalisation operations upon vector floating point vector V to generate a normalised vector that has length one and points in the same direction as the input vector V. This vector normalisation can be performed as the following sequence of calculations:                1. Given an input vector V, compute the dot-product of the input vector V with itself;        2. Compute the reciprocal square root of the dot-product; and        3. Multiply each component of the input vector V by the reciprocal square root value.
While the above sequence of mathematical operations works well for idealised mathematical real numbers, there is a problem that floating-point numbers only represent mathematical real numbers within a limited range and with a limited degree of precision. In particular problem in the context of the above described vector normalisation technique, the dot-product may overflow or underflow resulting in at least a loss of precision in the final result and potentially an unacceptable error.
One approach to addressing this problem would be to identify the vector component of the input vector V with the largest value, and then divide the other vector components by this value whilst setting the vector component with the largest value to a magnitude of one. The problem with this approach is that it introduces additional floating-point divisions which reduces processing speed and increases power consumption. Another approach to addressing this problem would be to perform the intermediate calculations within the vector normalisation procedure with a higher degree of precision than the input vector V (e.g. if the input vector V is a single-precision floating point number, then the intermediate calculations may be performed using double-precision floating point numbers). However, while this approach is robust, it again results in lower speed, higher power consumption and assumes that support for higher precision floating point arithmetic is available.

Vector floating point argument reduction


A rechargeable flashlight for automotive use having a universal connector for drawing power from any type of cigarette lighter receptacle. The universal connector includes a ring-shaped portion which establishes a friction connection with the positive feed portions of the cigarette lighter receptacles, and a cylindrical portion for establishing a friction fit with the cylindrical inner housing of the receptacles to establish contact with the negative feed or ground. The rechargeable flashlight and the universal connector can be integral in a single body, the body housing a rechargeable battery, lens/lamp assembly and spare bulbs. A magnetic foot is hingedly attached to the flashlight body for permitting the flashlight to be mounted on any magnetically responsive material and providing a directable flashlight beam. Alternatively, the universal connector can be separate and provide current to any desired electrical appliance.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a universal connector for cigarette lighter assemblies. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a universal connector that can, for example, be incorporated in a rechargeable flashlight for electrically connecting the rechargeable flashlight to an automotive electrical system via an automobile cigarette lighter receptacle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Connectors, or plugs, have been available for some time which draw electricity from the cigarette lighter receptacle of an automobile. These plugs provide electricity for a wide variety of portable electrical devices, from rechargeable flashlights to laptop computers. However, a number of drawbacks are associated with the plugs presently available. Typically, automobiles in the United States include one of two types of cigarette lighter receptacles. The inventors are aware of no plug presently available which overcomes the structural differences between the two types of receptacles to establish a reliable positive electrical connection via a friction fit with the positive feed portions of both types of receptacles.
In order to be useful for both types of receptacles, most plugs presently in use are maintained within the receptacle by pressure provided by a spring-mounted device against a side wall of the receptacle, with positive electrical contact being provided by simply touching an inner conductor to the positive feed portion of the cigarette lighter receptacle. Given the vibrations that most vehicles experience, such plugs have inherent reliability problems, as contact between conductors can be easily lost. Additionally, such contact is not conducive to drawing large amounts of current through the plug.
One major application for such plugs is rechargeable flashlights. Typically, a plug draws current from the automotive electrical system for recharging a battery associated with the flashlight. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,825,740, which issued to Friedman et al. on Jul. 23, 1974, U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,580, which issued to Prinsze on May 30, 1978, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,648, which issued to Nelson on Nov. 2, 1982, disclose recharqeable flashlights which draw electricity from cigarette lighter receptacles via plugs of the above-described nature.
In view of the problems associated with plugs, many rechargeable flashlights attempt to avoid the cigarette lighter receptacle as a power source altogether. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,580 discloses that while a plug for a cigarette lighter assembly can be employed, direct wiring into the automobile electrical system is preferable. The rechargeable flashlight provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,345, issued to Stevens on Apr. 25, 1989, also avoids such plugs by providing means that can be plugged into the fuse box of an automobile.
Many flashlights designed for use in automobiles have additional drawbacks. For example, one problem associated with most rechargeable flashlights is their bulk. Many flashlights designed for automobiles are actually part of flashlight systems, which include the flashlight, a flashlight holder that must be mounted in the automobile, and wires which extend from the holder to the automotive electrical system. The Friedman et al. and Prinsze patents describe such flashlights. Since space is often very limited in modern automobiles, no out of the way place exists for mounting holders, and, more often than not, such flashlights systems are obtrusive.
In this regard, flashlights have been developed which mount directly to cigarette lighter receptacles. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,224,658 to Siiberg and 4,713,735 to Hiltman. However, more and more automobiles include cigarette lighter receptacles which are stowed away together with ashtrays within a hinged or sliding compartment or the like. In such cases, these flashlights either do not fit or the compartment must remain at least partially open to allow a flashlight to be inserted. Even in cars with conventionally mounted receptacles, these flashlights tend not to fit discretely or unobtrusively.
A further problem with most rechargeable flashlights is that they lack the ability and flexibility to be useful in emergency situations. For example, most vehicle repairs require two hands, and vehicle problems are typically not in locations that can be illuminated by laying a flashlight on the ground or a flat portion of the vehicle.
In light of these problems, a need exists for a connector which can be used with any of the primary types of cigarette lighter receptacles, is not of questionable reliability due to the vibrations associated with vehicles, and can readily and reliably draw a relatively high current if so needed. A need also exists for a reliable and unobtrusive automobile flashlight which can be readily mounted in useful positions during emergency situations.

Universal connector and automotive cigarette lighter assemblies and rechargeable flashlight incorporating same


This invention relates to a device comprising a hydrophobic solid support coated with a chemical that can capture bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS). This invention also relates to the use of such a device in an immunoassay for the detection of microorganisms. This invention also relates to the incorporation of such a device into a diagnostic kit.

Rapid diagnostic kits for the detection of microbial antigens constitute an important tool in the world economy. Some of the major developments with these kits have focussed on inventions that offer a shorter assay time, ease of use, minimal or no requirement for sophisticated equipment, low cost, and versatility for testing both small and large number of samples.
One such assay is an Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). In a classical model of ELISA, specific antibody is coated on a solid phase. This antibody is typically referred to as the `capture antibody`. A test sample containing an antigen is complimentary to the specific antibody is added to the solid phase allowing the antigen to be specifically captured by the antibody immobilized on the solid phase. The non-specific substances in a sample are then removed by simple washing with buffer solutions, Subsequently, an antibody-enzyme conjugate is added which binds to the antigen, or some part of the antigen/antibody complex. After washing away the excess unbound conjugates, an appropriate substrate solution is added so that a colored product (or some other detectable product) is generated and in amounts directly proportional to the antigen present in the test sample. This procedure is well established and well know to those skilled in the art.
The prior art describes a number of solid phases that are coated with a specific antibody in order to capture the antigen in a given test sample. Typically, in order to be able capture the entire amount of the antigen contained in a test sample, a reasonable excess of the antibody has to be coated on the solid phase. For commercial purposes, both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies are therefore required to be produced in large quantities. Both types of antibodies are relatively expensive to produce. Hence, when large, excess amounts have to be used for coating the solid phase, the cost of the antibody significantly boosts the overall cost of any resulting diagnostic kit or assay. An alternative substance to a `capture` antibody would therefore be a technological innovation and a commercial attraction. There is therefore a need to find a cheaper way to achieve the same type of binding properties as exhibited by such `capture` antibodies.
Traditional solid support used for performing ELISA have been, predominantly polystyrene surfaces such as microtiter plates or test tubes, polyethylene or polycarbonate and nylon, or nitrocellulose membranes. More recently, a hydrophobic synthetic polyester cloth sheet has been utilized as the solid phase. The advantages of such a solid support sheet over the other traditional solid supports has been described elsewhere (B. Blais and H. Yamazaki, Use of a hydrophobic cloth for enzyme immunoassay, Biotechnology Techniques, 3: 23-26, 1989).

Device and method of use for detection of bacterial lipopolysaccharides


The invention relates to fullerene compounds of the following formula:

Free radicals have been shown to inhibit tumor growth by causing oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids of the tumor cells. In clinical practice, a photo-sensitizer is first delivered to a tumor site and then activated by irradiation to generate free radicals, thus inhibiting tumor growth. Fullerenes are conjugated olefins of a closed cage structure. When photo-excited, they are capable of transforming molecular oxygen into singlet oxygen and then the related free radicals, such as superoxide free radicals, i.e., O2. Thus, fullerenes may be used to treat tumors.

Abstract: in which X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, Y1, Y2, V, W, F, E, R, r, n, p, and q are defined as in the specification. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions containing one of the compounds described above.


A system, method, and computer program product are provided for detecting an edge in scan data. In use, RGB scan data is analyzed for determining an approximate location of a background in the scan data representing a background adjacent a document having a similar color as the background. Additionally, a threshold is set for at least one of R, G and B, where the threshold is based in part on RGB values of the background and a predefined color threshold. Further, an intensity threshold is set. Further still, the scan data is analyzed using the thresholds for generating distribution points. Also, a first edge of the document is detected based on a location of a contour in the distribution points. In addition, the scan data and information about the detected edge are output.

The scanning of documents is widespread and scanned documents are used for a variety of purposes. However, difficulties with the scanning may occur under many circumstances. For example, similarities in color between the document that is to be scanned and the scanner background, in addition to environmental factors such as streaks, dust particles, and dead scanner pixels, may affect the processing of a scanned document. These and other factors may affect the overall quality of the scan, including reducing the accuracy of the scan and increasing the time taken to perform the scanning and analysis of the document.
There is thus a need for addressing these and/or other issues associated with the prior art.

System and method, and computer program product for detecting an edge in scan data


A sunshade for an automobile placed upon a dashboard in the interior of the vehicle provides a reflective outer surface to deflect heat and sunlight through the windshield into a vehicle during hot weather conditions and also provides the outer surface with heat strip elements when enabled during cold weather to provide a radiant heat to the windshield to prevent ice build-up on the windshield maintaining a clear windshield during freezing temperatures, the heat strip elements drawings a low voltage current from a rechargeable battery supply or a 12 volt DC power from a cigarette lighter plug, or both.

1. Field of Invention
A sunshade for an automobile placed upon a dashboard in the interior of the vehicle provides a reflective outer surface to deflect heat and sunlight through the windshield into a vehicle during hot weather conditions and also provides the outer surface with heat strip elements when enabled during cold weather to provide a radiant heat to the windshield to prevent ice build-up on the windshield maintaining a clear windshield during freezing temperatures, the heat strip elements drawings a low voltage current from a rechargeable battery supply or a 12 volt DC power from a cigarette lighter plug, or both.
2. Description of Prior Art
The following United States patents were discovered and are disclosed within this application for utility patent. All relate to windshield sun screen devices or windshield protectors.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,142 to Zeil, a folding dash shield and seat shield in disclosed having VELCRO fastening devices to attach the shield to the windshield and side windows. A removable screen, also fastening by VELCRO is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,591 to Miller. U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,347 to Schmitt has a flexible panel attached to a windshield by suction cups. All three of these patents use a reflective material to shield the interior of a vehicle from sunlight and diminish the amount of heat build-up in the vehicle interior.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,074 to Castellano is a multiple folding panel having a reflective material on the windshield side of the panel to reflect heat and shade the interior of the vehicle. An externally affixed fabric panel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,336,969 to Marchman, which shield the interior, but also covers the exterior for inclement weather conditions. A fabric panel with a flexible and folding perimeter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,262 to Huang.
None of the disclosed patents identified in the prior art discloses an interior windshield panel having any sort of heating means to prevent frosting or ice buildup on a windshield during cold weather and also serve as a heat deflection means during the summer.


A system and method is provided overcoming decision-making and communications errors to produce expedited and accurate group choices. The invention provides collective outcomes that are resilient to communication and decision making errors, and which are provided with a minimum wait time. The system comprises a user interface engine that provides a channel to the features of the present invention, an agenda manager module for creating and presenting questions, a user manager module that controls interactions with user who request questionnaires, submit response data, and request access to analytical results, and a report manager module that identifies collective outcomes that are resilient to error and/or that weight individual votes to optimize the group's performance in producing one or more correct or optimal collective choices. A common data exchange allows communication between the modules.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the processing of individual choices to produce expedited and accurate collective outcomes. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method for overcoming decision-making and communications errors to produce expedited and accurate group choices.
2. Related Art
In the past, wired and wireless networks have been used to process individual choices or votes into collective outcomes in decision rooms, surveys, polls, and other collective decisions. However the software systems used in such applications are not designed to withstand communication errors, do not enable a group to reach a consensus even though all of the votes have not been received for processing, and do not weight individual votes on one or more dimensions of choice to maximize the group probability of making one or more correct or optimal collective decisions. As such, these problems limit the reliability and accuracy of group decisions.
Communication errors can be caused in numerous ways, including malicious physical or cyber attacks against the network and equipment failure (e.g., link or node failure in the network). In the case of wired networks, destroying or damaging the nodes or links in the network can delay and/or thwart the delivery of votes to be processed into collective outcomes. Cyber attacks can use computer viruses or worms to destroy software systems and/or data required in the collection and processes of individual choices into collective outcomes. These attacks can include viruses that overload node capacity (creating DOS (Denial of Service) effects) or network links (creating network errors in connecting to destination nodes), as well as intrusions that occur when authentication, encryption, server management tools, and other security techniques are penetrated.
Communication breakdowns can also be caused by so-called "benign" or inadvertent errors that occur because the programming tools used to create the software systems contain loopholes or faults that can lead to malfunctions in the submission and processing of votes. These types of errors will not only produce counting errors that are likely to go undetected and uncorrected, but also provide an opportunity for malicious actions to take place (see, e.g., F. B. Schneider, G. Morrisset, and R. Harper, "A Language-Based Approach To Security", in R. Wilhelm ed., Informatics: 10 Years Back, 10 Years Ahead, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Volume 2000 Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, 2000). For example, when a buffer overflow occurs in submitting data to a database, the error provides an opening that can be exploited by an individual or software process to gain access to the database to change, destroy, and/or damage data.
Benign errors can also be caused by noise created when transmitter power levels and the number of terminals are not optimized for sending data to a wireless base station. (see, e.g., D. Goodman, Zory Marantz, Penina Orenstein, Virgilio Rodriguez "Maximizing the Throughput of CDMA Data Communications," http://utopia.poly.edu/˜vrodri01/papers/vtc_gmpr03.pdf.)
Although malicious and benign errors can occur in wired and wireless networks, both types of errors have a greater impact in wireless networks than they do in wired networks. In wired networks, for example, adaptive routing can enable the votes to be submitted successfully despite physical attacks on particular nodes or links in the network. Similarly, the greater processing power and energy capacity of wired nodes enables the use of intrusion detection and correction software to counter cyber attacks. In contrast, in wireless networks, connectivity is not is as flexible or responsive and mobile devices lack the processing and energy capacity to adapt to the challenges posed by malicious and benign communications errors.
In these fragile communications environments, both types of errors can have deleterious effects on the ability of groups to reach a consensus and/or to produce an accurate collective choice. These effects can make it impossible for a group to agree and take action and/or produce a collective outcome that provides one or more correct or optimal choices to be carried out. In the first case, for example, malicious and/or benign communications errors may make it impossible to collect enough votes to determine if there is a majority consensus. Even if the aggregation rule is plurality, not majority, missing data may make it impossible to determine if the current plurality winner would be the eventual winner if it were possible to collect and count all the votes. In such cases, the group would not be able to take action to protect itself or to participate as part of a broader collective action to achieve particular objectives. The resulting loss of money, property, and life can be tremendous. In the second case, when the group is charged with reaching a consensus to find correct or optimal answers to one or more decision tasks, benign and malicious communications errors can have a filtering effect that prevents the most competent voters from submitting their votes, thereby allowing the collective decision to be dominated by the least competent voters. Collective incompetence also entails significant losses.
Even when malicious and benign communications errors do not present obstacles to processing individual choices into collective outcomes, time constraints can make slowly-produced collective outcomes irrelevant. For example, if a group of investors cannot reach a consensus before a deadline passes, they will miss an opportunity. Similarly, if a network of military decision makers cannot expeditiously reach a consensus about the capabilities of an approaching adversarial force, they may lose many lives—including their own. In both of these examples, the decision tasks may involve the selection of one or more correct or optimal choices. For instance, if the investors reach a consensus in time, but their collective outcome is wrong, they may not maximize the benefits derived from the opportunity. In fact, the investors may experience a disastrous loss instead of even a modest gain. Similarly, if the military decision makers produce collective outcomes that are very accurate, they may save many lives. However, as the accuracy of their collective decisions declines, the number of casualties will rise.
Another limitation of the state of the art is the exclusive focus on producing winning coalitions or decisive collective outcomes. Whether collective outcomes are constrained by time or malicious and/or benign communications errors, knowing if there is going to be a tie or an indecisive collective outcome can enable decision makers to take immediate action to collect additional information and/or follow contingency measures to minimize losses. For example, a tie produced by the default one person, one vote and plurality aggregation rule method may be resolved by applying an alternative method. If the voters rated all of the choices on an ordinal preference scale before voting for their most preferred choice, the rating data can be reprocessed under Condorcet scoring (based on binary contests among all of the choices across voter preference orderings), and the tie can be assessed to determine if one (or more) of the tied outcomes is a Condorcet winner. Knowing if there will be no collective consensus also provides an opportunity to launch a followup query to see if the group can reach a consensus on a different decision task.
State-of-the-art systems and methodologies for collecting information about individual preferences and judgments do not include voting mechanisms for dealing with communications and/or decision-making errors, nor can they adequately deal with emergencies or urgent time constraints. For example, polling and survey software does not include such mechanisms, nor do decision rooms with Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS) tools. GDSS tools rely on human facilitators, who cannot process information quickly and accurately enough—even with a GDSS—to address error and time constraints. Even when moderate time constraints allow a human to facilitate the production of a collective outcome, GDSS systems and methodology is limited by one-dimensional data collection and analysis and limitations on file functionality. Moreover, GDSS's require users who are relatively computer-savvy and comfortable using different computer tools. Further, GDSS quality is limited by difficulties in recruiting and retaining skilled facilitators (see, e.g., R. Chapman, "Helping The Group to Think Straight," Darwin Magazine, August, 2003).
Current GDSS, polling, and survey solutions are also limited because they are not designed to process voice and/or gesture information as voting inputs or outputs. For example, although analog and digital voice technology is used to authenticate participants in a collective decision, they are not used to communicate information in novel ways to take advantage of the efficiency and effectiveness of representing preferences and/or judgments in digital and/or analog form. For example, voting by representing preferences by a preference range can provide richer input information than simply selecting a single point along a scale. Moreover, when individual analog inputs are processed to produce a collective outcome, the results can provide a more accurate and easily-computed view of the voting results.
Voice voting is a very "noisy" means of measuring preferences. For this reason, voting protocols such as Roberts Rules of Order only describe its use in binary decisions in which the "yays" can be readily distinguished from the "nays." Still, voting theorists such as Condorcet recommended avoiding voice votes and Roberts Rules of Order prescribes the use of other voting mechanisms (show of hands, division of the whole, and/or ballot) to scrutinize the voice outcomes. Digital expression of voice votes can be used to improve the efficiency and accuracy of voice voting. Although voice votes could still be interpreted in analog mode, digitized voice inputs would integrate authentication (via techniques such as voice prints) with representation of intensity of preference based on pre-existing profiles that reveal personal ranges of intensity for each individual. Processing such inputs would make it unnecessary to clarify the outcomes of voice votes by using division of the whole, show of hands, or ballots.
Another limitation of the state of the art is the circumscribed use of mobile sensors in collective decision making. Currently, sensors report readings for environmental agents to a host machine where the data are aggregated to generate a report. Methodological and system constraints limit the precision and accuracy of the reports because simple distributional statistics must be used to describe phenomena. Sensors are not used to submit ratings based as if they were human decision makers expressing a preference over a list of choices or rendering a binary or rendering a binary or more complex judgment based rules of artificial intelligence for generating these preferences and/or judgments. Communications errors and malfunctions of sensors are two reasons that sensor collective decisions have not been developed.
The distribution and management of electricity in national network grids is a serious problem that produces blackouts that cause significant economic harm and dislocation. Although recent problems seem to have been caused by "benign" errors associated with overloading nodes and links, solutions to these problems have focused on attenuating errors and restabilizing the transmission of electricity once networks have broken down. What is needed is a flexible methodology and system to prevent network breakdowns from occurring. This solution would allow the network to sustain the flow of throughput and minimize vulnerability to destabilizing events. This type of solution is important for dealing with terrorists who could initiate cascading "benign" errors into a malicious cyber attack on the United States.
Accordingly, what would be desirable, but has heretofore not been provided, is a system and method for overcoming decision-making and communications errors to produce expedited and accurate group choices, which overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings.

System and method for overcoming decision making and communications errors to produce expedited and accurate group choices

The Trustees of Stevens Institute of Technology


An apparatus and method is disclosed for blocking specific television commercials from the viewer's television based upon the characteristics of the television commercial and replacing the commercial with television content located by a content interrogation program. The content interrogation program seeks out television content based upon a user search term specifically for use as contingent programming to replace the blocked commercial. The content interrogation program can have multiple search terms and provide prioritized multiple searches to identify multiple segments to play in spaces created by blocked commercials.

Debates today rage about both the delivery and funding of informational content in all of its forms. On the Internet, many content providers are moving away from their advertisement-based business models and moving towards subscription-based business models. Despite rapid advances in technology, the delivery mechanisms and methods of generating revenue for content delivered through television broadcasts have been relatively stagnant, when compared to the delivery mechanisms and methods of generating revenue for the Internet and web delivery systems. In television broadcasts, advertisers still attempt to reach users using the same techniques that they have used for decades which are the thirty and sixty second commercials interspaced throughout specific television programs. In addition to technology, the viewer is becoming increasingly sophisticated and is demanding that every second of their time, whether engaged in work or leisure pursuits, be well spent. For the vast majority of television viewers, time engaged in viewing undesired advertisements is not considered time well spent. Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and method for preventing a television viewer from viewing unwanted commercials.
Additionally, television viewers generally do not prefer to have periods of interrupted programming or "dead air" when they are viewing a program. It would be preferable if the blocked commercial could be replaced with user-defined alternative programming.
Application Ser. No. 10/116,613, "Apparatus and Method for Blocking Television Commercials and Displaying Alternative Programming," discloses a logical unit and a commercial blocking program in the logical unit to allow alternative viewing options so that the user may define the alternative programming to replace the unwanted commercial. The commercial blocking program breaks all incoming television signals into time, video, and audio components and is able to recognize specific commercials based on those components. Upon viewing an unwanted commercial, the user indicates that he wants to block the commercial through one of a variety of input methods. The commercial blocking program then prevents the commercial from being displayed on the user's television and causes alternative programming to be displayed instead. The user may configure the alternative programming via the alternative programming logic. The user may configure the alternative programming as a universal television channel, based on the specific commercial, based on the television station, based on the time of day, or based on an elaborate viewing hierarchy. At the end of the blocked commercial, the commercial blocking program displays the television program that was originally displayed on the user's television. Alternatively, the commercial blocking program can buffer the various television programs received from the cable provider and record segments of the cable signal based on certain keywords. The commercial blocking program searches for user defined keywords, records television programs complying with the search terms, and displays the recorded television programming stored in the memory.
Application Ser. No. 10/105,124, "Apparatus and Method of Searching for Desired Television Content, discloses an apparatus and method for allowing a user to search for specific content across many television channels in order to locate desirable television shows related to the searched content. Multiplexed cable signals flow through a logical unit which buffers text associated with the voice stream of each station via the pre-encoded closed-captioning signal or through the real-time voice translation within the logical unit. The user then enters search terms through one of a variety of different input devices. Upon entry of the search terms, the logical unit will compare the entered term with those available keywords stored in each buffer. Lexical parsing associates terms which may differ from plural to singular forms or in tense. Additionally, synonym comparisons may be made. The logical unit will return a list of matches for the search criteria and allows the user the option of going directly to the television program. The logical unit also evaluates each returned item for its relevancy to the keywords. When not in use, the logical unit maintains a quiescent but monitoring state permitting continuous creation of lexical buffers. This permits the user who turns on the television to immediately have such search terms available. Alternatively, the logic is implemented at the cable provider and enabled through interactive links to the home. In that case, the home logical unit is unnecessary.
What is needed is a combination of the blocked television commercials and the television content searching to provide a way to seek contingent programming to fill the space created by blocked commercials.

Apparatus and method for blocking television commercials with a content interrogation program

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention relates to a method for the continuous mixing of at least one polyol component and at least one isocyanate component and optionally additives to form a polyurethane reaction mixture in a stirrer mixer with an axially conveying stirrer.

Polyurethane foamed material is formed by the chemical reaction of polyol, isocyanate and optionally additives such as stabilizers, activators and colorants. So that the liquid components can react with one another, they must be homogeneously mixed with one another in a suitable way. Various principles are known for carrying out this basic process technology operation. One possible way of mixing the polyurethane raw materials is to use continuously operating stirrer mixers. These stirrer mixers generally have a rotationally symmetrical mixing chamber in which a stirring means (hereinafter also termed stirrer) is rotatably driven by a motor. Optionally, the mixing chamber may include stationary internal fittings that assist the stirring procedure, which are termed counter-pins. The mixing chamber often has a throttle a short way upstream of the outlet opening, by means of which the pressure in the mixing chamber can be regulated during the production procedure. In continuously operating stirrer mixers, the components to be mixed are added radially from outside. The addition to the mixing chamber is effected by screwed-in nozzles or through tubes. The polyurethane reaction mixture that is formed by the mixing of the polyurethane raw materials leaves the mixing chamber through a centrally arranged outlet opening. The components to be mixed are added to the mixer with the aid of pumps.
The stirrers hitherto used in the production of polyurethane foamed material, such as the commonly employed pin stirrer, only perform the task of homogeneously mixing the components to produce a polyurethane reaction mixture. In this connection, the flow that is generated by the pumps superimposes a further flow that is generated by the rotation of the stirrer. This stirrer flow generated by the stirrer homogeneously mixes all components with one another. This stirrer flow can form inter alia flow vortices that exert resistance to the flow generated by the pumps. With increasing stirrer speed, the flow resistance of the stirrer mixer thus rises, which is manifested in a higher pressure loss and thus in a higher mixing chamber pressure.
The pumps necessarily cause the reaction mixture to flow through the mixer. The mean residence time of the mixture in the mixer is determined by the throughput of components and the volume of the mixing chamber. The mean residence time is calculated from the quotient of the sum of the volume flows and the mixing chamber volume. The value of the mean residence time is normally in a range from 0.1 to 2.5 seconds. The mixer exerts a hydrodynamic resistance on the flow. Accordingly, a pressure loss is produced that directly determines the pressure in the mixing chamber, the so-called mixing chamber pressure. The mixing chamber pressure is typically measured in the feed line of the polymer stream.
Important process parameters that influence the subsequent quality of the polyurethane foamed material are the stirrer rotational speed, the mixing chamber pressure and the throughput of polyurethane reaction mixture. In the production of polyurethane foamed material, it is known that the mixing chamber pressure has a decisive influence on the number of cells of the finished foamed material (EP-A1-0 565 974). In general, fine-cell foamed material can be produced only at low mixing chamber pressures. At high mixing chamber pressures, coarse-cell foamed material is produced.
In the known stirrers the process parameters, stirrer rotational speed, throughput and mixing chamber pressure cannot be adjusted independently of one another. If the throughput is raised, the mixing chamber pressure also rises. Similarly, the mixing chamber pressure rises with an increase in the stirrer rotational speed.
Apart from this, with an increase in the throughput amount, the mean residence time in the mixing chamber drops. To be able to produce a homogeneously mixed polyurethane reaction mixture under a reduced residence time, a correspondingly higher stirrer rotational speed is necessary. On raising the throughput, the mixing chamber pressure thus rises not only on account of the greater flow resistance due to the increased discharge output, but also due to the necessary rise in the stirrer rotational speed. At high discharge outputs, it is therefore not possible with a given structural size of the stirrer mixer to adjust a low mixing chamber pressure, which is required for the production of fine-cell foamed material.
Stirrer devices are known in the art that effect an axial conveyance, such as inclined blade stirrers and propeller stirrers. These, however, operate in large vessels where the distance to the outer wall is relatively large. For the continuous mixing of polyurethane components with the aim of producing a homogeneous polyurethane reaction mixture, hitherto only stirrer devices that do not effect an axial conveyance have been used. The important feature of stirrer mixers for mixing polyurethane components is above all the short distance remaining between the mixer chamber wall and the rotating stirrer device. Usually, a gap that is not larger than 5 mm remains. Furthermore, the low residence time of normally between 0.1 and 2.5 seconds in the stirrer mixer in the production of polyurethane foamed material is a characteristic feature.

Method for mixing a polyol component and an isocyanate component