In-place line width selection for use in a computer based graphics application employing a drawing tool includes the steps of (i) activating a line width selection mode upon an occurrence of a first event designating an initial point of contact in a drawing area by the drawing tool; (ii) growing an "ink-spill" to a desired line width dimension at the initial point of contact in the drawing area; and (iii) entering a graphic line drawing mode with the drawing tool for drawing a graphic line having the desired line width dimension selected according to the "ink-spill" grown in the previous step.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to computer based graphics applications employing a drawing stylus or cursor movement device, or the like, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for line width selection using the drawing stylus or cursor movement device.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Computer based graphics applications utilize the operating systems of the computers upon which the applications are installed and being run. A typical computer based graphics application may utilize a computer, monitor or display device, keyboard, and mouse. Alternatively, the graphics application may utilize a pen and a tablet for entering drawing information into the computer.
When using a computer based graphics application, application users often need to change the effective line width of their stylus, whether the stylus is a pen or a mouse. In order to do so, the user typically must navigate through a series of menus, smart icons, control buttons and/or data entry fields before making a final line width selection. The stylus itself is often used for navigating through the series of menus, smart icons, control buttons, and data entry fields. Such navigation can become time-consuming and tedious if the user is frequently changing the line widths throughout the course of a drawing session. In addition, the use of the stylus as the pointing device during the line width selection process results in a further disadvantage to the user in that the selected width can not be seen in context with the drawing until the user has made a selection and begun to draw with the new selection. In other words, the user cannot view a selected width immediately in the drawing area. If the width is found to be unacceptable by the user, an "undo" or "erase" function must then be selected, thereby creating another frustrating distraction for the user. Finally, the granularity and size of the line width selections is usually quite limited, often due to the mere fact that only a few representative images depicting the widths can be displayed at any one time.
In summary, various problems associated with known line-width selection methods are that the methods involve the use of menu lists, smart icons, control buttons (such as, increment and decrement arrows), and/or a requirement for data entry fields. In addition, a stylus must be moved from the drawing area for making a line-width selection. A limited number and range of line-widths are usually available. A limited granularity of widths is also typically available. Furthermore, one cannot view a selected width immediately in the drawing area.
In addition to the above, one example of line width selection for a computer based graphics application is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,568, entitled "HANDWRITTEN-IMAGE INPUT APPARATUS" and issued May 16, 1989 to Ito. The '568 handwritten-image apparatus includes a pen, a controller, a display device, and a tablet. The tablet detects the position of the pen thereon. The display device displays a trace made by the pen on the tablet, under control of the controller. The pen includes a switch for detecting whether or not the pressure applied to the pen exceeds a predetermined value. When the switch is ON (i.e., the pressure applied to the pen exceeds a predetermined value), the controller controls the display device to increase the line width of the trace, made by the pen, which is displayed on the display device. When the switch is OFF (i.e., the pressure applied to the pen is less than a predetermined value), the controller controls the display device to decrease the line width of the trace, made by the pen, which is displayed on the display device. When the width of the displayed trace made by the pen reaches a predetermined value, the controller does not increase the line width any further.
As discussed above, the '568 handwritten-image apparatus discloses a method for line width selection; however, the '568 apparatus suffers various disadvantages. For instance, the '568 apparatus is pressure sensitive, with the pressure controlling the pen trace width throughout an entire drawing session. As a result, unintentional changes in pressure may result in unintentional and undesirable changes in line width. Another disadvantage of the '568 apparatus is that its line width is a function of the overlaying of static images (i.e., bitmaps), which is further dependent upon an available memory of the system running the drawing application for a range of sizes and resolution. While an interpolation is performed to smooth edges between patterns along a line, the '568 apparatus still depends upon the available static pattern images to provide the necessary changes in line width size.
Use of static image patterns by the '568 apparatus to draw a line also results in a less efficient mechanism for handling both screen resolution changes and color changes. For example, in general, bitmaps contain their own color information. Therefore, if it is desired to change the color(s) in the bitmaps, then it would require manipulating the bitmap information in each image. The latter is normally a complex task. Furthermore, with any changes of display resolution by the user of the '568 apparatus, the user cannot expect to be able to draw a maximum line width that is the same viewable size across all resolutions. That is, for example, if in a VGA mode the maximum pattern size allows a line 2 inches in width, then a super-VGA mode with twice the resolution would now allow only a maximum line width of 1 inch. This is a distinct deficiency.
Still further, the '568 apparatus is "hardware constrained". That is, it is intimately intertwined with special hardware and is not believed to be easily portable to standard, user initiated event-driven operating systems. In addition, most bitmap representations are specific to an individual operating system or a subset of operating systems. Therefore, an application using the method disclosed by the '568 patent would probably have to maintain separate bitmap images for each operating system it wants to work on. While the later is not extremely difficult, it does add an undesirable extra element of complexity.

Method and apparatus for in-place line width selection for graphics applications

International Business Machines Corporation


A wireless router receives a firmware update from a remote server, and destructively overwrites router firmware in flash memory in a chunk-wise manner, and then writes a kernel memory before going live with upgraded firmware. Some routers authenticate the firmware image. In some cases, image chunks are re-ordered into an executable order after receipt and before finishing their final arrangement in the flash memory. In some routers, a maximum firmware image size is at least two chunk sizes smaller than the flash memory storage capacity. Some routers remap ROM to RAM memory. Some decompress data from flash into a RAM. Some save text file configuration settings in flash before rebooting. Some detect a user's inactive billing status and redirect a web browser to a billing activation page.

To aid understanding of the technical context of the innovations claimed herein, several references are discussed below. This discussion is meant to help promote a full and accurate examination of the claims presented.
However, there are also limits on the inferences one can properly draw from this discussion. These references were identified with the present claims in mind, and the observations made here about the references are likewise guided by the present claims. One of skill would not necessarily have combined any of these references or made such observations without the benefit of hindsight. The mere fact that two or more of the references are discussed here is not evidence of a motivation to combine those references at the time of invention without using the present claims as a blueprint.
Moreover, the inclusion of a reference in this discussion is not a blanket acceptance of every statement made in the reference; what the references recite is not necessarily correct. Each reference must also be considered independently of this discussion to fully understand the reference's teachings, as only a brief space is allotted to any given reference here and each reference speaks for itself. The reference recitations noted here are not meant to be a full description, or even a complete overview or summary, of the teachings of any reference. Other references may also be considered worthy of attention.
Also, a reference may use terms differently than they are used here in describing the innovations claimed, and two different references may use the same term differently. Nor is the inclusion of a reference in this discussion evidence that the reference is enabling with regard to a particular claim, or indeed, with regard to any claim that is presented here.
The following discussion of references begins by pointing out some things that are not present in any of the references. These gaps in the references are worthy of attention, but they are merely examples of how the references could be considered. In particular, it does not follow that something X is present in the references merely because the discussion did not say that X was missing from the references.
Bearing these guidelines in mind, the reference discussion will now proceed.
None of these references mention an "executable order" for "chunks" of a firmware image. None recite "re-ordering" or "re-sequencing" firmware image chunks that were received in some order other than the executable order.
With regard to destructively overwriting flash memory chunks, the only mention of "destructive" in any of these references is in Zimmer (2005/0021968) paragraph [0048] which recites a "non-destructive reset."
None of these references recite a "wireless router" as a device whose firmware will be upgraded. Only Georges (2008/0156178) mentions any of the "802.11" wireless communication standards, and that is not in connection with router firmware upgrades because Georges does not mention "routers" at all.
None of these references mention "checking" to see whether the size of a firmware image is at least two chunk sizes smaller than a device's flash memory storage capacity.
With regard to remapping a ROM memory address to a RAM memory address in the context of a firmware upgrade, only two of the references mention "remapping" an address in any context, namely, Moore, et al. (2006/0047920) and Shamoon, et al. (2004/0107356). However, Moore's Abstract directs attention at how to "enable one-time or few-time programmable memories to work with existing consumer electronic devices (such as those that work with flash—an erasable, non-volatile memory) without requiring a firmware upgrade . . . " (emphasis added). Shamoon directs attention to remapping for security. Shamoon [0310] recites "circuitry which remaps some of the available memory space, so that, in unsecure mode, the CPU cannot address secure memory locations." Shamoon [0312] similarly recites "Some memory space may be rendered off-limits to general purpose uses, for example by remapping".
With regard to writing firmware to both flash memory and a volatile RAM disk, none of these references mention a "RAM disk" or a "RAM drive".
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0066062 by Brannock, et al. recites that a method for updating platform firmware is disclosed. Brannock further recites that this capability is facilitated by a standard software abstraction for a firmware storage device, known as Firmware Volume (FV) that is managed through a Firmware File System (FFS). The FFS enables firmware files to be created, deleted, and updated individually. The FFS also enables a plurality of firmware files to be updated atomically by managing file state information via state bits stored in a file header of each firmware file, whereby an atomic change to a single state bit simultaneously causes the FFS to use an updated set of firmware files in place of an original set of firmware files.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0083469 by Chen, et al. recites that an update method is used in an optical disk system to update firmware information stored in a firmware memory. Chen further recites that the method includes fetching program code and an update program routine from an update source, storing the program code into a first buffer, storing the update program routine into a second buffer, executing the update program routine stored in the second buffer, writing the program code stored in the first buffer into the firmware memory to update the firmware information, and changing a value of a program counter of the microprocessor such that the microprocessor executes the program code stored in the firmware memory at a predetermined location of the program code instead of executing a next instruction in the program code located after the current position of the program counter, and using the program code as updated firmware information to control the optical disk system.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0027807 by Fengler, et al. recites that systems and methods for facilitating peripheral device firmware installation are disclosed. Fengler further recites that in one embodiment, a system and a method pertain to transmitting a firmware availability notification, receiving a firmware download request, and transmitting a firmware file to a peripheral device for installation on the peripheral device. In another embodiment, a system and a method pertain to receiving a firmware availability notification with a peripheral device, and providing a related notification to a user, the related notification being provided by the peripheral device.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0055595 by Frazer, et al. recites that a system for remotely updating software on at least one electronic device connected to a network is disclosed. Frazer further recites that the electronic devices have a non-volatile rewritable storage unit divided into at least two partitions, one of which will contain core firmware and the other of which will contain auxiliary software. When an update is received at the device, the updated core firmware is written to overwrite the partition in the rewritable storage unit that contained the auxiliary software. When this is completed and verified, the previous version of the core firmware stored in the storage unit is disabled from execution by the device. Next, the updated auxiliary software is written to overwrite the old version of the core firmware. When this write is complete, the device determines a suitable time for it to be rebooted to execute the updated software. In another embodiment, the present core firmware in the device is copied from the partition it is in to the other partition, overwriting the auxiliary software stored there. The new core firmware received to update the device is overwritten into the first partition, the old copied core firmware being present in case of an upgrade failure, and upon a successful update of the first partition, the auxiliary software is written to the second partition, overwriting the copied old core firmware. In this manner, the position of the core firmware and auxiliary software within the partitions is preserved during normal operation of the device.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0156178 by Georges, et al. recites that systems and methods for creating, modifying, interacting with and playing music are provided, particularly systems and methods employing a top-down process, where the user is provided with a musical composition that may be modified and interacted with and played and/or stored (for later play). In an unusually long Abstract which is not fully reproduced here, Georges also recites that the system preferably is provided in a handheld form factor, and a graphical display is provided to display status information, graphical representations of musical lanes or components which preferably vary in shape as musical parameters and the like are changed for particular instruments or musical components such as a microphone input or audio samples. An interactive auto-composition process preferably is utilized that employs musical rules and preferably a pseudo random number generator, which may also incorporate randomness introduced by timing of user input or the like, the user may then quickly begin creating desirable music in accordance with one or a variety of musical styles, with the user modifying the auto-composed (or previously created) musical composition, either for a real time performance and/or for storing and subsequent playback. The remainder of the Abstract may be read in Georges itself.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0143475 by Herbert, et al. recites that a method according to one embodiment may include: receiving a first encrypted signal at a server of a computing network, the first encrypted signal comprising firmware encrypted by a first encryption algorithm having a first complexity level; sending a second encrypted signal over the computing network to at least one managed client in response to the first encrypted signal, the second encrypted signal comprising the firmware encrypted by a second encryption algorithm having a second complexity level, wherein said first complexity level is greater than said second complexity level; and updating existing firmware of the at least one managed client in response to receipt of the second signal at the at least one managed client. Herbert further recites that many alternatives, variations, and modifications are possible without departing from this embodiment.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0097542 by Lee recites that a firmware update method is disclosed. First, a tag is written to a firmware storage device. Next, first firmware in the firmware storage device is replaced by second firmware. If the replacing step is successful, the tag is deleted. Before the execution of the second firmware, a verification operation is executed. If the tag is not present, the second firmware is executed. If the tag is present, an abnormity processing procedure is executed. The abnormity processing procedure terminates of execution of the second firmware, reads third firmware via an interface, and replaces the second firmware with the third firmware.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0039178 by Marolia, et al. recites that aspects of an invention may be seen in a system and method for downloading update packages into an electronic device communicatively coupled to a carrier network. Marolia further recites that the system may facilitate the update of firmware/software in the electronic device. Different protocols may be utilized for discovery and download of update packages. Also, different protocols may be utilized for provisioning and for subsequent downloading of update packages.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0073304 by Marsh, et al. recites that a system and a method that uses a software application operable under a current firmware/operating system configuration to install a new firmware version without "compromising" the operating system are presented. Marsh further recites that the software application may configure a computer system to install a plurality of software fixes configured to enhance functionality under a new firmware/operating system environment after the firmware has been successfully upgraded. Such functionality enhancements may be associated with external peripherals, as well as, input/output circuit cards, processors, and the like. In addition, the software application may configure the computing device to "boot" under the new firmware/operating system environment upon subsequent system initializations. Furthermore, the software application permits the distribution of firmware upgrades via a network. The capability to install firmware remotely permits a system administrator to "push" the new firmware to a plurality of network coupled computing devices, thus avoiding manual intervention at each device.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0047920 by Moore, et al. recites that embodiments described therein can be used to enable one-time or few-time programmable memories to work with existing consumer electronic devices (such as those that work with flash—an erasable, non-volatile memory) without requiring a firmware upgrade, thereby providing backwards compatibility while minimizing user impact. Moore further recites that as such, these embodiments are a viable way to bridge one-time or few-time programmable memories with existing consumer electronic devices that have flash card slots. These embodiments also allow future consumer electronic devices to be designed without updating firmware to include a file system customized for a one-time or few-time programmable memory.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0236970 by Palmer, et al. recites that in a data processing method and system a mass storage device (DASD) of a data processing system is partitioned to include a service partition. Palmer further recites that the service partition is typically located on a portion of the DASD beyond the highest address accessible to the operating system and application programs. The service partition will typically include the current versions of peripheral device firmware, any BIOS extensions, and device drivers. During a system boot, the boot code will invoke a peripheral device call that reports the device's firmware version level to compare the firmware versions of all the peripheral devices against the archived firmware versions stored in the service partition. If a mismatch is detected, the system boot will typically force an update of the peripheral device firmware to the level that is known to be good. Any such firmware updates are recorded in a log that is accessible to system management applications. Any revisions to firmware may be imaged into the service partition so that the revised version will be incorporated into the peripheral device itself during the next subsequent system boot.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0015941 by Sekine recites that an information-processing apparatus includes a nonvolatile memory device configured to store firmware. Sekine further recites that the information-processing apparatus has a first unit for issuing an instruction to make an operating system execute a shutdown process, and to update the firmware, stored in the nonvolatile memory device, after the operating system has completed the shutdown process. The information-processing apparatus also has a second unit, responsive to the instruction to update the firmware, for updating the firmware only after the operating system has completed the shutdown process.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0107356 by Shamoon, et al. recites that a novel method and apparatus for protection of streamed media content is disclosed. Shamoon further recites that in one aspect, the apparatus includes control means for governance of content streams or content objects, decryption means for decrypting content streams or content objects under control of the control means, and feedback means for tracking actual use of content streams or content objects. The control means may operate in accordance with rules received as part of the streamed content, or through a side-band channel. The rules may specify allowed uses of the content, including whether or not the content can be copied or transferred, and whether and under what circumstances received content may be "checked out" of one device and used in a second device. The rules may also include or specify budgets, and a requirement that audit information be collected and/or transmitted to an external server. In a different aspect, the apparatus may include a media player designed to call plugins to assist in rendering content. A "trust plugin" is disclosed, along with a method of using the trust plugin so that a media player designed for use with unprotected content may render protected content without the necessity of requiring any changes to the media player. In one aspect, the streamed content may be in a number of different formats, including MPEG-4, MP3, and the RMFF format.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0021968 by Zimmer, et al. recites that a method for providing a secure firmware update is disclosed. This Zimmer application further recites that a first authentication credential is securely stored on a platform in an encrypted form using a key generated by a secure token, such as a trusted platform module (TPM). Typically, the authentication credential will identify a manufacture and the operation will be performed during manufacture of the platform. A configuration of the platform is "imprinted" such that an identical configuration is required to access the key used to decrypt the first authentication credential by sealing the key against the platform configuration. During a subsequent firmware update process, a firmware update image containing a second authentication credential is received at the platform. If the platform configuration is the same as when the key was sealed, the key can be unsealed and used for decrypting the first authentication credential. A public key in the first authentication credential can then be used to authenticate the firmware update image via the second authentication credential.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0289646 by Zimmer, et al. recites disclosure of a method of copying virtual firmware smart card code from a first secured memory in a system and loading the virtual firmware smart card code into a second secured memory in the system so that the code may be run on a microprocessor to provide smart card services to the system.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The invention relates to a method for classifying and identifying by means of energy dispersion X-ray fluorescence analysis chemical substances whose X-ray fluorescence lines cannot be detected and which therefore cannot be classified by energy dispersion X-ray fluorescence analysis alone. Said method is characterized in that the sample to be analyzed is analyzed in its original packaging or natural state without prior processing in a sample vessel. According to the method the sample is: a) positioned in front of the measuring aperture in a sample chamber of an X-ray fluorescence apparatus; b) measured; and c) classified and identified by application of multivariate, statistical techniques to the measurement signals obtained, i.e., to the Compton and Rayleigh scattering.

The present invention relates to the discrimination and classification, by means of X-ray fluorescence analysis, of chemical substances whose X-ray fluorescence lines cannot be detected and which therefore cannot be classified by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis (EDXRFA) alone, through the packaging and without having to take a sample.
A fast check of the identity of laboratory chemicals is necessary in many situations. This is primarily true in chemical companies within the context of so-called returned material stream management. In this case, returned material stream means chemicals which are taken back after having been returned to the chemical works by end-users or wholesalers.
Under the circular economy law, every returned material stream is to be regarded as waste until a control procedure has plausibly characterized every returned material stream. Only then can the returned material stream be categorized as a product, or raw material, secondary raw material or definitively as waste.
After the chemicals have been taken back, they are correspondingly documented, inspected in terms of their composition and then re-used as secondary raw materials in production where appropriate.
Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis (EDXRFA) is a fast analysis method for qualitative and quantitative determination of elements in substances. The determination is carried out via evaluation of the X-ray fluorescence lines. The X-ray fluorescence lines of elements with atomic numbers between 21 and 92 can be detected through a PE (polyethylene) container and allocated. However, elements with atomic numbers between 1 and 20 make up a large proportion of substances. It is not possible to characterize these elements, and therefore these substances, using conventional EDXRFA evaluation (X-ray fluorescence line determination and evaluation) owing to the lack of X-ray fluorescence lines.
Information about the substance and its composition can be obtained via the coherent (Rayleigh scattering) and incoherent (Compton scattering) scattering of X-rays in the substance. Correlations between the average atomic number and the ratio between coherent and incoherent scattered radiation are known, and are described for example by H. Kunzendorf in Nuclear Instruments and methods, 99 (1972) 611-612. The matrix correction, based on inelastic scattered radiation, for X-ray fluorescence lines is used by various EDXRFA suppliers for quantative evaluation.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to characterize and discriminate from one another, without risk and without other additional analysis methods and without having to take a sample, substances whose X-ray fluorescence lines cannot be detected and which therefore cannot be classified by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis (EDXRFA) alone.
It has now been found, surprisingly, that it is also in fact possible to employ energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis for classifying and identifying chemical substances with atomic numbers 1 to 20, specifically by the application of multivariate statistical methods to the measurement signals obtained for the entire Compton and Rayleigh scattering range.
Previously, these substances whose X-ray fluorescence lines cannot be detected, but which only have a Compton and Rayleigh scattering range, could not be discriminated from one another but were instead assigned together to an allocation field. If it was desired to ascertain more accurately which individual elements or substances were present, it was necessary to carry out other conventional analyses.
The invention therefore relates to a method for classifying and identifying, by means of energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis, chemical substances whose X-ray fluorescence lines cannot be detected and which therefore cannot be classified by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis (EDXRFA) alone, which is characterized in that the sample to be analysed is
a) positioned in front of the measurement opening in a sample chamber in an X-ray fluorescence system, then measured, and
b) classified and identified by application of multivariate statistical methods to the measurement signals obtained, i.e. for the Compton and Rayleigh scattering range,
in its original packaging or per se without prior processing in a sample vessel.
As multivariate statistical methods, principal component analysis (PCA) is applied for detecting differences of the substances and/or regularized discriminance analysis (RDA) is applied for discriminating and classifying the substances.
As already mentioned, checking the identity of laboratory chemicals is particularly important when chemicals are taken back. As statistics show, it is primarily small packagings which are sent back in large quantities to chemical plants. Substances in small packagings are therefore often documented and analysed in small-packaging sorting systems (SSS). In the case of analysing different substance streams, each individual substance needs to be analysed in its packaging. Opening the packaging and taking a sample must not be performed in the room where the sorting system is and the analyses are carried out, because of the risk to people and the environment which should be avoided when dealing with old chemicals (Circular economy law and waste avoidance law (Krw-/AbfG) 1994 (BGBl. I, 1354); regulation No. 259/93 of the council for monitoring and control of the movement of waste in, into and out of the European Community 1993 (ABl. L 30, 1); regulation governing the introduction of the European waste catalogue (EAK regulation) 1996 (BGBl. I, 1428); regulation governing the determination of waste requiring special monitoring (Bestbxc3xcAbfV) 1996 (BGBl. I 1366); regulation governing the determination of recyclable waste requiring special monitoring (Bestbxc3xcAbfV) 1996 (BGBl. I 1377); second general administrative order concerning the waste law (TA Abfall) 1991 (GMBl. p. 139, corr. 496); regulation governing the protection of hazardous substances (GefStoffV) 1993 (BGBl. I 1782)). Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis (EDXRFA) has crystallized as a suitable method for analysis through unopened packaging.
The analysis is hence preferably carried out through the packaging, in which case a variety of packaging materials (glass or polyethylene packaging) may be present and need to be taken into consideration correspondingly during the allocation.
When inspecting these substances, complete identification of the substances including information about the main and subsidiary constituents is not required. Plausible allocation of the substance spectrum recorded through the packaging to the spectrum of the substance name written on the packaging label is, however, expected. This type of analysis is referred to as allocation analysis.
Substances which contain elements with an atomic number (AN) greater than 22 (Ti) can, depending on the packaging size, be characterized through PE packaging with the aid of their element lines. The peak detection, peak parameter determination (peak position, width at half maximum and area) as well as the subsequent checking of the XRFA data against the information in the database, take place automatically. A further innovation is that these substance groups can also be discriminated substantially better using multivariate statistical methods. To that end, the X-ray fluorescence range of the element with an AN greater than 22 and the Compton and Rayleigh scattering range are calculated using the multivariate statistical methods.
As already mentioned, however, elements with atomic numbers between 1 and 20, which do not have detectable X-ray fluorescence lines, make up a large proportion of substances. It is not possible to characterize these elements, and therefore the substance (e.g. between NaCl and NaCN or K2CO3 and KF), using conventional EDXRFA evaluation owing to the lack of X-ray fluorescence lines. The XRFA measurement of such substances only provides scattered-radiation spectra which do not permit evaluation with conventional EDXRFA evaluation. These substances have therefore previously been assigned to a common xe2x80x9callocation fieldxe2x80x9d.
This means, however, that only very rough assignment can take place here. For more accurate classification, other analysis methods must be employed in these cases, sometimes with prior sampling and processing of the sample. These further examinations are, however, time-consuming and expensive. These additional analyses can now be avoided through the present invention.
According to the invention, further discrimination by the application of multivariate statistical methods to the Compton and Rayleigh scattering range can now be carried out for these substances, within the allocation field which is defined with conventional X-ray fluorescence (XRFA) evaluation.
Principal component analysis (PCA) and regularized discriminance analysis (RDA) methods are preferred as multivariate statistical methods for this. These methods are known per se to the person skilled in the art, and are dealt with at length in many literature references (an example citation for RDA is: J. H. Friedman, J. Amer. Statistical Association, 1989, Vol. 84, No. 405, 165-175).
By the direct application of multivariate statistical methods to the Compton and Rayleigh scattering range, further allocation can be carried out. According to the invention, the different methods can respectively be applied individually to the scattering spectra, or alternatively both in succession.
With the aid of principal component analysis, further subclasses become detectable in the classes defined by the conventional XRFA evaluation. With PCA, spectral differences of the individual substances can be made visible in the PCA representation. In Example 1 (FIG. 1), the result of the PCA evaluation is represented in the form of a xe2x80x9cscore plotxe2x80x9d. Here, the scattered-radiation range of 20 substances (in a PE sample vessel), which do not give X-ray fluorescence signals, was calculated by principal component analysis.
With discriminance analysis methods, mathematical models are set up for the substance classesxe2x80x94substances can subsequently be allocated to a class using these models.
Classes of recorded spectra of different substances are visualised using PCA, then their classes are calculated using RDA. This means that both the spectral range, or the principal components calculated for the spectral range, can be used as variables in the RDA. The number of principal components used is determined using the so-called xe2x80x9ceigen value 1 criterionxe2x80x9d or by cross-validation.
The individual steps from the spectrum recording to the classification are described below.
The sample to be analysed is firstly positioned in front of the measurement opening in a sample chamber in the X-ray fluorescence system, in its original packagingxe2x80x94it is hence unnecessary to open the packaging and sampling is superfluousxe2x80x94or per se without prior processing in a sample vessel.
The packaging or the sample vessel containing the sample to be analysed may consist of a material selected from the group polyethylene, glass, aluminium, paper and cardboard.
The EDXRFA spectrum is now recorded. Then, if X-ray fluorescence lines of the elements in the substance are not present, the Compton and Rayleigh scattering range from 19.6 to 26.3 keV (note: this range only applies to excitation using an Ag tube, see Table 1; when other excitation sources are used, the scattering range lies in a range corresponding to the excitation source) is sought for the multivariate statistical calculations (PCA, RDA). Nextxe2x80x94if desiredxe2x80x94the principal components are calculated using PCA for the new substance in the new model (inc. substance) which contains the spectrum of the substance. This step is optional.
In the next step, the classes are compiled and defined in RDA with a learning data record (spectral ranges or optionally the principal components identified in the previous step).
This is followed by classification/assignment of the new substance (test data record, i.e. spectral range or principal components) to a class from the learning data record (optionally, the principal components from the PCA can also be employed for the classification, instead of the spectrum). The learning data record must naturally contain the target class. The classification is carried out using the calculations described in the literature. The following literature references may be cited as examples for this:
Friedman, J. H., xe2x80x9cRegularized Discriminant Analysisxe2x80x9d in J. Am. Stat. Assoc. (1989) 84, 165-175; Frank, I. E., Friedman, J. H., Classification: xe2x80x9coldtimers and newcomersxe2x80x9d in J. Chemom. (1989) 33, 463-75; Wu, W., Mallet, Y., Walczak, B., Penninckx, W., Massart, D. L., Heuerding, S., Erni, F., xe2x80x9cComparison of regularized discriminant analysis, linear discriminant analysis and quadratic discriminant analysis, applied to NIR dataxe2x80x9d in Anal. Chim. Acta (1996) 3293, 257-265; Baldovin, A., Wen, W., Massart, D. L., Turello, A. xe2x80x9cRegularized discriminant analysis RDAxe2x80x94Modeling for the binary discrimination between pollution typesxe2x80x9d in Chemom. Intell. Lab. Syst. (1997) 381, 25-37.
The last step involves comparison between the class allocated to the spectrum and the actual class, or the substance name written on the label. If the result matches, the substance is processed further by being stored or used in production.
All this evaluation is preferably carried out automatically by applying correspondingly tailored software, which substantially accelerates the entire analysis duration and calculation time. The PCA and RDA algorithm is commercially available and can be implemented in the subsequent evaluation data processing.
The substances to be analysed, in their packaging, normally reach the EDXRFA system on a conveyor belt. The positioning of the packaging in front of the measurement opening, the recording of the EDXRFA spectrum, the evaluation of the spectra, the subsequent spectrum allocation and the repositioning of the packaging on the conveyor belt are carried out fully automatically. Accordingly, the EDXRFA system and the associated components (sample chamber, interfaces with the substance database, EDXRFA control) must be configured so that automatic operation of the individual components is possible.
The invention therefore also relates to the use of the method within an automated system for sorting and allocating old or new packagings which contain chemical substances.
The automated system preferably consists of the following components or steps:
conveyor belt for the substances to be analysed in their packaging;
EDXRFA system;
positioning the packaging in front of the measurement opening in a sample chamber, the sample chamber fully enclosing the packaging;
measurement;
spectrum evaluation and allocation;
further evaluation by application of multivariate statistical methods, and
repeated, more accurate allocation;
repositioning the packaging on the conveyor belt.
Preferably, an X-ray fluorescence analysis apparatus, consisting of an X-ray tube, a generator, an energy-resolving detector and evaluation electronics, is used.
In a preferred embodiment, the following configuration of the EDXRFA system is selected: X-ray tube with generator and semiconductor detector, the measurement geometry, i.e. the angle between the excitation source, the sample and the detector, is selected variably between 45xc2x0 and 90xc2x0, so that the Compton and Rayleigh scattering lines are resolved in the detector.
The sample chamber must fully enclose the packaging since, when dealing with ionizing radiation, it is necessary to comply with protective mechanisms according to the X-ray regulation. It is necessary to ensure that the emerging X-radiation does not exceed a defined limit value. The sample chamber is preferably made of a material which does not increase the spectrum background (scattering) in the sample chamber, is automatically openable and closable, and is adaptable to the EDXRFA apparatus.
The parameters for routine operation, i.e. the X-ray tube voltage and current, the primary beam filter material and thickness, the detector diaphragm aperture, the positional coordinates for the packaging in front of the EDXRFA measurement opening, can be experimentally determined and adjusted as desired and according to requirements. For subsequent allocation of the spectra to the substances, the packaging sizes and materials and the packaging positions should also respectively be taken into account.
Since it is necessary to cope with a large number of packages being taken back, the analysis duration should be of short length. According to the invention, the measurement time for recording the spectra is preferably xe2x89xa630 seconds.
Example A, Table 1 describes a preferred configuration with the parameters for measurement and evaluation. This list is intended merely as an entirely non-limiting example. Example A also lists the preferred general measurement conditions for the trials.
Diagram 1 shows the EDXRFA measurement geometry and coordinate system for the packaging positioning for a preferred embodiment according to the invention.
The method according to the invention provides a fast, reliable and effective analysis method for identifying chemical substances through the packaging. EDXRFA is in principle extended to those substances comprising elements with atomic numbers between 1 and 20 which could not previously be discriminated in this way. Substantially improved characterization and allocation can therefore be achieved when taking back chemicals, without having to employ other analysis methods with laborious sample processing and sampling.
Even without further embodiments, it is assumed that a person skilled in the art can use the above description in a very wide scope. The preferred embodiments should therefore merely be regarded as descriptive disclosure which is by no means limiting in any way.
The complete disclosures of all applications and publications cited above and below are incorporated in this application by reference.

Energy dispersion x-ray fluorescence analysis of chemical subtances

Merck Patentgesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung


A multilayer optical polarizing film has optical layers whose refractive indices substantially match along orthogonal in-plane x- and y-axes, and that mismatch along a z-axis by at least 0.1 and in some cases by at least 0.15. The film has substantially no reflection bands at normal incidence, and for obliquely incident light has at least one reflection band, for p-polarized light only, that monotonically increases and that shifts to shorter wavelengths as the incidence angle increases.

Multilayer optical film polarizers are known. Such polarizers comprise a plurality of distinct optical layers arranged into optical repeat units across the thickness of the film. In a simple case the optical layers, which number in the tens, hundreds, or thousands, alternate between a first and second light transmissible material in a quarter-wave stack, such that the optical repeat unit consists essentially of two optical layers of equal optical thickness. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one such optical repeat unit 10 in the context of a right-handed Cartesian x-y-z coordinate system, where the film extends parallel to the x-y plane, and the z-axis is perpendicular to the film, corresponding to a thickness axis. The optical repeat unit 10 includes adjacent optical layers 12, 14. The refractive indices of the individual layers 12 are denoted:n1x, n1y, n1zfor polarized light whose electric field vector oscillates along the x-, y-, and z-axes respectively. In like fashion, the refractive indices of the individual layers 14 are denoted:n2x, n2y, n2z.In most multilayer optical film polarizers, the materials and processing conditions are tailored to produce, between adjacent optical layers, a refractive index mismatch along one in-plane axis and a substantial match of refractive indices along an orthogonal in-plane axis. If we denote the magnitude of n2−n1 along a particular axis as Δn, these conditions can be expressed as:Δnx≈largeΔny≈0A film with these properties reflects normally incident light of one polarization and transmits normally incident light of an orthogonal polarization.
Jonza et al. have recently described another type of multilayer polarizing film, coined the "p-polarizer". See e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,774 (Jonza et al.), "Optical Film". In this construction, the in-plane indices of the two materials are equal, but the z-axis indices differ. In this case, no reflection occurs for s-polarized light at any angle, and the reflectivity for p-polarized light increases monotonically with increasing angle of incidence. This type of article has increasing reflectivity for p-polarized light as angle of incidence increases, and is transparent to s-polarized light.

P-polarizer with large z-axis refractive index difference


For operational control of a start-up of a rate-of-turn sensor including at least one oscillator element that is excitable to perform a mechanical oscillating motion, a signal proportional to the instantaneous speed or deflection of the oscillator element is amplified and used as the operating signal to operate the oscillator element, during the start-up process for the rate-of-turn sensor, the amplitude of the operating signal is set to a constant specifiable value, the stimulation frequency of the operating signal is increased essentially continuously from a starting value below the main driving frequency of the oscillating motion to a final value above the main driving frequency and below a spurious driving frequency while, simultaneously, the deflection and/or the speed of the oscillator element are monitored in order to determine the main driving frequency of the oscillating motion, once the final value is reached and the main driving frequency is determined, the stimulation frequency of the operating signal is set to the main driving frequency, and the operational regulation of the amplitude and the stimulation frequency of the operating signal are released.

Micromechanical rate-of-turn sensors are used, e.g., in motor vehicles for the functionality of the electronic stability program, ESP, or for roll-tendency compensation. They use the Coriolis effect to measure, e.g., the rate-of-turn around the vertical axis or longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle.
The description below pertains only to the driving circle that occurs in rate-of-turn sensors of this type, without the measuring circle for determining the Coriolis acceleration.
Micromechanical rate-of-turn sensors contain one or more mechanical oscillators, each of which includes an elastically suspended oscillator element. The mechanical oscillators can be stimulated to perform a periodic oscillating motion using driving forces that change periodically with time and are applied electrostatically.
Rate-of-turn sensors are known, e.g., from DE 102 37 410 A1 and DE 102 37 411 A1.
Rate-of-turn sensors are operated at a mechanical driving frequency of the oscillator element. To this end, a suitable stimulation frequency of a drive signal F(t) that generates the driving forces must be selected. At the driving frequency, a phase shift does not occur between the speed of the oscillator element and the stimulation frequency of the drive signal F(t), and the phase shift between the deflection of the oscillator element and the stimulation frequency of the drive signal F(t) is −π/2. Ideally, the shape of the graph of the drive signal F(t) that generates the driving forces is sinusoidal. The term "sinusoidal" also refers to a graph with a cosinusoidal shape, i.e., a sinusoidal curve shifted by π/2. A square-wave drive signal F(t) that is easy to generate is usually used in practical application, however.
The instantaneous deflection or the instantaneous speed of the oscillator element is measured using capacitive sensors located on the oscillator element, and a signal x(t) proportional to the instantaneous deflection, or a signal v(t) proportional to the instantaneous speed is output. When the signal v(t) proportional to the speed is amplified in a suitable manner, the resultant signal can be used once more—either directly or after squaring—as a drive signal F(t) for generating the driving force. If deflection is measured instead of speed, the phase shift of −π/2 must first be compensated, e.g., using an additional phase modifier, before it is coupled with the drive signal F(t).
In both cases, the mechanical oscillator begins to oscillate with a driving frequency when sufficiently amplified. To ensure that the oscillation amplitude does not become too great, and to prevent damage to the oscillator element, the oscillation amplitude must be measured and regulated to a specified value by changing the amplitude AF of the drive signal F(t).
Since a mechanical oscillator can have higher-frequency, spurious driving frequencies in addition to its main mechanical driving frequency, cases arise in which the arrangement described above does not oscillate at the main driving frequency, but rather at a spurious driving frequency. This is a serious problem, because the functionality of the rate-of-turn sensor becomes unavailable as a result.
This effect can occur in particular when the drive signal F(t) is square-wave. Since x(t) or v(t) are sinusoidal signals, they are typically forwarded to a comparator, which compares the signals with zero and outputs a square-wave output signal F(t). With small input signals x(t) or v(t), the amplification of a comparator of this type reaches very high values, i.e., of a magnitude greater than 105. As a result, it is also possible to stimulate very weak spurious resonances in the oscillation motion of the oscillator element to become unwanted, stable oscillations.
In practical application, methods are used in some cases with which the signals x(t) or v(t) are not coupled directly with the drive signal F(t). Systems of this type function in a manner similar to a phase locked loop, PLL. An example of a system of this type is shown in FIG. 1, framed by a dashed line. In this case as well, the system can lock into a spurious resonance if it is not dimensioned properly and/or if it is not monitored.

Method and circuit arrangement for secure start-up of a rate-of-turn sensor


The present invention provides a method in which a strengthened platinum material can be produced, in which no blisters occur on the surface of the material even after heat treatment of 1,400° C. or higher and a metal oxide such as zirconium oxide is finely dispersed, and which has excellent high-temperature creep properties, when the strengthened platinum material is produced using a melt-sprayed platinum alloy powder. The method for producing a strengthened platinum material includes oxidizing a platinum alloy powder obtained by melt-spray, wet-milling the platinum alloy powder by adding an organic solvent, sintering, and forging, wherein the wet-milled platinum alloy fine powder is charged into a heat resistant container and heated to 1,200 to 1,400° C. in a vacuum atmosphere to be subjected to degassing.

A strengthened platinum material having good high-temperature strength properties has conventionally been used as a structural material for handling a glass or ceramic material in a molten state. The strengthened platinum material for use in melting the glass material or the like at high temperature is required to have high so-called creep strength. In producing such a strengthened platinum material, the preparation of a material particularly having a prolonged durability time until a creep rupture is an important challenge.
This strengthened platinum material is required to have, for example, high creep strength at 1,400° C. as high temperature strength properties. Control of material structure is therefore very important in the production of the strengthened platinum material. A method for finely and uniformly dispersing a metal oxide such as zirconium oxide in a platinum base metal of the strengthened platinum material has conventionally been known for improving the high creep strength, and various production methods have been proposed to obtain the strengthened platinum material in which such a metal oxide is dispersed.
As one of the examples, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-134511 relates to a method for producing a strengthened platinum material in which a metal oxide is finely dispersed in a platinum base, and discloses that after a platinum alloy consisting of a metal element as a precursor for the metal oxide and platinum is melt-sprayed, the resultant platinum alloy powder is subjected to wet-milling.
According to the production method, a strengthened platinum material can be obtained, in which the production time is shortened; blisters do not occur in production steps such as compression molding, heat treatment, hot forging, annealing, and cold rolling; and which has stable creep strength. The strengthened platinum material according to the production method, however, sometimes produced fine blisters on the surface of the material upon heat treatment at a high temperature of 1,400° C.
The occurrence of fine blisters on the surface of the material at high-temperature heat treatment of the strengthened platinum material obtained by the production method according to the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-134511 is estimated due to the release at the high-temperature heat treatment of the gas adsorbed to the surface of fine powders when the melt-sprayed platinum alloy powder is subjected to wet-milling. In order to prevent fine blisters at the high-temperature heat treatment, it is contemplated to carry out subsequent production treatment steps at high temperatures, thereby minimizing the gas adsorbed to the platinum alloy fine powder.
Meanwhile, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-160268 discloses a method, in which a platinum alloy including 0.05 to 2% by weight of zirconium, samarium or the like is milled by an atomizing process, oxidized and sintered for 1 to 100 hours at a high temperature of 1,400 to 1,750° C., and then subjected to plastic working. The Japanese Patent Application further describes that when the platinum alloy powder is oxidized and sintered at a high temperature of 1,400° C. or higher, metal oxide particles such as zirconium oxide dispersed in the strengthened platinum alloy material are dispersed in a state having a relatively large diameter of about 1 to 10 μm.
According to the production method, although an easily deformed strengthened platinum material may be achieved, the material can only maintain its creep properties at a high temperature of 1,000° C. or higher at a certain level, and creep properties at even higher temperatures tend to drop compared with the case of fine metal oxide particles. That is to say, when the temperature for subsequent production treatment processes are simply raised to high temperatures, in order to remove the gas adsorbed to a wet-milled platinum alloy fine powder in the production method according to the Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-134511, it is estimated that the particle size of the metal oxide will be increased, which causes reduction of the high-temperature creep properties.

Method for preparing reinforced platinum material


A non-volatile memory express (NVMe) switch is located in between a host and storage. A first storage access command is received from a host via a peripheral computer interface express (PCIe) interface to access the storage. The first storage access command conforms to NVMe and the storage comprises two or more solid-state drives (SSDs). A respective second storage access command is sent to the two or more SSDs based on the first storage access command. A respective completion is received from each of the two or more SSDs based on the respective second storage access command. A completion is sent to the host via the PCIe interface based on the received completions from each of the two or more SSDs.

PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express), officially abbreviated as PCIe or PCI Express, is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard. PCIe operates as a motherboard-level interconnect between a host and peripheral components such as attached solid state drives (SSD). The host works as a server offering information resources, services, and/or applications to users or other nodes on a network. The host also manages the SSDs to obtain the needed storage services to operate using a command set for SSD access defined by Non-volatile Memory Express, also known as NVMe or NVM Express. The management of the SSD by the host adds further complexity to hardware, software, and firmware residing on the host.

Managed switching between one or more hosts and solid state drives (SSDs) based on the NVMe protocol to provide host storage services


A chalcopyrite solar cell having a mica substrate or a laminated mica substrate, an intermediate layer made of a ceramic-based material formed on the mica substrate, and a binder layer formed on the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer has a thickness equal to or more than 2 μm and equal to or less than 20 μm. The binder layer has a thickness equal to or more than 3000 Å and equal to or less than 8000 Å. The intermediate layer and the binder layer are interposed between the mica substrate and a molybdenum electrode.

Solar cells, which receive light and convert the light into electric energy, are classified into the bulk type and the thin film type according to the thickness of the semiconductor. The thin-film solar cells have a semiconductor layer having a thickness equal to or less than several to several tens of micrometers and are classified into the Si thin film type and the compound thin film type. The compound thin film solar cells are further classified into several types including the II-VI family compound type and the chalcopyrite type, and some compound thin film solar cells have been commercially available. In particular, the chalcopyrite solar cell is referred to also as CIGS (Cu(InGa)Se) thin film solar cell, CIGS solar cell or I-III-VI family solar cell after the material used therefor.
The chalcopyrite solar cell has a light absorbing layer made of a chalcopyrite compound and is characterized by its high efficiency, insusceptibility to deterioration by light (deterioration with age), high radiation resistance, wide light absorption wavelength range, high absorption coefficient and the like. Research and development for the mass production of the chalcopyrite solar cell are now being conducted.
FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional structure of a typical chalcopyrite solar cell. As shown in FIG. 1, the chalcopyrite solar cell comprises a glass substrate, a lower electrode thin film formed on the glass substrate, a light absorbing layer thin film containing copper, indium, gallium and selenium, a buffer layer thin film formed on the light absorbing layer thin film, and an upper electrode thin film. When the chalcopyrite solar cell is irradiated with light, such as sunlight, electron-hole pairs are generated, and at the interface between the p-type semiconductor and the n-type semiconductor, the electrons (−) move to the n-type semiconductor, and the holes (+) move to the p-type semiconductor. As a result, an electromotive force is generated between the n-type semiconductor and the p-type semiconductor. If leads are connected to the electrodes in this state, a current can be drawn to the outside.
FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams for illustrating a process of manufacturing a chalcopyrite solar cell. First, a Mo (molybdenum) electrode serving as a lower electrode is formed by sputtering on a glass substrate, such as soda lime glass. Then, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the Mo electrode is split by laser irradiation or the like (first scribing). After the first scribing, shavings are washed away with water or the like, and copper (Cu), indium (In) and gallium (Ga) are deposited on the Mo electrode by sputtering to form a precursor. The precursor is placed in a furnace and annealed in an H2Se gas atmosphere to form a chalcopyrite light absorbing layer thin film. The annealing step is commonly referred to as gas phase selenidation process or simply as selenidation process.
Then, an n-type buffer layer of CdS, ZnO, InS or the like is formed on the light absorbing layer. The buffer layer is typically formed by sputtering or chemical bath deposition (CBD), for example. Then, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the buffer layer and the precursor are split by laser irradiation or with a metal needle, for example (second scribing).
Then, as shown in FIG. 3(c), a transparent electrode (TCO) of ZnOAl or the like serving as an upper electrode is formed by sputtering. Then, as shown in FIG. 3(d), the TCO, the buffer layer and the precursor are split by laser irradiation or with a metal needle, for example (third scribing). In this way, a CIGS thin film solar cell is completed.
The solar cell manufactured as described above is called "cell". In practice, a plurality of cells are grouped into a package and processed as a module (panel). Each scribing step separates the solar cells into a plurality of stages of solar cells arranged in series. Changing the number of the stages can change the voltage of the cells.
Such a conventional chalcopyrite solar cell has a glass substrate. This is because the glass substrate is an insulator, easily available and relatively inexpensive, and has high adhesion to the Mo electrode layer (lower electrode thin film) and a smooth surface. In addition, sodium in glass is advantageously diffused into the light absorbing layer (p layer) to raise the energy conversion efficiency. However, glass has a low melting point, and high annealing temperature cannot be used in the selenidation step, so that the energy conversion efficiency is low. Furthermore, the glass substrate is thick and heavy, so that a large-scale manufacturing facility is needed, and the completed product is inconvenient to handle. Furthermore, the glass substrate can hardly be deformed, a mass production process, such as roll-to-roll process, cannot be used.
In order to overcome the disadvantages, there has been proposed a chalcopyrite solar cell that uses a polymer film substrate (see the patent literature 1, for example). Furthermore, there has been proposed a technique of forming a chalcopyrite solar cell structure on a stainless steel substrate having a silicon oxide or ferric fluoride layer on upper and lower surfaces thereof (see the patent literature 2, for example). Furthermore, there has been proposed a technique using glass, alumina, mica, polyimide, molybdenum, tungsten, nickel, graphite or stainless steel as a chalcopyrite-based substrate material (see the patent literature 3, for example).
Patent literature 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-259494
Patent literature 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-339081
Patent literature 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-58893


Disclosed are a geographic information analyzing apparatus and a method thereof, and more specifically, a geographic information analyzing apparatus which is capable of analyzing a region arbitrarily set by a user and a method thereof. The a geographic information analyzing apparatus disclosed in this specification includes a data storing unit which includes a spatial data storing unit which stores geospatial information and an attribute data storing unit which stores attribute information corresponding to the spatial data; a map viewer which provides a user interface and receives spatial information of an arbitrary region from a user, and a function providing unit which compares the geospatial information with the spatial information of the arbitrary region to calculate an overlapping ratio and performs analysis in accordance with a previously set function using attribute information in accordance with the overlapping ratio.

A geographic information system (GIS) is an information system which combines and processes geographic data which occupies a geospatial position and various attribute data related to the geographic data and defined as a general organization of hardware, software, geographic data, and a human resource which is used to efficiently collect, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and output various types of geographic information.
Generally, a user interface is implemented as a GIS viewer in the geographic information system. The GIS viewer serves to visually show geographic data which is represented as a form of a map layer on a screen and an attribute value of each feature which forms the map layer to the user. The feature is a geographic data element having one of basic geometry types, such as a point, a line, or a polygon, which form one map layer.
Here, the geometry is a measurement and a feature of a geographic object called as a feature such as the point, the line, and the polygon and is used to represent a spatial element for the geographic feature in the GIS field.
One map layer is formed as one table in a data storing unit and one feature corresponds to one row in the table.
In order to view information corresponding to a specific feature in the GIS viewer, the feature is selected and attribute information which is connected to the selected feature is read out from a database and then provided through the screen. For example, if a border is represented based on an administrative district, each feature having a polygon shape which forms the map layer indicates one administrative district and includes various categorical data such as a name or a code of the administrative district and various numerical data such as a population, the number of buildings, and the number of households of the administrative district. If such various attribute information is present in the database, the feature is selected so that the attribute information may be directly checked on the GIS viewer. In this case, the attribute which may be checked by the user is limited to a type of an existing feature. For example, information on a part of a first administrative district or a region obtained by combining a part of second administrative district and third one is unknown because a feature of the region is not present in database.
Extraction of an overlaying region between two features is simply calculated using a function which is provided by a spatial database system. However, if calculation and analysis by a specific analysis model are required as mentioned in the above example, a separate external analysis tool needs to be used or a complex analysis model needs to be directly implemented in the user interface. If the model is modified, a source code of the viewer needs to be directly modified.

Apparatus for analyzing geographic information and method thereof

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


Functionalized fluorine containing phthalocyanine molecules, methods of making, and methods of use in diagnostic applications and disease treatment are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the fluorine containing phthalocyanine molecules are functionalized with a reactive functional group or at least one cancer-targeting ligand (CTL). The CTL can facilitate more efficient binding and/or internalization to a cancer cell than to a healthy cell. The CTL can inhibit expression of oncoprotein in some embodiments. The pthalocyanine moiety can be used in diagnostic applications, such as fluorescence labeling of a cancer cell, and/or treatment applications, such as catalyzing formation of a reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can contribute to cell death of a cancer cell.

The application of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in oncology relies upon the use of a photosensitizer to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as singlet oxygen, 1O2, to destroy cancer cells by terminally modifying the bio-molecules they interact with [Calin, M. A. et al. (2006) Photodynamic therapy in oncology, J. Optoelect. Adv. Mat. 8, 1173-1179; Thierry Patrice. Photodynamic Therapy; Royal Society of Chemistry, 2004].
A photosensitizing agent, such as ground state, singlet phthalocyanine (Pc), 1Pc, absorbs light to generate a triplet excited state, 3Pc, that in turn transfers its energy to ground state triplet oxygen, 3O2, to produce excited state singlet oxygen, 1O2, and regenerate the 1Pc [Ishii, K. (2012) Functional singlet oxygen generators based on phthalocyanines, Coord. Chem. Rev. 256, 1556-1568]. Pcs absorb light strongly in the red and near-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, 600-1000 nm, favorable for benign tissue penetration. This effect stimulates 1O2 production in an aerobic tumor microenvironment, ultimately leading to programmed cancer cell death [Josefsen, L. B. et al. (2012) Unique diagnostic and therapeutic roles of porphyrins and phthalocyanines in photodynamic therapy, imaging and theranostics, Theranostics 2, 916-966].
Cancer-targeting Pc photosensitizers have been shown to enhance the efficiency of the PDT response in tumor cells while reducing their side effects [(a) Master, A. et al. (2013) A cell-targeted photodynamic nanomedicine strategy for head and neck cancers, Mol Pharm. 10, 1988-1997, (b) Sibrian-Vazquez, M. et al. (2007) Synthesis and properties of cell-targeted Zn(II)-phthalocyanine-peptide conjugates, Bioconjug Chem. 18, 410-420, (c) Ranyuk, E. et al. (2013) Phthalocyanine-peptide conjugates: receptor-targeting bifunctional agents for imaging and photodynamic therapy, J Med Chem. 56, 1520-1534, (d) Ongarora, B. G. et al. (2012) Phthalocyanine-peptide conjugates for epidermal growth factor receptor targeting, J Med Chem. 55, 3725-3738, (e) Ke, M. R. et al. (2012) A phthalocyanine-peptide conjugate with high in vitro photodynamic activity and enhanced in vivo tumor-retention property, Chemistry 18, 4225-4233, (f) Huang, L. et al. (2008) Photochemical DNA cleavage by novel water-soluble sulfonated dihydroxy phosphorus(V) tetrabenzotriazacorrole, Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 18, 2152-2155, (g) Kuznetsova, A. A. et al. (2008) DNA-binding and oxidative properties of cationic phthalocyanines and their dimeric complexes with anionic phthalocyanines covalently linked to oligonucleotides, J Biomol Struct Dyn. 26, 307-320, (h) Erdem, S. S. et al. (2009) Mono-amine functionalized phthalocyanines: microwave-assisted solid-phase synthesis and bioconjugation strategies J Org Chem. 74, 9280-9286, (i) Nesterova, I. V. et al. (2007) Metallo-phthalocyanine near-IR fluorophores: oligonucleotide conjugates and their applications in PCR assays, Bioconj Chem. 18, 2159-2168].
Diagnostic applications of a Pc photosensitizer relies on its ability to absorb and emit light in the visible/near infrared region (400-900 nm) for instrumental detection [Nesterova, I. V. et al. (2009) Phthalocyanine Dimerization-Based Molecular Beacons Using Near-IR Fluorescence, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 131, 2432-2433] and diagnosis of a disease state [Master, A. et al. (2014) A Cell-Targeted Photodynamic Nanomedicine Strategy for Head and Neck Cancers, Mol. Pharm. 10, 1988-1997].
Despite the above described advances in the art, still further improvements in the Pcs and their methods of use in diagnostic applications and disease treatment would be desirable.


For an automatic gearbox (2) a safety system is proposed in which erroneous releasing of the clutch or brake during cross-over is detected by the fact that the time variations of the transmission input speed and of the product of the transmission output speed multiplied by the first reduction ratio do not increase.

By the generic expression automatic gearbox is to be understood electrohydraulically controlled automatic gearboxs where the gearshift is carried out as cross-over gearshift. In cross-over gearshifts, the gearshift results by a first clutch or brake releasing and second clutch or brake engaging. In automatic gearboxs, it is usual, in general, to monitor the orderly operation thereof in order to prevent situations critical to safety. Monitored are the input signals made available by the sensors, the electromagnetic actuators, the electronic transmission control and, via acknowledged variables, the clutches and brakes that take part in the gearshift. It is of special interest here to detect a faulty releasing of a clutch or brake since this can result in the blocking of the transmission and subsequent destruction. A faulty release is thus extremely critical to safety.


A control apparatus which includes apparatus for storing a first digital code, apparatus for storing a second digital code, and apparatus for comparing the first and second digital codes, the apparatus for comparing including first and second generally dish shaped members that are dimensioned and configured for nesting relationship. In some forms of the invention the dish shaped members are each rotationally symmetrical. The first and second dish shaped members may each include a plurality of steps on the face thereof. At least one of the first and second dish shaped members includes a plurality of steps on the face thereof. The other of said first and second dish shaped members may includes a plurality of steps on the face thereof.

The invention relates to control apparatus and particularly to apparatus of this type that is particularly adapted to use by physically handicapped persons. While the invention will be described in terms of apparatus for locking the door of a building, it will be understood that the invention has application to exterior and interior building doors as well as other locking apparatus on cabinets, trunks, computer security devices, and just about any where that locks are customarily used.
In addition those skilled in the art will understand that many other devices may be operated by the present apparatus. For example, the device does not even have to be a lock. The apparatus in accordance with the invention may be coupled to an elevator control system so that the elevator will come to a specific floor to receive a person and then automatically take the occupant to a specific floor. The access to the destination floor may even be limited to those having such an electronic key. The same apparatus may also be used to operate apparatus as varied as a missile launcher, a valve in a process control system or a wide variety of other applications. The scope of applications is limited only by ones imagination.
The prior art includes a variety of locking apparatus that use digital techniques. For example, magnetic stripes on cards are often used to operate hotel room locks. Such locks may be easily reprogrammed for new room occupants.
It is an object of the invention to provide a construction that will be easy to operate by persons having motor skills that are less extensive than the motor skills of the average person.
It is another object of the invention to provide apparatus that will be very, very difficult for someone who does not possess a valid key module to deceive and thus gain entrance to the locked apparatus.
It is an object of the invention to provide apparatus which is inexpensive to manufacture.
Still another object of the invention is to provide apparatus that will be easy to assemble.

Control apparatus particularly adapted for handicapped persons


A dispersible composition that comprises a polymer compound, a functional substance such as a colorant, and a solvent or a dispersion medium, where the polymer compound is comprised of a monomer unit represented by the general formula (1)

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to compositions of novel polymer compounds useful as various functional materials, image-forming methods and image-forming apparatuses using the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to ink compositions, toner compositions prepared using a novel polymer compound, a colorant and a solvent or dispersion medium, and to various image-forming methods and apparatuses using such compositions.
2. Related Background Art
Materials containing a functional substance and dispersible in water are well-known. For example, there are agricultural chemicals such as herbicides and insecticides, medicines such as anticancer agents, anti-allergic agents and anti-inflammation agents, and coloring materials such as inks and toners containing a colorant.
Meanwhile, digital printing technology has been making a rapid progress in recent years. Digital printing technology represented by electrophotography and ink jet technology are now widely used in office and home.
Ink jet technology is a direct recording method, and characterized in compact size and low electric consumption. In addition, improvement of image quality is now under rapid progress by using finer nozzles. One of the ink jet recording systems is the bubble jet system where an ink droplet is ejected to form an image on a recording medium by the action of a bubble formed by heating the ink supplied from the ink tank using a heater provided in the head. Another system is the piezoelectric system which ejects ink from the nozzle by the vibration action of a piezoelectric element.
Since inks used for there systems are usually water solutions of dyes, bleeding may occur when colors are superimposed, or feathering may be observed at the recorded portion along the direction of the paper fibers of the recording medium. Use of pigment ink has been proposed to overcome the above problems (U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,698). Still much more improvement is required.

Polymer composition, image-forming method and image-forming apparatus

Abstract: wherein A is a straight-chain or branched alkylene group of 1 to 15 carbon atoms with or without substitution; m is an integer of 0 to 30, and when m is 2 or more, A is the same or different each other; B is a single bond or an alkylene with or without substitution; D is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic ring structure; n is an integer of 1 to 10, and when n is 2 or more, D is the same or different with each other. The composition is usable as an ink composition or toner composition.


Embodiments of the invention include an electrical circuit arrangement including a switchably removable bond pad extension test pad that allows improved testing of a corresponding electrical circuit device via enhanced placement of testing probes. The bond pad extension test pad is removably coupled to one of the electrical circuit device's electrical components, e.g., a bond pad. Because the bond pad extension test pad can be disconnected from the electrical component when not testing, the bond pad extension test pad does not contribute additional parasitic effects to the corresponding electrical circuit device. The electrical circuit arrangement automatically detects when a testing voltage is applied to the bond pad extension test pad, then connects the bond pad extension test pad in response to the detection of the applied testing voltage. When a testing voltage is not applied to bond pad extension test pad, the electrical circuit arrangement disconnects the test pad from the associated electrical component.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to electrical circuit devices including bond pads. More particularly, the invention relates to electrical circuit devices including bond pad extensions used for testing electrical circuit devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bond pads are used with wire bonding techniques for mounting electrical circuit devices, such as semiconductor integrated circuit dies, in electronic packaging. The electrical circuit devices typically include a plurality of relatively small conductive leads that are electrically connected, e.g., by ultrasonic bonding, to wire bond pads of corresponding conductors embedded in the device package.
Some conventional circuit device arrangements include extended bond pads, which are bond pads that have an extended area or region that allows extra room for the placement of test probes during testing of the circuit device. However, in such conventional arrangements, the extended bond pads typically remain in place after testing of the circuit device has been completed. As such, the extended bond pads can add extra capacitance or, at relatively high frequencies, add open-circuited stubs to the circuit device. Such open-circuited stubs are capacitive in nature and exhibit resonances that may result in the undesirable radiation of signals. Other conventional circuit device arrangements include extended bond pads that are broken off or peeled away from the real or original bond pad after testing is performed. However, in such arrangements, subsequent use of the extended bond pads is not possible once the extended bond pad has been permanently removed from the circuit device.
Therefore, a need exists for a reusable, removable, extended bond pad or bond pad extension that does not include or contribute additional parasitic effects to the existing parasitic effects of the associated electrical circuit device.

Circuit apparatus including removable bond pad extension


A method determining whether a target word used in a text is a correct word. The method being carried out in a data processor that is being configured according to a given operating system for reading data from, writing data to a storage medium and presenting data on a display screen. The method includes the steps of:. (a) identifying one or more features residing in the vicinity of the target word in a text. The features being associated with said target word in a database stored on said storage medium. PA1 (b) using the features identified in step (a) to retrieve information from the database. The information being indicative as to the likelihood of said target word being in context with the features specified in step (a). PA1 (c) using the information retrieved in step (b) as a criterion for indicating whether the target word is likely to be either the correct word or should it be replaced within said text.

Context-sensitive text correction is the task of fixing errors that result in valid words, such as This is not to difficult, where too was mistakenly typed as to. These errors account for anywhere from 25% to over 50% of observed errors (Karen Kukich, Automatic spelling correction: Detection, correction and context-dependent techniques, p. 38. Technical report, Bellcore, Morristown, N.J. 07960, November 1991, Draft.); yet they go undetected by conventional spell checkers, such as Unix spell, which only flag words that are not found in a word list. The challenge of this task (and related natural language tasks) for Machine Learning is to characterize the contexts in which a word cart (or cannot) occur in terms of features. The problem is that there is a multitude of features that one might use--features, that test for the presence of some particular word within some distance of the target word; features that test the pattern of parts of speech around the target word; and so on.
Context-sensitive text correction is taken here to be a task of word disambiguation. The ambiguity among words is modelled by confusion sets. A confusion set C={w.sub.1, . . . w.sub.n } means that each word w.sub.i in the set is possibly ambiguous with each other word. Thus, if C={hear,here}, then when encountering either hear or here in a target document, it is assumed that any word that is a member in the confusion set (e.g. in the case under consideration hear or here) could possibly be the correct word. The task is to predict from the context of the surrounding features, preferably in high level of certainty, which word is actually correct. Generally speaking, confusion sets may encompass, for example, of words which resemble phonetically (e.g. cite, site, sight); words having textual resemblance, e.g. due to inadvertent typing mistake, such as exchange of letters, omission or addition of a letter (e.g. dessert vs. desert, or to vs. too). Confusion set may also encompass words which albeit being visually and phonetically distinguished tend to unduly replaced, e.g. among, between or amount, number etc. Accordingly, whenever referring to "spell checking" or "spell correction" the present invention likewise encompasses text correction. If desired, confusion sets may be customized to the specific application.
In the invention, for illustrative purposes only, confusion sets are confined to a list of "Words Commonly Confused" in the back of the Random House unabridged dictionary (Stuart Berg Flexner. editor. Random House Unabridged Dictionary. Random House, New York, (1983), Second edition).
There are known in the art techniques for context-sensitive text correction, including trigram-based methods for detailed discussion see for example: E. Mays., F. J. Damerau, and R. L. Mercer. "Context based spelling correction", Information Processing and Management, 27 (5); 517-522, (1991)!, Bayesian classifiers Gale et al. 1993!, decision lists Yarowsky, 1994!, and Bayesian hybrids (see Andrew R. Golding, ibid,). The last of these, (hereinafter Bayes), has been among the most successful, and is accordingly used herein as the benchmark for comparison with the context-sensitive text correction method and apparatus of the invention, Bayes has been described elsewhere (see Andrew R. Golding, ibid), and so will only be briefly reviewed here.
To disambiguate words w.sub.1 through w.sub.n, Bayes starts by learning features (learning features referred to also as "features mapping") that characterize the context in which each up tends to occur. It uses two types of features: context words and collocations. Context-word features test for the presence of a particular word within .+-.k words of the target word; collocations test for a pattern of up to l contiguous words and/or part-of-speech tags around the target word. Each word in the sentence is tagged with its set of possible part-of-speech tags (i.e. verb, noun, etc.), obtained from a dictionary. Thus, for example, the word laugh may stand for a verb or a noun (i.e. two distinct part of speeches), depending on the particular use in the sentence. If there is no a priori knowledge on the identity of the part of speech in an examined sentence that includes the word laugh, the latter is inserted to the database, along with its pertinent features, under two separate entries signifying noun and verb respectively.
Thus, for example, for k=10 and l=2, the features For the confusion set {weather,whether}, include:
(1) cloudy within .+-.10 words PA1 (2) .sub.------ to VERB PA1 a computer-readable medium; PA1 a database structure stored on the computer-readable medium, the database structure including: PA1 the plurality of features reside in the vicinity of said one target word in a training text corpus; PA1 the plurality of weight values indicating a contextual relationship at least between the target word and the plurality of features. PA1 (a) identifying at least one feature residing in the vicinity of said target word in a text; said at least one feature being associated with said target word in a database stored on said storage medium; PA1 (b) using the at least one feature identified in step (a) to acquire information from the database, the information being indicative as to the likelihood of said target word being in context with the at least one feature; PA1 (c) using the information retrieved in step (b) as a criterion for predicting whether the target word is likely to be either the correct word or should it be replaced within said text and in the latter case, altering the information in said database. PA1 (a) identifying at least one feature residing in the vicinity of said target word in a text; said at least one feature being associated with said target word in a database stored on said storage medium; PA1 (b) using the at least one feature identified in step (a) to retrieve information from the database, the information being indicative as to the likelihood of said target word being in context with the at least one feature; and PA1 (c) using the information retrieved in step (b) as a criterion for indicating whether the target word is likely to be either the correct word or should it be replaced within said text. PA1 wherein said step (c) is replaced by the following step (c') PA1 the plurality of weight values indicating a contextual relationship at least between the target word and the plurality of features.
where (1) is a context-word feature that tends to imply weather, and (2) is a collocation that checks for the pattern "to VERB" immediately after the target word, and tends to imply whether. (as in I don't know whether to laugh or cry).
Bayes learns these features from a training corpus of correct text. Each time a word in the confusion set occurs, Bayes proposes every feature that matches that context (one context-word feature for every distinct word within .+-.k words, and one collocation for every way of expressing a pattern of up to l contiguous elements). After working through the whole training corpus, Bayes tallies the number of times each feature was proposed. It then prunes features for two reasons: (1) the feature occurred in practically none or all or the training instances (specifically, it had fewer than 10 occurrences or fewer than 10 non-occurrences); or (2) the presence of the feature is not significantly correlated with the identity of the target word (determined by a chi-squared test at the 0.05 significance level).
The set of learned features is used at run time to classify an occurrence of a word in the confusion set. All the features are compared against the target occurrence.
Whilst Bayes, and other statistic bases approaches, purports to cope with the problem of context-sensitive text correction, they have not been matured to a commercially available product, due to their limited performance in terms of the success rate in revealing context-sensitive mistakes in a document and in offering appropriate substitute for revealed mistakes.
As will be explained in greater detail below, various embodiment of the present invention exploit some known per se techniques. Thus, apart from the above "features mapping" techniques, there is also used, in various embodiments of the invention a so called linear separation techniques which receives as an input a description of line in the form of: ##EQU1## where x.sub.i represents a given feature (x.sub.i =1 signifies that the feature is active; x.sub.i =0 signifies that the feature is non-active), and w.sub.i represents a positive weight. For a given input features (x.sub.1, x.sub.2, . . . x.sub.n) the algorithm predicts a value "1" if and only if (iff): ##EQU2## and "0" otherwise, where .theta. indicates a predetermined threshold. The linear separator algorithm separates, thus, between the various input instances as belonging to a first category, having a value "1", or to a second category having a value "0". By one, non limiting, embodiment of the present invention the known Winnow linear separation algorithm is utilized.
A detailed discussion of the Winnow algorithm is found in N. Littlestone. Learning quickly when irrelevant attributes abound: A new linear-threshold algorithm. Machine Learning, 2:285-318, 1988.!, and accordingly there follows only a brief description thereof.
Generally speaking, Winnow has three parameters: a threshold .theta., and two update parameters, a promotion factor .alpha.>1 and a demotion parameter 0<.beta.<1. For a given instance (x.sub.1, . . . , x.sub.n) the algorithm predicts 1 iff ##EQU3## where w.sub.i is the weight on the edge connecting x.sub.1 to the target node. Thus the hypothesis of this algorithm is a linear threshold function of {0,1}.sup.n. The algorithm updates its hypothesis only when a mistake is made. If the algorithm predicts 0 and the received label is 1 (positive example) then for all indices i such that x.sub.i =1, the weight w.sub.i is replaced by a larger weight .alpha..multidot.w.sub.i. If the algorithm predicts 1 and the received label is 0 (negative example) then for all indices i such that x.sub.i =1, the weight w.sub.i is replaced by a smaller weight B.multidot.w.sub.i. In both case , if x.sub.i =0, its weight remains unchanged.
Winnow is a mistake-driven algorithm; that is, it updates its hypothesis only when a mistake is made. Intuitively, this makes the algorithm more sensitive to the relationships among the attributes that may go unnoticed by an algorithm that is based on counts accumulated separately for each attribute.
The system and method of the invention utilizes, in various embodiment thereof, a so called "weighted majority algorithm". A detailed discussion of this algorithm is given below.
It is accordingly the object of the present invention to provide for a novel system and method for evaluating the use of a word in the context of surrounding words within a text.
It is another object of the invention to provide a database stored on a storage medium, for use in applications for evaluating the use of a word in the context of surrounding words within a text.
It is a specific object of the invention to provide for novel method and system for context sensitive text checking.

Algorithm for context sensitive spelling correction