A liquid supplying device has liquid supplying piston pumps driven by turns for drawing up liquids contained in chemical vessels through liquid intake passages and sending out the liquids to an analyzer or other inspection apparatus through liquid outlet passages. The liquid intake and outlet passages have change-over valves controlled by an automatic sequence controller so as to send out alternately the liquids in the properly mixed state to the analyzer without pulsation of flow.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a liquid supplying device for supplying quantitatively various kinds of liquids such as sampler solutions, chemical reagents and other chemicals to a physical and chemical apparatus such as a liquid gas-chromatograph and or reaction analyzers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a liquid supplying device for use in physical and chemical apparatus, there has been generally used at least one proportioning pump such as a plunger pump, diaphragm pump and tubing pump.
The plunger pump has a liquid chamber defined between paired check valves for allowing liquid to pass in one direction and a plunger which moves to and fro within the liquid chamber so as to produce a unidirectional flow of the liquid. The diaphragm pump utilizes a diaphragm as a pressure generating means. As the check valve used in a pump of this type, there are a flap valve and a ball valve for example.
The tubing pump produces a flow of liquid by utilization of succession of contraction waves on an elastic tube the tube being repeatedly squeezed in one direction by means of a plurality of squeezing members operated by cams.
As conventional liquid supplying devices of the types other than the successively operated pumps as described above, there have been known a pump having a change-over valve for alternately switching liquid intake and outlet passages to each other so as to send out liquid introduced into a pump cylinder, and a pump having solenoid valves disposed respectively on liquid intake and outlet passages in place of the change-over valve mentioned above.
The aforenoted conventional liquid supplying devices using a plunger pump or diaphragm pump re suitable for supplying a small quantity of liquid, but requires at least one check valve. The use of such a check valve for controlling the flow of liquid in the liquid supplying device of this type entails a disadvantage such that it may possibly permit air bubbles to cling thereto so much as to decrease the amount of liquid being supplied. Consequently the operation of the valve may become unstable and further the inner pressure of the liquid flowing therethrough may vary with time in accordance with the change in size of the air bubbles resultantly produced, i.e. the so-called drift phenomenon in supplying liquid which causes the valve to be deactivated.
Since the check valve used in the pump is not operated at a constant speed with the pressure of the liquid supplied, the relation between the pressure and quantity of the supplied liquid cannot be maintained constant. This may disadvantageously lead to error in the quantity of the supplied liquid.
The tubing pump as noted above has a complicated mechanism for squeezing the elastic tube. Furthermore, this pump has problems such as inferiority in durability, pressure resistance and chemical resistance, and generation of pulsation flow of the liquid being sent out.
On the other hand, the liquid supplying devices using the change-over valves or other valves can solve the problems such as generation of air bubbles and inferiority in durability and pressure resistance as touched upon above, but cannot automatically control the momentum in one stroke of a piston used therein and the variation in operating rate according to a prescribed program. Therefore, the conventional liquid supplying devices of this type cannot be applied for the purpose of automatically pouring a given chemical reagent in a gas chromatograph, or combining a reagent and a reactant chemical to be poured to analyzers of various types.

Liquid supplying device for use in physical and chemical apparatus


A condensate drain pan arrangement with a positive slope. The drain pan arrangement comprises a housing including a first wall with a first aperture, a second wall with a second aperture where the first and second walls are spaced; a coil located in the space in the housing and between the first and second walls; and a drain pan having a condensate receiving portion within the housing and located under the coil. The drain pan includes a first end cap with a drainage attachment proximal the first aperture and positively engaged to the first wall, and a second end cap proximal the second aperture. The second end cap includes an engagement portion and a bottom portion. The drain pan arrangement includes an access plate including a lifting portion operably engaged to the bottom portion and raising same predetermined amount, and a securing portion operably engaged with the engagement portion to prevent movement of the second end cap, the second end cap is fixed with relation to the second wall.

The present invention is directed to a condensate drain pan arrangement for an air conditioning unit where the drain pan is positively sloped and easily removable for enhanced indoor air quality.
More specifically, an air handler for comfort conditioning performs latent cooling and includes a drain pan for catching and removing condensate. The condensate is removed to a location where it can be disposed of without allowing the condensate to initiate or enhance the growth of micro-organisms. Typically, drain pans are fixed or a permanent part of an air handler design and cannot be removed without major disassembly of the air handler. Furthermore, the drain pans are often difficult to access for cleaning of the drain pan surface. Moreover, to effectively drain the condensate, the drain pan should be positively sloped towards the drain pan exit point so that the condensate will naturally drain there for removal by a condensate line connected to the drain pan exit point.
Additionally, previous air handler designs had a drain pan with condensate connections at both ends of each pan and required a drain pan for each of the potential coil positions depending on how that coil was applied. In these previous designs, the air handler included two fixed drain pans, only one of which was used. Furthermore, each drain pan had a condensate line at each end of the drain pan to allow drainage from either end of the unit, only one of these condensate line connections being used. Thus prior designs had two pans and four connection points, only one pan and only one connection point of which were used. The remaining three connection points were plugged.

Condensate drain pan arrangement with positive slope


A spray nozzle actuator has a fitment for placement on the ring fitting of a spray can, an hinge or resilient portion, a nozzle pressing portion, and an handle portion extending forwardly of, and along the can. The handle is shaped to avoid obstruction of the spray nozzle, such as by having a large aperture through which a cone of spray may flow with little or no impingement. Using one actuator an operator can hold the spray can in the palm of one hand and reach forward with his or her fingers to grasp the handle. A generally rearward pull on the handle causes the spray can nozzle to move, releasing the spray. In another actuator an operator can reach forward with his or her fingers to grasp the can, and can squeeze the handle toward the can with the palm or a substantial portion of the thumb, using the major muscles of the hand.

Spray dispenser handles, whether for discharging aerosols from a pressurized container or for operating a pump mechanism to drive a spray out a nozzle, have been known for many years. Typically the container vessel is in the form of a cylindrical can, or largely cylindrical bottle containing the fluid to be dispensed. A nozzle is provided at one end of the cylinder, usually with the opening of the nozzle oriented to spray radially outward relative to the longitudinal axis of the container. Although some sprays are in a continuous straight-line stream, generally the spray leaving the nozzle has a cone shaped zone of coverage. There are three common types of nozzle. The first type is the standard stub nozzle found on gas propellant aerosol containers used in many applications, from automotive touch-up paint to insect repellent. These nozzles are generally actuated by being pressed inwardly along the longitudinal axis of the container. The second type, is also for gas propellant aerosol containers such as those used to dispense expanding foam sealant. This kind of nozzle is supplied with a relatively large, and lengthy angled tube, the nozzle valve being actuated by lateral deflection of the top of the nozzle from the container centreline. The third kind of common nozzle has a reciprocating pump element that is worked by longitudinal pressing.
As pertains to the first and third types of nozzle, existing handles may not be entirely satisfactory. Examples of known spray handles of the inventor Brody are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,805,812 issued Feb. 21, 1989; 5,086,954 issued Feb. 11, 1992; and 5,323,937 issued Jun. 28, 1994. Also known are U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,474 to Hutchinson et al., issued Feb. 21, 1984 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,240 to Brack, issued Aug. 30, 1983. Each of these documents shows an actuating handle for use with a stub nozzle on a standard gas propellant aerosol spray can. The first four of these patents show fittings for removable attachment to the neck ring of the spray can, and, in the fifth instance, a releasable fitting for engaging the body of the can near its upper end. All five have handles which extend rearwardly from the can, that is, in the opposite direction from the spray, and have a moving member akin to a trigger. Motion of the trigger causes the stub nozzle to be depressed, thus allowing a spray of fluid to escape.
In each case the centre of gravity of the can, fluid, and propellant, if any, is well offset from the handle, such that a person wishing to spray a vertical wall, for example, must also apply a bending moment when holding the can to keep it properly oriented. This may place undue stress on the wrist and forearm, and may be uncomfortable. An uncomfortable operator may not spray with the same precision or consistency over time. It would be advantageous to grasp the can relatively close to its centre-of gravity.
Furthermore, in each of the rearwardly depending handle examples noted above, the handle includes a stationary part and a movable trigger part so that the fingers grasp the trigger and the palm of the hand engages the stationary part, the nozzle being operated when the two parts are squeezed together. It would be advantageous to eliminate the stationary part of the handle, and use the can itself as the reacting member.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,942 issued Oct. 26, 1976 to Morane et al., shows an handle mechanism for operating an aerosol spray nozzle, that handle extending downwardly along the forward side of the aerosol can such that an operator may grasp the can and handle and squeeze them together. The Morane et al., device appears to have relatively complicated molded parts, and does not spray through or past the handle, but rather ducts the fluid through a long, narrow passageway as shown in FIG. 2 thereof as item 8b or in FIG. 9 as item 26. Such a nozzle may not be suitable for use with materials which are likely to clog between uses--such as paints or adhesives for which a shorter nozzle may be desired. Further, while the Morane et al., handle is removable and interchangeable from its own fitting, the can fitting itself does not appear to be intended to be moved from can to can.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,263 issued Apr. 10, 1990 to Corba also shows a forwardly depending trigger assembly for a spray nozzle. In this instance the assembly is for operating a pump type nozzle, and the nozzle exit extends forwardly of the handle. The relatively complex parts illustrated do not appear to be suited for use with, or rapid interchange between, standard spray cans.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,548 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,549 both issued Mar. 7, 1978 to Beard. They show threadably removable pump assemblies mounted to containers. FIGS. 5 and 6 of '548 show a trigger assembly with a push button 59 having a nozzle 60 mounted to the pump assembly. The trigger body portion 61 is bifurcated to straddle the push button. The push button is pulled down using a saddle in the form of a cap 64, fitted tightly on the top of the push button, the cap being connected to the sides of the body portion by links 65 (one on each side). The handles terminate near the neck of the container, rather than well down the body.
An interchangeable actuator with a levered handle would also be advantageous for use with compressed materials such as expandable foam sealants. At present a number of expandable foam sealants are sold in compressed gas containers, the packaging including a threaded spout generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the can, and a plastic nipple to be mounted on the spout. The nipple typically has an angled arm which feeds an extended discharge tube. An operator positions the outlet of the tube in a location in which foam is desired, and then deflects the spout laterally to cause the foam to be released. The nipple and tube may be supplied either as a monolithic plastic part, or as parts to be assembled.
Use of these foam sealant dispensers may sometimes result in less than optimal distribution. The foam, which can easily coat hands and clothes, is not necessarily given to easy cleaning or removal. As a precaution, at least one manufacturer includes a pair of disposable plastic gloves with its product. It would be advantageous to have a removable handle, interchangeable from can to can, for controlling the dispensing of this foam.
The handles described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/897,206 filed Jul. 15, 1997 are of benefit to persons who may suffer from arthritis. By keeping the center of gravity of the container within, or near, the grasp of the user's hand, as mentioned above, the wrist may be relieved of some strain. Further, the relatively large handle, and the mechanical advantage of a longer lever, plus the advantage of being able to grasp the handle with several fingers at once and to squeeze the container against the fullness of the palm of the hand, are all advantageous to persons having arthritis, or diminished use of hands, or similar difficulties in operating hand held devices.
In a further development of the invention, a simplified forwardly depending handle can be manufactured efficiently and inexpensively be using a one-piece combined neck fitting clip and hinge, combined with a single piece handle. In another embodiment of the invention the combined neck fitting and hinge can be reversed, such that an opening is formed to permit the spray to flow in an unobstructed manner past the hinge, and a large handle monolithic handle portion depends rearwardly of the container and presents a relatively large bearing area and lever arm against which a relatively large surface of the thumb may act while several fingers grasp the forward portion of the container.
In this latter embodiment, as before, the relatively small operating parts of a gun-like trigger and handle mechanism, as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,474 noted above, such as may be difficult for an arthritic person to operate, are eliminated. Similarly there is no stationary part extending rearwardly of the container, and the center of gravity of the container remains within, or close to, the envelope of the hand's grasp. Whether the handle extends downwardly and forwardly of the container, or downwardly and generally rearwardly of the container, the action which releases the propellant is a squeezing action of the major muscles of the hand, with part of the hand working against the container, and another part of the hand working against the lever. This is an attractive feature for persons having frequent pain in their knuckles and joints of the fingers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,855 of Edman et al., issued Feb. 5, 1980 shows a rearward handle for operating a spray pump bottle. The handle is removably securable to the threaded portion of the bottle, and includes a stationary handle (30) also extending rearwardly and downwardly from the neck of the container. It is operated by squeezing the moving lever and the stationary lever together. The center of gravity lies forward of the hand, and it appears that one is not intended to grasp the forward portion of the container with the fingers.
There is, therefore, a need for an improved, relatively simple actuator assembly.


The consumable electrode type AC pulse arc welding apparatus is configured so that the pulse width setting circuit 16 includes the pulse width setting device 16a for hard wire, the pulse width setting device 16b for soft wire and the switch SW2 for switching the pulse width setting device. Further, the frequency setting device 20 includes the frequency setting device 20a for hard wire, the frequency setting device 20b for soft wire and the switch SW3 for switching the frequency setting device. By switching the switch SW1 when switching wire type, within the pulse width setting devices and the frequency setting devices, the selection between the hard wire side and the soft wire side can be simultaneously switched, thereby welding can be implemented with a suitable welding condition according to the wire type.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a consumable electrode type AC pulse arc welding apparatus which uses a wire of an aluminium or an aluminium alloy, and more particularly to a consumable electrode type AC pulse arc welding apparatus, which is constituted of a simple circuit, and by which an excellent bead appearance and welding workability can be obtained, even if using the wires of different materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
A consumable electrode type AC pulse arc welding is a method of welding a workpiece by alternately feeding a straight polarity welding current and a reverse polarity pulse welding current so as to generate an arc between the arc and the workpiece while feeding a wire toward the workpiece with a preset rate. At a time of this consumable electrode type pulse arc welding, when the straight polarity welding current is being applied to the wire, i.e., when the wire is in a minus energize period (hereinafter, referred to as a straight polarity arc period), a droplet is formed at a wire tip. On the other hand, when the reverse polarity pulse welding current is being applied to the wire, i.e., when the wire is in a plus energized period (hereinafter, referred to as a reverse polarity period), a pulse current is being applied to the wire, the droplet formed at the wire tip transfers to the workpiece.
In such consumable electrode type pulse arc welding, when welding the workpiece made of an aluminium or an aluminium alloy, the most suitable condition would be different, in accordance with a material of a wire to be used. Therefore, for instance, in case of conducting a welding by using a wire (hard family) made of an aluminium alloy of No. 5000 family which is mainly used in Japan, a welding apparatus suitable for this wire is selected, thereby, an excellent welding can be implemented.
However, when applying a wire (soft family) made of an aluminium of, for example, No. 1000 family, to the welding apparatus by which an excellent welding can be implemented when the wire made of an aluminium alloy of No. 5000 family is used, the following problems would occur. That is, because of an increasing occurrence amount of sputter, the appearance of the beads could be damaged. Also, as the concentration of the arc is reduced, the welding workability possibly becomes worse. These problems are mainly caused by changing the molten temperature thereof, because of the differing materials of wires.
As described above, in a conventional welding apparatus having a single circuit configuration, it can not be applied effectively for wires of different materials. Further, such problem of which a circuit within a welding apparatus could be complicated by configuring a double circuit for the wires of each materials will occur.

Consumable electrode type AC pulse arc welding apparatus

c/o Toyohashi Plant in Kobe Steel, Ltd. 1-2 Azanakahara, Mitsuya-cho


A method and apparatus for determining formation parameters including a seismic array for receiving seismic waves at plurality of depth simultaneously, thereby enabling a determination of a formation velocity by using a difference in the seismic waves received by the various portions of the array.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to techniques for acquiring downhole seismic data of a formation, and, more particularly, to techniques using a multi-level seismic tool to acquire seismic data simultaneously at multiple location or depths.
2. Background of the Related Art
Existing Borehole Seismic While Drilling tools contain seismic receivers with a highly accurate downhole clock. The seismic sensors are disposed in a drill collar to record borehole seismic data while drilling ceases, as shown in FIG. 1. The tool digitizes the received seismic signals or waves and puts the data into a circular buffer. In other words, as the tool is drilling seismic data is typically buffered in an on-going basis keeping only the most recent acquisitions. As soon as the tool recognizes the first break/indication of a desired seismic signal or cessation of drilling, the tool acquires data from a specified time before the first break or cessation in a predefined time window. Thus, the tool is able to record a seismic signal that was received during a period of time that is deemed to be the time window in which the relevant data should appear. The tool then stores the data with a time stamp based on the high precision clock. The tool then transmits the first break time, and possibly some data (possibly after data compression), to the surface by using a MWD telemetry system. Using the downhole first break time and the surface reference time, the travel time for seismic energy between the surface and downhole may then be computed.
Since seismic data cannot be acquired while drilling because of high noise, acquisition is performed each time drilling ceases. For example, when adding a new stand, which is typically three joints of a drill pipe. The typical length of a drill pipe joint is about 10 m and the length of a stand is therefore typically 30 m. This means that the seismic data is acquired at every 30 m. In contrast, conventional wireline borehole seismic measurements are acquired at 15 m intervals to optimize spatial aliasing in Vertical Seismic Profiling data. Therefore, in order to obtain the benefits of the 15 m intervals using conventional single level or single module while drilling seismic tool, the drilling has to be stopped in the middle of running the stand, just to take the measurement. Such an operation is not preferred because of rig time is expensive and additional downtime or non-drilling time is costly.
A further limitation of the current Borehole Seismic While Drilling tools is the clock drift that occurs when the tool has been drilling for an extended period of time. In other words, once a tool has been drilling for several days (three or more for example), the downhole clock becomes desynchronized from the uphole or reference clock, the difference in the synchronization being the drift. This drift then causes inaccuracies in the interpretation of the received data. Currently, in order to compensate or eliminate the drift, the tool is brought back to where a previous checkshot was completed when the clocks were still synchronized, so that the clocks can be recalibrated or resynchronized. Since the drill pipe has to be pulled up, or possibly some joints of the drill pipe have to be removed at the surface to lift the tool to the depth where the previous checkshot was performed, the clock calibration requires rig downtime which, again, is expensive.

Method and apparatus for determining formation pararmeters using a seismic tool array


Ellipsometry systems for imaging binding events between analytes in a sample and an array of ligands in an evanescent field generated by a beam of light reflected from the plane of the ligands is adapted to a multiwell plate structure in common use. In one example, a film of prism arrays is affixed to the underside of the plate with each prism array located in registry with a well and ligand arrays being immobilized on the (planar) bottom surface of the wells. The prism array may be formed in a film and juxtaposed with the bottom surface of the plate or a prism array can be made integral with the plate bottom of a multiwell plate.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,011 issued Jul. 15, 2003, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes, discloses an imaging apparatus and method for real time imaging ellipsometry for high throughput sensing of binding events useful in molecular interaction analysis including biotech applications. The apparatus disclosed employs the immobilization of an array of binding or capture molecules ("ligands") on a planar surface of a transparent substrate and the use of a beam of polarized light directed at the underside of the surface in a manner to achieve total internal reflection (TIR) and generate an evanescent field in the plane of the ligands. The ligands are exposed to a biological sample and analytes in the biological sample bind to different patterns of the immobilized ligands in a manner to change the polarization at locations in the array at which binding occurs. An image of the array is compared with a stored image of the initial light polarization shifts to determine the location and magnitude of binding events within the array, thus identifying and quantitating the analytes present in the biological sample.
The apparatus for implementing the foregoing technique employs a prism or gratings to achieve the requisite TIR generated evanescent field, the prism being the most practical implementation for imaging applications.
TIR imaging ellipsometry works well for fields of view up to 1-2 cm2, which permits real time imaging of tens of thousands of binding events simultaneously. However, there is a need to be able to image or scan areas which are much larger, such as 128 mm×86 mm (e.g., the area of both 384 well and 96 well plates) to permit lower costs per test and for multiple tests per patient for large numbers of patients simultaneously, which is increasingly a requirement for clinical diagnostics and personalized medicine. Simply scaling up the prism geometry so that the field of view covers an entire 1536 well, 384 well or 96 well plate has the following practical and technical drawbacks. In addition to the high expense of large optics, image quality becomes more challenging to maintain as the field of view is increased. Spherical aberration effects, optical path-length and depth of field issues demand much more space in order to keep the quantitative imaging errors low. Additionally, because the optics are too expensive and bulky to be part of the disposable plate, the optical coupling to the disposable plate is done by the user and in many applications, this is not practical, especially when high throughput is required. Obviating the need for a prism simplifies both the instrument and interface between the instrument and disposable multiwell plate.

Apparatus and method for performing ligand binding assays on microarrays in multiwell plates


A fault tolerant active magnetic bearing has at least three magnetically isolated control axes. To this end, the active magnetic bearing has a segmented stator which employs non-magnetic sections for magnetically isolating adjacent electromagnetic force actuators, and hence adjacent control axes. As a result, operating force actuators are not affected by magnetic poles experiencing a fault. Hence, in a three-phase active magnetic bearing rotor suspension control system, for example, full control of rotor shaft position can be maintained with only two functioning control axes.

Active magnetic bearings have great potential for improving the efficiency of rotating machinery by: reducing or eliminating the complexity of bearing lubrication systems; enabling high rotational speeds; and providing active means of controlling vibrations in complex rotating masses. Recent advances in power electronics and control microprocessors have made active magnetic bearing systems feasible in, for example, gas turbine engine applications.
Presently, however, active magnetic bearings are unsuitable for high-reliability applications, such as aircraft engine rotor support and vibration control. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a highly reliable and fault tolerant active magnetic bearing.


A display device includes a substrate, an interlayer insulating layer over the substrate, a metal layer over the interlayer insulating layer, and a light emitting element over the metal layer. The interlayer insulating layer includes a plurality of a first depressed portions. The metal layer includes a first region bonding to the light emitting element and a second region surrounding the first region. The second region, a plurality of second depressed portions is provided along the plurality of first depressed portions.

In small and medium-sized displays such as smart phones, displays using a liquid crystal or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) have been commercialized. In particular, an OLED display using the OLED, which is a self-luminous element, has the advantages of high-contrast and no need for backlight, as compared with a liquid crystal display. However, since the OLED is composed of organic compounds, it is difficult to secure high reliability of the OLED display due to deterioration of the organic compounds.
On the other hand, as a next-generation display, a so-called micro LED display in which pixels are arranged in a matrix and minute micro LEDs are arranged in each of the pixels has been developed. The micro LED is a self-luminous element similar to the OLED, but unlike OLED, the micro LED is composed of stable inorganic compounds containing gallium (Ga) or indium (In), and therefore, the micro LED display is easy to secure high reliability as compared with the OLED display. In addition, the micro LED can achieve high light emission efficiency and high brightness. Therefore, the micro LED display is expected as a next-generation display with high reliability, high brightness, and high contrast.
Similar to common LEDs, the micro LEDs are formed over a substrate such as sapphire, and are separated into individual micro LEDs by dicing the substrate. As described above, in the micro LED display, the diced micro LEDs are disposed in the pixels of a display substrate.
The micro LED located in a pixel emit light not only from the top surface of the micro LED corresponding to the display surface of the display, but also from the side and the bottom surfaces of the micro LED. If not only the light emitted from the top surface but also the light emitted from the side surface or the bottom surface can be utilized, the light emission efficiency of the micro LED display can be improved. For example, in the OLED, there is known a method for improving the light extraction efficiency of an OLED display by providing an uneven reflective layer under a light emitting element (for example, in reference to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-234928).

Display device with metal layer with uneven surface


A loadbreak electrical connector includes a connector body having first and second passages therewithin and a safety probe configured to be installed within the first passage. The safety probe includes a conductive probe body extending between first and second ends, the probe body having a probe aperture at the second end and a probe pin connected to the probe body via the probe aperture. The safety probe includes an arc quenching section located at a distal end of the probe pin and has a resistance section located between the second end of the probe body and the arc quenching section. The resistance section is made of a highly resistance material which reduces current flow through this section of the safety probe.

Loadbreak electrical connectors are used for connecting and disconnecting underground cable to transformers, switching cabinets, and junctions equipped with loadbreak bushings. Each of these loadbreak electrical connectors has a probe, which normally has an arc quenching material molded onto a metal or fiberglass pin. This pin is inserted into a copper probe body and staked thereto. The arc quenching material can also be molded directly onto the end of the copper probe body. This arc quenching material reduces the amount of arcing and gases created when an arc is initiated between the probe body and a female contact of a bushing insert or a junction during a make or break operation. However, the probe used in these loadbreak electrical connectors has a high risk of a flashover to the ground and switching failures.
Accordingly, although various loadbreak electrical connectors are available currently in the marketplace, further improvements are possible.

Loadbreak electrical connector with enhanced safety probe


A perpendicular magnetic recording medium including an interlayer structure for crystallographically orienting a layer of a hexagonal close-packed (hcp) perpendicular magnetic recording material formed thereon, comprising in overlying sequence from a surface of a magnetically soft underlayer:                (1) a first crystalline layer of a material having a first lattice parameter and a strong preferred growth orientation;        (2) a second crystalline layer of a material having a second lattice parameter and the same strong preferred growth orientation as the first crystalline layer; and        (3) a third crystalline layer of an hcp material, having a [0002] lattice parameter similar to or different from that of the second lattice parameter of the second crystalline layer and a strong <0002> preferred growth orientation, wherein:        the second crystalline layer has a lower interfacial energy with the first crystalline layer and a higher interfacial energy with the third crystalline layer, owing to a lower surface energy of the first crystalline layer and a higher surface energy of the second crystalline layer.

Magnetic media are widely used in various applications, particularly in the computer industry, and efforts are continually made with the aim of increasing the areal recording density, i.e., bit density of the magnetic media. Conventional thin-film type magnetic recording media, wherein a fine-grained polycrystalline magnetic alloy serves as the active recording layer, are generally classified as "longitudinal" or "perpendicular", depending upon the orientation of the magnetic domains of magnetic material. In perpendicular magnetic recording media, residual magnetization is formed in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the magnetic medium, typically a layer of a magnetic material on a suitable substrate. Very high linear recording densities are obtainable by utilizing a "single-pole" magnetic transducer or "head" with such perpendicular magnetic media.
It is well-known that efficient, high bit density recording utilizing a perpendicular magnetic medium requires interposition of a relatively thick (i.e., as compared to the magnetic recording layer), magnetically "soft" underlayer or "keeper" layer, i.e., a magnetic layer having a relatively low coercivity below about 1 kOe, between a non-magnetic substrate and a "hard" magnetic recording layer having perpendicular anisotropy and a relatively high coercivity of several kOe, typically about 3–6 kOe. The magnetically soft underlayer (e.g., of a NiFe alloy such as Permalloy) serves to guide magnetic flux emanating from the head through the hard, perpendicular magnetic recording layer, typically comprised of a Co-based alloy material, such as CoCr. In addition, the magnetically soft underlayer reduces susceptibility of the medium to thermally-activated magnetization reversal by reducing the demagnetizing fields which lower the energy barrier that maintains the current state of magnetization.
A typical conventional perpendicular recording system 10 utilizing a vertically oriented magnetic medium 1 with a relatively thick soft magnetic underlayer, a relatively thin hard magnetic recording layer, and a single-pole head, is illustrated in FIG. 1, wherein reference numerals 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively, indicate a non-magnetic substrate, a soft magnetic underlayer, at least one non-magnetic interlayer, and a perpendicular hard magnetic recording layer. Reference numerals 7 and 8, respectively, indicate the single and auxiliary poles of a single-pole magnetic transducer head 6. The relatively thin interlayer 4 (also referred to as an "intermediate" layer), comprised of one or more layers of non-magnetic materials, serves to (1) prevent magnetic interaction between the soft underlayer 3 and the hard recording layer 5 and (2) promote desired microstructural and magnetic properties of the hard recording layer.
As shown by the arrows in the figure indicating the path of the magnetic flux φ, flux φ is seen as emanating from single pole 7 of single-pole magnetic transducer head 6, entering and passing through vertically oriented, hard magnetic recording layer 5 in the region below single pole 7, entering and travelling along soft magnetic underlayer 3 for a distance, and then exiting therefrom and passing through the perpendicular hard magnetic recording layer 5 in the region below auxiliary pole 8 of single-pole magnetic transducer head 6. The direction of movement of perpendicular magnetic medium 1 past transducer head 6 is indicated in the figure by the arrow above medium 1.
With continued reference to FIG. 1, vertical lines 9 indicate grain boundaries of each polycrystalline (i.e., granular) layer of the layer stack constituting medium 1. A protective overcoat layer 11, such as of a diamond-like carbon (DLC) is formed over hard magnetic layer 5, and a lubricant topcoat layer 12, such as of a perfluoropolyethylene material, is formed over the protective overcoat layer. Substrate 2 is typically disk-shaped and comprised of a non-magnetic metal or alloy, e.g., an Al-based alloy, such as Al—Mg having an Ni—P plating layer on the deposition surface thereof, or substrate 2 is comprised of a suitable glass, ceramic, glass-ceramic, polymeric material, or a composite or laminate of these materials. Underlayer 3 is typically comprised of an about 500 to about 4,000 Å thick layer of a soft magnetic material selected from the group consisting of Ni, NiFe (Permalloy), Co, CoZr, CoZrCr, CoZrNb, CoFe, Fe, FeN, FeSiAl, FeSiAlN, FeCoC, etc. Interlayer 4 typically comprises an up to about 300 Å thick layer of a non-magnetic material, such as TiCr. Hard magnetic layer 5 is typically comprised of an about 100 to about 250 Å thick layer of a Co-based alloy including one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Cr, Fe, Ta, Ni, Mo, Pt, V, Nb, Ge, B, and Pd, iron nitrides or oxides, or a (CoX/Pd or Pt)n multilayer magnetic superlattice structure, where n is an integer from about 10 to about 25, each of the alternating, thin layers of Co-based magnetic alloy is from about 2 to about 3.5 Å thick, X is an element selected from the group consisting of Cr, Ta, B, Mo, Pt, W, and Fe, and each of the alternating thin, non-magnetic layers of Pd or Pt is up to about 10 Å thick. Each type of hard magnetic recording layer material has perpendicular anisotropy arising from magneto-crystalline anisotropy (1st type) and/or interfacial anisotropy (2nd type).
Notwithstanding the improvement (i.e., increase) in areal recording density and SMNR afforded by perpendicular magnetic recording media as described supra, the escalating requirements for increased areal recording density, media stability and SMNR necessitate further improvement in media performance.
As indicated above, perpendicular magnetic recording media typically include a magnetically soft underlayer for guiding magnetic flux through the media and to enhance writability, a thin intermediate or interlayer, and a main recording layer. The role of the intermediate or interlayer is critical for obtaining good media performance. Specifically, in perpendicular magnetic recording media the intermediate or interlayer serves to provide:
1. control of the crystallographic orientation of the main recording layer;
2. control of the grain size and grain distribution of the main recording layer; and
3. physical separation between adjacent grains of the main recording layer, which feature is particularly desirable and important when the latter is formed by a low temperature and/or reactive sputtering process that forms a metal oxide material in the boundaries between adjacent grains.
More specifically, the SMNR of perpendicular magnetic recording media is improved by increasing the strength of the preferred c-axis out-of-plane orientation of the perpendicular main recording layer while maintaining a small uniform grain size of the layer. The preferred orientation of the magnetic layer depends upon the structural properties of and the interactions between the various previously deposited underlying layers of the media, as well as upon the nature of the substrate.
In general, control of the strength (or amount) of the preferred orientation of thin-film layers is difficult. Formation of a Co-alloy magnetic recording layer with a strong <0002> growth orientation on a structure including a substrate, a soft magnetic underlayer, and non-magnetic spacer, intermediate, or underlayer(s) between about 0.2 and 40 nm thick is extremely difficult.
Differences in crystallographic orientation between adjacent thin film layers are affected by the surface and interfacial energies of the materials of the layers, and by heteroepitaxial (or coherent) growth of one layer upon another layer of a chemically distinct material with related crystal lattice structure and atomic interplanar spacings.
The soft magnetic underlayer of perpendicular magnetic recording media generally is composed of a small grain or amorphous material containing at least one of Fe and Co. According to prior practice, a non-magnetic material of hcp structure, e.g., Ru, may be deposited on the soft magnetic underlayer, which non-magnetic hcp material grows with a moderately strong <0002> preferred orientation and small grain size. A magnetic material of hcp structure, typically a Co-based alloy, may grow coherently on the hcp non-magnetic layer, also with <0002> growth orientation and small grain size. The quality of the <0002> growth orientation can be determined from the size of symmetric X-ray diffraction peaks and X-ray rocking curves. Strong preferred growth orientation of the Co-based alloy with the hcp <0002> axis out-of-plane is generally necessary for achieving good performance of high areal recording density perpendicular magnetic media. Unfortunately, however, the quality of growth orientation of an hcp material upon the soft magnetic underlayer depends upon the selected material, and prior intermediate or underlayer structures, such as with a Ru layer and a Co-alloy layer generally have not afforded the desired strength of <0002> growth orientation.
In view of the foregoing critical nature of the intermediate or interlayer in perpendicular magnetic recording media, there exists a clear need for improved layer structures for facilitating highly oriented crystal growth thereon and for highly oriented perpendicular magnetic recording media with enhanced performance characteristics, comprising improved intermediate or interlayer structures.
The present invention, therefore, addresses and solves problems attendant upon the design and manufacture of improved layer structures for facilitating highly oriented crystal growth and fabrication of high performance, ultra-high areal recording density perpendicular magnetic recording media, while maintaining full compatibility with the economic requirements of cost-effective, large-scale automated manufacturing technology.

Highly oriented perpendicular magnetic recording media


A method and system for organizing bookmarks. A bookmark structure includes a main bookmark list and at least one bookmark folder. A bookmark search list, which includes at least one bookmark in the bookmark structure, is generated. Software is executed, wherein the software searches each bookmark on the bookmark search list through depth N (N≧0). The searching determines whether the bookmark satisfies an upgrade condition. The upgrade condition includes a boolean text expression and may also include at least one of: a client visitation condition, a general visitation condition, a bookmark existence condition, a content-type condition, a URL-age condition, and a Top-Level-Domain (TLD) condition. If the searching determines that the bookmark satisfies the upgrade condition and that the bookmark is not in the special bookmark location, then the bookmark is moved to the special bookmark location.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method and system for organizing and managing bookmarks to browsed pages of information.
2. Related Art
The Internet has made available to a computer user millions of pages of information in a server-client architecture in which the computer user's computer is the client and a remote computer is the server. The server is typically made available to the Internet client through an interface called an Internet Service Provider (e.g., America On-Line, Prodigy, CompuServe, etc.) which communicates with the user over a communications medium such as telephone lines, cable, etc. The Internet Service Provider functions as a conduit through which the client communicates with many different servers. In order for the server and the client to communicate, the client computer includes a computer program called a "browser" (e.g., Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, etc.). The browser communicates the client's request to a server and formats the responses from the server for browsing (i.e., viewing) by the user.
The server receives a request for information from the client, processes the request, and returns the requested information to the client. The information returned from the server to the client is an image of "page" or a "Web page." A page is identified by a web address called a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) which may be very lengthy. An example of a URL is "http://www-1.ibm.com/businesscenter/us/smbusapub.nsf/detailcontacts/SBCenter59BB". With current technology, a user may access many pages over brief periods of time. For example, it is not uncommon for a user to access 20 pages or more in 1 or 2 minutes. Because a URL is awkward for a user to remember and enter, the browser may include a "bookmark" or "favorites" capability of allowing a user to save a URL of a page while the user is visiting the page. The URL or page thus saved is called a "bookmark." However, the user may generate many such bookmarks and is thus faced with a need to organize and manage the bookmarks so generated.
An Internet user may be interested in linking to particular Internet web sites only when the web site pages includes certain desired information. These pages are often bookmarked so that the user can access these pages frequently to determine if the desired information is present on these pages. For example, some users will view a financial page only if one of several stocks they hold is being discussed; otherwise these users have no interest in these pages. Checking all pages of this type can be a long process and often pages of interest are missed because of the long time that it takes for the user to load the pages and read the pages. Accordingly, there is a need a method and system for organizing and managing bookmarks of URL's (or pages) that have been saved.

International Business Machines Corporation


The invention relates to the field of source code development and in particular a method and system for generating a tutorial application from one or more selected source code elements. The invention provides for a user to select one or source code elements and one or more data elements to be tagged to one or more source code elements. The selected source code elements are tagged using a mark-up language and a tutorial application is generated displaying the tagged selected source code elements and the data elements.

Technology is constantly changing at a rapid pace and it is difficult for many companies to keep up to date with the latest technological developments. In order for companies to compete with their competitors in the market place it is vital that companies keep ahead of the latest technological developments and provide education to their employees to enable the employees to develop the required skills.
Educating employees is a time consuming and expensive task. It takes a considerable amount of time on behalf of a course tutor in preparing course materials and collating the information required. In the IT industry this is particularly a problem when employees need to be able to learn a new programming language, or how to apply a programming language to achieve a particular programming task. Every time a person learns a new programming language, for example, the programing language C which is a registered trade mark of AT&T Bell Laboratories, or Java which is a registered trade mark of Sun Microsystems Inc, each new programming language brings with it its own way of doing things; taking the example of the programming language C, it is important to learn how the pre-processor directives operate, i.e., commands that give instructions to the C Pre-processor whose job it is to modify the source code of a C program before it is compiled, or what libraries are available, the types of reserved words that can be used and types of standard and user-defined identifiers, variable declarations and data types.
A common approach to devising tutorials for learning programming skills has been to produce a tutorial document which references the relevant elements of the source code by line number in a text editor. The person learning the programming skills is then able to read the tutorial document in conjunction with the source code. If the student does not understand, for example, how a particular sort routine works, by referring to the line number of the source code the person can cross reference the line number to the corresponding numbered section in the tutorial document, which explains how the sort routine works.
Another approach to devising programming tutorials can be seen in web based tutorials. The web based tutorial displays a section of source code, that provides a sort routine for example. To find out how a particular element of source code works a hyperlink is provided and by clicking on the hyperlink with a mouse pointer or other input device the required information is displayed. In some examples it is possible that the hyperlink launches an application that runs the compiled code in order to observe the result, for example, how a sort routine sorts elements in an array.
All of the above examples are time consuming on behalf of the person creating the tutorial. If a web based application is being developed, the person developing the tutorial will have to have knowledge of html to create the hyperlinks and further programming knowledge to enable the tutorial to operate interactively with a student. If a more paper based approach is used, then considerable time and effort is spent writing the documentation and cross-referencing the written documentation with the line number of the source code.
Another example is CACTUS, from the University of Madrid Spain, which offers an integrated environment to design tutorial courses for interactive applications. CACTUS is specifically for generating course documentation to teach how to use a graphical user interface. The graphical user interface is described in detail using a purpose built specification language and CACTUS takes the detailed description and from this generates user documentation. A drawback with this approach is the time and effort it takes in creating an interactive application.
Therefore an improved method and system is required for automatically generating a tutorial application based on source code written to achieve a particular task.

Method and system for generating a tutorial application


In a multi-node non-uniform memory access (NUMA) multi-processor system, a designated node synchronization processor on each node, is synchronized. Individual nodes accomplish internal synchronization of the other processors on each node utilizing well known techniques. Thus it is sufficient to synchronize one processor on each node. Node zero, a designated system node that acts as a synchronization manager, estimates the time it takes to transmit information in packet form to a particular, remote node in the system. As a result a time value is transmitted from the remote node to node zero. Node zero projects the current time on the remote node, based on the transmission time estimate and compares that with its own time and either updates its own clock to catch up with a leading remote node or sends a new time value to the other node, requiring the remote node to advance its time to catch up with that on node zero. Code on the remaining nodes is mostly passive, responding to packets coming from node zero and setting the time base value when requested. Monotonicity of the time bases is maintained by always advancing the earliest of the two time bases so as to catch up with the later one.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a data processing system and in particular to a multi-processor data processing system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to scalable shared memory multi-processor data processing systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Symmetrical multiprocessing (SMP) and Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) architecture are scalable data processing technologies that utilize multiple processors and shared memory to handle large applications or multiple applications at the same time. Scalable shared memory multi-processors are often built by interconnecting symmetric shared memory multi-processor systems with relatively small numbers of processors per system with an interconnect that maintains cache coherency. Doing so makes good use of other, pre-existing and often high volume products to create larger systems. The result is a cache-coherent non-uniform memory access multi-processor. (ccNUMA or simply NUMA). In addition, some architectures such as the PowerPC(trademark) (a product of International Business Machines of Armonk, N.Y.) provide individual processor time registers that increment at some divisor of the processor""s own frequencyxe2x80x94on the PowerPC the register is called the xe2x80x9ctime base register.xe2x80x9d The PowerPC architecture requires that the program-perceptible values of the time base on a multi-processor system increase monotonically, meaning that if a program reads the time base and then reads it again, the second value must be greater than or equal to the first value.
The values of the time base registers on multiple processors have to be close enough to each other that if a program runs first on one processor and then on another, the program reads a second time base value that is greater than or equal to the first one. The time to move a program from one processor to another is greater than 103 processor cycle times and the time base divisor is on the order of tens of cycles, which will force a multi-node NUMA system to synchronize the time base registers of all the processors in the system, to within approximately 102 time base ticks of each other. Time will be expressed in this disclosure in units of the time base cycles or values and the terms xe2x80x9ccyclexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ctickxe2x80x9d are used interchangeably.
There is often no common oscillator on a NUMA system and the time base registers drift apart from each other over time so the time base registers must also be re-synchronized with each other periodically. Although some hardware interconnection mechanisms do have a common oscillator that can be used for this purpose and others have a special packet format that carries a time value in its payload and ages this value as it is transmitted through the network, such hardware is not always present. Thus, some mechanism using standard hardware and appropriate logic is required. While time base synchronization is important, it must not be too expensive in terms of network load or specialized hardware. However, a time base synchronization mechanism to maintain the required level of synchronization is still needed.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a time base synchronization system for a multi-node NUMA multi-processor system. It is further desirable that the synchronization system be used with current interconnect implementations requiring no specialized hardware features. It would also be desirable to provide the synchronization system without imposing significant overhead on either the interconnect or the processors within the system.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a time base synchronization system for a multi-node NUMA multi-processor system that will utilize available interconnect implementations without requiring specialized hardware features.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a time base synchronization system for a multi-node NUMA multi-processor system that does not impose significant operating overhead on the interconnect or processors in the system.
The foregoing objects are achieved as is now described. In a multi-node non-uniform memory access (NUMA) multi-processor system, a designated node synchronization processor on each node, is synchronized. Individual nodes accomplish internal synchronization of the other processors on each node utilizing well known techniques. Thus it is sufficient to synchronize one processor on each node. Node zero, a designated system node that acts as a synchronization manager, estimates the time it takes to transmit information in packet form to a particular, remote node in the system. As a result a time value is transmitted from the remote node to node zero. Node zero projects the current time on the remote node, based on the transmission time estimate and compares that with its own time and either updates its own clock to catch up with a leading remote node or sends a new time value to the other node, requiring the remote node to advance its time to catch up with that on node zero. Code on the remaining nodes is mostly passive, responding to packets coming from node zero and setting the time base value when requested. Monotonicity of the time bases is maintained by always advancing the earliest of the two time bases so as to catch up with the later one.
The above as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.

Method and system for approximate, monotonic time synchronization for a multiple node NUMA system

International Business Machines Corporation


A wireless power transmitter having a plurality of transmission coils is disclosed. The present transmitter comprises: first to Nth coils; and a control unit for transmitting, to a wireless power receiver, a first sensing signal through the first to Nth coils, and adjusting transmission orders of the first to Nth coils for transmitting a second sensing signal, on the basis of the signal strength of a received first signal strength indicator when the first signal strength indicator corresponding to the first sensing signal is received, wherein the control unit can transmit, to the receiver, the second sensing signal through the first to Nth coils on the basis of the adjusted transmission orders. Therefore, device efficiency and user convenience can be improved.

Recently, with the rapid development of information and communication technology, a ubiquitous society is arising based on information and communication technology.
In order for information and communication devices to be connected anytime and anywhere, sensors equipped with a computer chip having a communication function need to be installed in all facilities in society. Therefore, the problem of supplying power to these devices and sensors is a new challenge. In addition, as a variety of portable devices, such as music players, including Bluetooth headsets and iPods, as well as mobile phones, has been rapidly increasing, charging batteries has come to require greater time and effort on the part of users. As a way to solve this problem, a wireless power transmission technology has recently attracted attention.
Wireless power transmission (wireless energy transfer) technology is a technology for wirelessly transmitting electrical energy from a transmitter to a receiver using an electromagnetic induction principle. An electric motor or a transformer that uses such an electromagnetic induction principle was already in use in the 1800s, and thereafter, a method of transferring electrical energy by radiating electromagnetic waves, such as radio waves, a laser, high-frequency waves, and microwaves, has also been attempted. Electric toothbrushes and some wireless shavers that are often used are also actually charged with the electromagnetic induction principle.
Wireless energy transfer schemes devised to date may be broadly classified into an electromagnetic induction scheme, an electromagnetic resonance scheme, and an RF transmission scheme using a short wavelength radio frequency.
The electromagnetic induction scheme is a technology that uses a phenomenon in which a magnetic flux, which is generated when two coils are disposed adjacent to each other and current is applied to one coil, causes the other coil to generate an electromotive force. This technology is being rapidly commercialized around small devices such as mobile phones. The magnetic induction scheme enables the transmission of up to several hundred kilowatts (kW) of power and has high efficiency, but the maximum transmission distance thereof is 1 centimeter (cm) or less, and therefore an object to be charged needs to be disposed adjacent to a charger.
The electromagnetic resonance scheme is characterized in that it uses an electric field or a magnetic field, instead of utilizing electromagnetic waves, currents, or the like. The electromagnetic resonance scheme is advantageously safe to other electronic devices and the human body since it is hardly influenced by electromagnetic waves, which may be problematic. However, the electromagnetic resonance scheme is available only at a limited distance and space, and the energy transfer efficiency thereof is somewhat low.
The short wavelength wireless power transmission scheme, simply put, the RF transmission scheme utilizes the fact that energy may be transmitted and received directly in radio-wave form. This technology is an RF wireless power transmission scheme using a rectenna. The term "rectenna" is a portmanteau of "antenna" and "rectifier", and refers to a device that directly converts RF power into DC power. In other words, the RF scheme is a technology for converting AC radio waves into DC power, and research on commercialization of the RF scheme has been actively conducted as the efficiency thereof has been improved recently.
The wireless power transmission technology may be applied not only to the mobile industry, but also to various other industries such as the IT, railroad, and home appliance industries.
Recently, a wireless power transmitter equipped with a plurality of coils has been introduced in order to increase the recognition rate of a wireless power receiver, which is placed on a charging bed. However, in a conventional wireless power transmitter equipped with a plurality of coils, it is necessary to sequentially transmit sensing signals (e.g., a ping signal used for the electromagnetic induction scheme and a beacon signal used for the electromagnetic resonance scheme) through the respective transmission coils in order to detect the presence of a wireless power receiver.
In particular, such a conventional wireless power transmitter equipped with the plurality of transmission coils has been controlled to sequentially and repeatedly transmit the sensing signals a predetermined number of times (e.g., two times) through the respective transmission coils in order to reduce recognition error for the wireless power receiver and to determine which transmission coil has good charging efficiency.
However, even if the above-described methods are applied, there occurs a problem in that charging is not performed in the case of a specific receiver. Therefore, a more advanced charging method is required.

Wireless power device having plurality of transmission coils and driving method therefor


A method, system and computer program product for confirming the sensitivity of a data object in a managed object heap software runtime environment based on a determination that the object is accessible only via other objects known to be sensitive.

The disclosure relates to the field of confirming sensitive objects in managed software heap systems, and more particularly to derived sensitivity based on references by known sensitive objects in the heap.
Memory management in runtime environments is often devised so as to provide convenience for the software engineer. For this reason, runtime environments such as Java, C# and most scripting language runtimes include heap memory that can be said to be managed, such as by the inclusion of a garbage collector (Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.). A garbage collector is a runtime facility for automatically identifying and discarding unused data from memory, such as objects, so as to free up storage. Garbage collection is a luxury afforded by the efficiencies of modern computer systems that serves to liberate software engineers from the task of programmatically discarding each and every unused object.
A managed heap provided by a runtime environment is used by application programs for the storage and retrieval of data objects, such as instances of classes in object oriented environments or the storage of other data structures. The heap is therefore accessible to applications. Furthermore, problem determination and diagnosis for software applications and runtime environments will typically involve accessing the contents of a heap in order to understand the state of an application and the runtime environment at a particular point in time, or over a period of time. For example, diagnosis activities for the resolution of memory leaks, software operational problems and data organization issues can involve access to the heap. The heap can be accessed at runtime, during execution of an application, or via a record of the contents of the heap in a dump file.
Some data stored in the heap can be sensitive. For example, certain applications may involve secret or confidential information that should not be shared outside an organization. Such sensitive data in the heap is secure as long as the heap is present only on a secure, trusted machine. However, problem determination and diagnosis often requires access to the heap by machines and personnel not party to the sensitive data. To respect the sensitivity of such data access must be restricted. This can hinder problem determination and diagnosis activities. A particular example is where application software or the runtime environment is serviced by an organization not capable of being or willing to be entrusted with the sensitive information. In such a scenario, a dump file of data objects in a managed heap containing sensitive data cannot be shared with a servicing organization for the purpose of problem determination. It is therefore necessary to identify sensitive data in the heap in order that access to it can be controlled.
One approach to address this issue is to manually identify and remove all sensitive data from the heap before sharing it with a servicing entity. Such an approach is very time consuming, especially for large and complex heap dumps, and prone to error or omission. Also, as part of problem determination many heap dumps are often generated and shared to exercise software or the runtime environment to reproduce and understand a problem. The work involved in identifying and removing sensitive data in such a scenario is prohibitively expensive.
Another approach is to employ a tool to automatically filter data likely to be sensitive from a heap dump based on rules or patterns characterizing known sensitive data. For example a heap dump could be searched for all numbers that may constitute credit card numbers, or to replace all strings with random characters in order to obfuscate or remove possible sensitive references. This approach is not reliable or effective. It is not possible to characterize sensitive data in a way that all such sensitive data is easily identified and all non-sensitive data is retained. Either sensitive data slips through the net and is retained in the dump or non-sensitive data is removed or obfuscated in an over-cautious manner in a way that hinders problem determination.
A further approach is to have sensitive classes of data or data structures identified such that objects that are instances of such classes or data structures can be explicitly removed from or obfuscated in a heap dump. While this approach is effective for those explicitly identified classes and data structures, it cannot fully address the problem due to the nature of data objects in the heap that are encapsulated within or referenced by other data objects. For example, a data object corresponding to a customer and being an instance of a customer class may be identified as a sensitive data object because the customer class is identified as a sensitive class. Such a class can include encapsulated or referenced further objects such as string objects with name and address information, numeric objects including credit card details, references to aggregation data structures including lists of customer orders, communications, etc. These encapsulated or referenced further objects are not indicated as sensitive by virtue of the sensitivity of the customer object, not least because they are instances of classes that can include non-sensitive data. Further, such objects can include extensible data structures or collection objects into which any number of all manners of data objects could be stored. Thus, using this approach to identifying sensitive objects requires a comprehensive definition of all classes of object that could contain sensitive data. In practice, this will include many classes that often never include sensitive data or that sometimes include sensitive data and sometimes do not, such as strings, numerics and collections, so resulting in an overcautious approach with many false positive determinations of sensitivity.
Thus despite these various approaches there remains a need to confirm the sensitivity of a data object in a managed object heap.

Confirming the sensitivity of a data object in a managed object heap

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


The invention relates to method and device for improving the link configuration speed of high-latency links, such as circuit switched links or satellite links, that use chatty protocols, which require sequential configuration phases, such as standard PPP in accordance with RfC 1661. In the initial link configuration phase, a standard LCP packet is sent out, followed by at least one masked packet that will be discarded silently by a peer operating in accordance with the standard protocol, but whose contents will be processed by a peer operating in accordance with the invention. The initial standard LCP packet produces compatibility with the standard protocol, whereas the sending of masked packets containing configuration information (PAP, CHAP, ICPC, etc.) allows two peers operating in accordance with the invention to accomplish the configuration phases in parallel, such that a link can be configured and ready to transmit network level packets, such as IP packets, much more quickly than with the standard protocol, such as PPP.

The present invention relates to a communication device and method used for configuring a link, preferably one that accesses a communication network that operates by exchanging packets. An example of such a communication network is the internet.
The internet is a network of computers, where communication is conducted by means of units referred to as xe2x80x9cpacketsxe2x80x9d. This means that the information to be transmitted is distributed over such packets, and these packets can be sent individually and independently over the network. This communication is governed by a protocol, in this case the so-called internet protocol IP. A protocol is a set of rules that determines the format and the general communication procedure, so that each member of the network must conform to the protocol in order to be able to communicate with the other members.
There are different possibilities of accessing the internet. The most basic is via a dedicated line, i.e. a line that is constantly connected to another computer that is a part of the network. The computer accessing the network via a dedicated line thereby becomes a member of the network, i.e. the network is thereby extended. The communication along the line is conducted in accordance with the IP. However, a dedicated line is expensive, so that such an arrangement only makes sense for a user requiring permanent access to the internet and/or the quick transmitting of large data amounts.
An alternative to a dedicated line is a pseudo-dedicated connection that is only established if a connection to the internet is required, but then acts just like a dedicated line. A typical example of such a connection is a modem link from a single user to a server in the internet, such as a university computer or commercial internet access server. The user only establishes a connection to the internet when necessary, so that the high costs entailed by a dedicated line are not incurred, but the established connection lets the user become a full member of the internet, because the connection then acts like a dedicated line.
Such a pseudo-dedicated connection between two points (the computer wishing to temporarily access the internet on the one hand, and the server in the internet that is typically connected to a plurality of other internet members on the other) requires its own protocol. Two known protocols are SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol) and PPP (Point to Point Protocol). In recent years, PPP has become the dominant protocol for such pseudo-dedicated connections.
PPP is defined in the Networking Group RfC (Request for Comments) 1661, editor W. Simpson, July 1994. PPP is comprised of three main components: a method of encapsulating multi-protocol datagrams, a datagram being a unit of transmission in the network layer (such as IP), a ink control protocol (LCP) for establishing, configuring and testing the data-link connection, and a family of network control protocols (NCP) for establishing and configuring different network-layer protocols. The Point-to-Point Protocol is designed to transport packets between two so-called peers, i.e. the two ends of a link conforming to the protocol. These links provide full-duplex simultaneous bi-directional operation.
The communication across the link established by PPP is accomplished such that a datagram, i.e. the unit of transmission in the network layer, such as IP, is encapsulated into one or more frames and passed to the data link layer. The unit of transmission on the data link layer is a frame, where said frame may include a header and/or a trailer, along with some number of units of data. Usually, a packet is mapped to a frame.
The LCP is used to agree upon the encapsulation format options, handle varying limits on sizes of packets, detect configuration errors, and terminate the link. Other optional facilities are the authentication of the identity of its peer on the link, and the determination when a link is functioning properly and when it is failing.
FIG. 2 shows a PPP encapsulation in accordance with RfC 1661. Reference numeral 1 indicates a protocol field, 2 an information field, and 3 a padding field. These fields are transmitted in an order from left to right.
The protocol field 1 is one or two octets (an octet is another expression for an 8-bit byte), and its value identifies the datagram encapsulated in the information field 2 of the packet. Protocol field values in the xe2x80x9c10***xe2x80x9d to xe2x80x9c3***xe2x80x9d range identify the network-layer protocol for specific packets, and values in the xe2x80x9c8***xe2x80x9d to xe2x80x9cb***xe2x80x9d range identify packets belonging to the associated NCPs, if any. Protocol field values in the xe2x80x9c4***xe2x80x9d to xe2x80x9c7***xe2x80x9d range are used for protocols with low volume traffic which have no associated NCP. Protocol field values in the xe2x80x9cc***xe2x80x9d to xe2x80x9cf***xe2x80x9d range identify packets as link-layer control protocols , such as LCP. RfC 1661 makes the following reservations for said values:
The information field is 0 or more octets. The information field contains the datagram for the protocol specified in the protocol field. The maximum length for the information field is termed the Maximum Receive Unit (MRU), which defaults to 1500 octets or bytes, including the padding. By negotiating, consenting PPP implementations may use other values for the MRU.
Finally, the information field may be padded with an arbitrary number of octets up to the MRU. This padding is contained in the padding field and it is the responsibility of each protocol to distinguish between padding octets and real information.
In accordance with RfC 1661, in order to establish communications over a point-to-point link, each end of the PPP link must first send LCP packets to configure and test the data link. This is an absolute requirement. After the link has been established, the peer may be authenticated, i.e. this is an option. Then, PPP must send NCP packets to choose and configure one or more network-layer protocols, i.e. this is again an absolute requirement. Once each of the chosen network-layer protocols has been configured, datagrams from each network-layer protocol can be sent over the link. The link will remain configured for communication until explicit LCP packets close the link down, or until some external event occurs (e.g. an inactivity timer expires).
It should be remarked that there are three basic answers for a peer to send out in response to the receipt of a configure request packet over the link: sending an ACK packet (acknowledged), e.g. to indicate that a setting proposed in the received packet is accepted, sending a NACK packet (not acknowledged), e.g. to indicate that a proposed setting is not accepted, or sending a reject packet, to thereby indicate that the received packet cannot be accepted, e.g. because it has the wrong syntax. The peer can also react to the receipt of a packet by discarding it without sending out a reject packet. This is consequently referred to as xe2x80x9csilentxe2x80x9d discarding.
As already mentioned, the Link Control Protocol (LCP) is used to establish the connection through an exchange of configure packets. This exchange is complete, and the LCP opened state entered, once a configure ACK (acknowledgment) packet has been both sent and received. During this so-called link establishment phase, only LCP packets are processed and any non-LCP packets are necessarily discarded without processing.
After the link establishment phase, an authentication phase may follow, i.e. is optional. However, if an implementation desires that the peer authenticate with some specific authentication protocol, then it necessarily must request the use of that authentication protocol during the link establishment phase. Another phase that can follow the link establishment phase, is the link quality determination phase, in which link quality determination packets are exchanged. Authentication and link quality determination can take place concurrently. After the authentication phase, the following phase of exchanging NCP packets is only entered if the authentication is successful, otherwise a link termination is enacted. During this phase, only LCP packets, authentication protocol packets and link quality determination packets are processed and all other packets received during this phase are necessarily discarded without processing.
Once the above mentioned phases have successfully been completed, each network layer must necessarily be separately configured by the appropriate Network Control Protocol (NCP). An example of such a NCP is the IPCP (Internet Protocol Control Protocol). After a NCP has reached an opened state, PPP will carry the corresponding network-layer protocol packets. Any supported network-layer protocol packets received when the corresponding NCP is not in the opened state, must necessarily be discarded without processing.
Finally, a link termination phase comprises using the LCP to close the link through an exchange of terminate packets. Any non-LCP packets received during this phase must necessarily be discarded without processing.
In recent years, not only the importance of the internet as a communication means and information tool has expanded, but also the providing of wireless communication networks like cellular telephone networks has become almost ubiquitous. As a consequence, there is a demand for devices and methods for establishing links to the internet for wireless or cellular subscribers.
If the internet is accessed via cellular networks, the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) is most commonly used for configuration of the pre-established circuit-switched link. This will be explained with reference to FIG. 3.
The bottom part of FIG. 3 shows an arrangement in which the terminal equipment TE in a mobile node 10 communicates with a network node in order to communicate with the internet. The terminal equipment is e.g. a laptop computer. The TE is connected to the MS/TAF, which means Mobile Station/Terminal Adaptation Function. The mobile station is e.g. a mobile telephone, and the terminal adaptation function is e.g. fulfilled by a PCMCIA interface connecting the mobile telephone and the laptop computer. The mobile station MS establishes a communication link to the mobile switching center MSC. The mobile switching center is connected to an access unit AU via an inter-working function IWF. The access unit AU terminates the circuit switched connections and routes the network layer PDUs to and from the internet.
As indicated in the upper part of FIG. 3, the terminal equipment (TE) in mobile node 10 and the direct access unit (AU) are controlled such that the pre-established traffic channel between them is configured in accordance with the PPP, and then network layer protocol data units (PDU), e.g.
IP packets, are transmitted over the channel. The double arrow 40 represents the configured link between the TE and the AU, said link being configured in accordance with PPP to thereby transmit IP packets. The number 802 refers to a framing standard for LANs.
The different communication phases required by the PPP described above are shown schematically in FIG. 4. The communication begins when the two peers in the TE and AU are informed (e.g. receive the message) that the basic communication link is established, i.e. that the link is up. In the example of FIG. 3, the mobile unit, e.g. a cellular telephone, will indicate an established circuit switched connection to the terminal equipment, e.g. the laptop computer. In the above described example this basic link is the circuit switched link provided by the cellular system to which mobile station MS and mobile switching center MSC belong. For simplicity, FIG. 4 only shows the requests sent by the terminal equipment (TE) and the acknowledgments sent by the access unit (AU), but it should be understood that in response to the basic link being up, in fact both peers start transmitting these requests almost simultaneously. It is also important to note that FIG. 4 shows the absolute ideal case for configuring and communicating in accordance with PPP, i.e. it shows the minimum amount of information exchange.
In the first phase, the link establishment phase, an LCP request packet and an LCP request acknowledgement packet are exchanged. As explained above, this phase is mandatory and serves the purpose of establishing the PPP link. The second phase shown is the authentication phase, which consists in exchanging a PAP/CHAP request packet and a PAP/CHAP request acknowledgement packet (PAP =Password Authentication Protocol; CHAP=Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol). This phase is optional, but usually employed, as it increases security. The third phase is then the NCP phase, in this case an IPCP phase (IPCP=Internet Protocol Control Protocol), i.e. the network control protocol to be opened is an internet control protocol. This phase comprises the exchange of an IPCP request packet and an IPCP request acknowledgment package. This phase is mandatory. Only after this IPCP phase is a link established that conforms to PPP and IP, such that IP packets can now be exchanged and therefore the terminal equipment in mobile node 10 be fully connected to the internet.
The duration for exchanging one set of packets is referred to as the round trip time (RTT), see FIG. 4. In other words, the round trip time is the time that passes between the sending of a request packet and the receipt of the corresponding acknowledgment packet.
It should be noted that the the CHAP requires a three-way handshake initiated by the AU (not shown in FIG. 4), as opposed to the two-way handshake required by the PAP, which is initiated by the TE, as shown in FIG. 4. However, this does not increase the duration of the phase, because the AU can send the first CHAP packet back to back with the last LCP request acknowledgment packet that it sends.
According to the requirements for PPP laid out in RfC 1661, each of the above mentioned phases must be completed before the next can begin. Consequently, the absolute minimum configuration time before IP packets can be sent is 2 or 3 RTTs depending on wether authentication is chosen or not. In practice, the duration for establishing a link can be as long as 7 RTTs or more. This is due to the negotiating in the LCP or IPCP phases. In the case that the PPP peers prefer different link settings, the negotiating of the options handled by the LCP and the NCPs can take several RTTs, because NACKs (not acknowledged) and new requests have to be exchanged. If link quality determination protocol packets are additionally exchanged, then the establishment time becomes even longer. The RTT of traffic channels in cellular networks can be as high as 850 ms. In GSM, as an example of a cellular standard, the RTT is never below 600 ms and usually around 750 ms, independent of how many traffic channels are bundeled together for a single connectionxe2x80x94as done in HSCSD (High Speed Circuit-Switched Data).
This problem of long link establishing times, which a user perceives as waiting times before data can be sent or received over the internet, is bothersome to the user. It should be noted that this problem is not restricted to systems operating according to PPP as laid out in RfC 1661, but will be encountered in any system that has the above mentioned strict requirements regarding the completing of specific connection phases before subsequent connection phases can be started.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for controlling a device that is designed to establish a link to a packet exchange network (e.g. the internet).
Another object is to provide a corresponding device.
These objects are achieved by a method for controlling a communication device that is connected to another communication device by a communication link, for configuring said communications link for packet exchange, where one of said two communication devices is on the other side connected to a packet exchange network conforming first protocol (e.g. IP), wherein said method comprise the possibility of controlling said device such that the communication over said link is conducted by exchanging packets in accordance with a second predetermined protocol (e.g. PPP) that encapsulates at least said first protocol and comprises a third protocol (e.g. LCP) for establishing and configuring said link, and wherein said second protocol requires that
a packet sent over said link comprises a protocol field, for which predetermined values are reserved for predetermined protocols, where at least one specific value is reserved for said third protocol, and other predetermined values are not used by said second protocol, and an information field containing data associated with the protocol indicated by the value contained in said protocol field, and
the process of configuring a link comprises at least one phase in which packets are exchanged such that only packets indicating said third protocol in their protocol fields are processed and all other packets are discarded, said method furthermore comprising the steps:
sending out a packet of a first type over said link that conforms to said second protocol and indicates said third protocol in its protocol field, and
subsequently sending out at least one packet of a second type that has a value in its protocol field that is allowed by said second protocol but not used by said second protocol, such that said second packet is not rejected by communications devices operating in accordance with said second protocol, but is discarded without processing by these,
waiting for the receipt of a packet of said first type and storing said packet once it is received, waiting a predetermined time for the subsequent receipt of a packet of said second type,
processing said stored packet of said first type if no packet of the second type is received and subsequently operating in accordance with said second protocol, and
processing said packet of the second type if such a packet is received.
In accordance with the invention, if the two peers connected to a link operate according to the above method, it is possible to avoid the sequential steps of link configuration employed by the second protocol (e.g. PPP) by sending all the necessary information (e.g. LCP, IPCP etc.) in parallel, i.e. concurrently in both directions. This greatly increases the speed of link configuration. On the other hand, if only one of the peers operates in accordance with the present invention, and the other in accordance with said second protocol, then the inventive peer will automatically fall back into a mode of operation that conforms to said second protocol. Thus compatibility is retained.
As a consequence, the present invention can be integrated into existing systems without any compatibility problems to other systems operating in accordance with the second protocol (e.g. standard PPP). On the other hand, if both peers forming a point to point link conform to the present invention, then data communication by packet exchange can be established much faster than with the second protocol (e.g. standard PPP).
The present invention is therefore especially advantageous when applied to those parts of a cellular communication system that handle the configuration of point to point links to packet exchange networks like the internet.
However, the present invention is not restricted thereto and can also be advantageously applied to all other high-latency communication links, e.g. satellite links, and/or to the modification of other so-called xe2x80x9cchattyxe2x80x9d protocols, i.e. protocols that require the exchange of an excessive number of packets when configuring a link, of which standard PPP in accordance with RfC 1661 is only an example.
The present invention will now be described in detail with the help of preferred embodiments, which are only given as examples and do not restrict the scope, and with reference to the appended figures, in which
FIG. 1 shows a flowchart describing the basic method of the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows an encapsulation for the Point-to-Point Protocol in accordance with RfC 1661;
FIG. 3 shows a schematic setup of a connection between a mobile node of a cellular communication system and a network node, to thereby establish a connection from said mobile node to the internet;
FIG. 4 shows the sequence of packets exchanged between the terminal equipment in the mobile node of FIG. 3 and the direct access unit in the network node of FIG. 3, when a link is established in accordance with the standard Point-to-Point Protocol, where it should be remarked that the figure only shows the series of packets initiated by TE and it shows the fastest possible link configuration;
FIG. 5 shows a sequence of packets exchanged between the mobile node and network node when establishing a link in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 shows a sequence of packets exchanged between the mobile node and network node when establishing a link in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 shows a sequence of packets exchanged between the mobile node and network node when establishing a link in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 8 shows a sequence of packets exchanged between the mobile node and network node when establishing a link corresponding to the embodiment of FIG. 5, except that a first IP packet is sent by the mobile node prior to having received the IP address from the network node;
FIG. 9 shows a sequence of packets exchanged between the mobile node and network node when establishing a link corresponding to the embodiment of FIG. 6, except that a first IP packet is sent by the mobile node prior to having received the IP address from the network node; and
FIG. 10 shows a sequence of packets exchanged between the mobile node and network node when establishing a link corresponding to the embodiment of FIG. 7, except that a first IP packet is sent by the mobile node prior to having received the IP address from the network node.

Method and device for configuring a link


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