An environment sensor (11) for measuring the temperature and humidity can be miniaturized and can respond at high speed. The environment sensor (11) includes a temperature sensing portion (111) having a temperature-sensitive material (1) made of a metal oxide, and a humidity-sensing portion (112) which is formed on the same substrate as the temperature sensing portion (111) and measures the ambient humidity by using a change in electrical characteristics. At least one of a pair of electrodes (2, 3) of the temperature sensor (111) is integrated with an electrode of the humidity-sensing portion (112).

Environment sensors for measuring the temperature and humidity have been conventionally put into practical use. These environment sensors are widely used in, e.g., food processors such as microwave ovens, household electric products such as air-conditioners, business machines such as copying machines, cooling water temperature monitors of automobiles, various types of air-conditioners, and weather observation.
Generally, an environment sensor individually measures the temperature and humidity. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-90329 proposes a capacitance humidity sensor. However, the relative humidity changes with temperature even for the same water content. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-242048 proposes a heat conduction type humidity sensor which performs compensation by temperature. Also, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-149901 proposes a humidity sensor obtained by forming two temperature-sensitive elements in parallel on the same substrate.
In temperature and humidity measurements, necessary specifications depend on applications. For example, in houses and offices, to keep comfortable living environments by finely controlling the operating conditions of, e.g., air-conditioners, the humidity and temperature distributions in living spaces must be measured. Food processors such as microwave ovens require a small-sized environment sensor capable of high-speed response in order to efficiently perform a variety of cooking. Furthermore, to perform optimal image formation in business machines such as copying machines, measurements of the temperature and humidity of printing sheets which change from moment to moment must be performed at higher speed in more detail than when performed by the conventional sensors. Also, in the fabrication processes of various IC circuits and the like, the environmental factors such as the temperature and humidity are required to be measured at higher accuracy than those of the conventional sensors.
Conventionally, the temperature and humidity are separately measured by a temperature measurement sensor and humidity measurement sensor. This increases the environment sensor scale, and prevents downsizing of sensors. In addition, the response speed is low in humidity measurement. Accordingly, the conventional humidity sensor cannot be used to set printing conditions when high-speed printing is to be performed by a copying machine or the like.
Also, with the spread of the Internet, information in a remote place is often processed by a server. This increases the necessity to transmit signals from environment sensors by radio.


A driving device for an ultrasonic wave motor, comprises: a stator member having an electrostrictive member and a resilient member, and adapted to generate travelling vibration wave in the resilient member by excitation with the electrostrictive member; a moving member maintained in pressure contact with the stator member and driven by the travelling vibration wave; a reference pulse oscillator circuit for generating reference pulses of a frequency determined corresponding to a required moving speed of the member; an encoder for generating pulses relating to the amount of movement of the moving member; a phase difference signal generating circuit for generating a phase difference signal corresponding to the phase difference between the reference pulses from the reference pulse oscillator circuit and the output pulses of the encoder; and an AC voltage forming circuit for forming AC voltage signals to be supplied to the electrostrictive member, based on the phase difference signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic wave motor in which a moving member is driven by a travelling vibration wave generated in a resilient member by a piezoelectric member, and a method for operating such a motor.
2. Related Background Art
As disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,411, an ultrasonic wave motor utilizing a travelling vibration wave generates a travelling vibration wave in a resilient member by applying an AC voltage to a piezoelectric member attached to the resilient member, thereby causing bending vibration in the piezoelectric member, and drives a rotor by maintaining the rotor in pressure contact with the resilient member.
The driving speed of such ultrasonic wave motor has been conventionally controlled by the frequency of the applied AC voltage in such a manner that the output voltage from a monitor electrode provided on the piezoelectric member remains at a predetermined level, or in such a manner that the phase difference between the output of the monitor electrode and the applied AC voltage becomes constant.
However, such frequency control to obtain constant monitor voltage or phase difference is sometimes still unable to provide desired speed, due to change in load, fluctuation in the ambient conditions, as well as realizing a method of operating such a motor or fluctuation in the pressure mentioned above.
In the field of DC motors, there is already well known control by a phase locked loop (PLL) for obtaining a desired speed in a stable manner. However, since the driving mechanism of the ultrasonic wave motor is different from that of the DC motor, the PLL circuit for a DC motor cannot be immediately applied to the ultrasonic wave motor.

Driving device and method for ultrasonic wave motor


A new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) named ‘Fantasy’ originated as a controlled cross. The cultivar ‘Fantasy’ can be blue or pink depending on the acidity of the soil and is desirable for its compact and sturdy growth habit. ‘Fantasy’ has large showy inflorescences, having both sepalous and non-sepalous florets.

This invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of the Saxifragaceae family. The botanical name of the plant is Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) 'Fantasy'.
The new cultivar originated as a seedling from a controlled cross.
The variety 'Fantasy' has lightly pigmented sepals. The new variety was first noticed, because it combined the desirable growth characteristics of its parents while producing flowers with lightly pigmented sepals.
The new cultivar 'Fantasy' has been successfully asexually reproduced under controlled environmental conditions at a nursery in Half Moon Bay, Calif. under the direction of the inventor over a three year period with its distinguishing characteristics remaining stable.
Asexual reproduction was first accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initially selected plant. Examination of asexually reproduced, successive generations grown in at Half Moon Bay, Calif. show that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for 'Fantasy' remains firmly fixed through three generations.


A delay locked loop circuit and signal delay locking method are provided. First, the start-up circuit minimizes the delay time between an output signal and a reference signal during an initial period. Secondly, the phase correction circuit increases the delay time during an correction period. The present invention ensures that the phase difference between the output signal and the reference signal is correctly detected by the delay locked loop circuit, so that harmonic lock and phase ambiguity can be avoided.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a delay locked loop. More particularly, the present invention relates to a delay locked loop circuit for preventing harmonic lock and phase ambiguity.
2. Description of Related Art
Delay locked loops are often used in communication/information systems as clock control circuits for synchronizing the output signal with the internal reference clock of the circuit or to keep a fixed phase delay between the two. Delay locked loops are also used as signal clock synchronous circuits because of low phase jitter.
A conventional delay locked loop circuit generally comprises four units: a phase detector, a charge pump, a loop filter, and a delay unit. The delay unit receives a reference signal and generates an output signal. Since the delay circuit delays the signal transferred therein, there is a phase difference between the output signal and the reference signal. The phase detector detects the phase difference and allows the charge pump to generate a phase control voltage, and the phase control voltage is transmitted to the delay unit through the loop filter. The delay time of the output signal is adjusted by changing the voltage level of the phase control voltage to synchronize the output signal with the reference signal or to keep a fixed phase difference between the output signal and the reference signal.
In the conventional design of the delay locked loop circuits, harmonic lock and phase ambiguity are two common problems. Harmonic lock occurs when the frequency of the output signal is integral multiple of the frequency of the reference signal, the rising edges of the output signal and the reference signal appear at the time, and then the delay locked loop mistakenly determines that the output signal is synchronous with the reference signal. Phase ambiguity occurs when the delay locked loop can not determine the phase difference between the output signal and the reference signal correctly. The delay locked loop cannot lock the output signal correctly when the delay time of the output signal is less than ½ clock cycle or greater than 3/2 clock cycle, so that the output signal cannot be synchronized with the reference signal.
A delay locked circuit with phase discriminator has been disclosed for reducing the occurrence of harmonic lock by multiple delay point discrimination. However, the area cost of the chip will be too high since the circuit of the phase discriminator is too large even though the accuracy of phase discrimination can be increased.
A multiple-phases delay locked circuit has been disclosed for reducing the occurrence of harmonic lock by an additional harmonic lock preventing unit. However, since the harmonic lock preventing unit is formed by a plurality of phase detectors, the implementation thereof also takes a large chip area.
Moreover, the present delay locked circuits also have the disadvantage of small operation range. Thus, a delay locked circuit, which can prevent harmonic lock and has large operation range, and the method thereof are required.

Delay locked loop circuit and signal delay locking method


A pneumatically operated power tool such as a screw driver, a nail gun and an impact wrench those being driven by a pneumatic pressure. A pressure reduction valve is provided between a connector connected to a compressor and a compressed air chamber defined in an outer frame of the power tool for supplying a pressure lower than the pressure at the connector to the compressed air chamber. A passage section is provided independently of the pressure reduction valve and communicating the connector with the compressed air chamber. A valve member is disposed at the passage section for selectively applying compressed air from the connector to the compressed air chamber directly through the passage section.

The present invention relates to a pneumatically operated power tool such as a screw driver, a nail gun and an impact wrench, and more particularly, to a mechanism for changing compressed air pressure disposed in an outer frame of the pneumatically operated power tool.
A screw driver is a typical example of a pneumatically operated power tool which provides an axially driving force by a piston and rotational force by a pneumatic motor for screwing a threaded fastener into a woody member a gypsum board, and a steel plate or the like. Compressed air is a power source for rotating the pneumatic motor and for axially moving the piston by way of a rotary member and a rotation slide member. The rotary member is rotationally driven by the pneumatic motor, and the rotation slide member is axially movable relative to the rotary member and is rotatable together with the rotary member. The piston is connected to the rotation slide member. A driver bit engageable with a groove of a screw head is connected to the piston. Such arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,713 and laid open Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H11-300639.
If the fastening target is a metal plate, screw driving energy may vary depending on a thickness and hardness of the metal plate. Screw fastening cannot be completed if the tip end of the screw cannot be penetrated through the metal plate. Taking this into consideration, sufficiently high pressure level of the compressed air is set in order to generate sufficient driving force capable of completing screw fastening with respect to the thick or high hardness steel plate.
However, if this high pressure level is applied to the screw fastening with respect to a thin or low hardness steel plate, excessive driving energy is imparted on the screw. This cannot form a complementary female thread in the steel plate. Thus, screw fastening cannot be realized or becomes ineffective. In other words, incomplete screw fastening may result in case of application of insufficient pressure level, and excessive screw fastening may result such as sinking of a screw head into a surface of the workpiece in case of the application of excessive pressure level.
In order to overcome this drawback, is required a control or adjustment to a pressure level of the compressed air depending on the material, thickness, and hardness of the workpiece to be fastened with the screw. To this effect, a pressure reduction valve is employed. The pressure reduction valve is normally located away from a working spot, since the pressure reduction valve is generally equipped at a compressor or is disposed solely near the compressor. Therefore, if the driving power different from the present driving power is needed for the subsequent screw fastening operation, an operator must walk to the compressor to adjust the pressure reduction valve. In order to avoid this cumbersome adjustment work, a commercially available pressure reduction valve is incorporated as a driving force adjuster at a body of the screw driver.
The adjuster does not perform a step-wise adjustment but performs a single step form or continuous adjustment. For the adjustment, an adjustment knob is rotated about its axis. However, the rotating manipulation of the knob does not promptly set the desired pressure level. Thus, such adjuster does provide insufficient operability, particularly if the pressure level must be frequently changed for the fastening different kinds of the workpieces with the fasteners. The same is true with respect to other pneumatically operated power tool such as a pneumatically operated nail gun and an impact wrench.

Pneumatically operated power tool having mechanism for changing compressed air pressure


A method for determining optimum enamel die sizes for each of a plurality of dies for fabricating magnet wire includes a series of calculations based upon an empirically determined build factor for each of the enamel coatings used in the fabrication process. The build factor is a measure of the effective diameter increase of a wire passed through a coating die when the diameter of the wire entering the die is known and a selected thickness of wet enamel coating exiting the die is known. The build factor a given enamel coating is primarily dependent upon only the solids content of the enamel coating solution, and is largely independent of the chemistry of the coating solution. A simple relationship between build factor, die size, and wire size allows consistent fabrication of magnet wire in accordance with pre-selected specifications and with virtually no scrapped wire due to oversized final wire diameters.

This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for predicting final coating thickness of articles fabricated in multi-stage, successive coating processes and for selecting appropriate die sizes for producing the same, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for predicting final coating thickness of magnet wire fabricated with multi-stage undercoating and overcoating operations and for selecting optimum die sizes for multi-stage production of magnet wire.
Some articles of manufacture, such as for example, magnet wire used in a manufacture of AC induction motor windings, are fabricated in multiple and successive coating stages. For instance, at least one type of magnet wire includes a copper or aluminum wire coated with, for example, four undercoat layers of a first enamel material and two overcoat layers of second enamel material to insulate and protect the wire and provide the wire with desirable properties for use in motor winding fabrication for AC and DC motors. The undercoat and overcoat layers are successively formed in coating stations that each include a die having a throat of a given diameter that controls a thickness of the enamel coating upon a wire passed through the die. The application of multiple coatings through a plurality of dies is well known in the art. One such apparatus and method for manufacturing such magnet wire is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,809.
Typically, due to difficulties in predicting a final wire diameter after a plurality of coating stages, and further to compensate for manufacturing variability, enamel coatings are applied in excess to ensure that at least a minimum enamel coating thickness is achieved. This typically includes the use of oversized dies, and the sizes of the dies used is often empirically determined by trial and error to consistently achieve specified coating thickness minima. Even so, variability in final wire diameters results in an appreciable amount of wire being scrapped for excessive final diameters, i.e., excessive coating thicknesses. For example, in at least one manufacturing plant, enamel builds averaged 135-140% of specification minima for esterimide amideimide coated M-range copper and aluminum wires, and approximately 10,000 lbs of wire per month was scrapped for oversized final diameter. Thus, not only does the excess enamel coating increase manufacturing costs of magnet wire, but also contributes to unusable product that is ultimately scrapped.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus and method for predicting final wire diameter of magnet wire produced from a given set of dies in multi-stage coating operations, and further to provide a methodology and apparatus for selecting die sizes to more efficiently achieve a uniformly acceptable final wire diameter with reduced amounts of coating and reduced scrap of the final product. Therefore, manufacturing input of enamel coating may be reduced and production costs of magnet wire lowered.
A method for determining optimum enamel die sizes for each of a plurality of dies for fabricating magnet wire includes a series of calculations based upon an empirically determined build factor for each of the enamel coatings used in the fabrication process. The build factor is a measure of the effective diameter increase of a wire passed through a coating die when the diameter of the wire entering the die is known and a selected thickness of wet enamel coating exiting the die is known.
Notably, the build factor for a given enamel coating is primarily dependent upon only the solids content of the enamel coating solution. Significantly, it is largely independent of the chemistry of the coating solution. Thus, using only three variables, namely the initial or bare wire diameter, the die size or, more specifically, the size of a restricted opening through the die that governs the coating thickness of wire passed through the die, and the build factor of the applied enamel coating, a relatively simple relationship between a final wire diameter after curing and the die size is expressed as follows:
Dpf(n)=D0(n)+Kpass(n)(Ddie(n)xe2x88x92D0(n))
where Dpf(n)=final wire diameter after the nth pass;
D0(n)=initial wire diameter at the nth stage;
Kpass(n)=build factor for the nth pass; and
Ddie(n)=die throat diameter of the nth stage.
By manipulating this relationship, die set sizes can be selected and enamel build accurately predicted at each of a plurality of fabrication stages through multiple coating dies. Wire is fabricated in accordance with pre-selected specifications with reduced amounts of enamel coating and with virtually no scrapped wire due to oversized final wire diameters.
More specifically, a target final diameter of the magnet wire is calculated after completion of undercoat and overcoat operations, and a target incremental diameter build at each undercoat and overcoat stage of magnet wire production is computed based upon initial wire diameter entering the respective manufacturing stage. The incremental diameter builds are dependent upon the respective target final or overall undercoat diameter for all undercoating stages, the final overall or target overcoat diameter for all overcoating stages, and the number of dies used in the respective undercoating and overcoating fabrication process.
An enamel die size is then computed at each undercoat and overcoat stage of magnet wire production based upon initial wire diameter entering the respective stage, the incremental diameter build for the respective stage, and the build factor for the enamel applied at each respective stage. Die sizes and enamel builds are computed iteratively until an complete die set is found to consistently produce magnet wire within acceptable specification limits while using reduced amounts of enamel coating material.
Therefore, a systematic approach is provided to reduce production costs of articles manufactured in multi-stage coating processes within specification limits.

Method and apparatus for determining magnet wire production die sets


An opening/shutting apparatus for flow control includes a damper door that opens/shuts a fluid channel of an interior of a duct, a knob that adjusts the damper door, a link coupled to an end of the damper door, and a rod hinged with both the knob and the link, the rod transmitting a rotational force of the knob to the link. The rod is configured to have a hinged structure where one end thereof is hinged with the link and the other end is hinged with the knob, and, when the interior of the duct is hermetically sealed, a rotational center of the knob is placed on a straight extension line connecting respective hinged points of the rod.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an opening/shutting apparatus for controlling a flow of fluid in a duct, and more particularly to an opening/shutting apparatus for flow control, in which pressure applied to a damper door by fluid when an interior of a duct is hermetically sealed is transmitted to a knob through link and rod, but is directed to a rotational center of the knob, thereby causing the sum of moments acting on the knob to amount to zero.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such an opening/shutting apparatus for flow control refers to one designed to rotate a knob to generate a rotational force, and to cause the rotational force to be transmitted through link and rod to a damper door located in a duct, so that the damper door rotates to open/shut a fluid channel.
In a conventional opening/shutting apparatus for flow control composed of a damper door, a link, a rod and a knob (Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2003-0055383), no means capable of supporting pressure applied to the damper door by fluid when an interior of a duct is hermetically sealed is separately provided. Hence, there is a problem in that the damper door is vibrated or that a sealed effect is deteriorated.
In order to address the foregoing problem, for example, Korean Utility Model Publication No. 20-1998-0038245 has proposed to add a separate means such as a locking step. However, this addition has an influence on operation of the knob to thus prevent the knob from being smoothly operated. In addition, this is responsible for increase in the number of components, which leads to increase of costs as well as unreliability of quality.

Opening/shutting apparatus for flow control


A system that incorporates the present disclosure may include, for example, a method for receiving from a first media device a selection of replacement content, where the replacement content corresponds to a portion of media content presentable by the first media device, and where replacement content is selected according to a plurality of options presented by the first media device as the portion of the media content is being presented. The method may further include retrieving the replacement content with a metadata pointer provided with the media content, transmitting to a second media device a request to accept the replacement content, and transmitting the replacement content to the second media device for presentation at the second media device in response to receiving an acceptance response from the second media device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

The Internet and other networks provide users with a means for experiencing and sharing various types of media content. The media content can often include audio content, video content, text content, still image content, and/or combinations thereof. Other media content providing sources can include Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), cable TV, and satellite TV. Often there are different versions of the same media content that are available to viewers.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for presenting media content


Aspects of the disclosure provide for controlling an autonomous vehicle to enter a driveway. As an example, an instruction to pickup or drop off a passenger at a location may be received. It may be determined that the vehicle is arriving in a lane on an opposite side of a street as the location, the lane having a traffic direction opposite to a traffic direction of a lane adjacent to the location. A difficulty score to maneuver the vehicle to the lane adjacent to the location may be determined, and the difficulty score may be compared to a predetermined difficulty score. Based on the comparison, it may be determined to an available driveway on the same side of the street as the location. The vehicle may be controlled to enter the available driveway.

Autonomous vehicles, for instance, vehicles that do not require a human driver, can be used to aid in the transport of passengers or items from one location to another. Such vehicles may operate in a fully autonomous mode where passengers may provide some initial input, such as a pickup or drop-off location, and the vehicle maneuvers itself to that location.
When a person (or user) wants to be physically transported between two locations via a vehicle, they may use any number of transportation services. To date, these services typically involve a human driver who is given dispatch instructions to a location to pick up the user. For example, when a human driver performs a pickup at a passenger's residence and arrives on the opposite side of the street as the residence, a human driver may decide whether it is appropriate to pull into the driveway of the residence to perform the pickup, and how to maneuver the vehicle while inside the driveway. As such, a human driver may be able to determine how to best reduce inconvenience to the passenger and other road users around the pickup location. This is not readily achievable in the case of autonomous vehicles which do not have a human driver.

Driveway maneuvers for autonomous vehicles


The present invention provides a membrane comprising (a) polymer solids comprising 60 wt. % or more of a fully synthetic organic polymer and optionally about 40 wt. % or less of a polymer of natural origin and (b) a cellulose compound which allows for the detection of a biological molecule of interest, wherein the cellulose compound is uniformly distributed throughout the surface of the membrane. The present invention also provides methods of preparing and using such membranes.

Membranes have become invaluable tools in both the clinical and experimental biotechnological arts. Specifically, membranes are integral to immunodiagnostic assays and a variety of blotting assays. However, currently available membranes possess qualities which limit their utility within the context of the foregoing applications.
Immunodiagnostic assays are generally performed by applying a test liquid containing antigens to a porous membrane containing antibodies. As the test liquid laterally diffuses through the membrane, antibodies will bind antigens to which they are directed with a high degree of specificity. The binding of the antibodies to the antigens serves as a detection means (e.g., the visualization of the presence of antigens), and the specificity with which antibodies bind to antigens allows for the determination of whether or not the test liquid contains specific antigens. Therefore, in immunodiagnostic assays, the membrane desirably possesses optimal immunodiagnostic properties. In other words, it is desirable that the membrane allow for optimal lateral diffusion of the test liquid, allow for adequate visualization of the existence of antigens in the test liquid (i.e., the membrane is capable of a high signal-to-noise ratio), allow for adequate protein binding, is hydrophilic, is capable of being uniformly manufactured in order to yield consistent results, and is safe to use.
Similarly, in a blotting assay, a membrane is contacted with a fluid comprising biological molecules such that the biological molecules become fixed to the membrane. Biological molecules of interest are subsequently visualized. It is desirable that the membrane utilized within the context of blotting assays have optimal blotting properties. Specifically, it is desirable that the membrane allow for the adequate binding of biological molecules, allow for adequate visualization of the biological molecules of interest (i.e., the membrane is capable of a high signal-to-noise ratio), is hydrophilic, is capable of being uniformly manufactured in order to yield consistent results, and is safe to use. However, unlike those membranes used in immunodiagnostic assays, blotting membranes need not allow for the lateral diffusion of biological molecules. In fact, for most blotting applications (e.g., southern blots, northern blots, western blots, and in situ hybridization of bacterial colonies), lateral diffusion is undesirable.
The most common types of membranes available for use in immunodiagnostic and blotting assays include polyvinylidenefluoride, nylon, and cellulose-based membranes (e.g., nitrocellulose and cellulose acetate membranes). Each of the membranes, however, possesses qualities which limit its utility in the foregoing applications. Nitrocellulose is prepared by the nitration of naturally occurring cellulose. During nitration, a broad distribution of heterogenous oligomeric and polymeric nitrated products is produced as a consequence of the partial acid digestion of cellulose. Exacerbating the problem is the fact that the purity of the cellulose starting material depends on its source and pre-nitration treatment. As a result, uniformity in the manufacture of nitrocellulose membranes is difficult to achieve. For similar reasons, it is also difficult to achieve uniformity in the manufacture of other cellulosic membranes, such as cellulose acetate membranes. Furthermore, nitrocellulose membranes present numerous laboratory safety concerns by virtue of their flammability and explosiveness. Cellulose acetate and nitrocellulose membranes are also disadvantageous in that such membranes are very brittle, easily broken, and difficult to wet.
Nylon and polyvinylidenefluoride membranes also have disadvantages associated with their use within the context of the foregoing applications. Nylon membranes strongly bind biological molecules and, consequently, have low signal-to-noise ratios. Polyvinylidenefluoride and other synthetic polymeric membranes cannot be used in applications where surface activity, which facilitates the binding of biological molecules, is necessary or where high lateral flow rates are necessary.
In view of the foregoing problems, there exists a need for membranes which can be used more effectively in immunodiagnostic and blotting assays. The present invention provides such a membrane and methods for the preparation thereof. These and other advantages of the present invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.

Membrane and methods of preparing and using same


According to the invention, a method of indexing a digital image comprises the following steps: generating a first information item (H(Im)) characteristic of the visual content of the image (Im) to be indexed; generating a second information item (W(Im)) characteristic of the spatial distribution of the visual content of the image (Im) in its image plane; and associating, with the image (Im), an index (IDX(Im)) composed of the first information item (H(Im)) and the second information item (W(Im)).

A conventional method of searching for digital images in a database containing images is based on a system of indexing images in the database.
The aim of an indexing system is to associate, with each image in the database, an information item characteristic of the content of the image referred to as the "image index". The set of these information items constitutes what is designated by the "database index". Typically, the content of an image is characterised by its colour distribution (histogram), its texture or its form.
A user interrogates a database of images through a query containing an information item characteristic of the image type sought. Conventionally, this query is constituted by an example image. The user chooses an image, from the database or external to it, whose content is similar to the image type sought. The content of the example image is then compared with the content of the database index according to a search strategy. Finally, the image in the database whose indexed information item has the greatest similarity to the content of the example image is extracted. Generally, a number of images are extracted from the database to be presented to the user, arranged according to the significance of their similarity with the query. The said user then makes a choice from amongst the images presented.
Conventionally, there are two approaches for defining the search strategy. It may be of the linear type or the hierarchical type.
The linear approach consists of considering the database as a single vector, each component of which is an image associated with an index. The strategy then consists of calculating the similarity between the index of the example image and that associated with each of the components of this vector. This strategy is easy to implement, which explains why it is often used. However, when the database contains a large number of images, of the order of several thousand, the calculation time for the search may be very long, which penalizes accordingly the time for responding to a query.
In order to reduce the above-mentioned calculation time, the hierarchical approach can be used. One known hierarchical search technique uses, for each image in the database, an index composed of two distinct parts which will be referred to here as "sub-indices". Amongst these two sub-indices, a first sub-index is of a not very discriminant type, while the second sub-index is of a more discriminant type.
The search process then takes place in two steps. During a first step referred to as a "filtering step", a "coarse" sorting of the images in the database is carried out using the first sub-indices. At the end of this step, a subset of images is selected. A second step, referred to as a "matching step" is then carried out, this time performed on the subset of images retained during the first step, during which the search is refined using the second sub-indices. At the end of this second step, only the images most resembling the example image are kept.
An example of a hierarchical search method is given in the article entitled "Multiresolution video indexing for subband video database", by J. Lee and B. W. Dickinson, Proc. of SPIE: Storage and retrieval for images and videos databases, vol. 2185, San Jose, Calif., February 1994. The search method taught in this article applies to images compressed by a subband decomposition technique. Each of the subbands of an image has an index associated with it. According to this search method, a start is made by comparing the indices associated with the so-called "low frequency" band of the images, then the search result obtained is refined by a comparison of the indices associated with the higher frequency bands.
Generally speaking, the known hierarchical search methods of the prior art use indices which characterise the overall content of the images. Thus, in the search method taught in the above-mentioned document, the indices characterise the overall content of the image according to a number of levels of resolution. However, in these search methods, the index of a given image never characterises the visual content of this image according to its spatial distribution over the whole image medium. The taking into account of the spatial distribution of the content by the image index would nevertheless make it possible to increase the accuracy of this index and therefore the accuracy of the search using such an index.

Methods and devices for indexing and searching for digital images taking into account the spatial distribution of the content of the images

Abstract: More particularly, the step of generating the first information item (H(Im)) has the following substeps: dividing the image plane of the image (Im) according to a partitioning comprising a predefined number N of blocks (Bi); extracting, from each of the blocks (Bi), a data item of a first type (hiIm) representing at least one characteristic of the visual content of the block under consideration; and generating the first information item (H(Im)) as being a vector having N components, each of which is one of the data items of the first type (hiIm).


A patient support surface includes a cushion and an inflatable patient positioning unit. The cushion is adapted to support a patient. The inflatable patient positioning unit is arranged over a portion of a top side of the cushion at a foot end of the cushion. The inflatable patient positioning unit includes a plurality of positioner bladders shaped so that when inflated a distal end of each positioner bladder is taller than a proximal end of the positioner bladder.

The present disclosure is related to a patient positioning unit. More specifically, the present disclosure is related to an inflatable patient positioning unit for moving a patient in a bed.
Patients supported on beds often require positioning by caregivers in the ordinary course of care. Positioning a patient on a bed may be difficult for a caregiver who must physically lift, pull, push, and/or otherwise move the patient in order to arrange the patient as desired. In order to reduce the difficulty of positioning a patient supported on a bed, mechanical devices on, in, or around the bed may be provided to assist a caregiver positioning the patient.


A rectifier rectifies an alternating current power to obtain a direct current power. The rectifier sends the direct current power to a driving power and carrier signal generation apparatus. The driving power and carrier signal generation apparatus generates a driving power. The driving power and carrier signal generation apparatus sends the driving power through a transmission line to at least a light emitting diode driving apparatus to drive at least a light emitting diode. The driving power and carrier signal generation apparatus generates a carrier signal. The driving power and carrier signal generation apparatus sends the carrier signal through the transmission line to the light emitting diode driving apparatuses. The light emitting diode driving apparatuses drive the light emitting diodes according to the carrier signals.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light emitting diode driving system, and especially relates to a light emitting diode driving system with carrier signal control.
Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, the connection types of the light emitting diode lamp string modules are separated into two types: the serial-type connection and the parallel-type connection. The light emitting diode lamp string modules are widely used for external walls of the building, decoration of trees, signboards, and scenery designing.
In the related art serial-type light emitting diode lamp string modules, a plurality of light emitting diode lamp string modules are commonly connected in series. Also, the amount of the light emitting diode lamp string modules is determined according to the volume of the decorated objects. In addition, all of the light emitting diode lamp string modules are controlled by the same controller which initially controls the first light emitting diode lamp string module.
Although the light emitting diode lamp string modules are easily connected together, the remaining light emitting diode lamp string modules behind the abnormal light emitting diode lamp string module cannot be lighted even only one of the light emitting diode lamp string modules is abnormal. That is because the control signal cannot be sent to drive all of the remaining light emitting diode lamp string modules.
The parallel-type light emitting diode lamp string modules are connected to the controller in parallel. Accordingly, each one of the light emitting diode lamp string modules is controlled by the controller through a control line and an address line, respectively. For example, ten control lines and ten address lines need to be used when ten light emitting diode lamp string modules are employed to be connected in parallel.
The remaining light emitting diode lamp string modules can still be normally controlled when one of the light emitting diode lamp string modules is abnormal. However, the amount of the control lines and the address lines increase proportionally. Therefore, complexity and the costs of the equipment also increase when the amount of the light emitting diode lamp string modules increases.
No matter the connection type of the light emitting diode lamp string modules is the serial-type or the parallel-type, many power transmission lines and signal transmission lines need to be used to control the colors and intensities of the light emitting diode lamp string modules. Accordingly, cost down can be achieved only if the amount of the power transmission lines or the signal transmission lines can be reduced.

Light emitting diode driving system with carrier signal control


An information system that enables a child transaction to broaden the visibility of its data updates to a wider scope than the scope of its parent transaction thereby enhancing concurrency but without sacrificing protection in that scope. The information system provides scoped transactions and provides failure handling in hierarchical information processes that contain scoped transactions.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of information systems. More particularly, this invention relates to commit scope control in hierarchical information processes.
2. Art Background
Information systems are commonly employed in a variety of business-related and other applications. Such information systems typically include information stores such as database management systems and one or more information processes that manipulate data which is persistently stored in the databases. Such information processes may also be referred to as applications.
An information process may be arranged as a hierarchy of nested transactions. Such a nested transaction hierarchy may be arranged as a closed hierarchy that strictly enforces atomicity at each level. Alternatively, such a nested transaction hierarchy may be arranged as an open hierarchy with relaxed atomicity controls at particular levels.
FIG. 1 illustrates an information process 20 which is arranged as a hierarchy of nested transactions 22-30. The transaction 22 is at a top level or root of the hierarchy. The transaction 22 spawns the transactions 24 and 26. The transaction 22 is referred to as the parent of the transactions 24 and 26, and the transactions 24 and 26 are each referred to as a child transaction or a sub-transaction of the transaction 22. The transaction 24 is a root of a corresponding sub-tree in the hierarchy.
Typically, transactions 24 and 26 each generate a corresponding set of data updates which are targeted for an information store 32. The data updates generated by the transactions 24 and 26 may also be referred to as the effects of the transactions 24 and 26 or the results of the transactions 24 and 26.
The child transactions 24 and 26 make their respective data updates visible to their parent transaction 22 upon their completion. The act of a child transaction making its data updates visible to its parent is referred to as committing to its parent. Transactions that commit to their parent are usually referred to as closed transactions. In other words, the commit scope of a closed child transaction is its parent.
The transaction 24 is the parent of the transactions 28 and 30. The child transactions 28 and 30 are usually closed transactions that commit to their parent transaction 24 upon their completion. Typically, the transaction 24 commits to its parent transaction 22 only after both of its child transactions 28 and 30 have completed. The transaction 22 usually commits to the information store 32 only after both of its child transactions 24 and 26 have completed.
Typically, the transaction 22 commits all accumulated data updates to the information store 32 as a single atomic transaction thereby making the data updates visible to all transactions. Such an "atomic" transaction usually ensures that the interrelated data updates generated by the transactions 22-30 are either all made visible or none are made visible in the information store 32 should a system failure occur.
Such a closed nested transaction hierarchy typically provides strict enforcement of atomicity at each level of the hierarchy because the only possible commit scope of a child transaction is its parent. Unfortunately, such a closed nested hierarchy usually sacrifices data concurrency in the hierarchy.
For example, the transaction 30 may have an extended duration that involves extended user interaction. As a consequence, the transaction 30 may require a relatively long time to complete. The transaction 28, on the other hand, may complete relatively quickly. In addition, the transaction 26 may have a need for the data updates generated by the transaction 28.
The transaction 28 being a closed transaction commits to its parent transaction 24 upon its relatively quick completion. The data updates generated by the transaction 28 are then held by the transaction 24 until the extended duration transaction 30 has completed because the transaction 24 usually cannot commit to its parent transaction 22 until all its children have completed. Unfortunately, such a hold up of data updates generated by the transaction 28 can excessively delay the transaction 26 which requires those data updates even though the transaction 28 had completed relatively quickly.
One prior technique for making the data updates of a child transaction available to other transactions prior to the completion of its parent is to allow the child transaction to commit its data updates to an information store directly. A child transaction that commits directly to an information store is referred to as an open child transaction. It is said that such an open child transaction has an open commit scope. For example, the transaction 28 having an open commit scope upon completion commits to the information store 32 thereby making its data updates immediately visible to the transaction 26.
Unfortunately, such direct updates of an information store by open child transactions usually sacrifices the data integrity controls which are provided by a closed hierarchy. For example, a system failure that occurs after the transaction 28 commits to the information store 32 but before the transaction 22 commits to the information store 32 can result in inconsistent data updates being visible in the information store 32.
In summary, a transaction hierarchy that includes open transactions with open commit scopes usually improves concurency by allowing the data updates of open transactions to be more widely visible upon their completion. Unfortunately, such open hierarchies usually sacrifice the data integrity protections provided by closed hierarchies which enforce atomicity at each level.

Commit scope control in hierarchical information processes


A network management server includes an address manager and an address assignment direction transmitter. The address manager manages a first address, a second address and a third address of the destination mobile terminals in accordance with address assignment information received from a mobile node. The address assignment direction transmitter transmits an address assignment directions for directing a source access node to manage the first address and the second address of the destination mobile terminal, and to transmit an address assignment direction for directing a destination access node to manage the second address and the third address of the destination mobile terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communication control system, a network management server, a mobile node, an access node, and an anchor node for supporting a moving network.
2. Description of the Related Art
A mobile communication control system using the Mobile IP (MIP) based "NEMO (Network Mobility) Basic Support" has been conventionally known as a mobile communication control system for supporting a moving network.
A mobile communication control system using the MIP based "NEMO Basic Support" will be described below with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.
As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile communication control system is configured to transfer a packet from a mobile terminal (source mobile terminal) MT#1 to a mobile terminal (destination mobile terminal) MT#2. The mobile terminal MT#1 is connected to an access node (source access node) AN#1 via a radio link. The mobile terminal MT#2 is connected to a mobile node MN via a radio link.
An action for transmitting a packet in the mobile communication control system will be described with reference to FIG. 2.
As shown in FIG. 2, in Step 1801, the mobile terminal MT#1 transmits a packet 'a' to the access node AN#1 via a radio link. A CoA (Care of Address) and an HoA (Home Address) of the mobile terminal MT#2 are set in a packet header of the packet 'a'.
The mobile terminal MT#1 is assumed to have already acquired the CoA of the mobile terminal MT#2 including location information of the mobile terminal MT#2, from the mobile terminal MT#2.
In Step 1802, the access node AN#1 transfers the received packet 'a' to a home agent HA of the mobile node MN through a core network 1 based on the CoA of the mobile terminal MT#2.
In Step 1803, the home agent HA transfers a packet 'b' to the mobile node MN through the core network 1 and an access node AN#2. The packet 'b' is encapsulated between the home agent HA and the mobile node MN, based on the CoA of the mobile node MN and the address of the home agent HA.
In Step 1804, the mobile node MN transfers a packet 'c' to the mobile terminal MT#2 through a moving network 2. The packet 'c' is obtained by decapsulating the received packet 'b'.
Moreover, a mobile communication control system using the Mobile IP (MIP) based "Source routing technology" has been conventionally known as a mobile communication control system for supporting a moving network.
A mobile communication control system using the MIP based "Reverse Routing header" will be described below with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3.
As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile communication control system is configured to transfer a packet from the mobile terminal (source mobile terminal) MT#1 to the mobile terminal (destination mobile terminal) MT#2
An action for transferring a packet in the mobile communication control system will be described with reference to FIG. 3.
As shown in FIG. 3, in Step 1901, the mobile terminal MT#1 transmits a packet 'a' to the access node AN#1 through the radio link. A CoA of the mobile node MN, a CoA of the mobile terminal MT#2 and an HoA of the mobile terminal MT#2 are set in a packet header of the packet 'a'.
The mobile terminal MT#1 is assumed to have already acquired the CoA of the mobile terminal MT#2 including location information of the mobile terminal MT#2, and the CoA of the mobile node MN including location information of the mobile node MN from the mobile terminal MT#2.
In Step 1902, the mobile node MN translates the received packet 'a' into a packet 'b', and then transfers the packet 'b' to the mobile terminal MT#2 through the moving network 2. The CoA of the mobile terminal MT#2, the CoA of the mobile node MN and the HoA of the mobile node MT#2 are set in a packet header of the packet 'b'.
However, the conventional mobile communication control system using the MIP based "NEMO Basic Support" has a problem in that a header size of the packet becomes large because the encapsulation processing is executed as described above.
Moreover, this mobile communication control system has a problem in that route optimization cannot be achieved because the packet is always routed through the home agent HA of the mobile node MN.
Furthermore, this mobile communication control system has a problem in that location privacy cannot be protected because it is necessary to notify the CoA of the destination mobile terminal MT#2 including the location information of the destination mobile terminal MT#2, to the source mobile terminal MT#1.
In the meantime, the conventional mobile communication control system using the MIP based "Reverse Routing header" has a problem in that a header size of the packet become large because the source mobile terminal MT#1 has to set the CoA of the mobile node MN and the CoA of the destination mobile terminal MT#2 in the packet header.
Moreover, this mobile communication control system has a problem in that location privacy cannot be protected because it is necessary to notify the CoA of the destination mobile terminal MT#2 including the location information of the destination mobile terminal MT#2 and the CoA of the mobile node MN including the location information of the mobile node MN, to the source mobile terminal MT#1.

Mobile communication control system, network management server, mobile node, access node and anchor node


A third-party service platform login method is provided for a public platform containing information of a plurality of third-party service platforms. The method includes accepting a user logging onto the public platform from a client terminal, obtaining a third-party service platform selected by the user on the public platform, and obtaining a user identification number (UIN) of the user and a UIN of the selected third-party service platform. The user's UIN corresponds to a user account of the user on the public platform and the selected third-party service platform's UIN corresponds to a public account of the third-party service platform on the public platform. Further, the method includes combining the UIN of the user and the UIN of the selected third-party service platform to generate a new combined user account for the user to log onto the selected third-party service platform, and logging onto the selected third-party service platform.

With the development of Internet technologies, more and more people are accustomed to learning all types of things through the Internet. Various service providers often require a user to register personal information individually with a corresponding service platform first, and the user logs onto the service platform directly or through an account of a registered public platform, after which the user can enjoy more services provided by the service platform. Regardless of the manner to log onto the service platform, however, there are security risks concerning the user's personal information being leaked to others.
Especially, with the development of public platforms, more and more third-party service platforms provide services using the public platform as the bases. A user registered with a public platform can use the registered account to log onto different third-party service platforms, and the third-party service platforms all display such registered account information. For example, the user's instant messaging (IM) account can be authorized to log onto different third-party service platforms, the user can use the same IM account to log onto individual third-party service platforms and those third-party service platforms all displayed the user's IM account information to the developers of third-party service platforms. This may make it easy to leak personal information of the user, and the security of the user's personal information cannot be guaranteed.
The disclosed methods and systems are directed to solve one or more problems set forth above and other problems.

Method and system for third-party service platform login

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


A holding member has a hole with a front tapered shape in a sliding direction of a sliding portion, and the hole and the sliding portion engage with each other.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a holding member such as a carriage mainly used for a recording apparatus such as an inkjet printer.
Description of the Related Art
For example, a recording apparatus such as a printer, a copier or a facsimile machine performs printing by scanning a recording head, which ejects ink as a liquid onto a flat recording medium such as paper and a plastic sheet.
The recording head is mounted on a carriage reciprocally movable in a direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of the recording medium (hereinafter, this perpendicular direction is referred to as a main scanning direction). The carriage is slidably supported on a guide extended along the main scanning direction. In such a way, the recording apparatus ejects the ink from the recording head onto the recording medium while reciprocally moving the carriage, and can thereby form a recording image on the recording medium.
In order to improve image quality of the recording image, it is necessary to accurately perform such reciprocal movement in a state where an interval between the recording head and the recording medium (hereinafter, this interval is referred to as a paper interval) is maintained within an appropriate range.
When the recording apparatus performs a recording operation, a surface of the carriage, which is in contact with a guide portion, (hereinafter this surface is referred to as a sliding portion) is gradually worn away. The paper interval is changed by such abrasion of the sliding portion, and the image quality of the recording medium decreases.
Therefore, heretofore, for example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-285932, for the carriage, such countermeasures have been taken, in which a holding member that holds the recording head and a sliding member that has the sliding portion are provided as bodies separate from each other, the sliding member is composed of a resin material, metal or the like, which has good slidability, and the holding member and the sliding member are assembled with each other in a subsequent step; however, there has been a problem that assembly cost is increased.
Moreover, in order to reduce an assembly step, it has also been proposed to mold a sliding member, which is made of a different material, integrally with the holding member; however, a clearance occurs in a joint portion of the sliding member and the holding member owing to mold shrinkage and variations of an environmental temperature. As a result, there has been a problem that a backlash occurs at a time when the carriage moves reciprocally, leading to an occurrence of an image defect by inclination of the recording head.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a holding member (carriage) that has the sliding member, the holding member (carriage) having good slidability and being free from the backlash at the time of moving reciprocally.

Carriage and recording apparatus and method for manufacturing the carriage


A new process for preparing aryl substituted aliphatic carboxylic acid esters is provided. A 1-aryl substituted aliphatic halo compound is reacted with carbon monoxide in the presence of an alcohol in anhydrous conditions at a temperature between about 25.degree. C. and about 200.degree. C. An excess of several moles of anhydrous alcohol is preferred. An acid such as hydrochloric acid may also be added. As catalyst, a mixture of palladium or a palladium compound and a copper compound with at least one acid-stable ligand are present.

Among the processes known for preparing ibuprofen is that of European Patent Application 284,310 (Hoechst Celanese, published September 1988), which teaches that ibuprofen can be prepared by carboxylating 1-(4-isobutylphenyl)ethanol with carbon monoxide in an acidic aqueous medium and in the presence of a palladium compound/phosphine complex and dissociated hydrogen and halide ions, which are preferably derived from a hydrogen halide This process has the disadvantage of starting with 1-(4-isobutyl-phenyl) ethanol, a compound which is not economical to make by known processes.
Gardano et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,595, issued August, 1985) teach the preparation of alkaline salts of certain alpha-arylpropionic acids by reaction with carbon monoxide, at substantially ambient temperature and pressure conditions, of the corresponding arylethyl secondary halide in an anhydrous alcoholic solvent in the presence of alkaline hydroxides and, as catalyst, a salt of cobalt hydrocarbonyl.
Alper et al. in J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Comm., 1983, 1270-1271, discloses the alkenes can react with carbon monoxide, water, hydrochloric acid and a mixture of palladium and copper to produce the hydrocarboxylated product, branched chain carboxylic acid. Oxygen is necessary to succeed in the reaction. Subsequently, Alper et. al. have disclosed similar catalyst systems, but employing a chiral ligand, as being successful in asymmetric hydrocarboxylation reactions. See Alper et al., PCT Application, WO 9103,452, and J. Am. Chem. Soc., 112, 2803-2804 (1990).
The Invention
In the following specification, the meaning of the substituent groups is as follows: "alkyl" means straight or branched chain alkyl having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and includes, for example, methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, secondary butyl, tertiary butyl, pentyl, isopentyl, neopentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, 2-ethylhexyl, 1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl, nonyl, decyl, dodecyl, tetradecyl, hexadecyl, octadecyl and eicosyl and the like (for the purposes of this definition, "alkyl" is also "aliphatic");
"cycloalkyl" means cyclic alkyl having 3 to 7 carbon atoms and includes cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, cycloheptyl and the like;
"substituted aryl" means phenyl or naphthyl substituted by at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of halogen (chlorine, bromine, fluorine or iodine), amino, nitro, hydroxy, alkyl, alkoxy which means straight or branched chain alkoxy having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and includes, for example, methoxy, ethoxy, propoxy, isopropoxy, butoxy, isobutoxy, secondary butoxy, tertiary butoxy, pentyloxy, isopentyloxy, hexyloxy, heptyloxy, octyloxy, nonyloxy and decyloxy, aryloxy including phenoxy and phenoxy substituted with halo, alkyl, alkoxy and the like, haloalkyl which means straight or branched chain alkyl having 1 to 8 carbon atoms which is substituted by at least one halogen, and includes, for example, chloromethyl, bromomethyl, fluoromethyl, iodomethyl, 2-chloroethyl, 2-bromoethyl, 2-fluoroethyl, 3-chloropropyl, 3-bromopropyl, fluoropropyl, 4-chlorobutyl, 4-fluorobutyl, dichloromethyl, dibromomethyl, difluoromethyl, diiodomethyl, 2,2-dichloroethyl, 2,2-diibromoethyl, 2,2-difluoroethyl, 3,3-dichloropropyl, 3,3-difluoropropyl, 4,4-dichlorobutyl, 4,4-difluorobutyl, trichloromethyl, trifluoromethyl, 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl, 2,3,3-trifluoropropyl, 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl, 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl and the like;
"alkyl-substituted cycloalkyl" means that the cycloalkyl moiety is cyclic alkyl having 3 to 7 carbon atoms and the alkyl moiety is straight or branched chain alkyl having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and includes, for example, cyclopropylmethyl, cyclobutylmethyl, cyclopentylmethyl, cyclohexylmethyl, cycloheptylmethyl, 2-cyclopropylethyl, 2-cyclopentylethyl, 2-cyclohexylethyl, 3-cyclopropylpropyl, 3-cyclopentylpropyl, 3-cyclohexylpropyl, 4-cyclopropylbutyl, 4-cyclopentylbutyl, 4-cyclohexylbutyl, 6-cyclopropylhexyl, 6-cyclohexylhexyl and the like;
"alkylthio" means a divalent sulfur with alkyl occupying one of the valencies and includes the groups methylthio, ethylthio, propylthio, butylthio, pentylthio, hexylthio, octylthio and the like;
"heteroaryl" means 5 to 10 membered nono- or fused-heteroaromatic ring which has at least one heteroatom selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur, and includes, for example, 2-furyl, 3-furyl, 2-thienyl, 3-thienyl, 2pyridyl, 3-pyridyl, 4-pyridyl, pyrazolyl, imidazolyl, pyrimidinyl, pyridazinyl, pyrazinyl, benzimidazolyl, quinolyl, oxazolyl, thiazolyl, indolyl and the like;
"substituted heteroaryl" means 5 to 10 membered mono or fused-heteroaromatic ring which has at least one heteroaromatic ring which has at least one heteroatom selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur and which is substituted by at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of halogen, amino, nitro, hydroxy, alkyl, alkoxy and haloalkyl on the above-mentioned heteroaromatic nucleus;
"alkanoyl" means alkanoyl having 2 to 18 carbon atoms and includes, for example, acetyl, propionyl, butyryl, isobutyryl, pivaloyl, valeryl, hexanoyl, octanoyl, lauroyl, stearoyl and the like;
"aroyl" means benzoyl or naphthoyl;
"substituted aroyl" means benzoyl or naphthoyl substituted by at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of halogen, amino, nitro, hydroxy, alkyl, alkoxy and haloalkyl on the benzene or naphthalene ring;
"heteroarylcarbonyl" means that the heteroaryl moiety is 5 to 10 membered mono- or fused-heteroaromatic ring having at least one heteroatom selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur as mentioned above, and includes, for example, furoyl, thinoyl, nicotinoyl, isonicotinoyl, pyrazolylcarbonyl, imidazolylcarbonyl, pyrimidinylcarbonyl, benzimidazolylcarbonyl and the like;
"substituted heteroarylcarbonyl" means the above-mentioned heteroarylcarbonyl which is substituted by at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of halogen, amino, nitro, hydroxy, alkoxy and haloalkyl on the heteroaryl nucleus; and includes, for example, 2-oxo-i,3-dioxolan-4-ylmethyl, 2-oxo-1,3-dioxan-5-yl and the like.
The present invention embraces any racemates and individual optical isomers thereof of the compounds of the following formula (I) having a chiral carbon atom. ##STR1## where Ar, R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 are subsequenty defined.
In accordance with the present invention, aryl-substituted aliphatic carboxylic acid esters are prepared by carboxylating an aryl-substituted, aliphatic halogen-containing compound with carbon monoxide in a neutral or acidic anhydrous medium containing at least 1 mol of a C.sub.1 to about C.sub.8 linear or branched aliphatic alcohol per mol of halogen-containing compound at a temperature of between about 25.degree. C. and about 200.degree. C. and a carbon monoxide pressure of at least about one atmosphere in the presence of a mixture of (i) palladium (O) or a palladium compound in which the palladium has a valence of 1 or 2 and (ii) a copper compound having a valence of 1 or 2 and at least one acid-stable ligand. An alcohol equivalent, such as the trialkyl orthoalkanoates, dialkyl-ketals, alkyl formates, trialkyl-borates, titanium (IV) alkoxides, etc. are also useful. The esters may be readily converted to the corresponding free carboxylic acids or salts by well known conventional methods.
The halogen-containing compound which is catalytically carboxylated in the practice of this invention has the formula: ##STR2## where X is halogen (fluoro chloro bromo iodo) or other leaving groups such as tosylate, acetate, mesylate etc., Ar is unsubstituted or substituted aryl and R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 are the same or different and are hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, alkoxy, alkylthio, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl, alkanoyl, substituted or unsubstituted aroyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroarylcarbonyl, trifluoromethyl or halo. A wide variety of leaving groups are disclosed, for example, in March, Advanced Organic Chemistry, incorporated herein by reference.
Preferably, in the compounds of formula II, X is chloro or bromo, Ar is unsubstituted or substituted aryl, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 are hydrogen, C.sub.1 to C.sub.2 alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted phenyl or trifluoromethyl.
Most preferably X is chloro, Ar is phenyl substituted with alkyl or naphthyl substituted with alkoxy, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 are hydrogen, methyl or trifluoromethyl.
The catalytic carboxylation of the compound of formula II is conducted in an anhydrous medium (in the absence of water), at a temperature between about 25.degree. C. and about 200.degree. C., preferably about 50.degree.-150.degree. C., and most preferably about 80.degree.-130.degree. C. Higher temperatures can also be used. It has been found that a small advantage in yield is obtained by gradually increasing the temperature within the preferred ranges during the course of the reaction.
The partial pressure of carbon monoxide in the reaction vessel is at least about 1 atmosphere (14.7 psig) at ambient temperature (or the temperature at which the vessel is charged). Any higher pressures of carbon monoxide can be used up to the pressure limits of the reaction apparatus. A pressure up to about 3000 psig is convenient in the process. More preferred is a pressure from about 300 to about 3000 psig at the reaction temperature, and most preferred is a pressure from about 500 to about 1,500 psig. It should be noted that the presence of oxygen is undesirable in the carbonylation reaction of this invention. Hence, an atmosphere of 100% carbon monoxide is most preferred to carry out this process. Various inert gases can, however, be incorporated in the reaction mass (nitrogen, argon, etc.) the only criteria being that the process should not be slowed to the point of requiring exceptionally long periods to complete the reaction.
The carboxylation is conducted in the presence of at least about one mol of an anhydrous aliphatic alcohol per mol of the compound of formula II; however, an excess is preferred in order to assist in driving the reaction to completion. Although there is no real upper limit to the amount of alcohol except that imposed by practicality (e.g. the size of the reaction vessel), an amount up to about 100 mols per mol of the compounds of formula II is useful in the process. Further, controlling the amount of alcohol used in the process of this invention is advantageous in terms of producing the highest yields. Therefore, an amount from about 2 to about 50 mols of alcohol per mol of the compounds of formula II is preferred, and an amount from about 2 to about 10 mols of alcohol per mol of the such olefinic compound is most preferred. The product of the reaction is an carboxylic acid ester (where R.sub.1 is alkyl). These compound have the following formula: ##STR3## where R.sub.1 is hydrogen or alkyl and Ar, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 are as previously defined.
Any alcohol which produces an ester of the carboxylic acid may be used in the practice of this invention. In a preferred embodiment, the lower aliphatic alcohols, are used. Examples of the alcohols to be used in this embodiment include methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-, iso- sec-, and tert-butyl alcohols, the pentyl alcohols, the hexyl alcohols, etc. Methyl alcohol is highly preferred, and ethyl alcohol is most highly preferred. Other alcohols, glycols, or aromatic hydroxy compounds and, further, any "source of alkoxide ions" may also be used. The source of such alkoxide ions is from a compound selected from the group consisting of HC(OR.sub.1).sub.3, (R).sub.2 C(OR.sub.1).sub.2, HC(O)OR.sub.1, B(OR.sub.1).sub.3, P(OR.sub.1).sub.3, Ti(OR.sub.1).sub.4, and Al(OR.sub.1).sub.3 where R is hydrogen or the same or different than R.sub.1 where R.sub.1 is as preViously defined. Examples of compounds that will produce alkoxide ions in the reaction solution used in the process of this invention are: trimethyl orthoformate, triethyl orthoformate, methyl formate, ethyl formate, trimethylborate, trimethylphosphite, titanium (IV) propoxide, titanium (IV) isopropoxide, titanium (IV) methoxide.
In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the carboxylation reaction is initiated under neutral conditions, i.e., with no added acid. It can also be performed in the presence of an added acid. When acids are added, such acids include sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, sulfonic acids, or acetic or halo- substituted acetic acids. A hydrogen halide acid such as hydrochloric or hydrobromic acid is preferred. The hydrogen halide may be added as a gas phase or as a liquid phase (e.g., in the form of an alcoholic solution). Any concentration may be used. Hydrochloric acid is particularly preferred, at a concentration up to about 10%; more highly preferred is a concentration from about 10% to about 30%. The acidity of the carboxylation reaction mixture can be controlled by adding a buffering reagent (the side-products are reduced by controlling the acidity of the reaction mixture). Examples of buffering reagents used in the process of this invention are NaOAc, Na.sub.2 HPO.sub.4, NH.sub.4 Cl, HaHCO.sub.3. A variety of buffering reagents are disclosed in CRC, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, incorporated herein by reference.
The catalytic carboxylation process of this invention is conducted in the presence of a reaction-promoting quantity of i) palladium(O) or a mixture of a palladium compound in which the palladium has a valence of 1 or 2 and ii) a copper compound, with at least one acid-stable ligand. Ligands which may be used include monodentate or multidentate electron-donating substances such as those containing elements P, N, O and the like, and those containing multiple bonds such as olefinic compounds. Examples of such acid-stable ligands are trihydrocarbylphosphines, including trialkyl- and triarylphosphines, such as tri-n-butyl-, tricyclohexyl-, and triphenylphosphine; lower alkyl and aryl nitriles, such as benzonitrile and n-propionitrile; ligands containing pi-electrons, such as an allyl compound or 1,5-cyclooctadiene; piperidine, piperazine, trichlorostannate(II), and acetylacetonate; and the like. In one embodiment, the palladium and copper are added as a pre-formed complex of palladium(II) chloride or bromide, copper(II) chloride or bromide and carbon monoxide or any other similar complex. In a preferred embodiment, active catalytic species are formed in situ (a homogeneous catalyst system) by the addition to the reaction mixture of the individual components, i.e., a ligand, a copper compound, and a palladium compound such as the inorganic salts of palladium(II) and copper(II) such as the chlorides, bromides, nitrates, sulfates, or acetates. In the most preferred embodiment, triphenylphosphine, copper(II) chloride, and palladium(II) chloride are used and are added individually or together, either simultaneously or sequentially.
Palladium and/or copper compounds can be supported on carbon, silica, alumnia, zeolite, clay, and other polymeric materials and used as the heterogeneous catalysts (the support is a solvent, insoluble material). Examples of palladium and/or copper support materials and catalysts used in the process of this invention are palladium on carbon, Pd(OH).sub.2 on carbon, Pd(II) exchanged Zeolite LZ-Y62, Pd(II) and Cu(II) exchanged clay montmorillonite KSF.
The amount of copper and palladium compounds or palladium metal and copper compounds preferably employed is such as to provide from about 4 to about 8000 mols of the compound of formula II per mol of the mixture of metal salts; more preferred is an amount to provide from about 10 to about 4000 mols of compound of formula II per mol of the mixture; the most preferred amounts provide from about 20 to 2000 mols of the compounds of formula II per mol of the mixture. The process of this invention is conducted in the presence of at least one mol of ligand per mol of the mixture of metal and metal salt of metal salts. More preferably about 2 to about 40 mols of ligand per mol of the mixture are present, and most preferably about 2 to about 20 mols of ligand per mol of mixture are used.
The presence of a solvent is not required in the process of this invention, although it may be desirable in some circumstances. Those solvents which can be used include one or more of the following: ketones, for example, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, diethyl ketone, methyl-n-propyl ketone, acetophenone, and the like; linear, poly and cyclic ethers, for example, diethyl ether, di-n-propyl ether, di-n-butyl ether, ethyl-n-propyl ether, glyme (the dimethyl ether of ethylene glycol), diglyme (the dimethyl ether of diethylene glycol), tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, 1,3-dioxolane, and similar compounds; aliphatic or aromatic carboxylic esters, for example, methyl formate, methyl acetate, methyl 2-(4-isobutylphenyl)propionate (PME), methyl benzoate, and similar compounds; and aromatic hydrocarbons, for example, isobutylbenzene (IBB), toluene, ethyl benzene, xylenes, and similar compounds. Alcohols are also suitable as solvents, for example, methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, isomers of butanol, isomers of pentanol, etc. Acids and esters may also be used, such as formic or acetic acid or ethyl acetate, etc. When an ester or an alcohol is used as solvent, the product is the corresponding ester of the carboxylic acid. Most highly preferred are ethers, especially dioxane and glyme. When solvents are used, the amount can be up to about 100 mL per gram of the compounds of formula II, but the process is most advantageously conducted in the presence of about 1 to 30 mL per gram of the compound of formula II.
In those specific embodiments of this invention in which an ester of ibuprofen is produced, the ester may be conveniently converted to the acid (ibuprofen itself) by conventional methods of hydrolysis.
The following examples are given to illustrate the process of this invention and are not intended as a limitation thereof.

Catalytic carboxylation process for preparing aryl-substituted aliphatic carboxylic esters


A method in a cellular telecommunications network of informing the network of a plurality of operating capabilities of a mobile terminal. The method begins with the steps of entering an access (intermediate) state at the mobile terminal and then transmitting a message from the network to the mobile terminal requesting the mobile terminal to transmit information regarding the operating capabilities of the mobile terminal. The capability request may be sent on a paging channel (PCH) or an access response channel (ARCH). This is followed by transmitting a capability report from the mobile terminal to the network, the capability report including the requested information. The capability report may include all of the capabilities of the mobile terminal, or may include a specified capability set. The method may optionally include the step of determining whether the network has been informed of the operating capabilities of the mobile terminal before transmitting the message from the network to the mobile terminal requesting the mobile terminal to transmit its capabilities information. Additional capabilities, or updated capabilities may be retrieved from the mobile terminal by later transmitting a capability update request to the mobile terminal.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to radio telecommunication networks and, more particularly, to a system and method of informing a radio telecommunications network of the operating capabilities, including the frequency band capability, of a mobile terminal operating therein.
2. Description of Related Art
North American cellular telecommunications networks traditionally operate in two frequency bands (A and B) in the 800-MHz hyperband. The most recent evolution in cellular telecommunications involves the adoption of six additional frequency bands (A-F) in the 1900-MHz hyperband for use in handling mobile and personal communications. The 1900-MHz hyperband is also known as the Personal Communication Services (PCS) hyperband. Frequency bands within the 800-MHz hyperband and the 1900-MHz hyperband are defined in EIA/TIA Standard IS-136, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. Other standards which define cellular telephone operations in North America include EIA-627, EIA-553, and the intersystem signaling standard IS-41 which are also incorporated by reference herein.
Each of the frequency bands specified for the cellular and PCS hyperbands is allocated a plurality of voice or speech channels and at least one access or control channel. The control channel is used to control or supervise the operation of mobile stations by means of information transmitted to and received from the mobile stations. Such information may include, but is not limited to, incoming call signals, outgoing call signals, page signals, page response signals, location registration signals, voice channel assignments, maintenance instructions, short message service (SMS) messages, and cell selection or reselection instructions as mobile stations travel out of the radio coverage of one cell and into the radio coverage of another cell. The voice channel is used to carry subscriber telephonic communications as well as messages requesting mobile station assistance in making hand-off evaluations. The control and voice channels may operate in either an analog mode or a digital mode.
Mobile subscribers are now being offered new (optional and non-traditional) services in both the 800-MHz and 1900-MHz hyperbands, in addition to the traditional voice service on the 800-MHz bands. The next generation of digital mobile terminals, base stations, and Mobile Switching Centers (MSCs) must carry new functionalities or capabilities in order to realize these new non-traditional services. In addition, it is desirable to incorporate into the design of new mobile terminals, base stations, and MSCs a capability to optionally implement or not implement new functionalities or capabilities. Therefore, it is critical that new mobile terminals, base stations, and MSCs be informed of each other's ranges of supported capabilities, in order to properly allocate system resources and provide support for given services.
As an example, an existing cellular telephone network may simultaneously support radio telecommunications in multiple frequency hyperbands. A mobile switching center (MSC) within the network may control transmission and reception equipment at a base station to operate one cell in the 800-MHz hyperband and another cell in the 1900-MHz hyperband. Mobile terminals may also be capable of operating in either frequency hyperband. Thus it is critical that the MSC serving a particular mobile terminal be informed of the hyperband and frequency band capability of the mobile terminal, in order to successfully allocate a voice channel in one of the frequency bands supported by the mobile terminal. In addition, the whole range of mobile terminal operating capabilities may be required in order to properly allocate other network resouces necessary to provide requested services.
In existing cellular telephone networks, however, the operating capabilities, including the frequency band capability of a mobile terminal, are sent to the cellular network only in a few specified instances. IS-136 specifies several instances and methods for the mobile terminal to report its capabilities, but the methods do not always provide the information when it is required. There are cases when the information is needed by the network, but the mobile terminal is in a state in which the information cannot be requested. At specified registration cases, the mobile terminal can report its capabilities as information elements sent in system access messages, provided it is directed to do so by including an order in the overhead information sent to the mobile terminal by the network. According to IS-136, the mobile terminal only reports its capabilities at power-up registration, a new system registration, or a forced registration. These cases are limited so that bandwidth on the access channel is not misused, and primarily deal with a mobile terminal's first registration in a system.
There are two other existing methods for the telecommunications network to acquire the operating capabilities of the mobile terminal. The first method is to request the mobile terminal capabilities in a capability request message on the paging channel (PCC) while the mobile terminal is in state "DCCH Camping" or "Idle". Mobile terminal states during call setup are defined in IS-136. This method may be utilized if the network does not already have the mobile terminal capabilities while it has knowledge of the mobile terminal in a given service area. This situation could occur when the capabilities are not reported following a mobile terminal's access in a new service area. This method is best utilized if it is used immediately following a mobile terminal's first access, while the cell location of the mobile terminal is known (for example, following a successful mobile registration access on the DCCH). It should be noted that on the digital control channel (DCCH), a registration access should be the first access in a new service area. This method saves PCH resources by avoiding the sending of the capability request to several PCHs in a wide area (several cells) in an attempt to locate the mobile terminal.
The second method is to send a Capability Update Request message to the mobile terminal on the Fast Associated Control Channel (FACCH). This method is utilized when the mobile terminal has gained access to a digital traffic channel (DTC), while the network does not already have the required mobile terminal capabilities to continue with the processing of the call, and for handling call related events that may be required during the duration of the call. This method allows the retrieval of capabilities that are not provided in the capability report or are not available in any way from a call access for a specific service. In addition, a limited subset of the capabilities normally provided by the first method may be retrieved.
Before the mobile terminal receives a page, or before it makes an origination or any other type of access, the mobile terminal is in state "Idle". At that point, as noted above, it is possible to utilize the capability request on the PCH if the location of the mobile terminal is known in a particular service area. However, if the exact cell location of the mobile terminal is not known, a wide area paging must be performed to locate the subscriber. This process utilizes paging capacity and can only be avoided by using the first method described above immediately after the mobile terminal's registration access in a new service area.
A major disadvantage of these existing methods for the cellular network to acquire the operating capabilities of the mobile terminal is that there are instances when the cellular network needs to know the operating capabilities of a mobile terminal to properly allocate resources, but the network cannot obtain that information. In some of the mobile terminal call-setup states defined in IS-136, the mobile terminal cannot receive a capabillities request message and, therefore, cannot report its operating cabilities to the network. For example, when the mobile terminal has responded to a page and is in state "waiting for order", or after the mobile terminal makes an origination call and is in state "origination proceeding", the IS-136 standard does not allow the network to send the capability request message. In fact, IS-136 does not allow the capability request message to be sent in any of the defined mobile terminal states on the DCCH other than state "DCCH camping". Therefore, utilization of the first method above is limited because the capability request message cannot be sent to the mobile terminal while the terminal is in an intermediate traffic state after an initial access. The intermediate traffic states are registration proceeding, Shared Secret Data (SSD) update proceeding, origination proceeding, originated point-to-point teleservice proceeding, waiting for order, user group alerting, and terminated point-to-point teleservice proceeding.
In other words, the capability request message cannot be sent to the mobile terminal while the terminal is between any of the access states (registration proceeding, origination proceeding, waiting for order, etc.) and the idle state. It is critical that the network have the mobile terminal's capabilities before assigning resources such as a voice channel. Capabilities such as supported bands, DTC rate support, alternate/allowed voice coders for voice channel allocation, SOC or alternate system operator code (SOC) support, base station manufacture code (BSMC) support, protocol version, 800 MHz analog speech, etc. must be known by the network to properly allocate resources. If the network does not have this information, it makes arbitrary choices, which may be inefficient or incorrect.
In addition, mobile terminals capable of operating in either the 800-MHz hyperband or in the 1900-MHz hyperband may be tuned to digital control channels (DCCHs) in different hyperbands at different times. The serving MSC knows of the last known DCCH-hyperband used by the mobile terminal at system access. This information is normally used to page the mobile terminal on the DCCH in the appropriate hyperband. It may be useful in some cases to page the mobile terminal in all of the hyperbands which the mobile terminal supports, for instance, when the mobile terminal cannot be located using the last known hyperband. However, IS-136 does not allow for updating the DCCH-hyperband information for mobile terminals except at the specified registration cases. Therefore, cases may arise in which the network needs the hyperband capability to page the mobile terminal, but the information was not reported by the mobile terminal in the latest registration or other type of system access. If the network does not have this information, the call completion rate to subscribers may be reduced.
Although there are no known prior art teachings of a solution to the aforementioned deficiency and shortcoming such as that disclosed herein, U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,092 to Phillips et al. (Phillips) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,093 to Pireh (Pireh) discuss subject matter that bears some relation to matters discussed herein. Phillips and Pireh both disclose a dual-bandwidth cellular telephone that automatically switches its receiver bandwidth and control program for operation on a second cellular telephone system when service on a first system is not available. Phillips and Pireh do not teach or suggest a mechanism or method in a cellular telephone network for informing the network of the hyperband capability of mobile terminals attempting to access the network, or for updating the DCCH-hyperband information for mobile terminals.
Review of each of the foregoing references reveals no disclosure or suggestion of a system or method such as that described and claimed herein.
In order to overcome the disadvantage of existing solutions, it would be advantageous to have a cellular telephone network with a mechanism for informing the network of the mobile capabilities of a mobile terminal before the mobile terminal responds to a page or makes an origination call in the network. In addition, the network would have a mechanism for updating the DCCH-hyperband information for mobile terminals operating therein. The present invention provides such a network.

System and method of informing a radio telecommunications network of the operating capabilities of a mobile terminal located therein


A shooting stall includes a first wall, a second wall, and an axis. The first wall includes an upstream end, a downstream end, and a side surface that extends between the upstream end and the downstream end. The second wall is disposed substantially parallel to the first wall, and the second wall includes an upstream end, a downstream end, and a side surface facing the first wall that extends between the upstream end and the downstream end. The axis extends through the first wall and the second wall, where the axis is positioned between the upstream end and the downstream end of each of the first wall and second wall, and where the side surface of the second wall includes a first portion that extends from the axis and slopes away from the first wall.

An indoor shooting range may include one or more shooting stalls for persons training with firearms. Each shooting stall may provide an enclosure for an occupant of the stall.
The shooting range may include an air handling system. The air handling system may be configured to remove toxic components from the air in the shooting range, including, for example, lead dust and other heavy metal dust from gunpowder.


In a limited-copy protection scheme, a check-out/check-in system is configured to a) verify that the receiving device is a certified conforming device, and b) verify that the device that checks-in content material is the same device that checked-out the content material. The verification of the receiving device is effected via a conventional certification process. The verification that the same device is used for check-in and check-out is effected via a secure challenge-response protocol. As contrast to a conventional contemporaneous challenge-response protocol, the system provides a challenge that is specific to the receiving device when the content material is checked-out, and verifies the appropriate response when the content material is checked-in. Because the challenge-response is specific to the receiving device, only the device that receives the challenge when the content material is checked-out can provide the appropriate response when the content material is checked-in.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of consumer devices, and in particular to techniques for preventing or discouraging the illicit duplication of copy protected material.
2. Description of Related Art
Techniques are continually being proposed and developed to prevent or discourage the illicit duplication of copy-protected material, such as commercial music recordings. These techniques generally attempt to limit the number of copies that can be made from a legitimate copy of the copy-protected material. At the same time, the purchaser of this legitimate copy expects to have unlimited rights for copying this material for his or her private purposes. For example, the typical purchaser has access to multiple means for playing and recording the material, and expects to be able to play the purchased material on each of these means, without constraints.
Increasingly common in the art is the use of flash memory cards to record content material for playback on small portable devices. These flash memory cards, or similar electronic memory devices, have an advantage over conventional recording media such as discs or tapes, in that they contain no moving parts and are thus more reliable and robust. Similarly, the playback devices for these memory cards need not contain movement mechanisms and are therefore also more reliable, robust, and, in general, less expensive than conventional players. The electronic memory devices and corresponding players are also generally much smaller than conventional discs or tapes and corresponding players, and generally consume less power, further increasing their suitability for use as portable playback systems.
One method for limiting the ability to copy the content material is a "check-out/check-in" system. In this, as in other protection schemes presented herein, it is assumed that the copying and playback devices are "conforming" devices, in that they conform to the standards used to protect copy-protected material. When a copy of the material is made from a providing device to a portable medium, the conforming providing device prevents additional copies from being made until the portable medium containing the copy is returned to the providing device. That is, the check-out/check-in system provides a "one-at-a-time", or an "at-most-N-at-a-time", copy scheme to limit the number of simultaneously available copies of protected content material.
A check-out/check-in system is susceptible to a variety of attacks intended to overcome the security provided by a check-out/check-in system. The most straightforward attack is one in which a non-conforming device is used to receive the material. After receiving the material, the non-conforming device provides unlimited copies. Another attack is one in which a non-conforming device "checks-in" material that another device received. A conforming device can receive/check-out the material, the non-conforming can "check-in" the material, and another conforming device can then receive the material, because the check-out/check-in system believes that the other copy has been returned. In this manner, an unlimited number of copies can be made to conforming devices, such as the aforementioned flash memory cards.

Registering copy protected material in a check-out, check-in system