A computer enclosure includes a cage (10) with a rear panel (14), a side panel (20) with a flange (122a) and a fastening device (30). The fastening device includes a holder (40) attached to the side panel, an slider (50), an operator (60) with protruding bars (66), and a spring (70) disposed between the slider and the holder. The holder includes a base (41) rotatably receiving the operator and pairs of hooks (447) for movably holding the slider. The slider includes a pair of cutouts (522) and a fastening portion (55). The operator is rotated and the protruding bars engage with the cutouts to move the slider forwardly and compress the spring. The side panel is attached to the cage with the flange abutting against the rear panel. The protruding bars move the slider backward and the fastening portion abut against inner surfaces of the flange, with the operator released.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer enclosure, and in particular to a computer enclosure having a fastening device for readily securing a side panel to the computer enclosure and detaching the side panel therefrom.
2. Related Art
Many different means are used to secure side panels to computer enclosures. One conventional means is to simply screw a side panel directly to a computer enclosure. However, this operation requires a screwdriver. Installation and removal of the side panel is unduly cumbersome and time-consuming.
As computers have proliferated and improved, various fastening means have been developed to facilitate installation and removal of side panels. One means of fastening is shown in Taiwan Patent Publication No. 386613. Locking means of the patent comprises a plurality of hooks inwardly formed from a flange of one side of a side panel of a computer casing, for engaging in corresponding slots defined in a rear panel of the computer casing. An opposite side of the side panel forms an L-shaped flange. A plurality of apertures is defined in the L-shaped flange, for fixing of screws thereon. Because screws are needed to fix the side panel to the computer casing, installation and removal of the side panel is still unduly cumbersome and time-consuming.
An improved fastening device for securing a side panel to a computer enclosure which overcomes the above-mentioned problems is desired.

Computer enclosure with fastening device


A convertible toy that can be ridden by a child alternatively: (i) floating on water in a swimming pool or (ii) downhill sledding on snow covered hills. The toy has an elongate hull for buoyantly floating the toy and child on a water surface, and for sliding downhill on a frozen snow covered hill surface. For example, the hull may be a hollow blow molded plastic body with downwardly extending ribs having a flat bottom surface. Handlebars are mounted to a steering shaft housed within the hull for steering the direction of the toy. The steering shaft can be releaseably mounted with a water jet nozzle and alternatively with a snow riding ski. The toy mimics both a snowmobile and a jet-powered watercraft, for use in summer and winter. The water jet nozzle is supplied with pressurized water from a swimming pool filtration system via a flexible hose.

Injection molded plastic toys are commonly purchased in the form of sleds, floating toys and many other shapes. For downhill sledding on frozen snow or ice covered hills, various plastic sleds have been used for many years. The plastic base or hull of the sleds provides a slippery surface superior to wood or aluminum with less risk of harm in case of accident.
For use in swimming pools various inflatable toys are conventional as well as more expensive injection molded boats or polyurethane foam toys of various shapes.
A disadvantage of purchasing such relatively expensive floating toys is that in northern climates the period of use is very limited. A typical outdoor pool may be used for less than four months, especially by smaller children.
The situation is similar with more expensive sledding toys which can be used for three or four months depending on the location. Modern sleds have become more complex and expensive with steering handlebars, skis and seats to mimic motorcycle riding.
Such expensive toys require extended periods of storage and since children outgrow riding toys very quickly, the commercial success of these toys is limited.
In the design of toys, especially riding toys, it is common to mimic the look and operation of real vehicles. For example, floating toys mimic real boats, and sleds and bicycles mimic real motorcycles. In some cases the mimicking is enhanced by the licensing of trademarks from a real manufacturer to the toy manufacturer, as in the case of toy Jeep trucks for example.
Many manufacturers of small or recreational motorized vehicles produce several types of vehicles. For example, it is not uncommon for a single manufacturer to produce some or all of the following vehicles: snowmobiles, jet skis, motorcycles, outboard motors and four wheel all terrain vehicles.
It is desirable therefore to extend the useful life of such relatively expensive toys, to improve the value of the such purchases and extend enjoyment by the child.


A method, apparatus and a product for generating a dataset for a reinforcement model. The method comprises obtaining a plurality of different subsets of the set of features; for each subset of features, determining a policy using a Markov Decision Process; obtaining a state comprises a valuation of each feature of the set of features; applying the plurality of policies on the state, whereby obtaining a plurality of suggested actions for the state, based on different projections of the state onto different subsets of features; determining, for the state, one or more actions and corresponding scores thereof based on the plurality of suggested actions; and training a reinforcement learning model using the state and the one or more actions and corresponding scores thereof.

Reinforcement learning may be an area of machine learning concerned with how software agents ought to take actions in an environment so as to maximize some notion of cumulative reward. Reinforcement learning may be one of three machine learning paradigms, alongside supervised learning and unsupervised learning. Reinforcement learning may differ from supervised learning in that labelled input/output pairs need not be presented, and sub-optimal actions need not be explicitly corrected. Instead, the focus is finding a balance between exploration (of uncharted territory) and exploitation (of current knowledge).
Reinforcement algorithms may incorporate deep learning in order to achieve progress such as beating the human world champion at the game of Go as well as human experts playing numerous Atari video games.

States simulator for reinforcement learning models

International Business Machines Corporation


Methods, computer systems, and computer readable media for interfacing a medical device with an electronic medical record are provided. An image of an output of the medical device is received from a camera associated with the medical device. The image is analyzed to generate a result. The result is stored in the electronic medical record.

Many medical devices in use today are unable to interface with an electronic medical record, or are very difficult or costly to interface. Hospitals are reluctant to spend the large amounts of money needed to buy replacement medical devices that are able to interface with an electronic medical record because the existing medical devices are adequate for all other purposes. Because the devices cannot interface with the electronic medical record, hospitals are forced to physically store a paper printout from the medical device, or take the labor-intensive step of scanning the printout into the electronic medical record.

Medical device interfacing using a camera


Toner compositions include a non cross linked resin; a cross linked resin or gel; a wax; and a colorant. Processes for preparing a toner include mixing a non-cross linked resin and a cross-linked resin or gel in the presence of a wax, a colorant, and a coagulant to provide toner size aggregates; adding additional non-cross linked latex to the formed aggregates thereby providing a shell over the formed aggregates; heating the shell covered aggregates to form toner; and, optionally, isolating the toner.

For both black and color prints, a small particle size toner is known to improve the image quality of the prints. High speed black and white printers require toner particles that can provide a matte finish in an oil-less fuser system with a low minimum fixing temperature (MFT) to enable high speed printing and at the same time achieve superior image quality in the resultant printed product.
It is known that toners containing carbon black or other conductive pigments are susceptible to inductive charging in high electric fields. As a result, a large amount of wrong-sign toner is created which leads to excessive background on the photoreceptor especially with machines employing contact dual-component development. This inductive background has low transfer efficiency and causes two fundamental problems: poor image quality due to some background toner transferring onto the media, and excessive amount of wasted toner, since most of the un-transferred background toner is directed straight to the waste bottle. Under the most severe conditions, as much as about 80% of the total toner consumed can be lost to inductive background.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,974 describes in the Abstract a process for the preparation of a latex polymer by (i) preparing or providing a water aqueous phase containing an anionic surfactant in an optional amount of less than or equal to about 20 percent by weight of the total amount of anionic surfactant used in forming the latex polymer; (ii) preparing or providing a monomer emulsion in water which emulsion contains an anionic surfactant; (iii) adding about 50 percent or less of said monomer emulsion to said aqueous phase to thereby initiate seed polymerization and to form a seed polymer, said aqueous phase containing a free radical initiator; and (iv) adding the remaining percent of said monomer emulsion to the composition of (iii) and heating to complete an emulsion polymerization thus forming a latex polymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,413,692 describes in the Abstract a process comprising coalescing a plurality of latex encapsulated colorants and wherein each of said encapsulated colorants are generated by miniemulsion polymerization.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,309,787 describes in the Abstract a process comprising aggregating a colorant encapsulated polymer particle containing a colorant with colorant particles and wherein said colorant encapsulated latex is generated by a miniemulsion polymerization.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,306 describes in the Abstract toners which include one or more copolymers combined with colorant particles or primary toner particles and a process for preparing a toner comprising (i) polymerizing an aqueous latex emulsion comprising one or more monomers, an optional nonionic surfactant, an optional anionic surfactant, an optional free radical initiator, an optional chain transfer agent, and one or more copolymers to form emulsion resin particles having the one or more copolymers dispersed therein; (ii) combining the emulsion resin particle with colorant to form statically bound aggregated composite particles; (iii) heating the statically bound aggregated composite particles to form toner; and (iv) optionally isolating the toner.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,130,021 describes in the Abstract a process involving the mixing of a latex emulsion containing resin and a surfactant with a colorant dispersion containing a nonionic surfactant, and a polymeric additive and adjusting the resulting mixture pH to less than about 4 by the addition of an acid and thereafter heating at a temperature below about, or equal to about, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the latex resin, subsequently heating at a temperature above about, or about equal to, the Tg of the latex resin, cooling to about room temperature, and isolating the toner product.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,830 describes in the Abstract a process for the preparation of a latex comprising a core polymer and a shell thereover and wherein the core polymer is generated by (A) (i) emulsification and heating of the polymerization reagents of monomer, chain transfer agent, water, surfactant, and initiator; (ii) generating a seed latex by the aqueous emulsion polymerization of a mixture comprised of part of the (i) monomer emulsion, from about 0.5 to about 50 percent by weight, and a free radical initiator, and which polymerization is accomplished by heating, and, wherein the reaction of the free radical initiator and monomer produces a seed latex containing a polymer; (iii) heating and adding to the formed seed particles of (ii) the remaining monomer emulsion of (I), from about 50 to about 99.5 percent by weight of monomer emulsion of (i) and free radical initiator; (iv) whereby there is provided said core polymer; and (B) forming a shell thereover said core generated polymer and which shell is generated by emulsion polymerization of a second monomer in the presence of the core polymer, which emulsion polymerization is accomplished by (i) emulsification and heating of the polymerization reagents of monomer, chain transfer agent, surfactant, and an initiator; (ii) adding a free radical initiator and heating; (iii) whereby there is provided said shell polymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,869,558 describes in the Abstract dielectric black particles for use in electrophoretic image displays, electrostatic toner or the like, and the corresponding method of manufacturing the same. The black particles are latex particles formed by a polymerization technique, wherein the latex particles are stained to a high degree of blackness with a metal oxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,869,216 describes in the Abstract a process for the preparation of toner comprising blending an aqueous colorant dispersion and a latex emulsion containing resin; heating the resulting mixture at a temperature below about the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the latex resin to form toner sized aggregates; heating said resulting aggregates at a temperature above about the Tg of the latex resin to effect fusion or coalescence of the aggregates; redispersing said toner in water at a pH of above about 7; contacting the resulting mixture with a metal halide or salt, and then with a mixture of an alkaline base and a salicylic acid, a catechol, or mixtures thereof at a temperature of from about 25 degrees C. to about 80 degrees C.; and optionally isolating the toner product, washing, and drying. Additional patents of interest include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,766,818; 5,344,738; and 4,291,111.
The disclosures of each of the foregoing U.S. patents are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. The appropriate components and process aspects of the each of the foregoing U.S. patents may be selected for the present compositions and processes in embodiments thereof.
There remains a need for an improved toner composition and process which overcomes or alleviates the above-described and other problems experienced in the art. There further remains a need for a toner composition suitable for high speed printing, particularly high speed monochrome printing that can provide excellent release and hot offset characteristics, minimum fixing temperature, and suitable small toner particle size characteristics.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present invention relates to the use, as an antidandruff agent, of a compound of formula:

Dandruff problems affect up to 50% of the world's population. They affect both men and women and are perceived as having a very negative psychosocial impact. The appearance of dandruff is bothersome both aesthetically and because of the trouble it causes (itching, redness, etc.), and as such many people confronted with this problem to variable degrees wish to eliminate it efficiently and permanently.
Dandruff corresponds to an excessive and visible desquamation of the scalp resulting from the excessively rapid multiplication of the epidermal cells and from their abnormal maturation. This phenomenon may be caused in particular by microtraumas of physical or chemical nature, such as excessively aggressive hair treatments, extreme climatic conditions, nervousness, diet, fatigue and pollution, but it has been demonstrated that dandruff conditions usually result from a disorder of the microflora of the scalp and are more particularly due to the excessive colonization of a fungus belonging to the family of yeasts of the Malassezia genus (previously known as Pityrosporum ovale) and which is naturally present on the scalp.
Many antidandruff treatments have been developed with the main objective of eradicating Malassezia yeasts from the scalp. Thus, the activity of the major antidandruff active agents of today, such as zinc pyrithione, piroctone olamine or selenium disulfide, is based mainly on their fungicidal property. However, these antidandruff agents are not completely satisfactory in terms of effectiveness (immediate effectiveness or duration of the effect) and/or in terms of impact on the environment.

Use, as antidandruff agent, of (ethoxyhydroxyphenyl) alkyl ketone or ethoxyhydroxyalkylphenol compounds

Abstract: in which:                R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon-based radical;        R′ represents a C1-C18 hydrocarbon-based radical, optionally substituted with a hydroxyl group;        C—X represents C═O or CH—OH.


A second coat film is formed on a first coat film containing a conductive substance, the second coat film having an expansion coefficient almost the same as the expansion coefficient of the first coat film under a sintering condition. The first and second coat films are sintered at the same time. Thus, a conductive anti-reflection film with sufficiently low surface resistance, excellent water resistance and chemical resistance, and reduced reflected light can be obtained. When the conductive anti-reflection film is used, a cathode ray tube that is almost free from the AEF (Alternating Electric Field) and that displays a high quality picture for a long time can be obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conductive anti-reflection film that functions an anti-reflection film and protects an AEF (Alternating Electric Field) from taking place, a fabrication method thereof, and a cathode ray tube having the conductive anti-reflection film formed on an outer surface of a face panel of a face plate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent year, it is pointed out that an electromagnetic wave generated in the vicinity of an electron gun and a deflection yoke of a Cathode ray tube used in TV sets and computers leaks out and may adversely affect an electronic unit disposed therearound.
To prevent the cathode ray tube from leaking out the electromagnetic wave (electric field), it is necessary to decrease the surface resistance of the face panel thereof. In other words, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application Nos. 61-118932, 61-118946, and 63-160140 disclose various surface treatment methods for preventing a face panel from being statically charged. With such methods, the alternating electric field (AEF) can be prevented from leaking out.
To prevent the face panel from being statically charged, the sufficient surface resistance of the conductive film is around 1.times.10.sup.11 ohms/.quadrature. or less. However, with such a surface resistance, the AEF cannot be prevented from taking place. To prevent the AEF from taking place, the surface resistance of the conductive film should be 5.times.10.sup.2 ohms/.quadrature. or less.
Examples of the method for forming a conductive film with a low surface resistance are gas phase methods such as PVD method, CVD method, and spattering method. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 1-242769 discloses a method for forming a low resistance conductive film corresponding to the spattering method. Since the gas phase method requires a large scaled machine for forming a conductive film, the investment cost for the machine is high. In addition, this method is not suitable for quantitative fabrication.
Moreover, the lower the specific resistance of a conductive material composing a conductive film, the higher conductivity can be obtained. Thus, when a conductive film containing metal particles is used, the AEF can be effectively prevented from taking place.
However, generally, even if a film containing metal particles is thin, it absorbs visible light. Thus, when the film is thick, the transmissivity of light in a short wave length region (blue region) decreases. Consequently, the luminance of the cathode ray tube decreases. When a conductive film is composed of only metal particles without a binder, since the bond force of the metal particles is insufficient. Thus, the film hardness is low. In contrast, when a conductive film is composed of metal particles with a binder, the resistance of the conductor film becomes high. Thus, sufficient conductivity cannot be obtained.
As another related art reference, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 6-208003 discloses a two-layered conductive anti-reflection film having a first layer that is a high refractive conductive layer containing conductive particles with a refractive index of 2 or more and a second layer that is a low refractive silica layer with a refractive index of 2 or less, the second layer being disposed on the first layer. In the two-layered conductive anti-reflection film, a light absorbing substance such as a coloring matter is contained so as to cause the color of the reflected light to be neutral and thereby suppress the reflected light from being colored. However, since the refractive index and reflectivity of the conductive layer containing metal particles are high, only with the light absorbing characteristics of the light absorbing substance, it is difficult to suppress the reflected light from being colored.
A method for forming a transparent conductive film is known as coating method or wet method. In this method, a solution in which transparent and conductive particles are dispersed is coated on a substrate and thereby a coat film is formed. The coat film is dried and hardened or sintered. For example, a solution of which particles of tin oxide containing Sb (ATO) or particles of tin oxide containing In (ITO) and a binder of silica (SiO.sub.2) are mixed and dispersed is coated on a substrate and thereby a coat film is formed. The coat film is dried and hardened or sintered and thereby a transparent conductive film is obtained. In such a transparent conductive film, conductive particles (of ATO or ITO) mutually contact and thereby conductivity is obtained. It is known that the conductive particles mutually contact by the following mechanism.
Just after the coat film has been formed on the substrate, the conductive particles do not mutually contact. Silica as a binder is present in a gel state between each conductive particle. By sintering the coat film at a temperature of 200.degree. C., the silica in the gel state is closely and densely formed. In this process, individual conductive particles mutually contact each other. Thus, the conductivity of the conductive particles is obtained.
Although the transparent conductive film formed in such a manner is conductive, since much insulation binder component of densely formed silica is present between each conductive particle, sufficient conductivity that prevents the AEF from taking place cannot be obtained.
To solve such a problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 8-102227 discloses a method for forming a transparent conductive film that prevents the AEF from taking place. The transparent conductive film is formed in the following manner. A solution in which conductive particles that do not contain polymer binder component are dispersed coated on a substrate. Thus, a first coat film containing the conductive particles is formed. Thereafter, a second coat film containing a silica binder or the like is formed on the first coat film. Thereafter, the first and second coat films are sintered at the same time. Thus, a transparent conductive film that has conductivity necessary for preventing the AEF from taking place is formed. In this method, when the silica gel contained in the second coat film is sintered and thereby densely formed, the first coat film is also densely formed. Thus, the conductive particles mutually contact each other and thereby sufficient conductivity can be obtained. When the solution containing the silica binder or the like is coated on the substrate, the binder slightly penetrates into the first coat film. However, since the amount of silica that penetrates into the conductive particles is small in comparison with the case that a mixture of conductive particles and silica binder is coated on the substrate, it is expected that the conductivity is improved.
However, in such a method, when the first and second coat films are sintered, since the second coat film is largely contracted than the first coat film, the conductive particles contained in the first coat film are unequally densified. Consequently, since a portion of which conductive particles do not mutually contact each other takes place, as the conductive film, sufficient conductivity cannot be obtained.

Conductive anti-reflection film, fabrication method thereof, and cathode ray tube therewith


An organic electroluminescence display device includes a thin film transistor substrate and a counter substrate, in which the thin film transistor substrate includes: a moisture blocking area that surrounds an outside of the display area and is made of only an inorganic material between the first substrate and the sealing film, and an auxiliary area between the display area and the moisture blocking area, and a thickness of areas of the counter substrate opposite to the auxiliary area and the moisture blocking area is thinner than a thickness of an area of the counter substrate opposite to the display area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic electroluminescence display device.
2. Description of Related Art
As a thin and lightweight light emitting source, attention has been paid to organic electroluminescent element light emitting elements. Image display devices having a large number of organic electroluminescent light emitting elements have been developed. The organic electroluminescent light emitting element has a structure in which an organic layer having a light emitting layer is sandwiched between an anode and a cathode.
As an organic electroluminescence display device of this type, for example JP 2008-047515 A discloses a configuration in which a discontinuous part of a flattening layer is formed in a non-display area that surrounds an outside of a display area. Also, JP 2004-335267 A discloses a configuration in which an organic interlayer insulating film in a peripheral area surrounding an outside of a pixel area is divided.

Organic electroluminescence display device


A local timer includes a dividing counter which counts a first clock and outputs a reference counting signal divided from the first clock; a timing synchronizing timer which counts a timing synchronizing timer value in synchronization with a reference timer responsive to the reference counting signal; a first buffer which stores a counted value of the dividing counter in synchronization with a second clock, when operation is by the first clock; a second buffer which stores the timing synchronizing timer value in synchronization with the second clock, when operation is by the first clock; a first adder which adds a first or second offset value to the stored value in the first buffer in synchronization with the second clock, when the first clock is suspended; and a second adder which adds a set value to the timing synchronizing timer value responsive to a carry from the first adder.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a local timer which is used in a wireless LAN(Local Area Network).
2. Description of the Related Art
A wireless LAN(Local Area Network) system uses an IEEE 802.11 standard. In an infrastructure mode, a beacon signal is transmitted from an access point. The beacon signal is received in a station. A copy of a TSF(Timing Synchronization Function) timer value is managed in the station based on a time stump field of the beacon signal frame. If the beacon signal is not received normally, the station can achieve a clock synchronization by referring the TSF timer value in the station.
In such a station, a 40-Mhz high-speed clock is generated and supplied to a base band LSI as a reference clock. The station has a power saving mode. In the power saving mode, a power consumption is reduced by suspending the supply of the high-speed clock.
While the high-speed clock is suspended, a suspending time is measured by another low-speed clock. Therefore, the wireless LAN station can reduce power consumption. Such technique is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open 2003-318771.
In the wireless LAN station which is described above, the TSF timer value which is operated in the high-speed clock should continuously be the same as the TSF time value which is operated in the high-speed clock with interval.
For achieving this operation, a suspending time of the high-speed clock is synchronized with the low-speed clock, and then, the TSF timer value which is operated after restarting is set to the TSF timer.
However, if the suspending time of the high-speed clock is synchronized with the low-speed clock, the high-speed clock is continued untill the next timing of the low-speed clock arrives. Therefore, it is difficult to reduce power consumption. Also, if the TSF timer value which is operated after restarting is set to the TSF timer, the TSF timer value which is set in the TSF timer may not be accurate.

Local timer which is used in wireless LAN


Methods and materials for producing meso-biliverdin are provided where the methods include reacting phycocyanobilin with an amphoteric compound in a solvent to yield meso-biliverdin.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to chemical compositions and their production. More specifically, it relates to meso-biliverdin and methods of producing meso-biliverdin.
2. Description of Related Art
Biliverdin IXα is the most common form of several biliverdin isomers found in nature (shown below).
Biliverdin IXα is produced in animals, plants and microbes. In biological processes, biliverdin IXα is known to undergo conversion to bilirubin IXα that in turn associates with cell membranes where it quenches the propagation of reactive oxygen species. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/939,880, filed on Nov. 4, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a production process for biliverdin IXα and its associated multiple uses.
Conventionally, biliverdin IXα and other biliverdin isomers are costly and difficult to produce, particularly in amounts that would be necessary for clinical studies and/or clinical applications. Thus, as exemplified in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/939,880, there is a need for new and improved production methods for biliverdin and associated isomers.

Meso-biliverdin compositions and methods


Methods, systems and computer program products for packet prioritization based on delivery time expectation. Exemplary embodiments include receiving a packet for routing, estimating a TimeToDestination for the packet, the estimating performed by a Internet Control Message Protocol, reading a TimeToDeliver field from each the Internet Protocol Header of the packet to extract data on when the packet needs to be at the destination, determining a MaxQueueDelay for the packet, the MaxQueueDelay calculated by subtracting the TimeToDeliver from the TimeToDestination, passing a lower priority packet if the lower priority packet has a lower MaxQueueDelay, and decrementing the TimeToDeliver by an amount of time the network router has had the packet in the queue before passing the packet to a next router, thereby communicating to the next router how much time is left before the packet must be delivered.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to routers and packet prioritization, and particularly to methods, systems and computer program products for packet prioritization based on delivery time expectation.
2. Description of Background
Currently packet priority schemes for networks provide hardcoded prioritization. This means that if packet A has priority over packet B then it will always be passed first. There are some instances where this is actually not ideal. If the requirement of packet A is to arrive within X ms and packet B should arrive within Y ms then the condition could exist that packet A is passed before packet B even if this means that packet B misses its delivery requirements and packet A arrives with plenty of time to spare.


A flotation device that converts an existing flexible round foam flotation piece into a flotation aid for recreational and/or exercise purposes. The flotation device is water resistant, lightweight, flexible and easy to carry and store. The round flotation piece, commonly known as a noodle, is inserted through a sleeve in the flotation device wherein the floating seat then takes shape. Due to the flexible characteristics of the invention, a wide range of body shapes and sizes provide a comfortable and stable flotation aid that allows the user to remain mostly submerged in the water with unrestricted movement of the arms and legs. In addition to a floating chair, other configurations utilizing the round flotation piece are possible by utilizing a reconfigured attachment device. For example, a flotation device can be made to form a floating raft by using a plurality of sleeves to mate with three round flotation pieces.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to water flotation devices designed to support a human for recreational and/or exercise purposes.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are several types of flotation devices for the pool and other various types of bodies of water. These devices typically include floating chairs, inflatable rafts, inner-tubes and large rigid foam pieces.
These flotation devices are cumbersome, rigid and limit one's movement in the water. For instance, devices requiring inflation necessitate the need for either an external air pump or a person to manually inflate the device with air from their lungs. This proves to be cumbersome and in the latter case, exhausting. Once the device is inflated, pin hole leaks can develop which allow air to escape causing them to deflate and gradually become less effective in their continued use, at which point the flotation device must either be re-inflated or the hole must be patched. Other drawbacks to existing flotation devices are that they hold the majority of one's body above the surface of the water which reduces the effect of the water on the body. This would allow one's body to become very hot while also greatly reducing the movement of the body for propulsion and/or exercise purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,561, issued to Langenohl on May 28, 1996, discloses making a pool float from a generally rectangular sheet of netting which is deformed to form sleeve segments in which a foam tube can be inserted. The shape of the flotation device that is obtained is limited.
Swim Ways Corp. of Virginia Beach, Va. markets a chair-like flotation device known as the FANNY FLOATER. In this design, permanently U-shaped foam block having a rectangular-shaped cross-section is fitted with three indentations which serve to hold in position three sleeves that are positioned around the foam block. A seat is provided by having a section of material extend from the left arm to the right arm and one section from the rear of the U-shaped block extending forward, thus forming a T-shaped seat. This design is limited to this particular shape. Further, the foam block is permanently shaped so that the device cannot be stored easily.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,036, issued to Hannigan on Nov. 5, 1996, discloses a flexible tube floating sling. In this design, a very long single foam tube is folded about itself in a U-shape and inserted in a pair of sleeves that support a sling-like structure. Again, this method of manufacture limits the shape that can be obtained.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,527, issued to Schober on May 3, 1994, discloses a pool chair adapted to be partially submerged in a swimming pool. The chair is designed to rest along the perimeter of the pool so that it is held in an upright, stationary position in order to allow a user to sit on the seat with the user's lower torso and legs submerged in the water while the user's head is above the water. Not withstanding the fact that the pool chair overcomes the limitation of holding the majority of one's body above the surface of the water, nonetheless, it is accomplished with a cumbersome and rigid construction which limits one's mobility throughout the pool due to the chair's dependency on the edge of the pool.
With respect to inner-tube type recreational devices, U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,885, issued to Karl on Mar. 22, 1994, discloses an attachable/detachable hammock-like seat designed to engage the central opening of the inner-tube to support users as they sit across the inner-tube's central opening. A user's head, arms and shoulders are over one end of the tube, with the feet over the other end. Unlike the Schober patent, this invention holds the majority of one's body above the surface of the water. In addition, the inflatable inner-tube device is subject to pin hole leaks which would allow air to escape, thus presenting a problem to the user; either re-inflate the inner-tube or patch the hole for continued use.
It would be an improvement on the current art to create a flotation device that is not cumbersome, rigid or limits one's movement in the water while holding the majority of one's body below the surface of the water. A benefit of holding one's body below the surface of the water would be to increase the effect of the water on the body such as preventing one's body from becoming very hot and to also increase the movement of the body for propulsion and/or exercise purposes. A device that overcomes the shortcomings as just described for a flotation device is not disclosed in the prior art.

Flotation device utilizing cylindrical foam tubes


A method and apparatus for encoding and decoding a video are provided. The method of encoding the video includes: determining whether a unidirectional motion estimation mode and a bidirectional motion estimation mode are to be used based on a size of a current prediction unit to be encoded, performing the motion estimation and the motion compensation on the current prediction unit according to the determining of whether the unidirectional motion estimation mode and the bidirectional motion estimation mode are to be used, determining an optimum motion estimation mode of the current prediction unit based on an encoding cost of the current prediction unit obtained through the performing of the motion estimation and the motion compensation, and encoding information indicating the determined optimum motion estimation mode based on the size of the current prediction unit.

1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to video encoding and decoding, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for encoding and decoding a video to reduce memory access for reading out data of a reference frame during motion compensation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to encode a video, one picture is split into predetermined data units such as macroblocks. Each of the macroblocks is prediction-encoded by using inter prediction or intra prediction.
Inter prediction which is a method of compressing an image by removing temporal redundancy between pictures uses motion estimation and motion compensation. The motion estimation predicts blocks of a current picture by using at least one reference picture. The motion estimation and the motion compensation are processes of searching for a reference block which is most similar to a current block in a predetermined search range by using a predetermined evaluation function and reading out data of the reference block which is most similar to the current block. In order to more accurately perform the motion estimation and the motion compensation, subpixels between integer pixels are generated by performing interpolation in the predetermined search range of the reference picture, and the motion estimation and the motion compensation are performed based on the reference picture having subpixel precision. In order to perform the motion estimation and the motion compensation at the subpixel precision, a process of interpolating data of the reference picture is needed.
In the related art, interpolation is performed by using a finite impulse response (FIR) filter having a predetermined tap number. An N-tap FIR filter interpolates a subpixel by using N neighboring integer pixels. In order to interpolate one subpixel in a process of performing interpolation by using an N-tap FIR filter, N reference pixels need to be read out from a memory. If both a horizontal component and a vertical component of a motion vector have a subpixel precision, since a two-dimensional (2D) interpolation process needs to be performed in horizontal and vertical directions, the number of times memory access is performed increases. The number of times memory access is performed for bi-directional motion is two times greater than the number of times memory access is performed for uni-directional motion estimation because two reference pictures are used.

Method and device for encoding and decoding video


The present invention relates to crystalline forms of ibrutinib, designated as Form S1, Form S2, Form S3, Form S4, and an amorphous form, designated as Form A1, and processes for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions comprising these forms, and their use for the treatment of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) mediated diseases.

Ibrutinib chemically is 1-[(3R)-3-[4-amino-3-(4-phenoxyphenyl)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-1-yl]-1-piperidinyl]-2-propen-1-one, represented by Formula I.

Ibrutinib is an inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK).
PCT Publication No. WO 2008/039218 discloses ibrutinib and a process for its preparation.
PCT Publication No. WO 2013/184572 discloses various crystalline forms of ibrutinib designated as Form A, Form B, Form C, Form D, Form E, and Form F.
PCT Publication No. WO 2015/081180 discloses crystalline Form I of ibrutinib.
Polymorphism, the occurrence of different crystal forms, is a property of some molecules. When polymorphism occurs, the molecules arrange themselves in two or more different ways in the crystal, giving rise to differences in crystal structures and physical properties like melting point, thermal behaviors. X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) pattern, infra-red absorption (IR) fingerprint, solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum (NMR), and solubility and mechanical properties. Thus, the discovery of new polymorphic forms of a molecule is important in the development of pharmaceuticals, as they may provide materials having desirable processing properties, such as ease of handling, ease of processing, storage stability, ease of purification, improved dissolution profile, and/or improved shelf-life.


A new class of compounds is disclosed that in preferred embodiments relate to Ru-based catalysts suitable for use in olefin metathesis reactions. Such compounds demonstrate high rates of catalytic turnover in comparison with other Ru catalysts known in the art. Moreover, the catalysts are highly stable, and readily suited to attachment to a solid support via the anionic ligands. The invention also pertains to methods of producing the catalysts, and their use in catalyzing olefin metathesis reactions.

Transition-metal catalyzed C—C bond modulation via olefin metathesis is of considerable interest and synthetic utility. Initial studies in this area were based on catalytically active mixtures consisting of transition-metal chlorides, oxides or oxychlorides, cocatalysts such as EtAlCl2 or R4Sn, and promoters including O2, EtOH or PhOH. These systems catalyze olefin metathesis reactions, however their catalytic centers are ill-defined and systematic control of their catalytic activity is not possible.
Recent efforts have been directed towards the development of well-defined metathesis active catalysts based on transition metal complexes. The results of research efforts during the past two decades have enabled an in-depth understanding of the olefin metathesis reaction as catalyzed by transition metal complexes.
Group VIII transition metal olefin metathesis catalysts, specifically ruthenium and osmium alkylidene complexes, have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,312,940 and 5,342,909 and U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 08/282,826 and 08/282,827, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. The ruthenium and osmium alkylidene complexes disclosed in these patents and applications are of the general formula:
wherein M is ruthenium or osmium, X and X1 are anionic ligands, and L and L1 are neutral electron donors.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,312,940 and 5,342,909 disclose specific vinyl alkylidene ruthenium and osmium complexes and their use in catalyzing the ring opening metathesis polymerization ("ROMP") of strained olefins. In all of the specific alkylidene complexes disclosed in these patents, R1 is hydrogen and R is either a substituted or unsubstituted vinyl group.
U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/282,826 and 08/282,827 disclose specific vinyl alkylidene ruthenium and osmium complexes and their use in catalyzing a variety of metathesis reactions. The catalysts disclosed in these applications have specific neutral electron donor ligands L and L1; namely, phosphines in which at least one substituent is a secondary-alkyl or cycloalkyl group. In all of the specific alkylidene complexes disclosed in the patent applications, R1 is hydrogen and R is either a substituted or unsubstituted vinyl group.
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,170, issued Oct. 19, 1999, discloses similar ruthenium or osmium catalysts, wherein L and L1 are each trialkyl phosphine ligands, where at least one of the alkyl groups on the phosphine is a secondary alkyl or cycloalkyl. The catalysts are suitable for catalyzing an array of metathesis reactions including ring-opening metathesis polymerization of cyclic olefins, ring closing metathesis of acyclic dienes, cross metathesis involving at least one acyclic or unstrained cyclic olefin, depolymerization of unsaturated polymers and synthesis of telechetic polymers.
In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,121, issued Aug. 29, 2000, reported novel ruthenium alkylidene compounds that are stable in the presence of a variety of functional groups and can be used to catalyze olefin metathesis reactions on unstrained cyclic and acyclic olefins. The alkylidene compounds disclosed comprise a compound of Formula I, wherein M is Os or Ru; R1 is hydrogen; R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, and substituted or unsubstituted aryl; X and X1 are independently selected from any anionic ligand; and L and L1 are independently selected from any neutral electron donor. The compounds are suitable for use in ROMP and ring closing metathesis reactions.
In further examples, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,121,473, and 6,346,652, issued Sep. 19, 2000 and Feb. 12, 2002 respectively, disclose compositions and methods generally involving molybdenum or tungsten-based catalysts of the general formula (II):
wherein K is preferably Mo or W, R1 and R2 each independently selected from C1–C12 alkyl, heteroalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl and adamantyl, and the linked oxygen atoms pertaining to a chiral dialkoxide. The compositions are suitable for use as catalysts for ring-closing metathesis reactions involving racemic dienes, in which enantiomeric cyclic olefin products are generated. Methods are also provided for catalytic enantioselective desymmetrization.
The teachings of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,959,170, 6,111,121, 6,121,473, and 6,346,652 are also incorporated herein by reference.
In a final example, International Patent publication WO00/71554, published Nov. 30, 2000 discloses ruthenium or osmium based metathesis catalysts that include an alkylidene group and an imidazolidine-based ligand. The inclusion of the imidazolidine ligand to the previously described ruthenium or osmium catalysts provides some improvements to the properties of these complexes. The imidazolidine ligand maintains the functional group tolerance of the previously described ruthenium complexes, and enhances metathesis activity.
Over the past decade, olefin metathesis has emerged as a powerful synthetic tool. For example, ring-closing metathesis (RCM) reactions and cross-metathesis reactions have had a major impact in organic synthesis, including natural products synthesis, (Ref. 1a–1c) while metathesis polymerization techniques have given access to a new class of polymer materials (Ref. 1d). Grubbs' development of robust, functional group-tolerant catalysts based on ruthenium (Ref. 1a) was a milestone in the still ongoing evolution of this methodology (see compound of Formula Ia, FIG. 1). Considerable current effort is directed at discovery of new Ru catalysts with expanded activity, selectivity, and lifetime (an important recent addition being highly reactive N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) derivatives; Ref. 2–4, 5a, for example see compounds of Formula 1b–1e, as shown in FIG. 1). While exchange of the neutral "L-donor" ligands in these systems is now facile, Ref. 2,5 the steric and electronic consequences are frequently dramatic. Fine tuning of activity and selectivity has remained elusive. In contrast, the Group 6 catalysts pioneered by Schrock afford exceptional control over activity and selectivity, including asymmetric ring-closing and ring-opening metathesis. (Ref. 1c, 6–8) Key to this versatility is the presence of modular, tunable aryloxide or alkoxide ligands, vs. the simple chloride ligands ubiquitous (Ref. 9–12) in the Ru chemistry.
While much effort has focused on modification of neutral "L-donor" ligands in the ruthenium systems (as noted above), modification of the anionic ligands is much less explored, and has so far met with limited success. Metathesis catalysts of low to moderate activity are obtained by replacing chloride with carboxylate (Ref. 9a, b, c): or by the use of heterobifunctional salicylaldimine (Ref. 9d), or NHC-naphtholate ligands (Ref. 10). Installation of alkoxide ligands affords four-coordinate species 2a/b (see FIG. 1, Scheme 1), (Ref. 11,12). Despite the nominal coordinative unsaturation of these complexes, they exhibit near-zero metathesis activity (Ref. 12; Table 1). Reaction of compound 1a or RuCl2(PiPr3)2(CHPh) with phenoxide anion gives alkylidynes (compounds 4a and 4b), via deprotonation of the benzylidene ligand. (Ref. 11)
There remains a continuing need to develop improved catalysts for olefin metathesis reactions, including, but not limited to, ring-opening metathesis polymerization, ring closing metathesis, cross-metathesis reactions (for example involving at least one acyclic or unstrained cyclic olefin), and depolymerization of olefin polymers.

Ruthenium compounds, their production and use


A device for removing a thin outer layer from the surface of a cartridge or tubular container such as a caulk cartridge for removal of ink, contaminant, adhesive, or printed or stamped label from the outside of the cartridge. The apparatus includes cartridge hopper and a cartridge handling mandrel or plunger which automatically removes a cartridge from the hopper aligning same for insertion of the cartridge axially through the throat of a spinning ring which contains at least one and preferably a plurality of inwardly extending knifes. The spinning knife distal end trims or peels off the label, adhesive, ink, imperfections, or even a thin film from an outer layer of a selected thickness effectively reconditioning the cartridge for reuse to be filled with virgin material or to be used as uncontaminated re-ground material to be sold as scrap.

Caulk and adhesive manufacturers and packaging companies such as General Electric, Corporation, Suncoco, Inc., or Dow Corning Corporation of Midland, Mich. often package caulk, adhesive or sealants for use in a cylindrical cartridge which are selected standard sizes and can be used in a mechanical or pressurized caulk guns. A standard size cartridge for consumer use holds one tenth of a gallon and measures about eight and one half inches long with a diameter of a little under two inches. During manufacture, an identification label is applied to the outside of cartridges typically using a silk screen or off-set printing process. In the silk screening process, a fine mesh screen covered by a stencil is held against the outside surface of the cartridge. The stencil is a sheet of material which is impenetrable with respect to the ink used. An image of the design to be printed onto the cartridge is removed from a sheet of material to create the stencil. As the screen and stencil come into contact with the cartridge, ink is applied by a roller, brush, squeegee or the like to the surface of the stencil and the exposed screen. The stencil allows only the ink passing through the open areas to contact and adhere to the cartridge.
Companies produce many thousands of cartridges per day so that even a small percentage of rejects due to label application problems, incorrect label information, or mislabeling amount to thousands of cartridges which must be either recycled, destroyed or reworked. Moreover, residual ink or paper left on the cartridge must be separated from scarp even in regrind to avoid contamination of new cartridges. It can be seen that the resulting loss translates into thousands of dollars of expense per day. Additionally, there is a limit to the amount of waste cartridges that can be recycled into new cartridges as regrind due to the different heat characteristics and chemical and physical properties of the regrind as compared with virgin feed material. Therefore, the unused and un-recyclable cartridges add to landfill volumes which costs manufacturers and society in a variety of ways.

Cartridge and tubular container trimming and refinishing apparatus for ink and label removal and method of use


In a cryptographic system, the unlocking of secret keys on a user system is audited and correlated with other events that typically occur after the secret key is used to perform a cryptographic operation. Audit evidence of secret key cryptographic operations is recorded for later review and/or analysis, for use as stored evidence of unauthorized activity and/or for use in refuting false claims of repudiation of authorized activity. Some systems might also provide users with user activity reports that can alert a user to suspicious or unauthorized activity using that user's access.

It is well know to control access to data, applications, etc., through the use of keys. As used herein, the term "resource" refers to anything that a computer system might control, such as data, an application, a message, a communication channel, equipment, etc. Controlling access might involve controlling, in whole or part, a user's ability to read, write, modify, control, alter, etc., the resource having a controlled access. Control might have multiple attributes, such that a given user might be granted a particular access to a resource under some conditions, but not others. For example, a user A might be allowed to modify a message if the user has certain attributes at some time of day, but not others. As another example, user B might be allowed access to a communication channel to effect a financial transaction, if time-of-day limitations are met, type of transaction limits are met and the transaction amount is within another limitation, but other, looser limitations would apply if the user provided additional authenticating data. It should be understood that a "user" in such systems could be a human user, a user computing device or system, or human operating a computer or device for such purposes.
In a well-designed access control system, a user cannot access a protected feature with less than some amount of effort, computing power and/or time. Thus, although a user with unlimited time and computing power might be able to bypass an access control system, that does not make the system not well-designed. Many access control systems use a cryptographic system to control access, wherein a user presenting a valid key to a resource, or to a server serving the resource, is provided access to the resource on the assumption that only authorized users could present valid keys.
Some cryptographic techniques use secret keys, where each valid key provides some access so users and systems generally keep them secret, and others use public/private key pairs, wherein free access to the public key of the pair is assumed and is used for creating data, messages, etc. usable only by those having access to the private key of the pair.
Both key techniques depend on secure protection of the secret key (or the private key of a public-private key pair), so that unauthorized users do not get access to resources when access is to be prevented for those users. Secure protection of secrets is also desirable when non-repudiation is a factor. Non-repudiation is a desirable feature of an access control system that goes beyond just access control in that instead of preventing a particular user from access to a resource, it allows a system operator to prove that a particular authorized user used a resource and did so in a particular manner. For example, where secret keys are used to control a financial transaction system and an authorized user can effect a transfer of funds to an account controlled by that authorized user if the authorized user presents a secret key indicating such authorization, a non-repudiation feature allows a system operator to later prove that the authorized user was in fact the user that made the transaction.
In addition to maintaining evidence to achieve defensible proof that the user performed a particular cryptographic operation, it is also desirable to maintain records of cryptographic activity in order to detect any suspicious or malicious activity. For example, it is desirable to maintain evidence that can be used to detect that an unauthorized user is performing cryptographic operations using an authorized user's secret key.
It is known to use cryptographic operations to audit cryptographic events after they take place. For example, many vendors offer systems implementing the Identrus™ Trust Network which is designed by Identrus, which is a consortium of financial institutions that creates business and operating rules in the area of digital identities. Examples of vendor implementations that implement auditing of cryptographic events within the Identrus requirements include Kyberpass' Kyberpass TrustPlatform (Kyberpass Identrus DSMS), Thales e-Security Assure Transaction, and SECUDE Digital Signature Management System (DSMS).
The above systems audit events that occur after a secret key is used, such as signature verifications and OCSP certificate validations. OCSP (Online Certificate Status Protocol) is described in Internet RFC 2560. While those auditing techniques are useful, they might miss security breaches, fail to detect breaches early enough for remedial action to take place and might not be suitable for limiting repudiation by authorized users.
It would be desirable to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art described above.

Auditing secret key cryptographic operations


A photometric apparatus and an automatic analyzer in which liquid samples contained in vessels are measured with light of different wavelengths while the vessels are transferred are provided. A photometric apparatus includes light sources that are arranged in the movement direction of a vessel and emit light of different wavelengths, light-receiving devices that are located opposing the light sources with the vessels interposed inbetween and receive light of different wavelengths emitted from the light sources. The arrangement length of light sources along the movement direction of the vessels is shorter than the arrangement pitch of the vessels.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photometric apparatus and an automatic analyzer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional automatic analyzers use photometric apparatuses that measure, using light of different wavelengths depending on what is to be measured, a reaction liquid in which a reagent and a test liquid react. An example of such automatic analyzers is a pre-spectroscopic automatic analyzer (e.g., see Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. H6-19079) in which light sources respectively emitting light of different wavelengths and light-receiving devices are located opposing each other and along an arrangement direction. The center angles among the light sources or light-receiving devices are the same as the center angle among reaction vessels set on a cuvette wheel. The automatic analyzer intermittently rotates the cuvette wheel to transfer the reaction vessels, which then cut across light axes of light of different wavelengths emitted from the light sources. On the basis of the light absorbance of the reaction liquid, the automatic analyzer analyzes a constituent concentration and the like of a specimen.
In the pre-spectroscopic automatic analyzer disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. H6-19079, light is dispersed into light of different wavelengths and then emitted from the light sources. When the automatic analyzer in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. H6-19079 intermittently rotates the cuvette wheel, a problem occurs in that some reaction vessels cut across only light axes of light of different wavelengths emitted from part of light sources. For example, in a photometric apparatus shown in FIG. 9, light sources L1-L5 respectively emit light (of wavelengths λ1-λ5), and light transmitted through a liquid contained in a reaction vessel C is received by the light-receiving devices R1-R5.
In the photometric apparatus shown in FIG. 9, suppose, for convenience of the description, that Nos. 1-27 are attached to reaction vessels C and arranged in the counterclockwise direction, that the 27 reaction vessels C are arranged on a cuvette wheel H, and that one intermittent rotation transfers a portion of the reaction vessels, i.e., seven reaction vessels C. Considering the rotation direction of the cuvette wheel H, No. 1 reaction vessel C is positioned right in front of the light source L1 and the light-receiving device R1. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram in which positions of the light sources L1-L5, the light-receiving devices R1-R5, and the reaction vessels C before the cuvette wheel H is rotated are viewed from the inside of the cuvette wheel H, and the reaction vessels C are arranged in a straight line.
To measure optical characteristics of liquids contained in the reaction vessels C, the cuvette wheel H in a state in FIG. 10 is rotated by one intermittent rotation in the clockwise direction, as represented by the arrow. Then, the reaction vessels C arranged on the cuvette wheel H are transferred to the right by seven units as shown in FIG. 11. As a result, Nos. 1-3 reaction vessels C cross the light sources L1-L5 so that the measurement of the optical characteristics of the liquids is completed with light of different wavelengths (wavelength λ1-λ5). Nos. 4-7 reaction vessels C, however, cross only some light sources emitting part of different wavelengths, and the measurement of the optical characteristics of the liquids may not be completed.
For example, when the light sources L1 and L2 and the light-receiving devices R1 and R2 are used to take a measurement, the measurement of the optical characteristics is completed for Nos. 1-6 reaction vessels C but not completed for No. 7 reaction vessel C as shown in FIG. 11.

Photometric apparatus and automatic analyzer


The invention relates to a method for calibrating a vectorial network analyzer having n measurement ports and at least 2n measurement locations (n>1) by successive measurement of the reflection and transmission parameters at different two-port calibration standards, which are connected between the measurement ports in any desired order and must all have a transmission path, and three different n-port calibration standards, which are connected between the measurement ports in any desired order and which are not permitted to show transmission and by calculation of error coefficient and scattering matrix [Sx] with the 10-term or 7-term multiport method. An object of the invention is to propagate a method for calibrating these vectorial network analyzer used for multiport measurement which permits a calibration with increased precision and considerable reproducibility of measurement.

Vectorial network analyzers (VNAs) serve for the precise measurement of electronic devices and components and also active and passive radiofrequency circuits and assemblies through to antennas.
The so-called scattering parameters of n-ports (n=1, 2, . . . ) are detected, which, if appropriate, are converted into 2n-pol-parameters (e.g., Z or Y parameters).
A so-called system error correction provides for the actual possibility of carrying out precise measurements using VNAs. In modem apparatuses, the measurement accuracy of VNAs is influenced almost exclusively by the possibility of realizing the calibration standards required for the system error correction.
As it is known, the reflection and/or transmission behavior of calibration standards, which are partly or completely known objects, is measured during the system error correction in the so-called calibration operation, at several measurement locations which are to optimize in position and amount.
From these measured values, correction data (so-called error variables or coefficients) are obtained by means of special computation methods. With this correction data and a corresponding correction calculation, measured values from which system errors of the VNA and of the leads (instances of coupling=crosstalk, mismatches=reflections) have been eliminated are obtained for any desired measurement object.
The customary form of description of the electrical behavior of components and circuits in radiofrequency technology is effected by means of the scattering parameters (also called S parameters). They link wave variables with one another, rather than currents and voltages. This representation is particularly adapted to the physical conditions.
The following relationship applies to, for instance, waves a1 and a2 running up to a two-port and the waves b1 and b2, which are respectively continuing in the opposite direction:
            (                                                  b              1                                                                          b              2                                          )        =                            (                                                                      S                  11                                                                              S                  12                                                                                S                  21                                                                              S                  22                                                              )                          ︸                      =                                                                            (              S              )                                                        (                                                            a                1                                                                                a                2                                                    )              ,wherein [S] is the scattering matrix identifying the two-port.
One known calibration method for a two-port model with 10 or 12 error variables is the so-called 10-tern or 12-term method. It is also referred to as SOLT (S: Short, O: Open, L: Load=Match, T: Thru) in the American literature and as TMSO in Europe. It is the only system calibration method for two-port network analyzers with just three measurement locations, wherein each measurement location is located at the common measurement channel for both ports before the switch which switches each time one of the ports for measurement, and further measurement locations, which are arranged at the measurement channel of each port. But in this arrangement of the measurement locations, the switch is integrated in the measurement of the calibration standards.
In the case of this TMSO calibration method, which is used the most often in practice, it is necessary for the two measurement ports to be connected (T=Thru). Three known one-ports, e.g. wave sink (M=Match), short circuit (S=Short) and open circuit (O=Open), then have to be contact-connected and measured at each measurement port.
The multiport measurement problem stems from the fact that all the measurement ports are coupled to one another via the measurement object. This means that it is no longer the case that a measure of the incoming wave is obtained at one measurement location, a measure of the reflective wave is obtained at the next measurement location, and a measure of the transmitted wave is finally obtained at a further measurement location, independent of the terminations of the multiport. Rather, it is additionally necessary to take into account the reflection properties of the other measurement ports in the model.

Calibration method for carrying out multiport measurements on semiconductor wafers


A semiconductor device includes a first memory; and a voltage adjusting portion configured to receive a first voltage, a second voltage higher than the first voltage, and a third voltage higher than the second voltage. The first memory includes: a memory cell configured to be connected to a word line and a bit line, a word-line driving circuit configured to drive the word line, and a sense amplifier configured to sense information stored in the memory cell. The voltage adjusting portion includes: a voltage modifying circuit configured to step down or boost up the third voltage at a predetermined mode to generate a fourth voltage higher than the second voltage, and supply the fourth voltage to the sense amplifier or the word-line driving circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and, more specifically, to a semiconductor device that uses a plurality of source voltages.
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese patent applications No. 2007-138627 filed on May 25, 2007 and No. 2008-95835 filed on Apr. 2, 2008, the disclosure of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known that there is a semiconductor device which operates by using a plurality of types of internal source voltages. The semiconductor device selectively uses the plurality of internal source voltages depending on types of internal circuits. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a structure of such typical semiconductor device. This semiconductor device 101 receives a source voltage VDD (e.g. 1.5 V) and a ground voltage GND (e.g. 0 V) supplied from outside. The semiconductor device 101 includes a memory macro 102, a step-down circuit 111, a step-down circuit 112, a reference power supply 113, a negative pump (N-pump) 114, and a positive pump (P-pump) 115.
The memory macro 102 is a DRAM core, which includes a cell array core 103 for storing data and a peripheral circuit 104 for controlling the cell array core 103. The cell array core 103 includes a plurality of cells arranged in matrix, a plurality of sense amplifiers, a word-line driving circuit, a bit-line precharge circuit, and a sense amplifier driving circuit. The peripheral circuit 104 includes a decoder and a controller.
The step-down circuit 111 reduces the source voltage VDD to generate a High-side source voltage VPD (e.g. 1.2 V) of a bit-line precharge transistor, and outputs it to the cell array core 103. The step-down circuit 112 decreases the source voltage VDD to generate a source voltage VSA (e.g. 1.0 V) for a sense amplifier SA, and outputs it to the cell array core 103. The reference power supply 113 reduces the source voltage VSA for the sense amplifier SA to generate a reference voltage HVDD (e.g. 0.5 V), and outputs it to the cell array core 103. The N-pump 114 reduces and inverts the source voltage VDD to generate a Low-side voltage VKK (e.g. −0.4 V) at the time of driving a word line and to generate a substrate potential VBB (e.g. −0.4 V) of a selection transistor, and outputs those to the cell array core 103. The P-pump 115 boosts up the source voltage VDD to generate a High-side voltage VPP (e.g. 2.5 V) at the time of driving the word line, and outputs it to the cell array core 103.
Conventionally, the source voltage VDD supplied to the entire circuits of the semiconductor device 101 is the same or higher voltage than the source voltage VSA that is supplied for the sense amplifier SA. Therefore, the source voltage VSA is generated directly from the source voltage VDD or generated by reducing the source voltage VDD. In a general-purpose DRAM, in particular, there is less number of bit-line divisions and the load capacity is large. Thus, an operating current Isa of the sense amplifier SA is large. Therefore, when comparing it with a word line current Iword, there is found a relation "Iword<Isa". Thus, it is essential to generate the operating current Isa from the VDD power supply that has a sufficient current supply capability. There is also the same tendency found when generating other voltages. Lately, there are also cases where the source voltage VPP is supplied from outside, because the electric current efficiency is poor when the source voltage VPP for driving the word lines is generated from the source voltage VDD.
As an example of the semiconductor device that operates by using a plurality of types of source voltages, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication JP-A-Heisei 11-213667 discloses a semiconductor memory device. This semiconductor memory device includes an input circuit, a peripheral circuit, a memory array portion, a first internal step-down circuit, and a second internal step-down circuit. The memory array portion includes memory cells arranged in matrix. The first internal step-down circuit reduces source voltages supplied from an output circuit and an external terminal to generate a first internal voltage. The second internal step-down circuit reduces the source voltage supplied from the external terminal, and generates a second internal voltage that has an absolutely larger voltage value than the first internal voltage. When the semiconductor memory device operates as a first power supply version where the source voltage supplied from the external terminal is set to have an absolutely larger voltage value than the second internal voltage, the first internal voltage generated by the first internal step-down circuit is supplied to the memory array portion, the second internal voltage generated by the second step-down circuit is supplied to the input circuit and the peripheral circuit, and the source voltage is supplied to the output circuit. In the meantime, when the semiconductor memory device operates as a second power supply version where the source voltage supplied from the external terminal is set to have an equal voltage value as that of the second internal voltage, the first internal voltage generated by the first internal step-down circuit is supplied to the memory array portion, the output of the second internal step-down circuit is isolated from the input circuit and the peripheral circuit, and the source voltage is supplied to the input circuit, the peripheral circuit, and the output circuit.
We have now discovered the following facts. Recently, thickness of gate oxide films of transistors in logic circuits has been made thinner in order to achieve a high-speed operation/a low electric current. In that case, the source voltage VDD of the logic circuit in the case of FIG. 1 is reduced to 1.0 V or less. In the meantime, it is necessary for the source voltage VSA for the sense amplifier SA to be set as about 1.0 V, because of an operation limit voltage of the sense amplifier. In general, a voltage fluctuation of ±10% is tolerated for the source voltage VDD. When the source voltage VSA is to be generated from the source voltage VDD that has an apparent decrease in its voltage value, it becomes necessary to boost up the voltage for generating the source voltage VSA when the source voltage VDD is reduced due to a fluctuation of the voltage. In such case where the source voltage VSA is generated from the source voltage VDD by boosting up, an efficiency of generating the voltage becomes deteriorated largely. In the meantime, if the source voltage VSA is generated without boosting up, an operation speed of the sense amplifier becomes deteriorated. It is therefore desired to achieve a technique which can supply the source voltage efficiently without deteriorating the operation speed of the sense amplifier and without being affected by the operation limit voltage.

Semiconductor device that uses a plurality of source voltages


A method for securing data and resetting a password using a content protection key is provided, in which the content protection key itself is protected by a password. A content protection key is also protected at a data storage device with a key encryption key generated in collaboration with an additional device such as a server. The server stores a private key required to regenerate the key encryption key, but this private key is not provided from the server to the data storage device; rather, a public key derived from the private key is provided by the server. The data storage device combines the received public key and a further private key to derive the key encryption key; the further private key itself is not stored by the data storage device, but rather its matching public key is stored. The content protection key is then encrypted using a password and the derived key encryption key. If the password is lost, data from the server and from the data storage device may be combined to recreate the key encryption key.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to the field of computer and network security, and in particular to password administration.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data stored in the memory of a communication and/or computing device, such as a mobile communication device, may be secured by encrypting using a content protection key. This key, in turn, is preferably protected by, or derived in part from, a user-entered password, PIN, or other piece of user-supplied data. This is one means to ensure that sensitive data stored on the communication device is accessible only by a designated user.
Because user-entered passwords are often dependent on the user mentally recalling the password, it is sometimes necessary for the user, an administrator or other person to reset the user's password to another value when the user forgets the existing password. The resetting procedure may be invoked remotely from another device in communication with the user's device, for example from a server located on the same network as the user's device. However, when content protection is enabled and data on the communication device is encrypted using a content protection key protected by or derived from the existing user password, the content protection key cannot be recovered without the existing user password. If the user cannot recall the existing password, the protected data is rendered inaccessible.
It is therefore desirable to provide a system and method for resetting a password that is used to protect or derive a content protection key on a device from a remote location, while continuing to provide access to device content that is encrypted using the content protection key.

System and method for remote reset of password and encryption key


Managing cross-store relationships to data objects is disclosed. Specifically, cross-store relationships to data objects stored in a potentially dynamically changing set of persistent data stores is provided through a relationship definition that identifies a type of object to which the relationship pertains and specifies a property to be used to determine, which, if any, objects of the identified type are to be included in the relationship; by determining dynamically which, if any, currently available objects of the identified type have the specified property; and making available from among the objects of the identified type available at that time, if any, those objects, if any, that have the specified property.

Traditional implementations of object-storage mapping frameworks focus on enterprise client/server databases and only allow for a fixed configuration of databases or persistent data stores. In addition, in a typical prior art system, relationships between data objects are defined rigidly, e.g., using identifiers such as primary keys, pointers, etc. Relationships that are implemented using such identifiers between objects are very explicit. Thus, if for example, a pointer exists from a first type of object to second type of object and even one instance of an object of the second type becomes unexpectedly unavailable, such that the relationship is no longer valid for the corresponding instance of an object of the first type, the relationship fails for all associated objects of the affected types, resulting in a broader failure of one or more client contexts or other applications or processes that had been using the affected objects.
In some modern environments, the set of available data objects may change dynamically during runtime, e.g., as data sources (removable media, mobile systems and devices, etc.) are added or removed from access via a network. As such, there is a need for a way to define and manage more flexibly relationships to target data objects, including across multiple and potentially dynamically changing persistent data stores, so that processes associated with such relationships do not fail as the universe of available data objects changes at runtime.


An example system comprises one or more base stations, each base station associated with a cell, a Channel-to-Subscriber Management Entity operable to register a channel and a plurality of subscribers to that channel, wherein each subscriber is located in at least one of the cells, and a router operable to send media content associated with the channel to the one or more base stations, wherein each base station is operable to transmit the content to the subscribers in its cell at the same time.

Traditional broadcast stations transmit data to millions of users at the same time. For instance, a television (TV) station may have one or more broadcast antennas that transmit a signal over a large geographic area. Viewers in that area tune their receivers to the operating frequency of the station to receive the data. In terms of the number of transmissions needed to reach viewers, this system is efficient in that one broadcast transmission can reach millions of users at a time.
The opposite of a broadcast transmission is a point-to-point transmission. Examples of point-to-point transmissions are telephone calls wherein person A calls person B. The cellular telephone system represents one category of point-to-point communication systems. As cellular telephone service providers have increased their sophistication and services offered, more and more consumers have come to rely on cellular telephone systems for services beyond basic voice calls. Examples include browsing the Internet, retrieving email and downloading content that helps personalize the cellular telephone.
In recent years, traditional cellular service providers have tried various ways to send the same content to a group of wireless users. For instance, some providers offer news services, wherein a wireless user may sign up for news content to be delivered as Short Message Service (SMS) messages to his or her phone. Currently, if one thousand wireless users are all entitled to receive the same news content, the wireless provider sends individual messages to each user with the content therein. Thus, to reach one thousand users, one thousand message transmissions are needed. This is much different than the broadcast TV example above, because of the point-point nature of the cellular system.
Sending such a large number of messages, containing identical content, in a short time is an inefficient use of network capacity. It may congest the network, preventing other messages from being delivered in a timely manner. It may also require the wireless service provider to invest in more equipment in order to cope with usage spikes that occur at particular times of the day.

Broadcast system and method for cellular networks


An image sensing system is disclosed. The image sensing system includes a signal determination unit which recognizes a saturated region of an image obtained by photoelectric conversion where the signal level is saturated, and a desaturated region where the signal level is not saturated, and determines whether an inner region serving as a desaturated region surrounded by the saturated region exists.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal processing device, image sensing system, and signal processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has conventionally been proposed an amplifier type image sensing system, particularly a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensing system, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-24949. Compared to a CCD image sensing system, the CMOS image sensing system has various merits: 1) it has low noise, 2) it has small power consumption, 3) it is drivable by a single power supply, and 4) its light-receiving portion and peripheral circuit are manufacturable by the same process.
In the CMOS image sensing system, when extremely bright light enters a pixel in capturing an image of the sun or the like, the luminance component of the pixel signal of the pixel attenuates, and the gray level of the pixel may drop to black (bright light image inversion phenomenon).
To avoid this phenomenon, according to the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-24949, it is determined that bright light image inversion phenomenon has occurred when the signal level reaches the saturation signal level. A process (to be referred to as a removal process hereinafter) to remove a pixel reset signal from an electrical signal output from the photoelectric converter stops unconditionally. This can prevent bright light image inversion phenomenon.
However, even if the signal level reaches the saturation signal level, bright light image inversion phenomenon may or may not occur. In this case, stopping the removal process unconditionally may increase fixed-pattern noise. As a result, noise may be superposed in the finally obtained image, degrading image quality.

Signal processing device, image sensing system, and signal processing method


An image display apparatus is disclosed that includes an image projecting unit that projects a projection image on a projection screen, a written image capturing unit that captures a written image of a writing screen that is arranged opposite the projection screen, a written image area extracting unit that extracts a written image area from the captured written image captured by the written image capturing unit, an image compositing unit that composites the written image area extracted by the written image area extracting unit and the projection image projected by the image projecting unit. The written image area extracting unit includes an external light value detecting unit that detects an external light value and an image processing unit that performs an image correction process on the captured written image based on the external light value detected by the external light detecting unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display apparatus, an image display method, and an image display program adapted for compositing a projection image projected on a projection screen and a written image written on a writing screen, extracting the written image as electronic information, and processing the written image.
2. Description of the Related Art
In addition to having basic functions for displaying visual information such as characters, figures, and images on a display screen, an image display apparatus is starting to have interactive functions for enabling the apparatus to work closely with a user.
Such functions may have developed in view of the recent technological advancements in information processing apparatuses such as the computer which is used to configure the system of the image display apparatus. Also, the fact that the image display apparatus is often used in situations demanding efficient execution of complicated processes involving interactive operations by the user may have created incentives for developing such functions.
For example, in a situation where the image display apparatus is used in a conference or a seminar in which participants discuss the contents of the image information displayed on the display screen, the image display apparatus may desirably have a function for inputting information describing matters discussed during the course of the conference/seminar as electronic information in a personal computer which function may enable a participant to write information over the image information displayed on the display screen as is necessary in leading the discussion.
In view of such circumstances, image display apparatuses have been developed that are adapted to realize image display and image writing on the same screen and extract the written image as electronic information.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-71192 discloses an image display apparatus that uses an image capturing device such as a CCD camera to capture images of written characters and figures as electronic image information, determines a representative color based on the RGB value of the written image information, and performs color conversion of the written image information into the determined representative color to extract the written image information. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-354171 discloses an image display apparatus that measures the external light in the used environment, switches the color of a projected image of an image projecting apparatus such as a projector to black or white according to the measured external light, and changes the color of a written image in order to obtain a composite image including a high quality written image that is not influenced by external light.
However, the technique disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-71192 does not take into account variations in external light so that when the image display apparatus is used in a very dark environment (e.g., inside a room with the lights turned off) or a very bright environment (e.g., environment in which sunlight seeps through the display screen), the accuracy of color distinction involving determining a representative color based on the RGB value of a written image and distinguishing the written color may be degraded.
Also, although the technique disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-354171 takes into account the variations in external light in adjusting the color of a written image to thereby achieve advantageous effects in improving the quality of the composite image from which a written image is extracted (i.e., an image suitable for having written information extracted therefrom may be stably obtained under any usage environment), with regard to image processes for extracting the written image from the composite image (e.g., background removal, shading correction, color conversion), effective measures that take into account such variations in external light to accurately extract the written image are not proposed so that the accuracy of written image extraction may be degraded in such image processes including color distinction and recognition of the written image, for example.
As can be appreciated, prior art techniques as described above have problems with regard to accurately extracting a written image from a composite image taking into account variations in external light conditions that may vary depending on the usage environment of the image display apparatus.

Image display apparatus, image display method, and image display program


An optical recording disc is constituted by laminating a substrate, a reflective layer, a third dielectric layer, a light absorption layer, a second dielectric layer, a metal recording layer, a first dielectric layer and a light transmission layer in this order, and is constituted so that when a laser beam is irradiated onto the optical recording disc from the side of the light transmission layer, the metal recording layer is deformed and/or is changed in quality to form a state-changed region in the metal recording layer and the second dielectric layer and the light absorption layer are deformed and/or are changed in quality to form state-changed regions in the second dielectric layer and the light absorption layer, whereby a recording mark is formed in the metal recording layer, the second dielectric layer and the light absorption layer.

The present invention relates to an optical recording disc and, particularly, to an optical recording disc which can record data therein and reproduce data therefrom even in the case where the lengths of a recording mark and a blank region between neighboring recording marks which constitute the data are shorter than the resolution limit and whose storage capacity can be markedly increased.

Abstract: In the thus constituted optical recording disc, even in the case where the length of the recording mark and the length of a blank region between neighboring recording marks are shorter than the resolution limit, it is possible to record data constituted by a recording mark train including the recording mark and the blank region in the optical recording disc and reproduce the data therefrom in a desired manner and markedly increase the storage capacity of the optical recording disc.


A modular transfer station for a passenger conveyance system including a multiple of modular transfer station modules, each of the multiple of modular transfer station modules includes a static structure. A method of assembling a modular transfer station for a passenger conveyance including assembling a first interface lane alignment module to a second a second modular transfer station parking module, wherein each of the multiple of modular transfer station modules includes a generally equivalent static structure.

The present disclosure relates to a passenger conveyance system and, more particularly, to a modular transfer station therefor.
Ropeless elevator systems typically have new build requirements where all connected lanes must have the same dimensions to allow elevator cars to move from one lane to another. The lateral movement mechanism for movement of the elevator cars between lanes typically includes a horizontally disposed transfer station that supports elevator car carriages that, in turn, support the elevator cars.
Installation of the transfer station typically requires precise reference across lane groups.