An interconnect transceiver for transmitting and receiving optical signals, comprising an electronics module with a transceiver engine, and a photonics module with a laser source, a modulator, a photodetector to monitor the laser, one to receive an external optical signal, and a controller to operate the laser source and the laser source modulator, an electronic switch having two states is proposed. The first state is to allow monitoring of the modulated laser source by the transceiver engine, so as to acquire a reference set of operating parameters, and the second state is where a signal from the modulated laser source is directed to the controller, such as to allow real-time control of the source of the transmitting laser and modulator by the controller.

Large scale data centers (DC) and high-performance computing (HPC) systems require increased computing power at higher energy efficiency. The considerable power consumed by such operations is a main source of concern, as well as determining factor, for the next generation of interconnect technologies. As a result, the energy per bit of each candidate for an interconnect is a key indicator of its feasibility and qualifications for these applications. In the last decade, the transmission rates of optical interconnect technology in IEEE 802.3 standards have evolved from 10 Gbps to 200 Gbps and 400 Gbps, and industry standards are currently being considered for rates of 800 Gbps and beyond.
As such, various schemes and architectures have been proposed for satisfying the upcoming requirements, with a focus on high-density, small footprint, small power consumption, and support for scalability. In particular, the energy per bit of an interconnect transceiver (TRX) module, expressed in Joules per bit (J/b), is a key metric. Such technologies are desirable to support operations under un-cooled environments, where temperature can typically vary between 20° C. and 70° C., making the optimization of reliability, power consumption and footprint even more challenging.
To address the needs in interconnect design, various modulator technologies and architectures have been proposed, including Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) based modulators, vertically emitting laser modulators (VECSEL), electro-absorption modulator (EAM), and others. A quantitative and qualitative comparison of such emerging technologies is discussed in prior art (e.g. C. A. Thraskias, et al., "Survey of Photonic and Plasmonic Interconnect Technologies for Intra-Datacenter and High-Performance Computing Communications," IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials, Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 2757-2783, Fourth Quarter 2018).
Microring resonators are one of the possibilities that have been extensively studied and evaluated for modulation applications. A microring resonator (MRR)-based modulator is small in size and efficient in power consumption. It can support the high data rates needed for the next generations of interconnect technologies. Further, it can support easy scalability for wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) architectures, where terabits of data are carried on a single strand of fiber, which can support high densities, as well as easy and inexpensive cabling management.
While MRR-based modulators address most of the requirements for interconnect technologies, they also present some serious technical challenges, a significant one being that of control. In other words, an ongoing technical challenge is to provide for efficient and reliable control of MRR-based modulators. Because an MRR is a resonance-based modulator (as its name indicates), its performance is highly sensitive to the tuning capability of the resonance points and the laser wavelength. An MRR modulator should be kept at an optimized operating point. A controller is then meant to keep the MRR modulator tuned to an adequate operating point even when its temperature, laser power, laser wavelength, DC bias, etc. change.
Many of the control schemes described in the literature mainly use advanced electro-optic systems and architectures that control the circuitry to measure the operation of a transmitter circuit during the startup phase, so as to find optimal adjustments for control metrics such as power, heater, drive voltage, radio-frequency (RF) swing etc.
Control circuits are expected to operate at lower speeds, and to be much more inexpensive than those of a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) TRX engine operating at data rates on the order of 100 Gbps. Control bandwidths are usually orders of magnitude lower than data rate bandwidths. This is due to costs, complexity, power consumption and size limitations. These lower control bandwidths inherently limit the control system's capacity to properly assess and evaluate the quality of the modulated data at much higher rates. Other factors, to be explained below, further complicate the control system's task of finding an optimal operating point.
Fabrication errors and uncertainties add to the confusion of the control system, such as what to choose as a reference point to which to lock the controller. Therefore, various approaches try to perform a metric measurement (OMA, power etc.) as reliably as possible, in order to assess the quality of modulations. Knowing a reference point in advance is difficult because, for various reasons, chip characteristics as tested can be significantly different from their design targets. For instance, significant variations in nominal resonance wavelength of the ring, Q factor, heating efficiency etc. can be observed. In particular, the optimal adjustments for electro-optic circuitry such as electric DC biasing, RF levels, and optimal relative locations for the laser and ring resonator will be critical, and need to be adjusted on a per-module basis. As such, optimal adjustments will typically differ from module to module. A universal reference point is not expected to be very useful, particularly for a product considering all risks of fabrication.
Control complexity becomes significant, given that a silicon photonic-based structure has a significant uncertainty in the nominal location of its resonance. Lasers (to support inexpensive solutions) have unknown initial power and wavelength, and the electric losses of the lines are not fully known until they are realized. Therefore, knowing the optimal operation conditions of the transmitter is hardly possible, if not impossible.
The challenges of a controller become significant especially when operating at much larger input optical powers. The power going to each MRR is impacted by the "link-budget" requirements to have a reliable system engineering. Due to the insertion loss cost of an MRR, the coupling loss to and from a chip (such as in silicon-photonics), the cable and connector loss, etc., it is highly desirable to have MRRs operating at much higher optical powers than what has been presented in the literature. High powers create many problems known as optical nonlinearities, which effectively change the loss at the microring (and hence its modulation efficiency). These indicate the occurrence of two-photon absorption (TPA), which increases self-heating effects. These effects are studied in the recent paper of M. De Sea, et al. "Power handling of silicon microring modulators," Optics-Express, Vol. 27, No. 17, 19 Aug. 2019). High-power regime operations also create instability issues, as well as pattern dependency (at sub-data rates), which means that an MRR modulator may swing between states following any perturbation. This further indicates the importance of control mechanism in such architectures.
Many proposals in the prior art are efficient in their context, but suffer from various issues mainly related to finding initial optimal operating points, which is required for product implementation and commercialization. Most of these architectures are proposed for conditions where the input power to an MRR is very small (below 0 dBm), and hence the modulator is in linear state, making the control fundamentally easy and straightforward. Additionally, the cost of adding expensive electro-optic hardware and corresponding control software to find the OMA (or related metrics) is not negligible for production and commercialization. Most solutions focus on non-return-to-zero (NRZ) applications (when a signal has only two levels "0" and "1") and can hardly scale to other constellation schemes such as pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4 or PAM-8) and beyond. Control schemes typically require high-bandwidth (very fast) photodetectors, digital-to-analog convertors (DACs), and control non-trivial algorithms with dead zones.
In "A Mach-Zehnder Modulator Bias Controller Based on OMA and Average Power Monitoring," Kim et. al., IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, vol. 29, No. 23, December 2017, an integrated circuit for Mach-Zehnder Modulator (MZM) bias control is described and demonstrated. The circuit, which includes a digital-to-analog converter, analog-to-digital converter, trans-impedance amplifier, power detector, track-and-hold circuit, comparator, and digital controller, purportedly determines the optimal MZM bias voltage and maintains this bias voltage by monitoring average modulated power. However, the OMA monitoring circuit proposed in this publication (e.g. in the upper part of FIG. 2) adds significant complexity to the controller, and must be designed specifically for the transmitter being used.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,110,302 describes an optical device comprising a transmitter module, a receiver module, and a switch coupling to the transmitter module, the receiver module, and transmitter and receiver fibers. A monitor mode is available for monitoring of the transmitter fiber or the receiver fiber. However, further innovations, additions and variations in such a device are possible.
In summary, a controller either needs to know in advance what point to tune to, which is significantly challenging considering the uncertainties of the fabrication process and per-module behavior, or it needs sophisticated electro-optical circuitry to properly measure performance under optimal alignment, and then lock on to that optimal tuning point. However, when there is a change in the technology, baud-rate, modulation format, signal power or other metrics, the control system's design and circuitry have to be re-evaluated for further iterations of the interconnect product, which is not desirable. Various prior art schemes lack a guaranteed solution that is agnostic to these parameters.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and apparatus for optical interconnect transceiver control that obviates or mitigates one or more limitations in the prior art.
This background information is intended to provide information that may be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.

Optical modulator control system for interconnect transceivers


A multi-use tool having a generally “J” shaped hook structure which has a top portion, a middle shank portion attached to the top portion, and a curved bottom portion attached to the middle shank portion. The top portion has a loop portion to which a rope, life-line or escape line can be fastened. The curved bottom portion extends to a beveled tip. The multi-use tool also has a protruding member that extends from the curved bottom portion and has a substantially flat top surface and a substantially flat bottom surface.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a multi-use tool for use by a firefighter.
(2) The Problem to be Solved
It is common for firefighters to enter burning buildings and houses to rescue occupants and/or to extinguish the fire. Many times, firefighters will enter a room or area of the building through an entrance, but are unable to leave because the entrance has become engulfed in flames. A situation like this occurred in New York City. In that fire, five firemen were forced to jump from a fifth story window when fire engulfed the apartment within which they were located. Two of the firemen died upon hitting the ground and the other three firemen sustained life-threatening injuries.
What is needed is a multi-use tool that, in addition to performing other functions, enables trapped firemen to suspend themselves outside a window or other opening in a burning building until they are rescued or the fire is extinguished.


A station (STA) may receive, in a trigger frame in a multi-user wireless local area network (WLAN), control information for one or more sub-bands of a bandwidth available for overlapping basic service set (OBSS) spatial reuse (OBSS SR) and a transmission power parameter for the one or more sub-bands. The STA may generate a physical (PHY) layer preamble including a signal field that includes an indication of the one or more sub-bands for SR and a power threshold for the SR.

A WLAN in Infrastructure Basic Service Set (BSS) mode may have an Access Point (AP) for a BSS and/or one or more stations (STAs) associated with the AP. The AP may have an access and/or interface to a Distribution System (DS) and/or another type of wired/wireless network that may carry traffic in and/or out of the BSS. Traffic to STAs that originates from outside the BSS may arrive through the AP and/or may be delivered to the STAs. Traffic originating from STAs to destinations outside the BSS may be sent to the AP and/or may be delivered to the respective destinations. Traffic between STAs within the BSS may be sent through the AP where the source STA may send the traffic to the AP. The AP may deliver the traffic to the destination STA. Traffic between STAs within a BSS may be peer-to-peer traffic. Peer-to-peer traffic may be sent directly between the source and destination STAs with a direct link setup (DLS) using an 802.11e DLS and/or an 802.11z tunneled DLS (TDLS). A WLAN using an Independent BSS (IBSS) mode might not have an AP, and/or an STA may communicate directly with other STAs. This mode of communication may be referred to as an "ad-hoc" mode of communication.

Sub-channelization in a wireless local area network (WLAN)


A method of transferring a transaction workload of a primary process pair. The primary pair has access to a stable storage volume for storing data items and a log for storing transaction processing updates to data items. A backup process pair is established for the primary pair and information is transferred thereto so that it can take over for the primary pair should that pair fail. Additionally, a lock table is maintained and update records are written to the log by the primary pair. The update records include any locks from the lock table that related to the update records. When a failure of the primary pair occurs, the storage volume is locked, and the backup pair reads the log to reconstruct a lock table. Once the locks have been reconstructed, the lock on the storage volume is released and the backup pair operates to process the workload.

Currently, large transaction processing systems are distributed systems formed from a plurality of clusters interconnected by a network called an external switching fabric 36. FIG. 1A shows such a plurality of clusters 10, 12, 14, 16, which is also called a constellation 18. Clusters 10–16 are so designated because they comprise nodes interconnected by an internal switching fabric 20, 22, 24, 26. Each node 28a–c, 30a–c, 32a–c, of a cluster is a server unit that includes processing units and controllers that enable a processing unit to access stable (non-volatile storage). Stable storage is storage that survives a failure of the processing unit. A processing unit includes a central processor and memory, each independent of the other processing units, such that a failure of one processing unit does not cause a failure of another processing unit. The memory of each processing unit is dedicated to the central processor of the processing unit. That is, the memory is not shared by other processing units.
FIG. 1B is a block diagram of an exemplary cluster 10, 12, 14, 16 with three processing unit pairs 40a–b, 42a–b, 44a–b, each processing unit being connected to pair of interprocessor buses 46, 48 that constitute the internal switching fabric 20 of the cluster, though other numbers of processing units and other types and numbers of buses are possible. Each processing unit pair 40a–b, 42a–b, 44a–b is connected to a corresponding controller pair 50a–b, 52a–b, 54a–bto have redundant access to the device controlled by the controller. Controller pair 50a–b is connected to storage volumes 56a–b and controller pair 54a–b is connected to storage volumes 58a–b, while controller pair 52a–b is connected to a communications unit 60. Storage volumes 56a–b, 58a–b are not required to be physically present in the cluster. In some embodiments, the storage volumes are part of a large storage system to which each of the processing units has access.
A cluster 10, 12, 14, 16, as shown in FIG. 1, can become inoperable or become inaccessible for a period of time. Inaccessibility can occur when software operating on the cluster must undergo a major overhaul or if there is a communication failure in the external switching fabric 36 that isolates a cluster from the other clusters in the constellation 18. When such a failure occurs, it is desirable to make the cluster failure relatively unobservable to the users of the system. One solution is to have a spare system that acts as a hot standby to the failed cluster. However, this is exceedingly expensive if the inoperable or inaccessible cluster is large.
Thus, there is a need for an improved system and method for handling cluster inoperability or inaccessibility without a hot standby. Often, if a locking scheduler is used to schedule transactions, the locks held by the transactions in the workload can be an impediment to handling cluster inoperability or inaccessibility. The locks are used to preserve the consistency of the database and lack of knowledge of which locks are set if a failure occurs can jeopardize the consistency of the database if processing which affects the database continues.

Minimum latency reinstatement of database transaction locks

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A method of handling device to device communication for a first user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system includes establishing a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection to a network of the wireless communication system; and receiving a first RRC message indicating to the first UE to use a first data radio bearer (DRB) for a proximity-based services (ProSe) communication with a second UE of the wireless communication system, wherein the first DRB is different from a second DRB for communication between the first UE and the network.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method utilized in a wireless communication and communication device thereof, and more particularly, to a method for handling device to device communication in a wireless communication system and communication device thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A long-term evolution (LTE) system supporting the 3GPP Rel-8 standard and/or the 3GPP Rel-9 standard are developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) as a successor of a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) for further enhancing performance of the UMTS to satisfy increasing needs of users. The LTE system includes a new radio interface and a new radio network architecture that provides high data rate, low latency, packet optimization, and improved system capacity and coverage. In the LTE system, a radio access network known as an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) includes multiple evolved Node-Bs (eNEs) for communicating with multiple user equipments (UEs), and communicating with a core network including a mobility management entity (MME), a serving gateway, etc., for Non-Access Stratum (NAS) control.
An LTE-advanced (LTE-A) system, as its name implies, is an evolution of the LTE system. The LTE-A system targets faster switching between power states, improves performance at the coverage edge of an eNB, and includes advanced techniques, such as carrier aggregation (CA), coordinated multipoint transmission/reception (CoMP), uplink (UL) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), etc. For a UE and an eNB to communicate with each other in the LTE-A system, the UE and the eNB must support standards developed for the LTE-A system, such as the 3GPP Rel-10 standard or later versions.
Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system 10 according to the prior art. The wireless communication system includes a network 100 and two UEs 102 and 104. The network 100 may include one or more eNBs 1002 and 1004 which connect the UEs 102 and 104, respectively. In an LTE or LTE-A system, when two UEs communicate with each other, their data path (user plane) goes via the network, even if the two UEs are in close proximity. For example, when the UE 102 needs to transmit data to the UE 104, the UE 102 sends data via the network 100 and the UE 104 receives data via the network 100. In other words, the network 100 receives data from the UE 102 and transmits data to the UE 104. Such procedure is similar to forwarding operation. The typical data path for this type of communication is shown in FIG. 1, where eNB(s) (e.g. eNBs 1002 and 1004) and/or gateways (e.g. serving gateway/packet data network gateway (SGW/PGW) 1000) are involved. UEs which perform this type of communication are said to be in a UE-to-eNB (i.e. UE-to-network) communication mode. However, when the UE 102 and the UE 104 are in close proximity, forwarding data through the network 100 is unnecessary, which wastes the radio resource and causes signal overhead in the network 100.
The specification of 3GPP Rel-11 defines that if UEs are in proximity of each other, they may be able to use a direct data path or a locally-routed data path to communicate with each other. The UEs which perform this type of communication, i.e. a Proximity-based Services (ProSe) communication or a device to device communication, are said to be in a ProSe communication mode or a UE-to-UE communication mode. In the direct data path, the user plane data between the UEs is not traversing any network node. Examples of the direct data path and the locally-routed data path are shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, respectively.
In the prior art, a first UE and a second UE communicate with each other directly via ProSe communication in data path and/or control path. In the meantime, the first UE may have a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection with an eNB. Nevertheless, it is unknown about how to transmit data from the first UE to the second UE and the eNB.
Thus, how to handle the device to device communication appropriately is a topic to be addressed and discussed in the industry.

Method for handling device to device communication and related communication device


The present invention provides a COF flexible printed wiring board whose insulating layer is not melt-adhered to a heating tool, and which exhibits no drop in bonding strength during panel bonding carried out after mounting of semiconductor chips, whereby reliability and productivity of a semiconductor chip mounting line is enhanced. The invention also provides a method of producing the COF flexible printed wiring board. The COF flexible printed wiring board including an insulating layer; a wiring pattern, on which a semiconductor chip is to be mounted, the pattern being formed of a conductor layer provided on at least one surface of the insulating layer; and a releasing layer, wherein the releasing layer is provided on the surface of the insulating layer opposite the semiconductor-chip-mounting surface, and is formed from a release agent containing a silicon-containing compound in such a thickness that Si intensity, as determined by means of a wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence analyzer, falls within a range of 0.15 to 2.5 kcps.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a COF flexible printed wiring board; e.g., a COF (chip-on-film) film carrier tape or a COF flexible printed circuit (FPC), for mounting electronic devices such as IC chips and LSI chips thereon. The invention also relates to a method of producing the COF flexible printed wiring board. The term "COF flexible printed wiring board" refers to a flexible printed wiring board having no device hole onto which electronic devices (chips) are to be mounted. The term "COF film carrier tape" refers to a film substrate assuming the form of tape having no device hole onto which electronic devices (chips) are to be mounted.
2. Description of the Related Art
Development of the electronics industry has been accompanied by sharp demand for printed-circuit boards for mounting electronic devices thereon, such as IC chips (Integrated Circuits) and LSI chips (Large-Scale Integrated circuits). Manufacturers have attempted to realize small-size, lightweight, and high-function electronic equipment, which has long been desired. To this end, manufactures have recently come to employ a film carrier tape, such as a TAB (tape automated bonding) tape, a T-BGA (ball grid array) tape, an ASIC tape, or an FPC (flexible printed circuit). Use of film carrier tapes for mounting electronic devices thereon has become of increasing importance, especially for manufacturers of personal computers, cellular phones, and other electronic equipment employing a liquid crystal display (LCD) that must have high resolution and flatness, as well as a narrow screen-frame area.
In addition, in order to attain higher-density mounting on a narrower space, mounting of IC chips directly on a flexible printed wiring board has been employed. Such a product is called COF (chip-on-film).
Since the flexible printed wiring board serving as a substrate of COFs does not have a device hole, a laminate film obtained by laminating in advance a conductor layer and an insulating layer is employed as the flexible printed wiring board. When IC chips are mounted on the wiring pattern, positioning is performed on the basis of marks such as an inner lead and a positioning mark which are visible from the insulating layer, followed by joining the IC chips and the wiring pattern; i.e., the inner lead, by means of a heating tool (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2002-289651, FIGS. 4 to 6 and paragraphs [0004] and [0005]).
Such semiconductor chips are mounted while the insulating layer is in direct contact with a heating tool. Since the insulating layer is heated to a considerably high temperature by the heating tool during mounting, a portion of the insulating layer is caused to adhere to the heating tool by melting, thereby causing stoppage of a production apparatus. In addition, unfavorable deformation of the film carrier tape occurs. In the case where the insulating layer is melt-adhered to the heating tool, the heating tool is stained, thereby deteriorating reliability and productivity.
Such melt adhesion to the heating tool is critical when semiconductor chips are mounted on a COF film carrier tape or a COF FPC having no device hole.
In order to prevent melt adhesion to the heating tool, a COF film carrier tape having a releasing layer on the backside thereof has been developed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2004-207670, Claims).
However, such a COF film carrier tape also has a drawback. Specifically, when a COF film carrier tape provided with a releasing layer has been wound up without use of spacer tape, and the wound product has been stored for a long period of time before IC chip mounting, or when a film carrier tape has been cut to form a unit wiring pattern strip, and a plurality of such strips have been stacked for storing before IC chip mounting, a flexible substrate of such a film carrier tape exhibits poor bonding strength with respect to a panel during panel mounting (outer lead bonding) by the mediation of, for example, anisotropically conductive film (ACF).

COF flexible printed wiring board and method of producing the wiring board


In one aspect, an example method to be performed by a computing device includes (a) determining that a ride-sharing session is active; (b) in response to determining the ride-sharing session is active, using a microphone of the computing device to capture audio content; (c) identifying reference audio content that has at least a threshold extent of similarity with the captured audio content; (d) determining that the ride-sharing session is inactive; and (e) outputting an indication of the identified reference audio content.

Ride-sharing systems allow commuters to request shared rides to various destinations. Such shared rides can often be requested on demand. Examples of ride-sharing systems include UBER®, LYFT®, and CURB®, but other example ride-sharing systems are available as well. Furthermore, as used herein, "ride-sharing" and/or "ride-sharing session" can include situations where the user is using a ride-sharing system or application to carpool with other passengers at different locations (e.g., UBERPOOL®) or not (e.g., UBERX®).

Audio playout report for ride-sharing session


A driving device for driving plural discharge lamps. A controller circuit converts a received signal to a first high voltage signal and a second high voltage signal. A first balancing circuit is mounted on a first connecting board and connected to one ends of the discharge lamps. A second balancing circuit is mounted on a second connecting board and connected to the other ends of the discharge lamps. A first set of high voltage lines connects the controller board and the first connecting board, and the first high voltage signal is outputted from the control circuit to the first balancing circuit via the first set of high voltage lines. A second set of high voltage lines connects the controller board and the second connecting board, and the second high voltage signal is outputted from the control circuit to the second balancing circuit via the second set of high voltage lines.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to light source driving devices, and particularly to a light source driving device with a full-bridge circuit.
2. Description of Related Art
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panels generally use discharge lamps, especially Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFLs) as light sources of the backlight systems thereof. Typically, the CCFL is driven by an inverter that supplies AC signals. For larger LCD panels, long-type CCFLs are employed to achieve a desired brightness. In practical applications, the long-type CCFL should be driven by two high-voltage driving means to achieve even brightness.
FIG. 7a is a plane view of a currently existing electronic device 6, and FIG. 7b is a F-direction side view of FIG. 7a. The electronic device 6 comprises a LCD panel 610 and a two high-voltage discharge lamp driving devices. The two high-voltage discharge lamp driving devices are provided for driving a plurality of discharge lamps 64 disposed in the LCD panel 610 in parallel (as shown in FIG. 7b), which comprises a first control circuit board 61, a second control circuit board 61′, a set of signal lines 612. The first control circuit board 61 is configured with a plurality of connectors 622, a first balancing circuit 62, and a first control circuit 63. The first balancing circuit 62 comprises a plurality of inductance element 621 respectively connected to one end of each of the discharge lamps 64. The second control circuit board 61′ is configured with a plurality of connectors 622′, a second balancing circuit 62′, and a second control circuit 63′. The second balancing circuit 62′ comprises a plurality of inductance elements 621′ respectively connected to another end of each of the discharge lamps 64.
The first control circuit 63 is disposed on the first control circuit board 61, and is used for converting a received electrical signal to a first electrical signal that can drive the discharge lamps 64. The first balancing circuit 62 is also disposed on the first control circuit board 61, and is connected to the first control circuit 63 for balancing currents flowing through the discharge lamps 64. The first control circuit board 61 is connected to the discharge lamps 64 by way of the connectors 622. The second control circuit 63′ is disposed on the second control circuit board 61′, and is used for converting a received electrical signal to a second electrical signal that can drive the discharge lamps 64.
The second balancing circuit 62′ is also disposed on the second control circuit board 61′, and is connected to the second control circuit 63′ for balancing currents flowing through the discharge lamps 64. The second control circuit board 61′ is connected to the discharge lamps 64 by way of the connectors 622′. The first control circuit board 61 is connected to the second control circuit board 61′ by way of the signal lines 612, and transmits a synchronization signal for the first control circuit 63 of the first control circuit board 61 to the second control circuit 63′ of the second control circuit board 61′.
The two high-voltage discharge lamp driving devices convert the received signal (about 24V) to an AC signal that can drive the discharge lamps, which is defined as a low voltage driving means.
Another currently existing two high-voltage discharge lamp driving devices not only comprise the elements of the electronic device 6 of FIG. 7a, but comprise a first power factor correction circuit (Power Factor Correction, PFC) and a second PFC circuit. Each of the PFC circuits directly receives a local AC signal, such as 220V in Mainland China, and 110V in North America, and converts the AC signal to a DC signal of about 400V by use of the PFC circuits, and transmits the DC signal to an inverter circuit to light the discharge lamps. In contrast to the low voltage driving means, the driving means is defined as a high voltage driving means. The high voltage driving means has high efficiency due to omitting the circuit for converting a 400V signal to a 24V signal.
With said two driving means, the discharge lamp driving devices drive the discharge lamps 64, both by using the high voltage signals generated by the first control circuit 63 of the first control circuit board 61 and the second control circuit 63′ of the second control circuit board 61′. However, both of the two driving means ineluctably increase the size of the LCD panel 610.

Discharge lamp driving device and electronic device using the same


A lock detection apparatus detecting lock of an optical phase-locked loop apparatus including a first phase detector comparing phases of an input light signal and a beat light signal to output a first phase comparison signal, a loop filter forming the first phase comparison signal, and an optical voltage controlled oscillator outputting the beat light signal based on the formed first phase comparison signal. The lock detection apparatus includes: a phase shifter shifting the phase of the beat light signal; and a second phase detector comparing the phases of the input light signal and the phase-shifted beat light signal to output a second phase comparison signal, wherein the phase shifter shifts a quantity of the phase so that the phase comparison signal may not be 0 when the phases of the two light signals compared by the second phase detector synchronize with each other to the beat light signal.

There has been a phase-locked loop (PLL) apparatus outputting an electric signal having a phase synchronized with a reference electric signal. When an output frequency is a high frequency, a phase-locked loop apparatus 200 of an analog PLL as shown in FIG. 18. The phase-locked loop apparatus 200 is configured to include a signal source 210, an electric mixer 220 as a phase detector, a loop filter 230, a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) 240 and a pre-scaler 250.
The operations of the electric mixer 220 as a phase comparator are shown in FIG. 19. As shown in FIG. 19, the electric mixer 220 outputs a product of an input electric signal as a reference signal from the signal source 210 and the output electric signal which has been output from the VCO 240 and has been subjected to frequency dividing by the pre-scaler 250. Consequently, the difference frequency and the sum frequency of the two signals are output in the frequency domain. Because the difference frequency component reflects the phase difference between the phases of the two signals, the electric mixer 220 is able to operate as the phase comparator by extracting only the difference frequency with the loop filter 230. The loop filter 230 outputs a positive signal, 0 signal and a negative signal when the phase difference between the input electric signal and the output signal of the VCO 240 is 0 degree, 90 degrees and 180 degrees, respectively, and the signal continuously changes according to the phase difference.
In this manner, the analog PLL performs the negative feedback control of the VCO so that the output signal of the phase comparator becomes 0, and the output phase of the VCO synchronizes with the phase of the input electric signal in the state of being shifted by 90 degrees consequently. However, the phase-locked loop apparatus which outputs a signal of a frequency of 100 GHz or more has the following difficult points:
1. it is difficult to manufacture the electric mixer for a signal of 100 GHz or more, and
2. it is difficult to manufacture the VCO capable of outputting an electric signal of 100 GHz or more.
Consequently, the phase-locked loop apparatus outputting an electric signal of 100 GHz or more is difficult to manufacture.
On the other hand, there is an optical phase-locked loop apparatus as a phase-locked loop apparatus capable of outputting a signal of 100 GHz or more (see, for example, Patent Document 1) Now, an example of the optical phase-locked loop apparatus will be described, referring to FIG. 20.
As shown in FIG. 20, an optical phase-cocked loop apparatus 300 is configured to include three elements of a phase detector composed of a multiplexer 310 and a phase comparator 320, a loop filter 330 and an optical voltage controlled oscillator (OVCO) 340. The optical phase-locked loop apparatus 300 receives a light signal as an input signal, and outputs a beat light signal synchronizing with the input signal from the OVCO 340.
The OPLL 340 is composed of laser diodes (LD's) 341 and 342, and an optical coupler 343. The OVCO 340 multiplexes the output lights of the two LD's 341 and 342 having output light wavelengths different from each other with the optical coupler 343. The polarizations of the optical outputs of the LD's 341 and 342 are made to be the same hereupon As a result, the two optical outputs interfere with each other in the optical coupler 343, and the optical coupler 343 outputs a beat light oscillating at a frequency according to the difference between the wavelengths. The restriction of the wavelength difference is determined by the band of the optical coupler 343. Because an ordinary optical coupler has a band of 10 THz or more, the ordinary optical coupler is able to easily output a beat light oscillating at a frequency of 100 GHz or more. Moreover, the LD's 341 and 342 are able to change the output wavelength thereof according to a drive current and a controlled temperature. Consequently, the OVCO 340 is able to control the output wavelengths of the LD's 341 and 342 according to an input light signal, and is able to change the frequency of the beat light signal to be output.
The phase comparator 320 outputs an electric signal according to the phase difference between the light intensities of two input signals using a nonlinear effect such as two-photon absorption, second harmonic wave generation, four-wave mixing, Kerr effect or the like. There are an avalanche photodiode (APD) a photon multiplier tube (PMT) and the like as the devices performing the two-photon absorption; there are a nonlinear crystal, a periodical poled lithium niobate (LiNbO3) crystal (PPLN) and the like as the second harmonic wave generation devices; there are a highly nonlinear fiber, a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) and the like as the four-wave mixing devices; and there is a nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) as a method of using the Kerr effect. A nonlinear phenomenon happens in a short time less than several hundreds fs, and has a frequency band of 10 THz or more. Consequently, phase comparison is able to be performed to the signals of 100 GHz or more.
For example, a Si-APD has little sensitivity to the light of the wavelength of 1550 nm, however, has certain sensitivity to the light of the wavelength shorter than 800 nm. Consequently, any photoelectric currents are hardly generated when the light of 1550 nm enters the Si-APD, however, the Si-APD has certain sensitivity to the two-photon absorption phenomenon of 1550 nm. By installing an optical system so as to have the focus thereof on the surface of the Si-APD, the probability of the occurrence of the two-photon absorption becomes larger, and a photoelectric current that is exceptionally larger in comparison with the case of radiating light on the whole Si-APD is generated. The photoelectric current generated by the two-photon absorption in the Si-APD has a tear in proportion to the cosine of the mutual phase difference φ (cos φ) between two input lights. The sum of a steady-state value that is determined by optical power regardless of the phase difference φ and the part caused by the contribution of the cosine cos φ is output as the photoelectric current generated by the two-photon absorption. The contribution of the cosine cos φ is able to be extracted as the difference between an output photoelectric current and an average photoelectric current, and is able to be used as a phase comparison signal.
The loop filter 330 forms the phase comparison signal and outputs a control signal of the OVCO 340, as it is used in an ordinary phase-locked loop apparatus.
The operation of optical phase-locked loop apparatus 300 as the optical phase-locked loop apparatus is similar to that of the analog phase-locked loop apparatus of FIG. 18 except that the OVCO 340 outputs a beat light signal, and except that the optical coupler 310 and the phase comparator 320 uses the nonlinear effect to perform the phase comparison between an input light signal and the beat light signal. By the optical phase-locked loop apparatus 300, the signal generation in which a beat light synchronized with an input light signal, which beat light is 100 GHz or more, is able to be output becomes possible.
Moreover, an electric phase-locked loop apparatus the electric phase comparator of which is replaced with an optical phase comparator using the two-photon absorption in a Si-APD was also considered (see, for example, Non-patent Document 1). In Un-patent Document 1, an electric signal synchronized with the light signal of 12.5 Gbits/s is output.    [Patent Document 1] International Publication Pamphlet No. 03/104886    [Non-patent Document 1] Reza Salem, T. E. Murphy "Broad-Band Optical Clock Recovery System Using Two-photon Absorption", IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett., vol. 9, pp. 2141-2143, Sep. 2004.

Lock detector and optical phase-locked loop system


The present invention is directed to a post-session advertising system that may be used in media such as computers, personal digital assistants, telephones, televisions, radios, and similar devices. In one preferred embodiment, a first display is viewed in a first platform in the foreground of a media by a viewer. A viewer initiates a load triggering event and in response, a post-session platform is opened to display a post-session display in the background of the media. Significantly, in the preferred embodiment, the post-session platform stays in said background until a view triggering event occurs. The type of platform and display used will depend significantly on the media. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention an optional focus timer is activated by the view triggering event to allow an accurate assessment of the actual time a viewer focuses on the display in the post-session platform. In another alternate preferred embodiment of the present invention, the number of post-session platforms is limited to, for example, one platform.

The post-session Internet advertising system of the present invention is a system and method for delivering displays to viewers browsing displays with platforms, for exchanging traffic between platforms, and for accurately tracking focus time on display content.
Web pages can be created using Hypertext Mark-up Language ("HTML") and Extensible Mark-up Language ("XML"). HTML is a text-based set of instructions (known as "tags") that describe the layout of elements on a Web page. HTML can also be used to create "links" (generally, a highlighted word, phrase or graphic image that points to a target such as another Web page) on the World Wide Web. XML consists of a set of tags that abstractly describe data, which can be translated into HTML using standard tools. In addition, a Web page can be divided into subpages (using Frames, an HTML extension). A frameset is the set of subpages that together comprise a Web page. (For example, a Web page may be divided horizontally creating a frameset of two subpages comprising the top and bottom half of the Web page). In addition to its use in creating Web pages, HTML and XML can be used to create advertising for the Internet. The developer or maintainer of a Web site can insert HTML or XML code in their Web pages so that when potential customers view the Web page an advertisement and a link to another Web site is displayed.
Web pages and Internet advertising may be enhanced by small programs written in the Java language that are built into a Web page to perform a specific function (such as displaying an animation), often referred to as "applets." In addition, scripting languages such as JavaScript or VBScript are used to enhance the capabilities of Web pages by performing functions that are beyond the scope of HTML and XML, such as popping up special windows in response to mouse clicks. Scripting languages include an event driven model responsive to changes in a client's state and an Application Programmer's Interface for defining custom behaviors to be followed in response to such "events."
Another technique often used by Web site developers and Internet advertisers is to place a text file on the hard disc of a client when the user visits a Web site. These text files, referred to as "cookies," are retrieved and read on subsequent visits that a user makes to the Web site. Cookies can be used to track the behavior of site visitors.
The economic potential of the Internet is enormous, but the medium is still in its early stages of development. Revenue is directly proportional to the volume of qualified potential customers ("traffic") that reach and view a commercial Web site. Each visit (often referred to as a "hit") to a commercial Web site has economic value. Thus, the primary goal of Internet marketing is generating traffic. A secondary goal is to get potential customers to make purchases or otherwise use a commercial Web site (i.e., "capture traffic"). Traffic is more difficult to generate than it is to capture. Further, investment made to generate traffic produces a greater economic return than investment made to capture traffic. A company can a spend a lot of money on effective Web site design so that potential customers will have a rewarding experience and thus a higher inclination to make a purchase once the customer has reached the Web site. But investment in Web site design is wasted unless the site is actually visited. A third goal is "branding," or increasing consumer awareness or recognition of a brand.
In order to meet these goals, most Internet businesses use interrupting advertisements such as pop-up windows, or space consuming advertisements (or "real estate" consuming advertisements) such as banner advertisements, link exchanges, and banner exchanges. Other Internet businesses use alternative advertising methods such as bulk e-mail. Although interrupting advertisements guarantee that a user will see the advertisement for at least a split second, if only to locate the icon used to close the window, these interrupting advertisements are particularly offensive to potential customers because they force the user's attention to be diverted. Most users simply close the window of an interrupting advertisement. Space consuming advertisements, on the other hand, are so pervasive that they have become "white noise." Usually, a viewer focuses his attention on the information he needs from the Web page and ignores the space consuming advertisement. Alternative advertising methods are similarly problematic.
With pop-up window advertising, a separate window of a Web browser is displayed "on top" or "in front" of the Web page being viewed. The advertisement, which may be larger, smaller, or the same size as a banner advertisement, is displayed in the new browser window. Pop-up window advertising has the advantage (for the Web site designer) of displaying an advertisement without having to change the layout of the Web page displaying the advertisement. But potential customers commonly consider the pop-up aspect disruptive and annoying.
Banner advertising, a space consuming advertising method, is currently the primary method of advertising on the World Wide Web. Banner advertising relies on HTML and some of the techniques used to create a Web site. Site maintainers insert HTML code in their Web pages that causes a small advertisement (approximately 0.5″ times 2″ on the average screen) to appear in a frame on the Web page, i.e., a "banner advertisement." The HTML code also contains a link to another site. In short, when potential customers view a Web site with banner creating HTML code, a banner advertisement and link are displayed on the Web page. The more traffic a Web sites has, the more it can charge for displaying banner advertisements. The reason is that a banner advertisement placed on a high volume site generates a lot of traffic for the advertised Web site. In theory, this is advantageous for both parties. But market research shows that as use of the Internet becomes widespread, banner advertisements are becoming less effective. The average potential customer is becoming jaded because banner advertisements appear on almost every Web site. A measure of the effectiveness of Internet marketing is the CTR, or click-through ratio. CTR is the ratio of the number of times an advertisement is exposed to the number of hits generated by the advertisement when viewers "click through" to the advertised site. The trend is that CTRs for banner advertisements are dropping.
Link exchanges are another space consuming advertising method for generating Web traffic. A link exchange is an arrangement whereby a first Web site puts a link on its site to a second Web site. In exchange, the second Web site places a link on its site to the first Web site. In addition to exchanging links, a fee may be paid by one site to the other. Each link to the other site is generally placed in a prominent place on the referring Web site. Effectively, a link exchange is a mechanism for sharing traffic between two Web sites. Alternatively, links may not be exchanged. Instead, a first Web site pays a second Web site to put a link to it on the second Web site. Link exchange advertising has the advantage of lower cost than other advertising methods. In fact, a link exchange may be free. In addition, any consideration paid for a link exchange or link placement is generally much lower than that for banner advertisements. A drawback of link exchanges is that their effectiveness varies. The effectiveness depends on where the link is placed, whether there is an image associated with it (thus blurring the line between a link exchange and a banner advertisement), and how much traffic each site receives from other forms of marketing. Market research shows that CTRs on link exchanges are consistently lower than CTRs for banner advertising.
Banner exchanges are a hybrid of banner advertising and link exchanges. A Web site joins a Web site syndicate and adds special banner advertisement HTML code to its Web site. The special HTML code causes a banner advertisement for and a link to a syndicate member Web site to be displayed. Typically, the banner advertisement varies so that an advertisement for each syndicate member is alternately displayed. A syndicate may be joined for free or for a nominal fee. In exchange for displaying banner advertisements, banner advertisements for the member's Web site are displayed on the Web sites of other members. In addition, the company managing the exchange syndicate will usually have paid advertisers as members. Fees paid by such advertisers represent a source of revenue for the company managing the exchange syndicate. A limitation of banner exchanges is that they are still fundamentally banner advertisements and as such are experiencing the same declining CTRs as conventional banner advertisements.
Bulk e-mail is an alternative advertising method that has a reasonable return on investment but potential customers generally regard it unfavorably. If the bulk e-mail message is read, it may effectively generate traffic. But it is far more likely that the potential customer immediately identifies the message as a "UBE" (unsolicited bulk e-mail), sends complaints to the sender and to their connection provider, and deletes the message unopened and unread.
Two events that are important to understanding the experience of a viewer browsing the Web are the "focus" and "blur" events. Typically, a viewer accesses the Internet using a platform, such as a Web browser, on media, such as a computer. For example, a viewer accessing the Internet using the Internet Explorer™ Web browser as a platform on media consisting of a computer running the Windows™ operating system observes the platform as appearing in a window. Focus and blur describe states of a window. A focus event occurs if a window is selected so that it may currently receive input from a viewer. A blur event occurs if focus is removed from a window. While it is possible to simultaneously have multiple windows open, only one window may have focus at any time. If a window is in the focus state, it always fully visible (i.e., it appears "on top" of other open windows) and is sometimes referred to as the "active" window. Windows that are in the blur state are said to be in the "background" and are at least partially obscured by the window in the focus state. A viewer "clicks on" or otherwise selects a window to create a focus event. Alternatively, a computer program may cause a focus event. A focus event may also be referred to as a "view triggering event."
With known Web marketing techniques there is no way of knowing if an advertisement has been seen by the potential customer. A banner advertisement, pop up window, or other Internet advertisement may appear at length in an active window and be fully visible, or may appear only momentarily in an active window and be at least partially obscured for most of the period it is displayed. The time an advertisement is displayed in an active window is called "focus time." Known techniques do not verify the focus time of an advertisement that has been delivered to a potential customer.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Post-session internet advertising system


The invention relates to a lighting device comprising: —at least one light source (11); —a reflective member (20) comprising a reflective surface (22) and an edge (21) (“first edge”) forming a light cut-off of light rays passing in a region adjacent to this first edge (21); —a light-modifying member (30) adapted to modify lighting feature(s) of light rays and having an edge (“second edge”). The light-modifying member (30) extends from the reflective member (20) to this second edge (31) over a surface area defined to receive a part of the light rays passing in said region. The second edge is designed such that, among said part of light rays, the light-modifying member (30) modifies proportionally more light rays passing proximate the first edge than light rays passing less proximate the first edge (21). The invention relates also to said light-modifying member (30) per se.

Problems encountered with such reflectors are the contrast of the light that is sometimes too high at the limit or edge of the region to illuminate and/or the light is not uniform near the cut-off direction, especially when a plurality of punctual light sources is used. As a consequence the lighting effects may be unpleasant and/or non aesthetic, especially problematic for Accent Lighting or Spot Lighting applications.
It is known to use some lenses as accessories, to smooth the light beam near the cut-off direction, those lenses being typically provided at the outlet of the reflector.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,316, U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,787 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,789 disclosed disk-shaped lenses provided with an annular portion having a plurality of tapered optical elements to deviate the rays passing proximate the light cut-off directions.
However, the limits of the region to be illuminated may be not sufficiently controlled when using this technique and the lighting efficiency may be not optimized.


Multi-core optical fibers are disclosed herein. According to one embodiment, a multi-core optical fiber includes a common outer cladding formed from silica-based glass and having a cladding index of refraction ncl. At least one single mode core element may be disposed in the common outer cladding. The at least one single mode core element may have a maximum index of refraction n1 sm. In addition, at least one multimode core element may be disposed in the common outer cladding, the at least one multimode core element having a maximum index of refraction n1 mm. The maximum refractive index n1 sm of the at least one single mode core element may be greater than the cladding index of refraction ncl, the maximum refractive index n1 mm of the at least one multi-mode core element may be greater than ncl, and a center-to-center spacing between adjacent core elements is greater than or equal to 25 μm.

1. Field
The present specification generally relates to optical fibers and, more specifically, to optical fibers which include a plurality of single mode core elements and a plurality of multimode core elements.
2. Technical Background
In recent years optical fiber has become accepted as a viable alternative to traditional materials used for data signal communication. Optical fiber is now widely utilized in a variety of electronic devices to facilitate the high-speed communication of data signals at high bandwidths. However, as the speed and bandwidth of the electronic components in data communication devices increases, there is a corresponding need to increase the speed of optical interconnects which couple such devices. One solution to increase the speed of optical interconnects is to increase the fiber density of the optical interconnects and thereby realize high fiber count connectors. However, increasing the number of individual fibers in an optical interconnect adds to the overall size of the optical interconnect.

Multi-core optical fibers with single mode and multimode core elements


A playpen assembly includes a playpen body having a plurality of horizontal support bars, and a hanging bed unit hung on the horizontal support bars and including a plurality of bed sections each having a plurality of sidewalls, a connecting portion interconnecting a top end of one of the sidewalls of one of the bed sections to a top end of one of the sidewalls of at least another one of the bed sections, and a reinforcing rod extending adjacent to the top ends of the bed sections and disposed beneath the connecting portion. The reinforcing rod bridges two opposite ones of the horizontal support bars, and has two opposite ends connected removably and respectively to the two opposite ones of the horizontal support bars.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an assembly, more particularly to a playpen assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional playpen assembly 100 includes a hanging bed unit 1 mounted removably on a top end of a playpen body 2. The playpen body 2 includes four vertical support rods 21, and four horizontal support rods 22 each disposed between two adjacent ones of the vertical support rods 21. The hanging bed unit 1 includes a rectangular bed body 11 made by sewing a woven material, and four extension portions 12 extending outwardly and respectively from four peripheral sides of the bed body 11. The hanging bed unit 1 is connected removably to the playpen body 2 through a plurality of snap fasteners 13. Each of the snap fasteners 13 includes a pair of male fasteners 131 provided respectively on ends of each two adjacent ones of the extension portions 12, and a pair of female fasteners 132 provided on each of the vertical support rods 21 for engaging releasably and respectively the male fasteners 131. The hanging bed unit 1 further includes a divider 14 to divide the hanging bed unit 1 into two receiving sections 111, 112 having different depths and areas.
The hanging bed unit 1 is hung on the top end of the playpen body 2 by interengaging the male and female fasteners 131, 132, and is disposed within a top receiving portion defined cooperatively by the vertical and horizontal support rods 21, 22. When the hanging bed unit 1 is not required, it can be removed from the playpen body 2 by disengaging the male and female fasteners 131, 132. The hanging bed unit 1 can be folded for storage after it is removed from the playpen body 2.
Although the aforementioned conventional playpen assembly 100 can achieve its intended purpose, since the hanging bed unit 1 depends only on the snap fasteners 13 for positioning on the playpen body 2 and has no support at a central portion thereof, when the hanging bed unit 1 bears a heavy weight, the snap fasteners 13 cannot stably support the hanging bed unit 1 on the playpen body 2. This makes the hanging bed unit 1 unsafe to use.


A polling and communications device permits a speaker to interact with an audience in data or voice modes. Questions can be transmitted to the speaker in data form. Alternatively, the speaker can selectively activate a wireless microphone for a particular member of the audience in response to an indication, sent over a data channel that a user has a question. Alternatively, a user can record a voice message and store it in memory for transmission over a data link. Information about a questioner is provided to the speaker from information stored during registration for the event and may also be provided to the audience.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to communication systems and more particularly to communication systems used to poll an audience during a presentation.
2. Description of Related Art
When addressing an audience, a speaker may want to poll the audience for responses to question he has posed and he may wish to answer questions posed by the audience. Current audience polling devices do not transmit any information about the audience members who responded to the poll. This leads to a dilemma: if the audience is self-selected then the polling results may be strongly biased, but there is no way to determine this fact without additional polling to retrieve demographic data, a process which is tedious at best and, given human nature, unreliable. Answering questions posed from the audience also presents several problems. An audience member with a question must shout out the question, move to a microphone or wait for a microphone to be passed to him. Additionally, the speaker has little control over which audience members ask questions beyond randomly selecting them to avoid chaos. This may lead to a situation where irrelevant, repetitive, boring, and self-serving questions are asked of the speaker which results in an information-poor exchange between the speaker and the general audience.
Magnetic stripe readers are known which allow for the transfer of digitally encoded information from the stripe to a computing device. This technology allows an individual to provide information upon demand to any reader-enabled device.
IR transceivers are also known which allow for the transfer of digitally encoded information between two computing devices. Acting as an input/output communications interface, IR transceivers allow for wireless connectivity.
Wireless microphones allow for the transmission of analog voice data between a the microphone and a central control unit which, in turn, normally forwards to signal to a public address system. A wireless microphone may be activated by an operator of the central unit by sending it a signal or the microphone may always be "live". Typically different wireless microphones operate on different frequencies.
The digital transmission of data over a radio link is also well known. Various techniques are employed to prevent transmissions from different computing devices using the same frequency from interfering with each other. Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) is widely employed in both wireless radio applications and in wired computer networks. This technology is well-understood and widely deployed.

Device for getting sophisticated data and voice information from audience


The present invention concerns a new phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase (PI3K.gamma.), a nucleic acid coding for it, an antibody directed against the protein as well as the diagnostic and therapeutic use of the protein, the nucleic acid and the antibody.

The present invention concerns a new phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase (PI3K.gamma.), a nucleic acid which codes for it, an antibody directed against the protein as well as the diagnostic and therapeutic use of the protein, of the nucleic acid and of the antibody.
Phosphatidylinositol-kinases belong, together with specific phospholipases, to an enzyme group which catalyses the formation of intracellular messenger substances from the membrane lipid phosphatidyl inositol (PI). The activity of these enzymes is regulated by extracellular effectors such as hormones, growth factors and neurotransmitters. It is assumed that the PI dependent messenger substances are involved among other processes in the regulation of important cells functions such as cell proliferation, secretion of cellular constituents, endocytotic processes, the targetted movement of certain cells, controlled changes of the cytoskeleton. Correspondingly the physiological importance of the PI kinases and phospholipases correlates with a series of disease states involving changes of the functions of these enzymes.
From various experimental results it is possible to conclude that the product of the reaction catalysed by PI3 kinase, PI-3,4,5 triphosphate plays an important role in the regulation of the following physiological cell functions:
Regulation of cell proliferation and cell differentiation by PI 3 kinase
Mitogens such as growth factors and cytokines generally lead to a stimulation of the PI 3 kinase activity in cells capable of division. The oncogenic transformation of cells is also often accompanied by an increase in the measurable PI 3 kinase activity (Varticovski et al., Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1226, 1-11 (1994), Berggren et al., Cancer Research 53, 4297-4302 (1993), Soldi et al., Oncogene 9, 2253-2260 (1994)). Inhibitors of PI 3 kinase are able to inhibit the PDGF-stimulated growth of normal connective tissue cells or smooth muscle cells and the proliferation of src-supratransformed fibroblasts (cancer cells) (Berggren et al., Cancer Research 53, 4297-4302 (1993), Vlahos et al., J.Biol.Chem. 269, 5241-5248 (1994)). Berggren et al., have speculated that the tumoristatic effect of ether lipid analogues is mainly based on their inhibitory action on PI 3 kinase.
The differentiation of the nerve cell line PC12 is suppressed by wortmannin an inhibitor of PI 3 kinase (Kimurea et al., J.Biol.Chem. 269, 18961-18967 (1994)). These findings as well as a clinical study in which there was shown to be a selective loss of PI 3 kinase activity in the brain of Alzheimer patients (Bothmer et al., Dementia 5, 6-11 (1994)) indicate that the enzyme has an important function in the formation and maintenance of nerve tissue.
Regulation of cytoskeletal-dependent processes by PI 3 kinase
Microscopically visible changes of cells often progress with the involvement of the cytoskeleton. A series of results shows that at least some of these processes are regulated by PI 3 kinase and its enzymatic products (PI3,4,5,P.sub.3, PI3,4P.sub.2 and PI3P). Thus the membrane ruffling of epidermal cells induced by insulin or PDGF can be suppressed by the PI 3 kinase inhibitor wortmannin (Kotani et al., EMBO J. 13, 2313-2321 (1994), Wennstrom et al., Curr. Biol. 4, 385-393 (1994)).
Basophilic leucocytes are able to secrete histamine--a mediator of inflammations and allergic symptoms. The cytoskeleton of the cells is involved in this secretion process. Yano et al., J. Biol.Chem. 268, 25846-25856 (1993) were able to show that the antibody-induced histamine secretion can in turn be inhibited by the PI 3 kinase inhibitor wortmannin i.e. it is apparently controlled by 3-phosphorylated phosphoinositides.
Involvement of PI 3 kinase in intracellular transport processes
Investigations on yeast mutants show that one form of PI 3 kinase (Vps 34) is involved in these organisms in the selective distribution of proteins towards the yeast vacuoles (Schu et al., Science 260, 88-91 (1993)). Similar mechanisms may be the basis of the insulin-stimulated translocation of glucose transport protein (GLUT 4) from the interior of the cell to the plasma membrane (Kanai et al., Biochem.Biophys.Res.Commun. 195, 762-768 (1993)). This important process in various organs is also inhibited by wortmannin and apparently involves PI 3 kinase.
Inhibition of the O.sub.2.sup.- production in neutrophilic granulocytes
Granulocytes produce superoxide anions (O.sub.2.sup.- ) with the aim of destroying phagocytised foreign cells. This process is stimulated by the chemoattractant fMLP. The blocking of the fMLP-induced O.sub.2.sup.- formation by wortmannin indicates a regulatory function of a PI 3 kinase species in this important process for the immune response of the body.
The above-mentioned results underlin e the central importance of PI 3 kinase and 3-phosphorylated inositol lipids in the regulation of important cell functions. Acquired or inherited defects of the said cell functions are undoubtedly the underlying cause of important clinical syndromes. Examples are: cancer, arteriosclerosis, immunopathies, skin diseases (such as psoriasis), degenerative diseases of the nervous system.
Since Pi 3 kinase is an essential element in the regulation of the said cell functions it is very probable that some of the clinical syndromes are due to malfunctions of PI 3 kinase species. The clinical study on PI 3 kinase in the brain of Alzheimer patients, the findings on the role of PI 3 kinase in the formation of the allergy inducer histamine and also the cancerostatic effect of PI 3 kinase-inhibiting ether lipids point in this direction.
A central concern of cell biology is to discover the mechanisms of intracellular signal transmission and the messenger substances that are involved. The final goal of these investigations is to selectively influence cell functions in a medical sense.

Cloning, expression and characterization of a novel form of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Zur Forderung Der Wissenschaften E.V.


A method for distributing connections to mobility management node instances includes publishing IP addresses for receiving connection requests and ingress messages from RAN nodes. The method further includes maintaining connection loading measurements of the mobility management node instances, receiving a connection request message generated by a RAN node for initiating a connection with one of the mobility management node instances, applying a connection distribution algorithm to select a mobility management node instance to handle the connection request message, and creating an association between an IP address of the selected mobility management node instance and an IP address and port of the RAN node extracted from a source IP address and source port field of the connection request. The method further includes forwarding the connection request message to the selected mobility management node instance.

In 4G mobile communications networks, the mobility management entity is the node that communicates with the radio access node to perform mobility related functions on behalf of mobile subscribers. In 5G communications networks, the AMF is the node that communicates with the radio access nodes to perform the mobility related functions on behalf of use. The connection between the radio access node and the MME node is referred to as an S1 connection, as the interface between the radio access nodes and the MME is the S1 interface. Similarly, in 5G communications networks, the interface between the radio access node and the AMF is referred to as the N2 interface and the connections on the interface are referred to as N2 connections.
One problem that occurs in mobile communications networks, is that MME and AMF nodes may be required to be scaled up or down, especially in cloud configurations. During the scaling up or scaling down of the MME or AMF nodes, S1 or N2 connections may need to be added or removed. Adding or removing S1 or N2 connections may be disruptive of radio access nodes.
In light of these difficulties, there exists a need for improved methods, systems, and computer readable media for allowing reconfiguration of MME or AMF nodes without adversely affecting the S1 or N2 connections with the radio access nodes.

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for distributing S1 connections to mobility management entities (MMEs) and N2 connections to access and mobility management functions (AMFs)


A two-fluid method for fracturing a subterranean formation to increase the production of fluids from a well therein has been discovered. In a typical operation, a fluid pad is injected into the well which essentially simultaneously fractures the formation and forms a low permeability filter cake on at least part of the fracture. A proppant transport fluid containing proppant is then injected to prop open the fracture once the pressure is decreased. The filter cake is removed to permit production to begin. Although many conventional fluids may be used for the fluid pad, one preferred fluid pad uses graded calcium carbonate particle sizes and a modified lignosulfonate as a filter control agent. Optionally, a thixotropic polymer may be present as a viscosifier.

Hydraulic fracturing is a method of using pump rate and hydraulic pressure to fracture or crack a subterranean formation. Once the crack or cracks are made, high permeability proppant, relative to the formation permeability, is pumped into the fracture to prop open the crack. When the applied pump rates and pressures are reduced or removed from the formation, the crack or fracture cannot close or heal completely because the high permeability proppant keeps the crack open. The propped crack or fracture provides a high permeability path connecting the producing wellbore to a larger formation area to enhance the production of hydrocarbons.
Hydraulic fracturing has been a successful method of stimulating production from low-permeability hard rock formations. These techniques have proven to be extremely effective in improving hydrocarbon recovery rates making otherwise unprofitable reservoirs an economic success. Fracturing of soft formations requires a slightly different approach, although the techniques are basically the same. Soft formations, such as slightly consolidated or nonconsolidated sandstones, can be fractured and filled with proppant. However, as the fracture closes, the proppant becomes embedded or absorbed by the soft rock matrix. To avoid this problem, the fracture in soft formations should be as wide as possible. One effective method for obtaining a wide fracture is tip screenout (TSO) fracturing, described by M. B. Smith, et al., "Tip Screenout Fracturing: A Technique for Soft, Unstable Formations," SPE Production Engineering, May 1987, pp. 95-103. The tip screenout fracturing technique is also described in J. A. Ayoub, et al., "Hydraulic Fracturing of Soft Formations in the Gulf Coast," Formation Damage Control Symposium, SPE 23805, Lafayette, La., Feb. 26-27, 1992. A screenout in hard rock fracturing is normally avoided. A screenout means the proppant has bridged in the fracture preventing proppant from being transported farther down the fracture. In hard rock formations, the horsepower requirements to transport additional proppant into the fracture after a screenout can be extremely high. Also, the pressures at screenout may exceed safe operating limits and prematurely end the fracture treatment. In soft formations, the screenout pressure increases more slowly. The pressure increase after screenout causes the fracture width to increase. As the fracture width increases, additional proppant is placed into the wider fracture. The wider, propped fracture reduces the problem of embedment when the fracture closes.
The tip screenout fracturing technique is currently being applied to high permeability soft sandstone formations which may have normally been perforated and gravel packed. Many gravel packed formations have lower than predicted production rates due to near wellbore formation damage. The damage may be the result of mechanical stresses applied during drilling, drilling mud invasion, organic deposition, fluid incompatibility and perforating debris which can be trapped by the gravel pack. The damage may be difficult or impossible to remove by acid stimulation. The objective of these fracturing stimulations is to create a fracture deep enough into the formation to bypass the damaged zone and wide enough to maintain a high permeability pathway into the wellbore after the fracturing pressures and pump rates are removed. Also, if the fracture has a large enough area, the velocities and pressure drops of the produced fluids entering the fracture may be low enough to prevent formation particle migration and may reduce the problems of organic deposition by the produced fluids. Additionally, if the velocity and pressure drops are low enough, sand production may be eliminated. Reservoirs with laminated sand/shale sequences can be fractured to improve formation conductivity to the wellbore.
The tip screenout method is essential for soft sandstone formations to obtain a fracture width which will overcome embedment problems after the fracture is created and filled with proppant. Tip screenouts are currently designed based on log measurements and relatively low volume pump-in tests. The information is used to define fracture geometry, closure pressures, and leak-off coefficients for the fracturing fluids. Generally, as described in the Ayoub, et al. SPE 23805 paper, the same fluid is used to open the fracture, transport the propping agent, and distribute the proppant in the fracture. Much of the time these fluids and design techniques are adequate for obtaining a tip screenout fracture design. However, soft sandstone formations are rarely found in nature to be very uniform. Wells drilled into the same reservoir at different locations can yield widely different permeabilities, porosities, sand thicknesses and mineralogies. This means the short pump-in tests and log measurements may not adequately describe the reservoir other than the near wellbore region. If this occurs, a tip screenout may not be achieved and an adequate fracture width may not be obtained.
Fracture growth occurs out, up, and down until a barrier is reached where the treating pressures cannot fracture the barrier. Generally, the barrier may be a shale or other high strength rock or a higher stressed zone. As the fracture grows, the surface area of the fracture wall increases, resulting in increased leak-off to the formation. Assuming pressures are maintained high enough to create a fracture, the pump rate or volume controls the fracture extent. For example, if the fluid is pumped in at 10 bbls/min. and the area of the fracture face is allowing 10 bbls/min. leak-off, no additional fracture growth can be attained. The TSO occurs when the velocity of the proppant transport fluid is no longer high enough to transport the proppant farther into the fracture or the fracture width is not wide enough to allow the proppant to penetrate deeper into the fracture. If the screenout occurs too soon the fracture may not have a deep enough penetration of the formation to bypass damage and/or reduce flow velocities. If the screenout occurs too late, there may not be adequate proppant remaining to generate the necessary fracture width.
It would thus be desirable if a method were discovered which would permit the tip screenout technique to be used across a wide range of permeabilities and heterogeneities in the formation. Such a method would enhance the chances for success of TSO design and reduce the possibility that the design would fail due to the expected but unpredictable variations in permeabilities, porosities and mineralogies.

Method of propagating a hydraulic fracture using fluid loss control particulates


Blind modulation detection in a receiver of a wireless communication device calculates error energies for PSK and GMSK based on differences between a received training sequence signal and synthesized training signals generated from PSK and GMSK channel estimations and a known training sequence phase rotated by 3π/8 and π/2 per symbol, respectively. A highly reliable modulation detection in a Single Antenna Interference Cancellation (SAIC) operational environment is achieved by a dual comparison of a total energy value of the received signal and the two error energies. PSK is determined if the PSK error energy value is found to be lower than both the GMSK error energy value and the total energy value by predetermined thresholds; otherwise the modulation type is determined to be GMSK.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to digital communication systems and in particular to mobile radio systems. Still more particularly, the invention relates to a method of reception and a receiver in a digital telecommunications system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital telecommunication systems typically employ one or more modulation schemes to communicate information such as voice, data, and/or control information. These modulation schemes may include GMSK (Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying), M-ary QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) or M-ary PSK (Phase Shift Keying), where M=2n, with n being the number of bits encoded within a symbol period for a specified modulation scheme.
The EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) and the associated packet service EGPRS (Enhanced General Packet Radio Service) have been defined as a transitional standard between the GSM/GPRS (Global System for Mobile Communications/General Packet Radio Service) and UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) mobile radio standards. Both GMSK modulation and 8-PSK modulation are used in the EDGE standard, and the modulation type can be changed from burst to burst. GMSK is a non-linear, Gaussian-pulse-shaped frequency modulation, and 8-PSK is a linear, 8-level phase modulation. However, the specific GMSK modulation used in GSM can be approximated with a linear modulation (i.e., 2-level phase modulation with a π/2 rotation). Similarly, the 8-PSK modulation in EDGE is an 8-level phase modulation with 3π/8 rotation. The symbol pulse of the approximated GSMK and the symbol pulse of the 8PSK are identical.
In digital telecommunication systems employing multiple modulation schemes, if the modulation types to be used for information transmission between a transmitter and a receiver is not in a predetermined manner, the receiver must be either informed of the modulation type in advance via some measure or the receiver should be equipped with a capability to detect the modulation type from the received burst signal.
If the communication system is designed to inform the receiver of the modulation type used to send information for each and every burst before the transmission, the communication system will require extra bandwidth to convey the modulation type information to the receiver. In addition, this also introduces system latency, which is not permissible for real-time applications, such as in voice communication. Thus, a system for informing the receiver of the modulation type prior to message transmission is highly undesirable in practical applications.
Another technique is for the receiver to detect the modulation type of a particular burst of information in a digital communication system. Because the receiver relies on the transmission itself to detect the modulation type, this procedure is sometimes referred to as blind modulation detection. One blind modulation detection technique makes use of the training sequence included in every data burst. Common transmission standards define data bursts to include a fixed predetermined training sequence comprising a sequence of symbols, which are known to the receiver. The training sequence is intended to be used by the receiver to estimate the arrival time of the burst and the distortion and noise characteristics of the transmission channel. For example, upon receiving a training sequence, the receiver correlates the received training sequence signal to the known signal of the same training sequence. The receiver then utilizes this correlation to characterize the arrival time and channel (i.e., estimate the channel effects). In GSM wireless communication systems, for example, information is transmitted in transmission bursts, wherein each transmission burst may consist of two sections of data bits with a 26-bit midamble (training sequence) located in between. According to the GSM technical standards, one of eight possible training sequence codes can be used as the midamble.
The blind modulation detection technique using training sequence in a digital communication system derives a metric from the received training sequence signals for each possible modulation type. Each metric represents a likelihood that the corresponding modulation type is used by the transmitter to create the received signal. The metrics are analyzed based on certain decision logic to determine the modulation type of the received burst signal. As is known, GMSK and 8-PSK modulation in EDGE are distinguished by using different symbol rotations. All GMSK modulation rotates each transmission symbol by π/2 relative to its prior symbol in addition to the information phase, while the 8-PSK modulation rotates each transmission symbol in additional to the information phase by 3π/8 relative to its prior symbol.
One method of deriving a metric passes the received signal into data path that rotates the signal back through a corresponding phase rotation for each symbol, called de-rotation. For example, in EDGE communication system where there are two possible modulation types, GMSK and 8-PSK modulation, the received training sequence is rotated in a first data path by −nπ/2, where n is the symbol index in the sequence, and in the second data path by −n3π/8, respectively. After this, the de-rotated received training sequence is compared with a known training sequence stored in the receiver to generated two metrics, each with a different phase rotation assumption. The metric can be calculated by magnitude squared correlation of the de-rotated received training sequences with the known training sequence. Then the transmission modulation type is determined by the maximum of the two metrics.
In GSM communication systems, one way to increase system capacity is to increase the frequency reuse factor, whereby the communications system allocates the same frequency to multiple sites in closer proximity. However, when proximate cell sites transmit within the same frequency band, co-channel interference can occur, and when devices transmit in adjacent bands, adjacent-channel interference can occur if sufficient inter-band spacing is not provided. As a result, increased frequency reuse increases the co-channel interference and adjacent channel interference. Therefore, receivers operating in such an environment are required to have a better interference rejection performance.
Single Antenna Interference Cancellation (SAIC) is a general term used for advanced communications systems and receiver algorithms designed for the purpose of improving system capacity through increasing frequency reuse by enhancing single-antenna receiver performance in the presence of co-channel interference. SAIC is a promising technology currently being standardized in the industry that appears to be an attractive solution to the problems of frequency reuse, even though SAIC increases the complexity of the receiver. In the most advantageous interference conditions, SAIC can improve the signal-to-noise ratio over 10 dB. Current SAIC receiver algorithms are generally optimized for GMSK modulated signals, since gains of SAIC tend to be smaller for 8-PSK modulated signals. In an SAIC operational environment, GMSK traffic on neighboring cells can reuse common frequencies, thereby significantly increasing network bandwidth, while still tolerating the significantly higher co-channel and multi-channel interference than has been previously seen in conventional GMSK/EDGE environments.
While use of SAIC in wireless telecommunication systems overcomes the receiver performance issues introduced by frequency reuse, the high interference in a SAIC environment significantly impacts the reliability of traditional modulation detection techniques such as the prior art systems described above. Ideally, the receiver should be able to determine the modulation scheme associated with a particular burst of information regardless of the operating environment. However, the increased co-channel and adjacent channel interference created by SAIC operating environments does not permit conventional modulation detection techniques to reliably detect the modulation type of a transmission burst, thereby degrading radio telephone performance and quality. Further compounding the problem is the fact that front-end modulation detection must be capable of attaining the same or greater signal gain as attained by the SAIC receiver in order to fully achieve the large gain advantages from SAIC receiver. Unfortunately, prior art modulation detection methodologies fail to achieve the necessary gain because of the higher co-channel interference in SAIC environments. Therefore, what is needed is a new modulation detection technique that reliably performs and achieves high gain in the SAIC operational environment to achieve full performance of the receiver implementing SAIC.

Modulation detection in a SAIC operational environment


A print head for a resistive ribbon thermal printer has the electrodes made of WC, W.sub.2 C, Ti.sub.2 N, TiC, TaC, TaSi.sub.2, MoSi.sub.2 or ZrC.

In one type of thermal printer which prints colored images, a carrier contains a repeating series of spaced frames of different colored heat transferable dyes. In such apparatus, the carrier is disposed between a receiver, such as coated paper, and a print head formed of, for example, a plurality of individual heating elements. When a particular heating element is energized, it is heated and causes dye from the carrier to transfer to the receiver. The density or darkness of the printed color dye is a function of the energy delivered from the heating element to the carrier.
Thermal dye transfer printers offer the advantage of true "continuous tone" dye density transfer. This result is obtained by varying the energy applied to each heating element, yielding a variable dye density image pixel on the receiver.
One type of thermal printer uses resistive ribbons. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,356 assigned to the IBM Corporation, a circuit is described which provides constant current to a resistive ribbon carrier. Resistive ribbon printing technology uses a carrier which includes a metal conducting layer and a dye layer containing a dye to be transferred to a receiver. Current is supplied to the carrier by an electrode or array of electrodes and returns to ground via the conductive layer. The electric current is converted to heat through the resistive heating of the carrier. The heat causes dye to transfer to a receiver.
In the print head for such printers, a plurality of spaced conductive electrodes are secured to a substrate such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,960. A problem with the electrodes is that they frequently wear unevenly and consequently make poor electrical connection to the carrier. Hardness of the low electrical resistivity electrodes has been shown to be an important consideration for wear resistance, and metals of high hardness such as molybdenum and tungsten, are preferred. However, these probe materials have to be refurbished at intervals by abrasively polishing the probes provide for proper contact with the carrier.
With faster printing speeds and higher temperatures at the probe interface, the uneven wear of the electrodes becomes a functional constraint and a low electrical resistivity probe material of higher hardness and wear resistance is required, to reduce or eliminate the need for frequent refurbishing of the electrode.
After a number of prints have been made, the surfaces of the substrate and electrodes which contact the carrier must be ground smooth by an abrasion wheel made of diamond, silicon carbide, aluminum oxide or the like.

Electrodes for resistive ribbon thermal print head


A padlock includes a base, a combination controlled lock unit having a shaft passing through a top hole of the base into an accommodation chamber of the base, three combination wheels rotatably sleeved onto the shaft, and three retaining wheels sleeved onto the shaft and respectively engaged with the combination wheels, a driving member connected with the shaft, two shackles having bottom ends respectively connected to the base and top ends detachably engaged with each other, and a latch connected with the shaft so as to be driven to move between a locking position where a block portion of the latch stops at least pivotable one of the shackles from movement for ensuring engagement of the top ends of the shackles and a unlocking position where the block portion moves away from the pivotable shackle for allowing disengagement of the top ends of the shackles.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to locks, and more specifically to a padlock that has a security function and a unique figuration.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional locks generally include two types, i.e. a key controlled type, which needs a correct key to unlock it, and a combination controlled type, which needs a correct permutation of numbers or symbols to unlock it.
Usually, the conventional key or combination locks have ordinary or monotonic configurations, and no matter how many designs the manufactures do the overall configurations of the conventional key or combination locks always show an incongruous appearance because of the existence of a shackle of the lock.


An Interlocking Continuous Roof Assembly and Method for Wind Resistant Roofing is presented, whereby continuous double lock seams are used exclusively to join panels together. This roof manufacturing methodology results in a roof that possesses improved resistance to wind and water during storm conditions and thereby decreases the chances of the roof being damaged or destroyed by severe weather.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the methods of construction for residential and business building roofs with any pitch, single or split, flat or steep, with a continuous interlocking wind resistant metal membrane.
2. Description of Related Art
Roofing projects where the building design includes a change in the pitch of the roof, a "slope break," present special difficulties for many roofing materials. This is especially true for long-panel metal roofing systems, where such a change in slope will usually require cutting the pan at the slope break, or require the use of two separate roof panels with a flashing at the slope break.
Many different flashing techniques and sealants have been employed by metal roofing installers over time to deal with such a change in roofing angles, with varying degrees of success.
The state-of-the-art flashing techniques often fail in extreme weather conditions when water blown by high winds penetrates flashing details at the ridge cap, valley, fascia, and slope break, because the flashing is not continuous and interlocking. In particular, flashing techniques at slope breaks that rely on sealants to prevent water penetration will fail over time as sealants are weathered and age.
The present invention involves a field-proven technique that will allow the installation of roofing panels and ridge caps onto a roof with a split pitch in a single, continuous length without the need to cut the roofing panel. Roofing panels and ridge caps are installed from ridge to eaves with continuous double-lock standing seams without cuts or seams, thereby creating leak-proof conditions. The continuous nature of the double lock seams is crucial, because joints along the seam would permit water or wind to work on the seam and eventually split it open.
The typical roof in a high wind weather condition is degraded and eventually destroyed because one or more roofing panels and or the ridge cap are lifted off of the structure. When this happens, the entire roof is quickly peeled off of the building and the rest of the building is exposed to the weather. By eliminating the entry of water and wind under the edges of the roof panels and ridge cap, the roof will survive heavy hurricane force winds.
The purpose of this invention is to provide a standard American-style roof with eaves, pitched or flat, straight pitch or split pitch, or plantation style, resistance to winds of extreme force by forming a metal membrane of continuous interlocking flashing. With roofing panels, the present invention will confer resistance to all winds, not depending on thru fasteners or flashing with caulk.
All details of roof split pitch, valley, ridge cap, fascia are unique and new to the roofing industry because roofers have not been equipped to produce continuous panels and all other flashings in one piece, including ridge caps, valleys, soffit flashings, fascia cap, on site.

Interlocking continuous roof assembly and method for wind resistant roofing