b

3D mobile user interface with configurable workspace management

Systems and methods of a 3D mobile user interface with configurable workspace management are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a method, which may be implemented on a system, of a three-dimensional, multi-layer user interface of a mobile device in a mobile network. User environment may include one or more layers or levels of applications, services, or accounts that are all easily accessible to and navigable by the user. For example, an indicator can be used to access a workspace in 3D representing a category or grouping of services or applications for the user. The user can customize or create a unique, non-mutually exclusive grouping, aggregation, or category of applications, services, accounts, or items. The grouping of indicators can be used to swiftly and efficiently navigate to a desired application, service, account or item, in a 3D-enabled user environment.




b

Translating user motion into multiple object responses

A system for translating user motion into multiple object responses of an on-screen object based on user interaction of an application executing on a computing device is provided. User motion data is received from a capture device from one or more users. The user motion data corresponds to user interaction with an on-screen object presented in the application. The on-screen object corresponds to an object other than an on-screen representation of a user that is displayed by the computing device. The user motion data is automatically translated into multiple object responses of the on-screen object. The multiple object responses of the on-screen object are simultaneously displayed to the users.




b

Controlling the rendering of supplemental content related to electronic books

Architectures and techniques are provided to control the rendering of supplemental content associated with electronic books. For example, electronic books may be associated with content that is in addition to the content originally provided to an individual acquiring the electronic book, such as annotations, social networking site information, media outlet information, and the like. Individuals may control the supplemental electronic book content that is rendered via their client devices via actuation of a physical input device or a representation of an input device shown via a touch sensitive display. The amount of supplemental content that is rendered may correspond to information associated with a specified number of categories of supplemental electronic book content based on a supplemental content rendering level. In other implementations, the amount of supplemental electronic book content that is rendered may correspond to an amount of supplemental content to be rendered for each category of supplemental content.




b

Minimizing and maximizing between portrait dual display and portrait single display

Methods and devices for minimizing and maximizing displayed output associated with applications are provided. More particularly, an application presented as two or more pages in a portrait mode can be minimized to present one of the two or more pages following a minimization operation. The page that continues to be displayed can comprise a primary or preferred page, while the page that is dismissed can comprise a secondary or ancillary page. With respect to a maximization operation received with respect to a page of an application results in the display of an additional page associated with that application. Maximization can include controlling the respective screens on which first and second pages of the maximized application are displayed.




b

Carbonate prodrugs and methods of using the same

The present invention provides carbonate prodrugs which comprise a carbonic phosphoric anhydride prodrug moiety attached to the hydroxyl or carboxyl group of a parent drug moiety. The prodrugs may provide improved physicochemical properties over the parent drug. Also provided are methods of treating a disease or condition that is responsive to the parent drug using the carbonate prodrugs, as well as kits and unit dosages.




b

Phosphazene compound having vinyl group, resin composition containing the same, and circuit board manufactured from the same

A phosphazene compound having a vinyl group is manufactured by a reaction between a vinyl compound and a phosphazene compound having a hydroxyl group and added to a resin composition for manufacturing a prepreg or a resin film so as to be applicable to copper-clad laminates and printed circuit boards to thereby achieve satisfactory circuit laminate properties, namely low coefficient of thermal expansion, low dielectric properties, heat resistant, fire resistant, and halogen-free.




b

Process for the preparation of fluoroalkyl (fluoro)alkyl carbonates and carbamates

Fluoroalkyl alkyl carbonates and fluorosubstituted carbamates which are suitable as additives or solvents in lithium ion batteries are prepared from fluoroalkyl fluoroformates and the respective alcohol or amine. Methanol is the preferred alcohol, dimethylamine and diethylamine are preferred amines. Fluoromethyl methyl carbonate is the preferred compound to be produced. Fluoroalkyl fluoroformates can be prepared from aldehydes and carbonyl fluoride.




b

Process for the preparation of 2-cyanophenylboronic acid and esters thereof

The present invention relates to a process for the synthesis of 2-cyanophenylboronic acid and the esters and salts thereof of formula (II), which are intermediates of the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients such as Perampanel or E2040. formula (II): (II).




b

Process for preparing triorgano borates with low alcohol content

The present invention provides a process for preparing triorgano borates with low alcohol content.




b

Method for producing silica-supported catalyst, and method for producing unsaturated carboxylic acid or unsaturated nitrile

A method for producing a silica-supported catalyst comprising Mo, V. Nb, and a component X (Sb and/or Te) to be used in a vapor phase catalytic oxidation or ammoxidation of proprane, comprising the steps of: (I) preparing a raw material mixture solution by mixing Mo, V, Nb, component X, a silica sol, and water;(II) obtaining a dry powder by drying the raw material mixture solution; and(III) obtaining a silica-supported catalyst by calcining the dry powder, wherein the silica sol contains 10 to 270 wt ppm of nitrate ions based on SiO2.




b

Process for the production of high-purity dimethyl carbonate

A process for producing a high-purity dimethyl carbonate, which includes: (I) cooling a commercial grade dimethyl carbonate containing 1 ppm or more of chlorine to a temperature from +6° C. to −5° C. at a rate from 0.5-2° C./hour, to obtain a first solid dimethyl carbonate; (II) heating the first solid dimethyl carbonate to a temperature from −5° C. to +6° C. at a rate of 1-5° C./hour, to obtain a mixture comprising a second solid dimethyl carbonate and a predetermined amount of a first liquid dimethyl carbonate; (III) separating the first liquid dimethyl carbonate from the mixture, to obtain the second solid dimethyl carbonate; (IV) heating the second solid dimethyl carbonate to a temperature from 20° C. to 40° C., to obtain a second liquid dimethyl carbonate, wherein the second liquid dimethyl carbonate has a purity degree higher than 99.99% and a chlorine content lower than or equal to 1 ppm.




b

Fluorescent nanoprobe for detecting hydrogen peroxide and fabrication method thereof

The present disclosure relates to a sulfonated benzene compound emitting fluorescence by reaction with hydrogen peroxide, aqueous-dispersed fluorescent nanoprobes applicable for real-time detection of hydrogen peroxide, and a fluorescent nanoprobe fabrication method. The fluorescent nanoprobe contains the following sulfonated benzene compound and water.




b

Ethyl (2R)-2-acetamido-3-(4-methylbenzoylsulfanyl)propanoate and uses thereof

A novel substituted N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) derivative and methods of using this compound for the treatment of diseases and/or conditions, including but not limited to diseases and/or conditions of, or involving, the Central Nervous System (CNS), including schizophrenia adrenoleukodystrophy, mitochondrial diseases (e.g. Leigh syndrome, Alpers' disease, and MELAS), Huntington's disease, trichotillomania, HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, drug craving, and drug addiction.




b

Aliphatic polycarbonate quench method

The present disclosure is directed to, in part, an aliphatic polycarbonate polymerization reaction initiated by combining an epoxide with carbon dioxide in the presence of a catalytic transition metal-ligand complex to form a reaction mixture, and further quenching that polymerization reaction by contacting the reaction mixture with an acid containing a non-nucleophilic anion produces a crude polymer solution with improved stability and processability.




b

Substituted phenylcarbamoyl alkylamino arene compounds and N,N'-BIS-arylurea compounds

Substituted phenylcarbamoyl alkylamino arenes; substituted phenylthiocarbamyl alkylamino arenes; substituted phenylcarbamoyl alkylamino heteroarenes; substituted phenylthiocarbamyl alkylamino heteroarenes; N-substituted aryl, N'-substituted aryl urea compounds; N-substituted aryl, N'-substituted heteroaryl urea compounds; N-substituted aryl, N'-substituted aryl thiourea compounds and N-substituted aryl, N'-substituted heteroaryl thiourea compounds are provided and may find use as androgen receptor modulators. The compounds may find particular use in treating prostate cancer, including castration-resistant prostate cancer and/or hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.




b

Synthesis of H-phosphonate intermediates and their use in preparing the herbicide glyphosate

The esterfication of hypophosphorous acid is followed by reaction with another molecule of alcohol under the action of a nickel catalyst to provide a green method for the preparation of H-phosphonate diesters. This method avoids the need for any stoichiometric chlorine unlike those based on phosphorous trichloride.




b

Preparation method of aromatic boronate compounds

Preparation method of aromatic boronate compound is provided, in which the is as follows: reacting aromatic amine Ar-NH2, with diboronic ester and alkyl nitrite in the presence of organic solvent, where Ar represents non-heterocyclic aryl. It enables for the first time the preparation of aromatic boronate from aromatic amine in one step by the present method.




b

Process for preparing diaryl carbonates from dialkyl carbonates

The invention provides a process for preparing diaryl carbonates from dialkyl carbonates and aromatic hydroxyl compounds using at least two reaction columns, a process section for recovering the dialkyl carbonate used in the reaction and for removing the alcohol of reaction, one or more process steps for removing the by-products obtained in the process which have a boiling point between that of the dialkyl carbonate and that of the alkyl aryl carbonate formed during the preparation of the diaryl carbonate, and a process step for further purification of the diaryl carbonate obtained from the reaction columns.




b

Methods and apparatus for using a distributed message bus for ad hoc peer-to-peer connectivity

A method and apparatus for using an ad hoc peer-to-peer distributed message bus is provided. The method may include determining, by a local bus node, using a first power level communication protocol, that a remote bus node is available, obtaining, by the local bus node, connection information from the remote bus node using a second power level communication protocol, wherein the connection information comprises connection information for one or more remote endpoints associated with the remote bus node, and generating one or more local virtual endpoints, wherein each of the one or more local virtual endpoints corresponds to each of the one or more remote endpoints, and wherein the remote endpoint is described with reference to a well-known name, unique to the remote endpoint.




b

Policy-based application management

Improved techniques for managing enterprise applications on mobile devices are described herein. Each enterprise mobile application running on the mobile device has an associated policy through which it interacts with its environment. The policy selectively blocks or allows activities involving the enterprise application in accordance with rules established by the enterprise. Together, the enterprise applications running on the mobile device form a set of managed applications. Managed applications are typically allowed to exchange data with other managed applications, but are blocked from exchanging data with other applications, such as the user's own personal applications. Policies may be defined to manage data sharing, mobile resource management, application specific information, networking and data access solutions, device cloud and transfer, dual mode application software, enterprise app store access, and virtualized application and resources, among other things.




b

Portable communication device for providing phone calling service

A portable communication device for phone calling is herein disclosed and enabled. The portable communication device includes a USB interface for connecting to an external USB port of a computing device for enabling phone calling services using the portable communication device. Upon connecting the portable communication device to the external USB port of the computing device, a phone calling software component or data stored in the portable communication device may execute for enabling phone calling services. The portable communication device may also include one or more ports, and may include an interface for Ethernet connection for connecting to the Internet and for making phone calls without the need for connecting the portable communication device to the external USB port. The portable communication device may further include a Wi-Fi wireless component for local wireless communication, and may be implemented as an adapter-sized dongle for providing phone calling services.




b

Streaming playback and dynamic ad insertion

There is provided a system and method for dynamically generated client side streaming playlists. There is provided a method comprising receiving a request to stream a video asset for playback, retrieving, from a network, a video asset playlist corresponding to the video asset and an ad campaign playlist, generating a consolidated video playlist including the video asset playlist and the ad campaign playlist, and processing the consolidated video playlist using a media playback framework to stream a plurality of video files from the network for decoding and output to a display. Discontinuity tags within the video asset playlist may be utilized as insertion points for portions of the ad campaign playlist. The consolidated video playlist may be accessed through a local HTTP web server, advantageously allowing the use of commonly installed media playback framework models such as QuickTime X to trigger adaptive bitrate support through HTTP Live Streaming.




b

Router-based dispersed storage network method and apparatus

A method begins by a router receiving data for storage and interpreting the data to determine whether the data is to be forwarded or error encoded. The method continues with the router obtaining a routing table when the data is to be error encoded. Next, the method continues with the router selecting a routing option from the plurality of routing options and determining error coding dispersal storage function parameters based on the routing option. Next, the method continues with the router encoding the data based on the error coding dispersal storage function parameters to produce a plurality of sets of encoded data slices. Next, the method continues with the router outputting at least some of the encoded data slices of a set of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to an entry point of the routing option.




b

Method to publish remote management services over link local network for zero-touch discovery, provisioning and management

A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for realizing server management functionalities in the absence of a routable Internet Protocol (IP) network address of a remote access controller (RAC). A first device, which is operatively coupled to a link-local network, generates a Multicast Domain Name System (mDNS) IP multicast query message, which it then sends to a second device on the link-local network. In response, the second device, which comprises a RAC, returns its link-local IP address to the first device.




b

System and method for using state replication between application instances to provide a collaborative desktop environment

Described herein are systems and methods for enabling a collaborative remote desktop environment. The system includes a computing device and a first application instance that has an application state associated therewith. The first application instance includes, or is associated with, a current state component and application data/data files. The system further includes an application launcher that is used to instantiate a second application instance operating either on the same or on a different computing device. The second application instance similarly has an application state associated therewith and is associated with the application launcher. Upon receiving a request from the second user to interact with the first application instance, the application state and the application data/data files are communicated to the application launcher, and the application launcher instantiates the second application instance so that its state is substantially identical to that of the first application instance.




b

Systems and methods for dynamic development and deployment of computing applications using blueprints

Systems and methods for dynamic development and deployment of computing applications including a development framework, a visual design subsystem, and a deployment subsystem, where at runtime the deployment subsystem is operable to dynamically deploy a computing application realized by a blueprint by sending a request at runtime for graphs and components instantiated by the blueprint.




b

Virtualizing embedded devices

A device virtualization system is described herein that separates common computer processing tasks of an embedded device from the application-specific peripherals of the embedded device to allow at least some functions of the device to be offloaded to servers or other computing devices. The device virtualization system greatly simplifies management, configuration, and control of virtual embedded devices. Because much of the software of the device runs on the virtualization server, information technology (IT) personnel can be assigned to manage the virtualization server and to apply any updates and diagnose any problems that occur. Moreover, a single server or group of servers can be used to provide virtualization services for a wide variety of virtualized embedded devices for a wide variety of users. Thus, the system enhances the usefulness of embedded devices and allows a longer lifetime and wider variety of uses than embedded devices today.




b

System and method for identifying exploitable weak points in a network

The system and method described herein may leverage passive and active vulnerability discovery to identify network addresses and open ports associated with connections that one or more passive scanners observed in a network and current connections that one or more active scanners enumerated in the network. The observed and enumerated current connections may be used to model trust relationships and identify exploitable weak points in the network, wherein the exploitable weak points may include hosts that have exploitable services, exploitable client software, and/or exploitable trust relationships. Furthermore, an attack that uses the modeled trust relationships to target the exploitable weak points on a selected host in the network may be simulated to enumerate remote network addresses that could compromise the network and determine an exploitation path that the enumerated remote network addresses could use to compromise the network.




b

Printing device, mobile terminal, and computer readable recording medium for the same

A printing device includes a printing device side wireless communication unit configured to execute wireless communication with a mobile terminal, an operation acquisition unit configured to acquire user operation thereof, and a processor. The processor is configured to acquire operation data which is generated as the operation acquisition unit acquires a user operation, acquire establishment data which is generated as the printing device side wireless communication unit establishes a wireless communication with the mobile terminal, and issue a request control to control the printing device side wireless communication unit to transmit request data requesting the mobile terminal to transmit print data necessary for printing, via the wireless communication, when the establishment data is acquired, the request control being issued in accordance with the operation data as acquired.




b

Home sensor data gathering for neighbor notification purposes

In a computer-implemented method of generating event notifications, in-home data is received. The in-home data and environment data (e.g., weather, law enforcement, etc.) is generated by, or based on information generated by, a device located at a residence of an individual, and is analyzed to determine whether it is indicative of an event that should be reported to one or more neighboring residences and/or businesses. If the data is indicative of such an event, a notification is generated and transmitted to the relevant residences and/or businesses.




b

Application distribution network

Methods and systems for remotely provisioning applications from the cloud in secure environments with robust license control failover options using a hierarchical server topology. Cloud-based servers provide applications and licenses to an organization's local servers, which in turn serve applications and licenses to end user devices. By synchronizing information including license and application provision information among the local and cloud-based servers, an organization's local servers can continue to serve applications and licenses when one or more of the organization's local servers fail.




b

User initiated rule-based restrictions on messaging applications

A method, system and computer program product are disclosed for user initiated rule based restrictions on sending messages from a sender to a receiver in a communications network. The receiver establishes a set of rules for the sender that allows the sender a limited number of defined messages events with the receiver. The defined message events may be messages or message sessions. When the sender attempts to send a message to the receiver, it is determined whether a message session currently exists between the sender and the receiver. If a current session exists, the rules set by the receiver are used to determine if the message is allowed to be sent to the receiver. If a session does not currently exist, the rules are used to determine whether a new session is allowed. If a new message session is allowed, a new session is established, and the message is sent to the receiver during the new session.




b

Information processing system, information processing apparatus and information processing system control method, capable of providing, regardless of execution/non-execution of an application, data usable by the application to other information processing

A CPU executes a communication partner search process for searching for a communication partner (another game machine). The CPU confirms received data content. If identification information included in the received data matches, application identification information saved in a wireless communication module is compared with application identification information included in the received data. When the pieces of application identification information match, a notice that another game machine having exchange data corresponding to the matched application identification information is found is given to a main body. Then, giving/receiving of exchange data is executed to/from another game machine.




b

Application programming interface, system, and method for collaborative online applications

An application framework including different application programming interfaces (APIs) is described which performs a variety of mobile device functions in response to API calls from applications. For example, in response to relatively simple API calls made by applications the application framework manages the complex tasks associated with invitations and matchmaking. By way of example, the details of complex transactions such as establishing peer-to-peer connections between mobile devices may be transparent to the application developer, thereby simplifying the application design process. The application framework may include an application daemon for communicating with a first set of services and an applications services module for communicating with a separate set of services. The application framework may also include a cache for caching data for each of the services based on different cache management policies driven by each of the services. The cache may be updated by push notification cache updates sent from each of the services.




b

System and method for supporting video processing load balancing for user account management in a computing environment

A system and method can support user account management in a computing environment. The computing environment can include a video encoding pool to support load balancing and a managing server, such as a privileged account manager server. The video encoding pool includes a set of nodes that are able to perform one or more video processing tasks for another node. Furthermore, the managing server can receive a request from a managed node in the computing environment for delegating a video processing task, and can select one or more nodes from the video encoding pool to load babalance and to perform the video processing task.




b

Inferring causal paths in a distributed computing environment

According to one embodiment, a method comprises evaluating messages between nodes of a distributed computing environment. Based on timing relationships of the messages, probability of causal links between pairs of messages determined. Based on the determined probability, at least one causal path comprising a plurality of causal links is inferred. Further, an overall probability that the inferred causal path is accurate is determined. In certain embodiments, the overall probability is output for the corresponding causal path to provide an indication of the confidence of the accuracy of such inferred causal path.




b

Software-based aliasing for accessing multiple shared resources on a single remote host

In order to allow a single user registered on a single local host or other machine to access multiple shared resources on a remote host, an aliasing mechanism is employed so that multiple concurrent connections can be established by the user to a single remote host, with each connection using a different identity. Each connection can therefore be used to access a different shared resource on the remote host. In some illustrative examples, a user's identifier such as his or her machine log-in identification may be associated with two or more resource sharing aliases. As a result, two or more resource sharing sessions can be established by the user with a single remote host, with each of the sessions using a different one of the aliases. The resource sharing sessions are usually established in accordance with a resource sharing protocol such as the Server Block Message (SBM) protocol.




b

Methods and apparatus to determine impressions using distributed demographic information

An example method to monitor media exposure involves receiving, at a first internet domain, a first request from a client computer, the first request indicative of access to the media at the client computer. The example method also involves determining if the client computer is known. If the client computer is not known, a response is sent from the first internet domain to the client computer, the response to instruct the client computer to send a second request to a second internet domain, the second request to be indicative of access to the media at the client computer. If the client computer is known, an impression of the media is logged.




b

Method of depositing a decorative wear-resistant coating layer on a substrate

A method for depositing a wear-resistant decorative coating on a substrate, comprising a first stage of vacuum deposition on the surface of the substrate of a layer of at least one metal of the group titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybedenum, tungsten and aluminium, to which is added at least one element of the group carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, boron, silicon, fluorine, chlorine, sulfur and phosphorus; a second stage including activation of the first layer by ionic bombardment under vacuum conditions and simultaneous deposition of a second fine layer of a metal or metal alloy; and a third stage involving galvanic deposition of a third layer of a decorative metal coating over the second layer.




b

Watch case including a sintered caseband

The watch case of this invention includes a caseband (2) made from sintered material and a back cover (10) secured to the caseband by means of at least two pins (12). Each pin passes through a first hole (14) provided in a first projection (16) formed in the caseband and two second holes (13, 15) provided respectively in two second projections (17, 18) formed in the back cover, said second projections being arranged respectively on either side of said first projection. Each pin being axially retained in its holes by the elastic effect provided by the seal when the caseband lies on the back cover.




b

Watch adaptable to being worn on the wrist and around the neck

The case (1) of the watch carries, along its periphery (5), hooking members in the form of rings (6a, 6a', 6b, 6b', 6c, 6c'), these rings being disposed radially relative to the center (7) of the dial (2) and hence of the watch. A chain (8) is fixed by loops (9, 10) at its ends to two (6c, 6c') of these rings and passes through the other rings (6a, 6a', 6b, 6b'), passing several of times around the wearer's wrist. After the loops (9, 10) have been detached from their respective rings, the chain (8) can be passed in a different manner around the case, so that the watch can be hung around the neck. In order to make this change, the chain is equipped with a flat link (13) which can pass through radial slots provided in the periphery of the rings.




b

Electronic watch with moving member

An analog type electronic watch having a step motor to drive hands has a movement indicator other than hands. The movement indicator has a magnet member and is driven with the magnetic influence of a rotor magnet of the step motor. The magnet member is arranged within a window provided in a dial plate of the watch within the range of the magnetic force of the rotor. The movement indicator is supported so as to be synchronously moved with the rotation of the rotor under the magnetic influence.




b

Arrangement for automatically switching a videorecorder on and off in the absence of a code signal but in presence of a FBAS signal

The disclosed device enables the recording of television broadcasts which are preprogrammed in a memory. The presence of data lines of the television signal in combination with the presence of a color television signal is checked. When the data lines stop, the video recorder is switched on in real time by a clock time signal.




b

Watch case back opener

A watch case back opener is provided having a base. A vise is rotatably mounted on the base for securing a watch case to the base. The vise includes a first jaw and a second jaw movable between an open and closed position. Holes are formed in the jaw. They are adapted to receive a plurality of posts to secure a plurality of different sized and shaped watch cases to the vise. An opener unit including an opening blade is mounted on the base for separating a watch case back from the watch case by twisting the lever relative to the base and then lifting the blade relative to the base.




b

Continuous production process of tertiary alcohols by radical addition of secondary alcohols to alkenes

A process is disclosed for producing tertiary alcohols by radical addition of secondary alcohols to alkenes. The reaction is carried out as a continuous process in the presence of an organic peroxide as a radical initiator and during a mean contact time of the reaction mixture of up to a maximum of 1 hour.




b

Radio paging selective receiver with display for notifying presence of unread message based on time of receipt

A radio paging selective receiver determines that a received message is unread based on the time difference between the message reception time and the current time being larger that some predetermined value of time, and the paging selective receiver provides an indication of the unread message by displaying the reception time of the unread message in a second fashion which is visibly different from a first fashion normally used to display the current time.




b

Combined table lamp and clock assembly

A combined table lamp and clock assembly includes a lamp unit and a clock unit. The lamp unit includes a lamp stand base, a lamp stand, and a lamp bulb holder. The lamp stand base has a top side formed with a cavity, and a bottom side adapted to be placed on a table top. The lamp stand extends uprightly from the lamp stand base, and has an upper end portion and a lower end portion that is mounted on the top side of the lamp stand base. The lamp bulb holder is mounted on the upper end portion of the lamp stand, and is adapted for mounting a lamp bulb thereon. The clock unit includes a clock base, an upright clock panel, and a clock mechanism. The clock base is received in the cavity in the top side of the lamp stand base, and is formed with an insert slot therethrough. The upright clock panel has a lower end formed with an insert portion that is inserted removably into the insert slot. The clock mechanism is mounted on the clock panel.




b

Apparatus for measuring intervals between signal edges

An apparatus for measuring a time interval between a start signal edge and a stop signal edge provides a stable clock signal as input to a delay line formed by a series of similar logic gates. The output signal of the last gate of the series is phase locked to the clock signal by adjusting a bias signal controlling the switching speed of all gates. The clock signal and the output signal of each gate form a set of phase distributed periodic timing signals applied to a start time measurement unit (TMU) and a similar stop TMU. The start TMU counts edges of one of the timing signals occurring between an edge of an arming signal and the start signal edge and generates output data representing a time delay between the arming signal and the start signal edge. The data represents the start delay as a whole and fractional number of clock signal periods by conveying the counter output and by indicating which of the timing signals had an edge most closely following the start signal edge. The stop TMU similarly produces output data indicating a whole an fractional number of clock cycles occurring between the arming signal and the stop signal edge. The delay represented by the start TMU output data is subtracted from the delay represented by the stop TMU output data to determine the interval between the start and stop signal edges.




b

Electronic device, control method for electronic device, recharge-rate estimating method for secondary battery, and charging control method for secondary battery

A first circuit having a first coil electrically charges a second circuit having a second coil through electromagnetic coupling of the two coils. When data signals are to be transferred between the first and second circuits, signal transfer is started only after the second circuit has been charged for a predetermined period of time. The position relationship between the coils is also detected, and a charging/transfer selector changes a duty ratio between charge transfer and data transfer in accordance with the detected result. The charge is transferred in an intermittent manner, and the charging rate is adjusted according to the difference between the voltage of a secondary battery observed during a charging phase and the voltage of the secondary battery observed a certain time after interruption of the charging phase, or vice versa.




b

Combination timepiece and yo-yo

A yo-yo has a recess in one of its faces accommodating a timepiece. The yo-yo is be releasably accommodated in a base, and the base may be worn on a user's person by various means including a wristband in the manner of a wristwatch, a fob or a watch chain in the manner of a pocket watch, a necklace in the manner of a necklace watch, or a holster.