Abstract: An advertising method using software products in which at least one advertisement is inserted so that the software products can be distributed for free or at a low cost. The advertising method comprises the steps of: inserting at least one advertisement into at least one portion of a software program contained in a software product, by support from an advertising sponsor during the making of the software product; making the software program stop in operation during use of the software program when a sponsored advertisement is displayed on a display screen; and resuming the software program only when the sponsored advertisement displayed on the screen is clicked on.

Abstract: A system and method for performing and settling an electronic scrip transaction between a merchant and a member includes a database storing accounts for one or more participating merchants, scrip distributors, sponsoring organizations, and members. The system also includes merchant terminals, scrip distributor terminals, sponsoring organization terminals, and a system manager terminal, which are interconnected to one another, as well as to the database, over a network, and a member scrip card, such as a magnetic stripe card or a smart card. Transaction information, including the transaction amount, is entered at a merchant terminal and sent over the network to a scrip distributor terminal or system manager terminal, and the member's account is automatically debited by the transaction amount. Additionally, merchant loyalty point credit or tuition credit can be awarded and stored for the member in connection with the transaction amount.

Abstract: A control system includes a switch for selecting whether or not a reset signal is outputted to input/output means, and a reset circuit for directly outputting a reset signal having an implication of “HIGH” to the input/output means when the control means is set to output the reset signal by selecting the switch, and for not outputting the reset signal to the input/output means when the control means is set not to output the reset signal, thereby forcibly drawing the reset signal to “LOW”.

Abstract: A software predictive engine is described that provides a tool to analyze the import of defects in the software development process. By providing a prediction of escaping defects, in terms of the normalized sigma measure and the predicted lines of code, together with historical data the impact of defects at the stages of the design can be predicted. As actual defects are measured predicted sigma level can also be predicted. The engine includes generating a defect containment matrix for the historical data and for the current software program being developed.

Abstract: The invention discloses methodology for qualitatively extending and exploiting the utility of presently known manufacturing control charts. The method introduces a separate control mechanism comprising establishing confidence intervals to already existing control limits. The confidence intervals, in turn, can be used in presently known control charts to take into account an otherwise uncertainty in a generation of the control limits themselves, thereby increasing the accuracy and robustness of decisions based on the use of the control charts.

Abstract: To maximize the production run speed of a sheet fabrication machine such as a turret punch press, and yet at the same time maintaining the requisite accuracy for each part produced from the production run, historical data pertaining to the various parameters for effecting the positioning moves of a worksheet are measured and collected using a reference machine or a prototype machine. For each positioning move to be effected, the CNC controller of the system retrieves the historical data from a database and, using that historical data, calculates the various parameters that affect the positioning move. By using fuzzy logic, the controller becomes, in a sense, self teaching, especially if updated historical data are provided to its database store to enhance the accuracy for later positioning moves. In addition to measuring and collecting historical data from reference or prototype machines, static process control (SPC) tests may be performed for different types of worksheets under different loads.

Abstract: An electrical integrated power node control center (2) including a power bus (4′) to the control center, bus bars (F) for power distribution within the control center, a node power distribution device (A), a plurality of functional distribution devices within the node (B, C, D), and a control system (E). The control system includes controlling the functional distribution devices to either connect/disconnect or change the on/off state based on electrical system data gathered by monitoring the input/output data. The control system is also adapted to monitor the health of the functional distribution devices to initiate diagnostic procedures as well as display or record information.

Abstract: A computer-automated tool re-positions an instance relative to another instance along a given dimension. First, positions of both instances along the given dimension are determined. Then, a modified position is determined for one instance according to a convex function, which defines a global minimum solution between the initial instance positions.

Abstract: Described herein is a method for reject analysis for use in any process where rejects occur. The method comprises using the application of multivariate statistical process control techniques, and allows the rejects from a process to be controlled in a simple and effective manner by deriving the T2 statistic for a series of variables or classification categories that impact reject performance characteristics. The calculated T2 value is compared with a standard value for the particular system. If the value exceeds the critical value , it suggests that there has been a significant change in the typical reject rate compared with the expected situation and therefore appropriate action can be taken to identify the cause of the change and procedures can be put in place to correct the problems, that is, to return the reject rate to the expected position.

Abstract: A computerized design system is employed for designing product specifications for a multitude of products. This computerized design system uses an input from a user to define a series of goals and from these goals to create a data structure which is extracted from the goals. This data structure is then topologically stored in a computer memory which is then used to create a mapping between requirement specifications and a conceptual design. An output is then provided which can be used as a final design specification.

Abstract: A system (10) and method (42,44,46,48,52,54) for generating an index (38,132,40,134) commensurate with the degree to which a tube array degrades over a period of time due to corrosion in a particular operating environment. A data array (62,114) is created defining the number of tubes in the tube array, a plurality of time points defining time intervals during which the degradation is to be assessed, and operating conditions that induce corrosion during each time interval. The expected degradation value of the array is computed over each of a plurality of time points using a deterministic failure model (88) having at least one parameter (102,104,106) that is assumed constant at each time point. For each time point and at least one parameter, a plurality of values of the parameter (108,110) that deviate from the assumed constant value, are generated.

Abstract: A vehicular traveling direction measuring system derives a weighting constant based on a monitored magnitude of the geomagnetic disturbance around a vehicle. Variance values of geomagnetism indicative data and a deviation magnitude from a standard azimuth circle may be used to estimate the geomagnetic disturbance magnitude. Mean data is derived from current cycle data and prior cycle data of the monitored geomagnetism using the weighting constant. The weighting constant determines a rate of dependency upon the current cycle data and the prior cycle data when deriving the mean data. The vehicular traveling direction is derived based on the derived mean data.

Abstract: A digital system includes a number of digital subsystems interconnected by a shared bus structure that is mutually exclusively accessible for communicating data between the subsystems. The system is structured to be tested by pseudo-random scan test methodology. Each subsystem includes a counter that, during scan test periods, provides an enable signal to the bus access or driver circuitry of the associated subsystem. A scan test operation is preceded by pre-loading each counter with a predetermined state so that, initially, and throughout the test period, one and only one digital subsystem will drive the shared data bus. Each scan sequence (comprising a scan in, an execution cycle, and a scan out of the pseudo-random test strings) will result in the counters being clocked once so that a new subsystem will be enable to drive the bus the next sequence, permitting the bus access circuitry of each subsystem, and the bus itself, to be tested.

Abstract: In a state estimating apparatus, an input space quantization section quantizes an input space according to a required precision of output data. A storage section calculates and stores the number of times of occurrence of output data corresponding to each input event in the quantized input space, the mean values of the output data, and the change amounts of the output data. A neighborhood definition section calculates an input space neighborhood satisfying the required precision of the output. A similar case extraction section zooms up the predetermined neighborhood of the input space to the predetermined degree and extracts input case similar to the neighborhood from input case in the input space. A similarity determination section determines the similarity between the new input event and the extracted similar input cases on the basis of the degree of zooming.

Abstract: An apparatus for storing up a "socket communication log" of communications between processes in a multitask support system includes communication use libraries connected to the processes. Each of the communication use libraries includes a communication use library function for performing socket communications, and a socket communication log storing unit for storing a log of such socket communications. The log contains information identifying the socket-communication thereby facilitating debugging of programs created with the multitask support system.

Abstract: A technique is described for testing the performance of a target electronic system ultimately employing an ASIC comprising a core cell and surrounding logic, using an inchoate (designed, but not yet fabricated) ASIC on an interim basis. In one embodiment, a Q-part, or qualification part, which is essentially a bond-out of the core cell, is used in conjunction with programmable logic devices configured to perform the function of the surrounding logic. The Q-part and programmable logic are interconnected on a pod, and plugged into an interim version of a target electronic system. In another embodiment, the Q-part is software-simulated and interconnected on the pod to programmable logic devices. The programmable logic devices may be programmed either on-pod or off-pod, and signals incident to the operation of the pod plugged into the interim electronic system can be monitored and controlled.

Abstract: A method of accurately simulating how design defects and faults are detected in the board design and manufacturing test environments is provided which uses statements in the simulation control language of a fault simulator. The simulation of the operation of electronic boards (which may not yet have been built) in their expected test environments is possible. The set of statements used in the simulation language allows the proposed functional self-test code, also called diagnostic code or power-on self-test code, which is to be executed by a (micro-)processor, to be tested for its effectiveness. The simulation must synchronize the simulated execution of the processor code to be evaluated with the fault detection by the code being evaluated, simulate the use of any attached tester, such as a logic analyzer, and provide data that can be used for programming devices in the test environment.

Abstract: A technique is described for testing the performance of a target electronic system ultimately employing an ASIC comprising a core cell and surrounding logic, using an inchoate (designed, but not yet fabricated) ASIC on an interim basis. In one embodiment, a Q-part, or qualification part, which is essentially a bond-out of the core cell, is used in conjunction with programmable logic devices configured to perform the function of the surrounding logic. The Q-part and programmable logic are interconnected on a pod, and plugged into an interim version of a target electronic system. In another embodiment, the Q-part is software-simulated and interconnected on the pod to programmable logic devices. The programmable logic devices may be programmed either on-pod or off-pod, and signals incident to the operation of the pod plugged into the interim electronic system can be monitored and controlled.