Abstract: A storage system is configured so that it can operate based on an operation mode set by an administrator from among a memory backup mode, a destage mode, a UPS mode, and a remote copy mode. The administrator can select the operation mode according to the battery capacity of the battery module, making it possible to provide a highly-convenient storage system.

Abstract: A disk array device connected to a higher-level device, including: a battery mounting unit which mounts a nickel hydrogen battery, charges a part of electric power supplied to said logic mounting unit and said memory device mounting unit, and supplies said charged electric power to said logic mounting unit and said memory device mounting unit at the time of a power failure, wherein said logic mounting unit mounts a cache memory which temporarily stores data transferred from said high-level device and performs control to write the data stored in said cache memory to said plurality of memory devices at the time of power failure, and the power supply from said batter mounting unit to said plurality of memory devices is sequentially stopped in the order of the memory device to which data writing from said cache memory has been completed at the time of the power failure.

Abstract: A disk array device can carry out battery backup including a destage process of data by a battery mounted in a case body of the disk array device and can enhance instantaneous power failure durability to an instantaneous power failure. A logic box mounts a channel controlling unit, a disk controlling unit, a cache memory and a switch; and a hard disk box mounts a plurality of memory devices. A battery box mounts a nickel hydrogen battery for supplying a backup power source at the time of a power failure and is disposed at a lower portion of each case body including the logic box and the hard disk box. The nickel hydrogen battery of the battery box is cooled through natural convection of air created inside the case body by a fan for cooling each of the logic box and the hard disk box.

Abstract: A storage control device comprises: a first I/O control unit for controlling read/write of data from/to one or more HDDs (Hard Disk Drives); a second I/O control unit whose current consumption is approximately equal to that of the first I/O control unit; two or more first power supply devices supplying electric power to the first I/O control unit; two or more second power supply devices supplying electric power to the second I/O control unit; and at least three circuit breakers receiving electric power supplied from outside and supplying the electric power to the first and second power supply devices while interrupting the supply of the electric power when current exceeding a preset level passes. Each of the first/second power supply devices includes a current balancing circuit for equalizing output currents of the first/second power supply devices.

Abstract: A zirconia structural body includes a substrate having one surface on which a first electrode, a zirconia layer, and a second electrode are successively laminated. The zirconia layer is a bonded body of mixture consisting of monoclinic zirconia crystal grains and cubic zirconia crystal grains.

Abstract: A storage control device comprises: a first I/O control unit for controlling read/write of data from/to one or more HDDs (Hard Disk Drives); a second I/O control unit whose current consumption is approximately equal to that of the first I/O control unit; two or more first power supply devices supplying electric power to the first I/O control unit; two or more second power supply devices supplying electric power to the second I/O control unit; and at least three circuit breakers receiving electric power supplied from outside and supplying the electric power to the first and second power supply devices while interrupting the supply of the electric power when current exceeding a preset level passes. Each of the first/second power supply devices includes a current balancing circuit for equalizing output currents of the first/second power supply devices.

Abstract: A storage control device comprises: a first I/O control unit for controlling read/write of data from/to one or more HDDs (Hard Disk Drives); a second I/O control unit whose current consumption is approximately equal to that of the first I/O control unit; two or more first power supply devices supplying electric power to the first I/O control unit; two or more second power supply devices supplying electric power to the second I/O control unit; and at least three circuit breakers receiving electric power supplied from outside and supplying the electric power to the first and second power supply devices while interrupting the supply of the electric power when current exceeding a preset level passes. Each of the first/second power supply devices includes a current balancing circuit for equalizing output currents of the first/second power supply devices.

Abstract: A disk array device can carry out battery backup including a destage process of data by a battery mounted in a case body of the disk array device and can enhance instantaneous power failure durability to an instantaneous power failure. A logic box mounts a channel controlling unit, a disk controlling unit, a cache memory and a switch; and a hard disk box mounts a plurality of memory devices. A battery box mounts a nickel hydrogen battery for supplying a backup power source at the time of a power failure and is disposed at a lower portion of each case body including the logic box and the hard disk box. The nickel hydrogen battery of the battery box is cooled through natural convection of air created inside the case body by a fan for cooling each of the logic box and the hard disk box.

Abstract: A storage control device comprises: a first I/O control unit for controlling read/write of data from/to one or more HDDs (Hard Disk Drives); a second I/O control unit whose current consumption is approximately equal to that of the first I/O control unit; two or more first power supply devices supplying electric power to the first I/O control unit; two or more second power supply devices supplying electric power to the second I/O control unit; and at least three circuit breakers receiving electric power supplied from outside and supplying the electric power to the first and second power supply devices while interrupting the supply of the electric power when current exceeding a preset level passes. Each of the first/second power supply devices includes a current balancing circuit for equalizing output currents of the first/second power supply devices.

Abstract: An electronic personal shopping system, communicating between a store platform computer and a number of reconfigurable display terminals located throughout a retail facility, each display terminal associated with an RF interrogator unit which interfaces with a portable customer data card. As a customer enters the interrogator unit's RF field, the customer is identified and the merchandise information message being displayed on the display panel associated with that interrogator unit is adaptively reconfigured to conform to that customer's display preferences in accordance with demographic profile information maintained on record for that customer. The display panel is adaptively reconfigured to display merchandise item information messages in a number of different national languages, weights and measures systems, currency systems, and to display specific messages based on a customer's date of birth, gender or disability status.

Abstract: An electronic shopping system which facilitates the control and supervision of one user over the Internet shopping purchases made by another user. The electronic shopping system includes a customer profile database, a merchandise database, and a transaction database and uses data records and identification numbers to facilitate the supervision of Internet shopping purchases. A first user may establish purchase criteria and predetermine which items and/or categories, quantity, and/or frequency of items may are available for purchase by a secondary user. A first user may also review a secondary user's purchase selections before the sales transaction is completed. Operations may be performed on data records to reduce the time and energy required to supervise purchase selections. The electronic shopping system utilizes e-mail and date/time information to inform users of activity being conducted on the electronic shopping system.

Abstract: A system and method for customer satisfaction survey for a customer service provided over a telephone network. A customer initiates a telephone call to a customer service number provided by a company. The company's PBX receives the call and transfers it to a computer telephony integration (CTI) server for dynamically assigning an available customer service representative to the call. During the course of a call, the CTI server monitors the call for push-tones transmitted by the caller. Receipt of a push-tone during the conversation is assumed to be an indication of the customer's satisfaction associated with the call at the time the push-tone was transmitted. The CTI server also presents questions to the customer at the end of the call but prior to hangup to receive additional feedback about the customer's satisfaction about the call. The gathered information is stored as customer satisfaction data for later analysis by an analysis computer.

Abstract: An electronic personal shopping system, communicating between a store platform computer and a number of reconfigurable display terminals located throughout a retail facility, each display terminal associated with an RF interrogator unit which interfaces with a portable customer data card. As a customer enters the interrogator unit's RF field, the customer is identified and the merchandise information message being displayed on the display panel associated with that interrogator unit is adaptively reconfigured to conform to that customer's display preferences in accordance with demographic profile information maintained on record for that customer. The display panel is adaptively reconfigured to display merchandise item information messages in a number of different national languages, weights and measures systems, currency systems, and to display specific messages based on a customer's date of birth, gender or disability status.

Abstract: A household consumable item automatic replenishment system automatically maintains a desired inventory of household consumable items. The household consumable item automatic replenishment system has a refrigerator compartment having an indoor access and an outdoor access and an unrefrigerated compartment having an indoor access and an outdoor access. An automatic inventory system has a plurality of sensors configured to provide information representative of an inventory of the refrigerated compartment and the unrefrigerated compartment. An inventory processor is coupled to the sensors to process the information representative of the inventory of the refrigerated compartment and the unrefrigerated compartment, so as to make a list of items which are to be replenished. An automatic ordering system comprises a telecommunications device coupled to cooperate with the inventory processor to communicate at least a portion of the list to at least one vendor.

Abstract: A two-stage method for polishing the surface of an electrophotographic photoreceptor drum having an inorganic selenic photosensitive layer wherein a first stage rough buffing is conducted by rotating a rough buffing roll about an axis parallel to the rotational axis of the photoreceptor drum, and a second stage polishing is conducted by rotating a finished buffing roll about an axis perpendicular to the rotational axis of the photoreceptor drum.