1. A semiconductor device comprising:
an insulating substrate;
a variable capacitor including a pair of electrodes and a dielectric, which is formed over the insulating substrate; and
a display device over the insulating substrate,
wherein a capacitance of the variable capacitor is changed corresponding to a distance between the pair of the electrodes, and
wherein the semiconductor device includes a means for converting change of capacitance of the variable capacitor into an electrical signal.
2. A semiconductor device comprising:
an insulating substrate;
a plurality of variable capacitors each including a pair of electrodes and a dielectric, which are formed over the insulating substrate; and
a display device over the insulating substrate,
wherein a capacitance of the variable capacitor is changed corresponding to a distance between the pair of the electrodes, and
wherein the semiconductor device includes a means for converting change of capacitance of each variable capacitor into an electrical signal.
3. A semiconductor device comprising:
an insulating substrate;
a variable capacitor including a pair of electrodes and a dielectric interposed therebetween, wherein a capacitance of the variable capacitor is changed corresponding to a distance between the pair of the electrodes;
a read-out circuit that detects change of capacitance of the variable capacitor; and
a display device,
wherein the variable capacitor, the read-out circuit, and the display device are provided over the insulating substrate.
4. A semiconductor device comprising:
an insulating substrate;
a plurality of variable capacitors each including a pair of electrodes and a dielectric interposed therebetween, wherein a capacitance of the variable capacitor is changed corresponding to a distance between the pair of the electrodes;
a read-out circuit that detects change of capacitance of each variable capacitor; and
a display device,
wherein the variable capacitors, the read-out circuit, and the display device are provided over the insulating substrate.
5. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric is transformed under external pressure.
6. A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the dielectric is transformed under external pressure.
7. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the dielectric is transformed under external pressure.
8. A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the dielectric is transformed under external pressure.
9. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the display device and the read-out circuit comprises a thin film transistor formed over the insulating substrate.
10. A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the display device and the read-out circuit comprises a thin film transistor formed over the insulating substrate.
11. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the display device and the read-out circuit comprises a thin film transistor formed over the insulating substrate.
12. A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the display device and the read-out circuit comprises a thin film transistor formed over the insulating substrate.
13. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric is surrounded by the pair of electrodes and a sealant.
14. A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the dielectric is surrounded by the pair of electrodes and a sealant.
15. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the dielectric is surrounded by the pair of electrodes and a sealant.
16. A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the dielectric is surrounded by the pair of electrodes and a sealant.
17. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric is liquid crystal that is used in the display device.
18. A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the dielectric is liquid crystal that is used in the display device.
19. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the dielectric is liquid crystal that is used in the display device.
20. A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the dielectric is liquid crystal that is used in the display device.
21. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the insulating substrate comprises glass.
22. A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the insulating substrate comprises glass.
23. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the insulating substrate comprises glass.
24. A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the insulating substrate comprises glass.
25. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the insulating substrate comprises plastic.
26. A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the insulating substrate comprises plastic.
27. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the insulating substrate comprises plastic.
28. A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the insulating substrate comprises plastic.
29. A semiconductor device according to claim 21, wherein at least one of the pair of the electrodes is formed over the insulating substrate comprising glass.
30. A semiconductor device according to claim 22, wherein at least one of the pair of the electrodes is formed over the insulating substrate comprising glass.
31. A semiconductor device according to claim 23, wherein at least one of the pair of the electrodes is formed over the insulating substrate comprising glass.
32. A semiconductor device according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the pair of the electrodes is formed over the insulating substrate comprising glass.
33. A semiconductor device according to claim 25, wherein at least one of the pair of the electrodes is formed over the insulating substrate comprising plastic.
34. A semiconductor device according to claim 26, wherein at least one of the pair of the electrodes is formed over the insulating substrate comprising plastic.
35. A semiconductor device according to claim 27, wherein at least one of the pair of the electrodes is formed over the insulating substrate comprising plastic.
36. A semiconductor device according to claim 28, wherein at least one of the pair of the electrodes is formed over the insulating substrate comprising plastic.
37. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the variable capacitor is arranged in a line.
38. A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the variable capacitor is arranged in a line.
39. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the variable capacitor is arranged in a line.
40. A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the variable capacitor is arranged in a line.
41. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the variable capacitor is arranged in a grid.
42. A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the variable capacitor is arranged in a grid.
43. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the variable capacitor is arranged in a grid.
44. A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the variable capacitor is arranged in a grid.
45. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the variable capacitor is arranged in a random order.
46. A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the variable capacitor is arranged in a random order.
47. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the variable capacitor is arranged in a random order.
48. A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the variable capacitor is arranged in a random order.
49. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein change of capacitance of the variable capacitor is generated by applying physical force.
50. A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein change of capacitance of the variable capacitor is generated by applying physical force.
51. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein change of capacitance of the variable capacitor is generated by applying physical force.
52. A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein change of capacitance of the variable capacitor is generated by applying physical force.
53. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein change of capacitance of the variable capacitor is generated by using an electrical signal.
54. A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein change of capacitance of the variable capacitor is generated by using an electrical signal.
55. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein change of capacitance of the variable capacitor is generated by using an electrical signal.
56. A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein change of capacitance of the variable capacitor is generated by using an electrical signal.
57. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device is one selected from a group consisting of a game machine, a video camera, a head-mounted display, a DVD player, a personal computer, a cellular phone, a car audio, and a card viewer.
58. A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein the semiconductor device is one selected from a group consisting of a game machine, a video camera, a head-mounted display, a DVD player, a personal computer, a cellular phone, a car audio, and a card viewer.
59. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein the semiconductor device is one selected from a group consisting of a game machine, a video camera, a head-mounted display, a DVD player, a personal computer, a cellular phone, a car audio, and a card viewer.
60. A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the semiconductor device is one selected from a group consisting of a game machine, a video camera, a head-mounted display, a DVD player, a personal computer, a cellular phone, a car audio, and a card viewer.
61. A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein one of the pair of electrodes is a transparent electrode.
62. A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein one of the pair of electrodes is a transparent electrode.
63. A semiconductor device according to claim 3, wherein one of the pair of electrodes is a transparent electrode.
64. A semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein one of the pair of electrodes is a transparent electrode.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A system for managing a multiple server computer system on a computer network, the system comprising:
a central management server;
one or more remote nodes connected to the central management server;
a distributed task facility, running on the central management server, that assigns and monitors system management tasks on the remote nodes; and
an agent, running on each remote node, that executes system management tasks and initiates contact with the central management server to report the properties of the remote node on which it is running.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the agent further comprises:
a task module that executes tasks assigned to the agent by the distributed task facility;
a properties module that gathers information describing properties of a remote node on which the agent is running; and
a reporting module that initiates and executes reporting of the status of the agent to the distributed task facility.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the reporting module reports the properties of the remote node to the distributed task facility by passing a properties object to the distributed task facility.
4. The system of claim 2, wherein the properties of the remote node includes the status of the agent and of the remote node on which it is running.
5. The system of claim 3, wherein the properties object comprises a Java object.
6. A method for managing a multiple server computer system on a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:
executing an agent on a remote node;
creating a properties object containing values for certain properties of the remote node on which the agent is executing;
an agent initiating contact with a central management server; and
the agent passing the properties object from the agent to the central management server, whereby the agent reports the properties of the remote node on which it is executing to the central management server.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the creating step comprises specifying the status of the agent and of the remote node on which it is executing.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising creating a properties file on the remote node containing data describing the certain properties of the remote node on which the agent is executing, wherein the properties object is created using the values of the data contained in the properties file.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the initiating contact step comprises the agent initiating contact with a distributed task facility on the central management server.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein the passing step comprises passing the properties object from the agent to the distributed task facility.
11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:
writing the contents of the properties object to a central properties file on the central management server;
making the central properties file available to a node manager module executing on the central management server;
logging the transaction between the distributed task facility and the agent to a log manager module; and
checking for any outstanding tasks previously assigned to the agent for which the distributed task facility is still awaiting a response from the agent.
12. The method of claim 7, further comprising initiating the executing step upon restarting operation of the remote node upon which it resides.
13. The method of claim 7, further comprising initiating the executing step following a hardware system upgrade to the remote node upon which it resides.
14. The method of claim 7, further comprising initiating the executing step following an upgrade or patch to the operating system software on the remote node upon which it resides.
15. A computer readable medium on which is embedded a program, the program comprising modules that execute a method for managing a multiple server computer system on a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:
executing an agent on a remote node;
creating a properties object containing values for certain properties of the remote node on which the agent is executing;
an agent initiating contact with a central management server; and
the agent passing the properties object from the agent to the central management server, whereby the agent reports the properties of the remote node on which it is executing to the central management server.
16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the properties of the remote node includes the status of the agent and of the remote node on which it is executing.
17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising creating a properties file on the remote node containing data describing the certain properties of the remote node on which the agent is executing, wherein the properties object is created using the values of the data contained in the properties file.
18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the initiating contact step comprises the agent initiating contact with a distributed task facility on the central management server.
19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising passing the properties object from the agent to the distributed task facility.
20. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:
writing the contents of the properties object to a central properties file on the central management server;
making the central properties file available to a node manager module executing on the central management server;
logging the transaction between the distributed task facility and the agent to a log manager module; and
checking for any outstanding tasks previously assigned to the agent for which the distributed task facility is still awaiting a response from the agent.