1. An absorbent article comprising:
a chassis comprising an outer cover having an interior surface and an exterior surface and an absorbent structure positioned adjacent the interior surface of the outer cover;
at least one conductive element contained in the chassis and forming part of a sensing circuit that is configured to sense the presence of a substance; and
at least one electrically identifiable component associated with said at least one conductive element, said at least one electrically identifiable component having an identifiable characteristic the presence of which permits operation of the sensing circuit.
2. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one electrically identifiable component is coupled to said at least one conductive element.
3. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one electrically identifiable component comprises at least one gap proximate one end of said at least one conductive element, said at least one gap dividing said at least one conductive element into a first portion and a second portion.
4. An absorbent article as defined in claim 3, further comprising:
at least one electrical component coupled across said gap.
5. An absorbent article as defined in claim 4, wherein said at least one electrical component is selected from the group consisting of resistors, capacitors, inductors, passive components, active components and combinations thereof
6. An absorbent article as defined in claim 3, further comprising at least one second electrically identifiable component coupled to one of said first and second portions.
7. An absorbent article as defined in claim 6, further comprising:
at least one second conductive element contained in the chassis and forming part of the sensing circuit, wherein said at least one second electrically identifiable component is coupled between said first portion of said at least one conductive element and said at least one second conductive element.
8. An absorbent article as defined in claim 6, further comprising:
at least one second conductive element contained in the chassis and forming part of the sensing circuit, wherein said at least one second electrically identifiable component is coupled between said second portion of said first conductive element and said at least one second conductive element.
9. An absorbent article as defined in claim 7 or 8, wherein said at least one electrically identifiable component and said at least one second electrically identifiable component have different electrical characteristics.
10. An absorbent article as defined in claim 9, wherein said at least one electrically identifiable component comprises a resistive component and said at least one second electrically identifiable component comprises a capacitive component.
11. An absorbent article as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one conductive element is configured to electrically connect to a signaling device, and wherein an identifiable characteristic of said at least one electrically identifiable component enables selected operability of said signaling device.
12. An absorbent article as defined in claim 11, wherein the selected operability of said signaling device comprises enabling or disabling operation of said signaling device.
13. An absorbent article as defined in claim 11, wherein the selected operability of said signaling device comprises adjusting operating parameters of said signaling device.
14. An absorbent article as defined in claim 13, wherein adjusting operating parameters of said signaling device comprises adjusting operating parameters based on gender specific characteristics of the absorbent article.
15. An absorbent article as defined in claim 13, wherein adjusting operating parameters of said signaling device comprises adjusting operating parameters based on size specific characteristics of the absorbent article.
16. An absorbent article as defined in claim 13, wherein adjusting operating parameters of said signaling device comprises adjusting operating parameters based on absorbent article type specific characteristics of the absorbent article.
17. An absorbent article as defined in claim 11, wherein the signaling device produces an audible, visible, andor vibratory signal when activated.
18. An absorbent article as defined in claim 11, wherein the signaling device comprises a transmitter electrically connectable to the at least one conductive element, and a receiver, and wherein, the transmitter sends a wireless signal to the receiver which produces an audible, visible, andor vibratory signal to a user when the signaling device is activated.
19. A method for providing absorbent article characteristic related signals, comprising:
providing an absorbent article comprising an absorbent structure, at least one condition sensitive sensor, and at least one electrical component having electrically identifiable characteristics;
providing a signaling device, the signaling device capable of producing selected user perceptible signal combinations;
configuring the signaling device to be responsive to the at least one condition sensitive sensor and the at least one electrical component; and
coupling the signaling device to the absorbent article, whereby the signaling device may produce signal combinations responsive to a sensed condition and may identify the characteristics of the at least one electrical components and adjust one or more of its operational conditions based thereon.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:
providing at least one second electrical component having electrically identifiable characteristics;
locating the at least one second electrical component in one of the absorbent article and signaling device; and
disabling the signaling device upon failure to identify selected electrical characteristics of the at least one electrical component and the at least one second electrical component.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for monitoring performance of cores based on a multi-core processor, comprising:
a status information collection unit configured to collect a plurality of pieces of status information extracted from respective cores, and to store the plurality of pieces of status information in respective memory areas provided for the cores; and
a monitoring unit configured to receive the status information, to send the status information to a storage unit, and to perform monitoring based on the status information,
wherein the monitoring unit is provided in any one of the cores.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cores comprise respective status information extraction units each configured to extract the plurality of pieces of status information.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of pieces of status information is information including at least one of a number of tasks or an amount of data that have been processed for each of the cores.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the status information collection unit comprises:
a memory unit configured to have a plurality of different memory areas for the respective cores, and to store the plurality of pieces of collected status information in the respective memory areas;
a scheduling determination unit configured to determine whether each of tasks, which have been assigned to the respective cores corresponding to the plurality of pieces of status information that are stored in the respective memory areas, is a scheduling target;
a core setting unit configured to fixedly set locations of the tasks so that the tasks are performed only in the respective assigned cores; and
a core determination unit configured to determine whether the task, which is a scheduling target, has been assigned to the core provided with the monitoring unit.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit, if the task, which is a scheduling target, is a task assigned to the core provided with the monitoring unit, sends the stored status information to the storage unit, resets the status information collection unit, and then performs the monitoring.
6. A method of monitoring performance of cores based on a multi-core processor, comprising:
collecting, by a status information collection unit, a plurality of pieces of status information extracted from respective cores, and storing, by the status information collection unit, the plurality of pieces of status information in respective memory areas provided for the respective cores; and
storing, by a monitoring unit provided in any one of the respective cores, the plurality of pieces of collected status information in a storage unit, and performing, by the monitoring unit, monitoring based on the status information.
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, before collecting the plurality of pieces of status information extracted from the respective cores and storing the plurality of pieces of information in the respective memory areas, providing the cores with respective status information extraction units each configured to extract the plurality of pieces of status information.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein collecting the plurality of pieces of status information extracted from the respective cores and storing the plurality of pieces of information in the respective memory areas comprises:
storing the plurality of pieces of collected status information in respective different memory areas provided for the respective cores;
determining whether each of tasks, which are assigned to the respective cores corresponding to the plurality of pieces of status information stored in the memory areas is, a scheduling target;
fixedly setting positions of the tasks so that the tasks are performed only in the respective assigned cores; and
determining whether the task, which is a scheduling target, has been assigned to the core provided with the monitoring unit.
9. The method of claim 6, wherein storing the plurality of pieces of collected status information in the storage unit and performing monitoring based on the status information comprises:
determining whether the core to which the task, which is a scheduling target, has been assigned is the core provided with the monitoring unit; and
storing the plurality of pieces of collected status information in the storage unit, resetting the status information collection unit, and then performing the monitoring.