1. A commercial grid network comprising:
a plurality of computing resources;
a security label repository configured to store a plurality of unmapped security labels;
an administrative node comprising a processor and memory, wherein the memory comprises software instructions, which when executed by the processor, perform a method, the method comprising:
receiving a lease request from a client to lease a computing resource selected from the plurality of computing resources,
mapping a unique identifier of the client to a security label selected from the plurality of unmapped security labels to obtain a client-label mapping based on the lease request,
mapping a unique identifier of the computing resource to the security label to obtain a resource-label mapping based on the lease request, and
storing the client-label mapping and the resource-label mapping in the security label repository to obtain stored security label mappings; and
a forwarding node configured to authenticate an access request from the client to the computing resource using the stored security label mappings.
2. The commercial grid network of claim 1, further comprising:
a resource node comprising the computing resource and an accredited security label range, and configured to add the security label to the accredited security label range, wherein the accredited security label range defines an upper security label boundary and a lower security label boundary for accessing the computing resource.
3. The commercial grid network of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:
choosing the computing resource to service the lease request based on lease conditions comprised in the lease request.
4. The commercial grid network of claim 1, wherein the forwarding node is configured to authenticate the access request by:
parsing the access request to obtain the unique identifier of the client and the unique identifier of the computing resource;
accessing the stored security label mappings based on the unique identifier of the client and the unique identifier of the computing resource;
verifying that both the client-label mapping and the resource-label mapping have the security label; and
forwarding the access request based on a positive result of the verifying.
5. The commercial grid network of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:
remove the stored security label mappings from the security label repository and returning the security label to the plurality of unmapped security labels when a lease term associated with the client and the computing resource expires.
6. The commercial grid network of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:
propagate at least a portion of the security label repository to the forwarding node.
7. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions for:
receiving a lease request from a client to lease a computing resource selected from a plurality of computing resources in a commercial grid network;
mapping a unique identifier of the client to a security label selected from a plurality of unmapped security labels to obtain a client-label mapping based on the lease request;
mapping a unique identifier of the computing resource to the security label to obtain a resource-label mapping based on the lease request;
storing the client-label mapping and the resource-label mapping in a security label repository to obtain stored security label mappings; and
authenticating, by the commercial grid network, an access request from the client to the computing resource using the stored security label mappings.
8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising executable instructions for:
adding the security label to an accredited security label range for the computing resource, wherein the accredited security label range defines an upper security label boundary and a lower security label boundary for accessing the computing resource.
9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the lease request is a request for an exclusive lease of the computing resource, wherein the exclusive lease is enforced by restricting the accredited security label range to only the security label.
10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising executable instructions for:
choosing the computing resource to service the lease request based on lease conditions comprised in the lease request.
11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein executable instructions for authenticating the access request comprises executable instructions for:
parsing, by a forwarding node in the commercial grid network, the access request to obtain the unique identifier of the client and the unique identifier of the computing resource;
accessing, by the forwarding node, the stored security label mappings based on the unique identifier of the client and the unique identifier of the computing resource;
verifying, by the forwarding node, that both the client-label mapping and the resource-label mapping have the security label; and
forwarding, by the forwarding node, the access request based on a positive result of the verifying.
12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising executable instructions for:
removing the stored security label mappings from the security label repository and returning the security label to the plurality of unmapped security labels when a lease term associated with the client and the computing resource expires.
13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising executable instructions for:
propagating at least a portion of the security label repository across a plurality of trusted forwarding nodes in the commercial grid network.
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. A liquid crystal element comprising one pair of electrodes of which at least one is a transparent electrode and a liquid crystal layer between the pair of the electrodes, wherein the liquid crystal layer contains at least two compositions of dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal compositions having different threshold voltages.
2. A liquid crystal element according to claim 1, wherein the at least two compositions of dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal compositions having different threshold voltages have cross-over frequencies that are different from each other respectively.
3. A liquid crystal element according to claim 1, wherein:
the at least two compositions of dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal compositions having different threshold voltages comprise a first dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal composition and a second dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal composition;
Ea represents a threshold voltage at a low frequency and E\u2032a represents a threshold voltage at a high frequency of the first dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal composition;
Eb represents a threshold voltage at a low frequency as and E\u2032b represents a threshold voltage at a high frequency of the second dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal composition; and
Ea is smaller than Eb, and E\u2032a is smaller than E\u2032b.
4. A liquid crystal element according to claim 1, wherein the at least two compositions of dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal compositions having different threshold voltages contain dichroic dyes respectively, and the absorption of the dichroic dyes has at least one relationship of complementary colors selected from the group consisting of yellow and blue, magenta and green, and cyan and red.
5. A liquid crystal element according to claim 1, wherein the at least two compositions of dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal compositions having different threshold voltages comprise a first dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal composition, a second dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal composition, and a third dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal composition having different threshold voltages.
6. A liquid crystal element according to claim 5, wherein:
Ea represents a threshold voltage at a low frequency and E\u2032a represents a threshold voltage at a high frequency of the first dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal composition;
Eb represents a threshold voltage at a low frequency and E\u2032b represents a threshold voltage at a high frequency of the second dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal composition;
Ec represents a threshold voltage at a low frequency and E\u2032c represents a threshold voltage at a high frequency of the third dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal composition; and
the relationships of Ea <Eb <Ec, and E\u2032a <E\u2032b <E\u2032c are satisfied.
7. A liquid crystal element according to claim 5, wherein the first dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal composition, the second dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal composition, and third dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal composition contain dichroic dyes of different absorptions respectively, and each dichroic dye shows absorption for any one of yellow, magenta, and cyan.
8. A liquid crystal element according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal layer is laminated.
9. A liquid crystal element according to claim 8, wherein the liquid crystal layer is a polymer medium layer in which the dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal compositions are dispersed in the polymer medium, and the polymer medium layer is laminated.
10. A liquid crystal element according to claim 9, wherein the liquid crystal layer contains the dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal compositions in the form of microcapsules.
11. A liquid crystal element according to claim 1, wherein the dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal compositions are mixtures of a smectic liquid crystal and a dual frequency addressable nematic liquid crystal.
12. A liquid crystal element according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the dichroic dyes is a dye having a substituent represented by the following Formula (1):
-(Het)j-{(B1)p-(Q1)q-(B2)r}n-C1
wherein Het represents an oxygen atom or sulfur atom; B1 and B2 each independently represent an arylene group, a hetero-arylene group, or a bivalent cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon group; Q1represents a bivalent linking group; C1 represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkoxy group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an acyl group, or an acyloxy group; j represents 0 or 1; p, q, and r each independently represent an integer from 0 to 5; n represents an integer of from 1 to 3; (p +r)\xd7n is an integer of 3 to 10; when p is 2 or larger, two or more groups represented by B1 may be the same or different; and when q is 2 or larger, two or more groups represented by Q1 may be the same or different; when r is 2 or larger, two or more groups represented by B2 may be the same or different; when n is 2 or larger, two or more groups represented by {(B1)p-(Q1)q-(B2)r}may be the same or different
13. A liquid crystal element according to claim 4, wherein the dichroic dye is a compound represented by the following Formula (2):
wherein at least one of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 is -(Het)j-{(B1)p-(Q1)q-(B2)r}n-C1and the remaining groups each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent; Het represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; B1 and B2 each independently represent an arylene group, a heteroarylene group, or a divalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group; Q1 represents a divalent linking group; C1 represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkoxy group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an acyl group, or an acyloxy group; j represents 0 or 1; p, q, and r each independently represent an integer of 0 to 5; n represents an integer of 1 to 3; (p+r)\xd7n is an integer of 3 to 10; when p is 2 or larger, two or more groups represented by B1 may be the same or different; when q is 2 or larger, two or more groups represented by Q1 may be the same or different; when r is 2 or larger, two or more groups represented by B2 may be the same or different; and when n is 2 or larger, two or more groups represented by {(B1)p-(Q1)q-(B2)r} may be the same or different.
14. A liquid crystal element according to claim 4, wherein the dichroic dye is a compound represented by the following Formula (3):
wherein at least one of R11, R12, R13, R14, R15, R16, and R17 is -(Het)j-{(B1)p(Q1)q-(B2)r}n-C1 and the remaining groups each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent; Het represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; B1 and B2 each independently represent an arylene group, a heteroarylene group, or a divalent alicyclic hydrocarbon group; Q1 represents a divalent linking group; C1 represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkoxy group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an acyl group, or an acyloxy group; j represents 0 or 1; p, q, and r each independently represent an integer of 0 to 5; n represents an integer of 1 to 3; (p+r)\xd7n is an integer of 3 to 10; when p is 2 or larger, two or more groups represented by B1 may be the same or different; when q is 2 or larger, two or more groups represented by Q1 may be the same or different; when r is 2 or larger, two or more groups represented by B2 may be the same or different; and when n is 2 or larger, two or more groups represented by {(B1)p-(Q1)q-(B2)r} may be the same or different.
15. A liquid crystal element according to claim 1, wherein one of the dual frequency addressable smectic liquid crystal compositions contains a compound represented by the following Formula (4):
T1-{(D1)e-L1}m-(D2)k-T2
wherein D1 and D2 each independently represent an arylene group, a heteroarylene group, or a bivalent cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon group; L1 represents a bivalent linking group; T1 and T2each independently represent an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an acyl group, an acyloxy group, a halogen atom or a cyano group; e represents an integer of from 1 to 3; m represents an integer of from 1 to 3; and k represents 1 or 2.
16. A liquid crystal element according to claim 15, wherein L1 in the Formula (4) is an ester group or an alkyleneoxy group.
17. A liquid crystal element according to claim 15, wherein the combination of e, m, and k in the Formula (4) is any one of the following (i) to (iii):
(i) e=1,m=2, and k=1;
(ii) e=2,m=1, and k=1; or
(iii) e=2,m=1, and k=2.
18. A liquid crystal element according to claim 11, wherein the mixing ratio of the dual frequency addressable nematic liquid crystal and the smectic liquid crystal is from 20 mol %: 80 mol % to 99 mol %: 1 mol %.
19. A liquid crystal element according to claim 11, wherein the mixing ratio of the dual frequency addressable nematic liquid crystal and the smectic liquid crystal is from 70 mol %:30 mol % to 90 mol %:10 mol %.