Author: claimsbot

1. An electronic component comprising:
a first insulation layer;
an upper metal layer formed on the first insulation layer;
an electrically conductive structure integrated into the first insulation layer, the electrically conductive structure mechanically stabilizing the insulation layer under the action of mechanical force, the electrically conductive structure formed as a capacitor structure in which a first strip sequence of metal strips arranged congruently one above another and connected to one another by via connections are connected to a first electrical potential; and
a second strip sequence of metal strips that are arranged congruently one above another and are connected to one another by via connections is in each case arranged on both sides of the first strip sequence at identical lateral distances, the metal strips of the second strip sequences in each case being arranged at the same level as the metal strips of the first strip sequence and being connected to a second electrical potential.
2. The electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive structure is planar with horizontal surfaces of the first insulation layer and surface regions of the conductive structure form partial regions of the horizontal surfaces of the first insulation layer.
3. An integrated circuit having a substrate and an electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the electronic component is formed on the substrate.
4. The electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the upper metal layer is an electrically conductive bonding pad layer.
5. The electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive structure is sufficient to stabilize the insulation layer during at least one of: bonding of the upper metal layer or mounting of the electronic component.
6. The electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the first insulation layer is formed from a material having a dielectric constant of less than 4.
7. The electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the upper metal layer has a bonding region and the electrically conductive structure is essentially arranged vertically below the bonding region.
8. The electronic component according to claim 7, wherein dimensions of the electrically conductive structure in a plane parallel to the upper metal layer are identical in magnitude to the bonding region.
9. The electronic component according to claim 1, wherein an electrically conductive screening layer is formed between and electrically insulated from the upper metal layer and the electrically conductive structure.
10. The electronic component according to claim 9, wherein the screening layer is a second metal layer and is connected to ground.
11. The electronic component according to claim 9, wherein the screening layer is formed as a contiguous plate or as a grid structure.
12. The electronic component according to claim 9, wherein an area of the screening layer which faces the electrically conductive structure is identical in magnitude to an area of the conductive structure which faces the screening layer, and is arranged such that when the areas are projected on one another, the area of the screening layer completely covers the area of the conductive structure.
13. The electronic component according to claim 9, wherein the screening layer is formed in a second insulation layer, the second insulation layer arranged between the first insulation layer and the upper metal layer.
14. The electronic component according to claim 13, wherein the upper metal layer is electrically connected to an electrically conductive region by means of a contact region in a third insulation layer, the electrically conductive region being arranged in the second or third insulation layer.
15. The electronic component according to claim 14, wherein the contact region and the second electrically conductive region are arranged horizontally offset with respect to the electrically conductive structure and with respect to a bonding region of the upper metal layer.
16. The electronic component comprising:
a first insulation layer;
an electrically conductive structure formed as a passive electronic component and integrated into the first insulation layer, the electrically conductive structure mechanically stabilizing the insulation layer under the action of mechanical force;
a second insulation layer applied on the first insulation layer, the second insulation layer containing a metallic screening layer arranged vertically above the electrically conductive structure such that the second insulation layer laterally completely covers the electrically conductive structure;
an upper metal layer formed on the second insulation layer; and
an electrically conductive region arranged laterally with respect to the screening layer in the same plane as the screening layer within the second insulation layer, the electrically conductive region connected, by means of a contact hole in the second insulation layer, to the upper metal layer applied on the second insulation layer.
17. The electronic component according to claim 16, wherein the electrically conductive structure is electrically connected to a supply voltage potential and ground, respectively, by means of via connections and electrical contact strips.
18. The electronic component according to claim 16, wherein the first insulation layer is formed from a material having a dielectric constant of less than 4.
19. The electronic component according to claim 16, wherein the electrically conductive structure is planar with horizontal surfaces of the first insulation layer and surface regions of the conductive structure form partial regions of the horizontal surfaces of the first insulation layer.
20. An integrated circuit having a substrate and an electronic component according to claim 16, wherein the electronic component is formed on the substrate.
21. The electronic component according to claim 16, wherein the upper metal layer is an electrically conductive bonding pad layer.
22. The electronic component according to claim 16, wherein the electrically conductive structure is sufficient to stabilize the insulation layer during at least one of: bonding of the upper metal layer or mounting of the electronic component.
23. The electronic component according to claim 16, wherein the upper metal layer has a bonding region and the electrically conductive structure is essentially arranged vertically below the bonding region.
24. The electronic component according to claim 23, wherein dimensions of the electrically conductive structure in a plane parallel to the upper metal layer are identical in magnitude to the bonding region.
25. The electronic component according to claim 16, wherein the electrically conductive structure is formed at least one of: as a capacitance structure or as an inductance structure.
26. The electronic component according to claim 25, wherein a partial region of the electrically conductive structure is formed as a capacitance structure and has at least two metallization planes, strips arranged parallel to one another and insulated from one another being formed in the first metallization plane, the strips are arranged congruently with respect to the strips arranged parallel to one another and insulated from one another in the second metallization plane and the strips arranged one above another in a vertical direction in the two metallization planes being electrically connected by via connections.
27. The electronic component according to claim 25, wherein a partial region of the electrically conductive structure is formed as an inductance structure and has at least one metallization plane in which a spiral metal track is formed.

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 method for automatically verifying that a user is still sentient and alive by implementing a user-specified protocol of timed electronic communications comprising the steps of:
a) setting up a protocol of electronic communications to be sent at specified timed intervals to a designated user;
b) sending said timed electronic communications in the form of a telecommunication alert that requires a user response;
c) determining if said individual has responded wherein if the user has responded said protocol is terminated and return to step \u201ca\u201d for setting up a new protocol call for the user;
d) determining if the user has not responded said protocol proceeds to a next communication;
e) determining if said protocol completes without any response from the user, wherein a user designated person is alerted.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of interrupting said protocol by the user when they go on vacation.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of interrupting said protocol by the user when they leave the country for business purposes.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining if said protocol completes without any response from the user, wherein a user designated guardian is alerted.
5. A system for automatically verifying that a user is still sentient and alive comprising:
computer software for implementing a user-specified protocol of timed electronic communications,
said protocol of electronic communications to be sent at specified timed intervals;
said timed electronic communications sends a telecommunication alert that requires a user response wherein the user must respond within a specified period of time; and
the user responding to said alert terminates the protocol wherein if the user does not respond within the specified time, the protocol proceeds to the next communication wherein if the protocol completes without any response from the user, a user designated person is alerted.
6. The system of claim 5 further comprising interrupting said protocol is interrupted by the user when they go on vacation.
7. The system of claim 5 further comprising said protocol is interrupted by the user when they leave the country for business purposes.
8. The system of claim 5 further comprising said user designated person is a user designated guardian.
9. The system of claim 5 further comprising said user is assigned said protocol by a designated person.
10. The system of claim 5 further comprising said user is assigned said protocol by a designated guardian.
11. The system of claim 5 further comprising said user assigns said protocol by themselves.
12. The system of claim 5 further comprising telecommunication alerts are in the form of a \u201cping\u201d.

1. A computer-implemented method for transforming transactional data into a forecast of demand for controlling a commerce system, comprising:
moving goods between members of a commerce system;
recording transactional data related to movement of goods between the members of the commerce system, the transactional data including price, product, time, promotion, and customer;
estimating daily disaggregating parameters (DDP) by minimizing an error function of day of week and transactional data grouped according to promotion, price range, or customer;
estimating model parameters based on the DDP and transactional data using a demand model to generate a weekly forecast of demand for the goods;
disaggregating the weekly forecast of demand into daily components using the DDP; and
providing the daily components of the weekly forecast of demand for the goods to a member of the commerce system to control the movement of goods in the commerce system.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including determining the daily components of the weekly forecast of demand by minimizing the error function given by:
error
\ue8a0

(

k
,
d
,
t

)
=
Txn
\ue8a0

(

k
,
t

)
\ue89e
(
w
\ue8a0

(
d
)
–
w
act

\ue8a0

(

k
,
d
,
t

)
\ue89e

(
\u2211

d
\u2208

I
\ue8a0

(

k
,
t

)
\ue89e

w
\ue8a0

(
d
)
)
)

.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the error function is subject to constraints given by:
\u2211

d
=
1

7

\ue89e

w
\ue8a0

(
d
)
=
1

,
and
\ue89e
\ue89e

w
\ue8a0

(
d
)
\u2265
0

,
for
\ue89e
\ue89e
d

=
1

,
\u2026
\ue89e
,
7.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including accounting for variation in the demand model due to promotions, price changes, and out-of-stock of a product when determining the daily components of the weekly forecast of demand.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including accounting for variation in the demand model due to low selling products when determining the daily components of the weekly forecast of demand.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein disaggregating the weekly forecast for demand into daily components of the weekly forecast of demand uses less computing resources than daily aggregation.
7. A computer-implemented method for controlling commercial transactions using a forecast of demand, comprising:
moving goods between members of a commerce system;
recording transactional data related to movement of goods between the members of the commerce system;
estimating daily disaggregating parameters (DDP) by minimizing an error function of day of week and transactional data grouped according to promotion, price range, or customer;
estimating model parameters based on the DDP and transactional data using a demand model to generate a forecast of demand for the goods based on a first time scale;
disaggregating the forecast of demand into components based on a second time scale using the DDP; and
providing the components of the forecast of demand for the goods to a member of the commerce system to control the movement of goods in the commerce system.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the first time scale is weekly and the second time scale is daily.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further including determining the components of the forecast of demand by minimizing the error function given by:
error
\ue8a0

(

k
,
d
,
t

)
=
Txn
\ue8a0

(

k
,
t

)
\ue89e
(
w
\ue8a0

(
d
)
–
w
act

\ue8a0

(

k
,
d
,
t

)
\ue89e

(
\u2211

d
\u2208

I
\ue8a0

(

k
,
t

)
\ue89e

w
\ue8a0

(
d
)
)
)

.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the error function is subject to constraints given by:
\u2211

d
=
1

7

\ue89e

w
\ue8a0

(
d
)
=
1

,
and
\ue89e
\ue89e

w
\ue8a0

(
d
)
\u2265
0

,
for
\ue89e
\ue89e
d

=
1

,
\u2026
\ue89e
,
7.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further including accounting for variation in the demand model due to promotions, price changes, and out-of-stock of a product when determining the components of the forecast of demand.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further including accounting for variation in the demand model due to low selling products when determining the components of the forecast of demand.
13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein disaggregating the forecast for demand into daily components uses less computing resources than daily aggregation.
14. A computer program product, comprising computer readable program code embodied in a computer usable medium, the computer readable program code adapted to implement a method for controlling commercial transactions using a forecast of demand, comprising:
moving goods between members of a commerce system;
recording transactional data related to movement of goods between the members of the commerce system;
estimating daily disaggregating parameters (DDP) by minimizing an error function of day of week and transactional data grouped according to promotion, price range, or customer;
estimating model parameters based on the DDP and transactional data using a demand model to generate a forecast of demand for the goods based on a first time scale;
disaggregating the forecast of demand into components based on a second time scale using the DDP; and
providing the components of the forecast of demand for the goods to a member of the commerce system to control the movement of goods in the commerce system.
15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the first time scale is weekly and the second time scale is daily.
16. The computer program product of claim 14, further including determining the components of the forecast of demand by minimizing the error function given by:
error
\ue8a0

(

k
,
d
,
t

)
=
Txn
\ue8a0

(

k
,
t

)
\ue89e
(
w
\ue8a0

(
d
)
–
w
act

\ue8a0

(

k
,
d
,
t

)
\ue89e

(
\u2211

d
\u2208

I
\ue8a0

(

k
,
t

)
\ue89e

w
\ue8a0

(
d
)
)
)

.
17. The computer program product of claim 14, further including accounting for variation in the demand model due to promotions, price changes, and out-of-stock of a product when determining the components of the forecast of demand.
18. The computer program product of claim 14, further including accounting for variation in the demand model due to low selling products when determining the components of the forecast of demand.
19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein disaggregating the forecast for demand into daily components uses less computing resources than daily aggregation.
20. A system for controlling commercial transactions using a forecast of demand, comprising:
a commerce system having a plurality of members each having a control system for controlling movement of goods between the members;
a database in electronic communication with the commerce system for recording transactional data related to movement of goods between the members of the commerce system; and
a computer in electronic communication with the commerce system for estimating daily disaggregating parameters (DDP) by minimizing an error function of day of week and transactional data grouped according to promotion, price range, or customer, estimating model parameters based on the DDP and transactional data using a demand model to generate a forecast of demand for the goods based on a first time scale, and disaggregating the forecast of demand into components based on a second time scale using the DDP;
wherein the components of the forecast of demand for the goods is provided to a member of the commerce system to control the movement of goods in the commerce system.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first time scale is weekly and the second time scale is daily.
22. The system of claim 20, wherein the components of the forecast of demand is determined by minimizing the error function given by:
error
\ue8a0

(

k
,
d
,
t

)
=
Txn
\ue8a0

(

k
,
t

)
\ue89e
(
w
\ue8a0

(
d
)
–
w
act

\ue8a0

(

k
,
d
,
t

)
\ue89e

(
\u2211

d
\u2208

I
\ue8a0

(

k
,
t

)
\ue89e

w
\ue8a0

(
d
)
)
)

.
23. The system of claim 20, wherein variation in the demand model due to promotions, price changes, and out-of-stock of a product is taken into account when determining the components of the forecast of demand.
24. The system of claim 20, wherein variation in the demand model due to low selling products is taken into account when determining the components of the forecast of demand.
25. The system of claim 20, wherein disaggregating the forecast for demand into daily components uses less computing resources than daily aggregation.

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.-24. (canceled)
25. A plate heat exchanger comprising
a plate package, the plate package including a number of first heat exchanger plates and a number of second heat exchanger plates, the plates being permanently joined to each other and arranged beside each other so that a first plate interspace is formed between each pair of adjacent first heat exchanger plates and second heat exchanger plates, and so that a second plate interspace is formed between each pair of adjacent second heat exchanger plates and first heat exchanger plates, wherein the first plate interspaces and the second plate interspaces are separated from each other and provided beside each other in an alternating order in the plate package,
wherein substantially each heat exchanger plate has at least a first porthole and a second porthole, the first portholes forming a first inlet channel to the first plate interspaces and the second portholes forming a first outlet channel from the first plate interspaces,
wherein the plate package includes a separate space for each of the first plate interspaces, which space is closed to the second plate interspaces, and
wherein the separate space communicates with the first inlet channel via an inlet nozzle, which forms a throttling with significantly reduced flow area, and with the respective first plate interspace via an outlet nozzle, which forms a throttling with significantly reduced flow area.
26. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 25, wherein the separate space is provided in the proximity of the inlet channel.
27. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 25, wherein the separate space has been produced through compression-molding of the heat exchanger plates.
28. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 25, wherein at least one of the nozzles is formed by a respective hole, which extends through each of the second heat exchanger plates.
29. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 25, wherein the inlet nozzle is formed by a respective hole, which extends through each of the second heat exchanger plates.
30. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 25, wherein the outlet nozzle is formed by a respective hole, which extends through each of said second heat exchanger plates.
31. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 29, wherein the separate space is provided between a respective pair of adjacent second heat exchanger plates and first heat exchanger plates.
32. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 25, wherein each of the heat exchanger plates includes a central extension plane, an upper plate plane on one side of the central extension plane and a lower plate plane on the other side of the central extension plane.
33. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 32, wherein each of the second heat exchanger plates includes an upper surface area, which extends around the first porthole and which delimits the separate space, and the upper surface area is located at the level of the upper plate plane.
34. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 33, wherein the hole of the outlet nozzle extends through the upper surface area.
35. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 34, wherein the heat exchanger includes an end plate, which is provided adjacent to one of the second heat exchanger plates and closes the hole of the outlet nozzle of this second heat exchanger plate.
36. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 33, wherein each of the second heat exchanger plates includes a lower surface area, which extends around the first porthole between the first porthole and the upper surface area, wherein the lower surface area is located at the level of the lower plate plane.
37. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 36, wherein the hole of the inlet nozzle extends through the lower surface area.
38. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 36, wherein each of the first heat exchanger plates includes a lower surface area, which extends around the first porthole and which delimits the separate space, and the lower surface area is located at the level of the lower plate plane.
39. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 33, wherein the upper surface area of the second heat exchanger plates is located partly opposite to the lower surface area of the first heat exchanger plates for forming the separate space between these surface areas.
40. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 39, wherein the inlet nozzle is located opposite to the lower surface area of the first heat exchanger plates.
41. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 40, wherein the outlet nozzle, with regard to the central extension plane, is displaced in relation to the lower surface area of the first heat exchanger plates.
42. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 38, wherein each of the first heat exchanger plates includes an upper surface area, which extends around the first porthole between the first porthole and the lower surface area, wherein the upper surface area is located at the level of the upper plate plane.
43. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 42, wherein the lower surface area of the second heat exchanger plates is located partly opposite to the upper surface area of the first heat exchanger plates, wherein these two surface areas partly abut each other in the plate package.
44. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 25, wherein the first plate interspaces form first passages for a cooling agent and the second plate interspaces form second passages for a fluid, which is adapted to be cooled by the cooling agent.
45. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 25, wherein substantially each heat exchanger plate has at least a third porthole and a fourth porthole, which extend through the plate package, wherein the third portholes form a second inlet channel to the second plate interspaces and the fourth portholes form a second outlet channel from the second plate interspaces.
46. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 25, wherein the heat exchanger plates in the plate package are connected to each other through brazing.
47. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 25, wherein the separate space is delimited by at least one ring, which extends around the inlet channel.
48. A plate heat exchanger according to claim 47, wherein each of the rings is provided in a ring groove in the adjacent heat exchanger plate.