Author: claimsbot

1. A solid state lighting (SSL) device, comprising:
a first semiconductor material;
a second semiconductor material spaced apart from the first semiconductor material; and
an active region between the first and second semiconductor materials;
a contact on one of the first and second semiconductor materials, the contact including a first material and a second material, the second material being in contact with both the first material and the one of the first and second semiconductor materials, wherein\u2014
the second material includes a plurality of pillars arranged in a predetermined, uniform array, and
individual pillars of the plurality of pillars form Ohmic contacts with both the first material and the one of the first and second semiconductor material.
2. The SSL device of claim 1 wherein:
the contact is a first contact on the first semiconductor material;
the SSL device further includes a second contact on the second semiconductor material;
the second contact is laterally spaced apart from the first contact;
the first semiconductor material includes a P-type gallium nitride (GaN) material;
the second semiconductor material includes an N-type GaN material;
the active region includes at least one of a bulk indium gallium nitride (InGaN) material, an InGaN single quantum well (\u201cSQW\u201d), and GaNInGaN multiple quantum wells (\u201cMQWs\u201d);
the first material includes at least one of indium tin oxide, aluminum zinc oxide, and fluorine-doped tin oxide;
the second material includes silver; and
the first material encapsulates the second material.
3. The SSL device of claim 1 wherein:
the first material includes at least one of indium tin oxide, aluminum zinc oxide, and fluorine-doped tin oxide;
the second material includes silver; and
the first material is also in contact with the first semiconductor material.
4. The SSL device of claim 1 wherein:
the first material includes at least one of indium tin oxide, aluminum zinc oxide, and fluorine-doped tin oxide;
the second material includes silver; and
the first material encapsulates the second material.
5. The SSL device of claim 1 wherein:
the first material includes at least one of indium tin oxide, aluminum zinc oxide, and fluorine-doped tin oxide;
the second material includes silver;
the first material encapsulates the second material; and
the individual pillars are spaced apart from one another by a spacing that is at least three times of a size of the individual pillars.
6. The SSL device of claim 1 wherein:
the contact is a first contact on the first semiconductor material;
the SSL device further includes a second contact on the second semiconductor material;
the second contact is spaced apart from the first contact by the first semiconductor material, the active region, and the second semiconductor material;
the first semiconductor material includes a P-type gallium nitride (GaN) material;
the second semiconductor material includes an N-type GaN material;
the active region include at least one of a bulk indium gallium nitride (InGaN) material, an InGaN single quantum well (\u201cSQW\u201d), and GaNInGaN multiple quantum wells (\u201cMQWs\u201d);
the first material includes aluminum;
the second material includes silver;
the first material encapsulates the second material; and
the second material includes a plurality of pillars arranged in an array.
7. The SSL device of claim 1 wherein:
the contact is a first contact on the first semiconductor material, the first contact including a first contact surface and a second contact surface opposite the first contact surface;
the SSL device further includes a second contact on the second semiconductor material;
the second contact is spaced apart from the first contact by the first semiconductor material, the active region, and the second semiconductor material;
the second material includes silver;
the first material encapsulates the second material; and
the pillars extend to an intermediate depth between the first and second contact surfaces.
8. A solid state lighting (SSL) device, comprising:
a first semiconductor material;
a second semiconductor material spaced apart from the first semiconductor material;
an active region between the first and second semiconductor materials; and
a contact on one of the first and second semiconductor materials, the contact including a first conductive material and a plurality of discrete contact pads in contact with the first conductive material, wherein\u2014
the contact pads individually include a portion of a second conductive material different than the first conductive material,
the second material being the same for each of the individual contact pads, and
the contact pads are arranged in a predetermined, uniform array.
9. The SSL device of claim 8 wherein the first conductive material encapsulates the plurality of contact pads.
10. The SSL device of claim 8 wherein the contact pads extend between the first semiconductor material and the first conductive material.
11. The SSL device of claim 8 wherein:
the contact pads individually include a first end in contact with the first semiconductor material and a second end in contact with the first conductive material; and
the SSL device further includes a support material extending between the first and second ends of the contact pads.
12. The SSL device of claim 8 wherein the second conductive material forms an Ohmic contact with both the first semiconductor material and the first conductive material.
13. A method of forming a solid state lighting (SSL) device, comprising:
forming an SSL structure on a substrate material, the SSL structure including a first semiconductor material, a second semiconductor material spaced apart from the first semiconductor material, and an active region between the first and second semiconductor materials;
forming a plurality of contact elements on one of the first and second semiconductor materials, the individual contact elements forming a first Ohmic contact with the one of the first and second semiconductor materials, wherein the individual contact elements\u2014
are arranged in a predetermined, uniform array; and

depositing a conductive material onto one of the first and second semiconductor materials with the contact elements, the conductive material forming a second Ohmic contact with the plurality of contact elements.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein forming a plurality of contact elements includes:
depositing a masking material onto the one of the first and second semiconductor materials;
patterning the masking material to form a plurality of openings; and
depositing silver onto one of the first and second semiconductor materials via the openings.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein:
forming a plurality of contact elements includes:
depositing a masking material onto the one of the first and second semiconductor materials;
patterning the masking material to form a plurality of openings;
depositing silver onto the one of the first and second semiconductor materials via the openings; and
removing the masking material after depositing silver; and

depositing the conductive material includes depositing the conductive material onto the one of the first and second semiconductor materials with the deposited silver.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein:
forming a plurality of contact elements includes:
depositing a masking material onto the one of the first and second semiconductor materials;
patterning the masking material to form a plurality of openings;
depositing silver onto the one of the first and second semiconductor materials via the openings; and
removing the masking material after depositing silver; and

depositing the conductive material includes depositing aluminum onto the one of the first and second semiconductor materials with the deposited silver.
17. The method of claim 13 wherein:
forming a plurality of contact elements includes:
depositing a masking material onto the one of the first and second semiconductor materials;
patterning the masking material to form a plurality of openings;
depositing silver onto the one of the first and second semiconductor materials via the openings; and
removing the masking material after depositing silver; and

depositing the conductive material includes depositing at least one of indium tin oxide, aluminum zinc oxide, and fluorine-doped tin oxide onto the one of the first and second semiconductor materials with the deposited silver.
18. The method of claim 13 wherein:
forming a plurality of contact elements includes:
depositing a support material onto the one of the first and second semiconductor materials;
patterning the support material to form a plurality of openings; and
depositing silver onto the one of the first and second semiconductor materials via the openings; and

depositing the conductive material includes depositing the conductive material onto the deposited silver and the support material.
19. The method of claim 13 wherein:
forming a plurality of contact elements includes:
depositing a support material onto the one of the first and second semiconductor materials, the support material including at least one of indium tin oxide, aluminum zinc oxide, fluorine-doped tin oxide, silicon dioxide, and silicon nitride;
patterning the support material to form a plurality of openings; and
depositing silver onto the one of the first and second semiconductor materials via the openings; and

depositing the conductive material includes depositing at least one of indium tin oxide, aluminum zinc oxide, and fluorine-doped tin oxide onto the deposited silver and the support material.
20. The method of claim 13 wherein:
forming a plurality of contact elements includes:
depositing a contact material onto the one of the first and second semiconductor materials;
depositing a masking material onto the contact material;
patterning the masking material to form a plurality of openings;
removing a portion of the deposited contact material via the openings to form the contact elements; and

depositing the conductive material includes depositing the conductive material onto the one of the first and second semiconductor materials with the formed contact elements.
21. A solid state lighting (SSL) device, comprising:
a semiconductor material; and
a contact on the semiconductor material, the contact including a first material and a second material, the second material being in contact with both the first material and the semiconductor material, wherein\u2014
the second material forms Ohmic contacts with both the first material and the semiconductor material,
the second material includes a plurality of contact elements in contact with the semiconductor material and arranged in a predetermined, uniform array,
the second material is the same for each of the individual contact elements, and
the individual contact elements include a discrete pillar or pad.
22. The SSL device of claim 21 wherein:
the semiconductor material is a first semiconductor material;
the contact is a first contact on the first semiconductor material;
the SSL device further includes a second semiconductor material and a second contact on the second semiconductor material; and
the first material encapsulates the second material.
23. The SSL device of claim 21 wherein:
the semiconductor material is a first semiconductor material;
the contact is a first contact on the first semiconductor material;
the SSL device further includes a second semiconductor material and a second contact on the second semiconductor material;
the second contact is laterally spaced apart from the first contact;
the first material includes at least one of indium tin oxide, aluminum zinc oxide, and fluorine-doped tin oxide;
the second material includes silver; and
the first material encapsulates the second material.
24. The SSL device of claim 21 wherein:
the semiconductor material is a first semiconductor material;
the contact is a first contact on the first semiconductor material;
the SSL device further includes a second semiconductor material and a second contact on the second semiconductor material;
the second contact is vertically spaced apart from the first contact;
the first material includes aluminum;
the second material includes silver;
the first material encapsulates the second material; and
the contact elements include a plurality of pillars arranged in an array.
25. The SSL device of claim 1 wherein:
the first material includes an optically transmissive material; and
the second material is less optically transmissive than the first material.

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 in a first network element for reducing computational andor bandwidth requirements of multicast routing by efficiently communicating required source state information, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a source interest list from a host over a network, wherein the source interest list identifies at least one multicast source to be one of excluded and included from routing to the host;
identifying by a modified host management protocol a difference between the source interest list and a source state maintained by the first network element, wherein the source state includes at least one of an exclude state that identifies at least one multicast source to exclude from a host and an include state that identifies at least one multicast source to provide to a host;
providing by the host management protocol the difference between the source interest list and the source state and not an entirety of the source interest list to a multicast routing protocol to alter the set of multicast sources to be routed to the host.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing comprises the step of:
calling by the modified host management protocol a function or a method of the multicast routing protocol.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing comprises the steps of:
generating a message by the modified host management protocol including the difference between the source interest list and the source state; and
transmitting the message by the modified host management protocol from the first network element to a second network element executing the multicast routing protocol.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the multicast routing protocol is protocol independent multicast\u2014sparse mode, and wherein the source interest list is formatted according to one of an internet group management protocol and a multicast listener discovery protocol.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
identifying whether the source interest list is an exclude list or an include list.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the source interest list received by the first network element from the host identifies all multicast sources to be one of excluded and included for the host.
7. A network with reduced computational andor bandwidth requirements of multicast routing by efficiently communicating required source state information, the network comprising:
a host device adapted to generate a source interest list based on user input and adapted to transmit the source interest list over a network to a first network element, the source interest list to identify at least one multicast source to be one of excluded and included from routing to the host; and
the first network element in communication with the host device over the network, the first network element adapted to execute a modified host management protocol, the modified host management protocol adapted to identify any differences between the source interest list and a source state maintained by the first network element, wherein the source state includes at least one of an exclude state that identifies at least one multicast source to exclude from a host device and an include state that identifies at least one multicast source to provide to the host device, the host modified management protocol adapted to provide only the difference between the source interest list and the source state and not an entirety of the source interest list to a multicast routing protocol to alter the set of multicast sources to be provided to the host device.
8. The network of claim 7, wherein the first network element includes the multicast routing protocol, and wherein the modified host management protocol calls one of a function or a method of the multicast routing protocol.
9. The network of claim 7, further comprising:
a second network element, which includes the multicast routing protocol, in communication with the first network element over the network, the second network element adapted to receive the difference between the source interest list and the source state and not an entirety of the source interest list from the host management protocol.
10. The network of claim 7, wherein the multicast routing protocol is protocol independent multicast\u2014sparse mode, and wherein the source interest list is formatted according to one of an internet group management protocol and a multicast listener discovery protocol.
11. The network of claim 7, wherein the first network element identifies whether the source interest list is an exclude list or an include list.
12. The network of claim 7, wherein the source interest list received by the first network element from the host device identifies all multicast sources to be one of excluded and included for the host device.
13. A network element to reduce computational andor bandwidth requirements of multicast routing by efficiently communicating required source state information, the network element comprising:
a modified host management protocol component adapted to receive a source interest list from a host over a network, wherein the source interest list identifies at least one multicast source to be one of excluded from or included in routing to the host, the host modified management protocol component adapted to identify any differences between the source interest list and a source state maintained by the modified host management protocol component, wherein the source state includes at least one of an exclude state that identifies at least one multicast source to exclude from a host and an include state that identifies at least one multicast source to provide to the host, the modified host management protocol component adapted to transmit the difference between the source interest list and the source state to a multicast routing protocol to alter the set of multicast sources to be routed to the host.
14. The network element of claim 13, further comprising: the multicast routing protocol, wherein the modified host management protocol component calls one of a method or function of the multicast routing protocol.
15. The network element of claim 13, wherein the modified host management protocol component adapted to generate a message including the difference between the source interest list and the source state and not an entirety of the source interest list, and wherein the host management protocol component is adapted to transmit the message to a router that includes the multicast routing protocol.
16. The network element of claim 13, wherein the multicast routing protocol is protocol independent multicast\u2014sparse mode, and wherein the source interest list is formatted according to one of an internet group management protocol and a multicast listener discovery protocol.
17. The network element of claim 13, wherein the network element identifies whether the source interest list is an exclude list or an include list.
18. The network element of claim 13, wherein the source interest list received by the network element from the host identifies all multicast sources to be one of excluded and included for the host.

1. A method of managing a service offered to a user of a terminal in a network, the network having a service platform and equipment including session border controllers that communicate with the service platform, a session border controller routing messages received from the terminal to the service platform, said method comprising the steps of:
deciding at the session border controller that the service platform is not accessible on the basis of a platform accessibility check; and
operating in an autonomous operating mode in which the session border controller selects an equipment of the network separate from the service platform and routes at least one message received from the terminal and intended for a destination terminal, to said selected network equipment, in which:
if an other session border controller of a group of session border controllers has access to the service platform, said selected network equipment is the other session border controller having access to the service platform, the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the selected network equipment to the service platform; and
otherwise, if no session border controller of the group of session border controllers has access to the service platform, the selected network equipment is an equipment in charge of managing the destination terminal of said message, the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the session border controller to the destination terminal without passing through the service platform;
wherein:
each session border controller implements the platform accessibility check and said operating step includes the steps of:
transmitting a proxy request to at least one other session border controller of the network; and
if at least one response to said proxy request is received, selecting, as a proxy, a session border controller from the session border controllers having sent a response; and

each session border controller maintains a local database indicating terminals that said session border controller manages, and said operating step further includes the steps of:
transmitting a destination request message from said session border controller to at least one other session border controller; and
if a response to the destination request is received, selecting the session border controller having sent said response; a session border controller deciding to transmit a response to the destination request according to the local database.
2. A method of managing a service according to claim 1, wherein:
in said operating step, the session border controller receives a message from the terminal intended for a destination terminal;
said selected network equipment is a service gateway connecting said first network to a second network in charge of managing said destination terminal; and
the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the selected network equipment to the destination terminal.
3. A method of managing a service according to claim 1, wherein the platform accessibility check includes the following steps:
transmitting a check message from the session border controller to the service platform and starting a timer;
checking if a response to the check message is received from the service platform before said timer elapses;
repeating said step of transmitting and said step of checking N times, N being a predetermined integer; and
if no response is received before the timer elapses for the N times, deciding that the service platform is not accessible.
4. A session border controller in a network offering a service to a user of a terminal, said network having a service platform and other session border controllers, said session border controllers communicating with the service platform, said session border controller transmitting messages received from the terminal to the service platform and comprising:
a control unit that decides that the service platform is not accessible on the basis of platform accessibility check; and
an operating mode management unit that switches into an autonomous operating mode, according to a decision taken by the control unit, in which the session border controller selects an equipment of the network separate from the platform and routes at least one message received from the terminal and intended for a destination terminal, to said selected equipment of the network, and:
if an other session border controller of a group of session border controllers has access to the service platform, said selected network equipment is the other session border controller having access to the service platform, the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the selected network equipment to the service platform; and
otherwise, if no session border controller of the group of session border controllers has access to the service platform, the selected network equipment is an equipment in charge of managing the destination terminal, the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the session border controller to the destination terminal without passing through the service platform;
wherein:
each session border controller implements the platform accessibility check and said operating step includes the steps of:
transmitting a proxy request to at least one other session border controller of the network; and
if at least one response to said proxy request is received, selecting, as a proxy, a session border controller from the session border controllers having sent a response; and

each session border controller maintains a local database indicating terminals that said session border controller manages, and said operating step further includes the steps of:
transmitting a destination request message from said session border controller to at least one other session border controller; and
if a response to the destination request is received, selecting the session border controller having sent said response; a session border controller deciding to transmit a response to the destination request according to the local database.
5. A service gateway in a first network offering a service to a user of a terminal and in a second network, said first network comprising session border controllers in communication with the service platform, said service gateway comprising:
means for receiving, from a session border controller of the first network, a destination request indicating a destination terminal to which a message received by the session border controller from a terminal belonging to the first network is intended; and
means for responding to said destination request if the destination terminal is managed in said second network;
means for receiving said message from the session border controller without passing through the service platform; and
means for transmitting said message to the destination terminal without passing through the service platform;

wherein:
each session border controller implements the platform accessibility check and said operating step includes the steps of:
transmitting a proxy request to at least one other session border controller of the network; and
if at least one response to said proxy request is received, selecting, as a proxy, a session border controller from the session border controllers having sent a response; and

each session border controller maintains a local database indicating terminals that said session border controller manages, and said operating step further includes the steps of:
transmitting a destination request message from said session border controller to at least one other session border controller; and
if a response to the destination request is received, selecting the session border controller having sent said response; a session border controller deciding to transmit a response to the destination request according to the local database.
6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer instructions recorded thereon, the computer instructions configured to perform a method of managing a service offered to a user of a terminal in a network when executed by a session border controller, the network including a service platform and additional session border controllers, the method comprising the steps of:
deciding at the session border controller that the service platform is not accessible on the basis of a platform accessibility check; and
operating in an autonomous operating mode in which the session border controller selects an equipment of the network separate from the service platform and routes at least one message received from the terminal and intended for a destination terminal, to said selected network equipment, in which
if another session border controller of a group of session border controllers has access to the service platform, said selected network equipment is the other session border controller having access to the service platform, the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the selected network equipment to the service platform; and
otherwise, if no session border controller of the group of session border controllers has access to the service platform, the selected network equipment is an equipment in charge of managing the destination terminal of said message, the message routed to said selected network equipment being transmitted from the session border controller to the destination terminal without passing through the service platform
wherein:
each session border controller implements the platform accessibility check and said operating step includes the steps of:
transmitting a proxy request to at least one other session border controller of the network; and
if at least one response to said proxy request is received, selecting, as a proxy, a session border controller from the session border controllers having sent a response; and

each session border controller maintains a local database indicating terminals that said session border controller manages, and said operating step further includes the steps of:
transmitting a destination request message from said session border controller to at least one other session border controller; and
if a response to the destination request is received, selecting the session border controller having sent said response; a session border controller deciding to transmit a response to the destination request according to the local database.

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. We claim a new device to create downforce for a tractor-mounted post hole auger or other farm implement, with said downforce unit being comprised of several components:
a) an Upper Mount which captures the proximal end of the auger boom and includes an angled, straight or curved slot which defines the travel path of said proximal end of auger boom. Said angulation or curvature of said slot serves to compensate the the distal portion of the Auger Boom traveling through an arc, and changes that arc travel to a substantially vertical plane of travel such that holes are more easily created vertically in the ground. Said Upper Mount includes a multitude of mounting holes to permit affixing of other farm implements when the Auger is removed. Said Upper Mount further includes holes below said slots, for the purpose of anchoring the proximal portion of Auger Boom in the lowermost position of said slots, for use in Conventional Mode, without downforce. Said Upper Mount further includes holes for the mounting of diagonal support bars to support the distal portion of the Lower mount.
b) a Lower Mount which extends rearward from the tractor’s pulling hitch. Said Lower Mount’s purpose is to provide a stable lower anchor pivot point for the Vertical Bars which comprise the Downforce Pivot Point. Said Lower mount is further supported by two diagonal support bars connecting the rearward, distal point of the Lower Mount with the lateral aspects of the Upper Mount which is bolted to the tractor.
c) Vertical Bars which extent vertically from the distal end of the Lower Mount, with a multitude of holes or notches, for purpose of anchoringindexing with Outer Slider tubes.
d) Outer Sliders, which slide longitudinally over said Vertical Bars and have a set of corresponding holes such that pins can be inserted through Outer Sliders and Vertical Bars anchoring them together. Alternatively Outer Sliders can incorporate spring loaded pins or teeth which index in notches in the Vertical Bars, in a ratcheting method. Said Outer Sliders bolt together on either side of a mounting tab on the superior aspect of the Auger Boom, at a point proximate to halfway along its length. Said bolted union of Outer Sliders and Auger Boom comprises the Downforce Pivot Point which allows the generation of downforce when the proximal end of the Boom is unpinned from the anchor holes in said Upper Mount and permitted to travel vertically.
e) optional addition of a two-piece clamshell type assembly which surrounds and captures the auger boom and provides an attachment point for the secondary pivot. This is only necessary when using the downforce unit with an auger boom which does not have a suitable hole for a secondary pivot point.
2. We claim a method of mechanically creating downward force for tractor-mounted implements, through the creation of a secondary pivot point of variable height, located away from the tractor and the creation of a variable-height proximal attachment point at the rear of the tractor. This secondary pivot point makes it possible for the lifting action of the tractor’s 3-point hitch to be translated into downward force on the opposite end of the secondary pivot point, greatly facilitating the use of implements such as post hole augers as well as making said augers safer to use and easier to control.