Author: claimsbot

What is claimed is:

1. A status notifying method performed in a server operating in a communication system, including a plurality of clients and the server, for notifying a connection status of the plurality of clients regarding connection to a communication network, the method comprising:
storing in a first memory device the connection status and information on whether notification of the connection status is allowed, the connection status and information being sent from the plurality of clients;
receiving a request for notification of the connection status from one of the plurality of clients;
determining, in response to the received request, whether the connection status is allowed to be notified based on the information stored in the first memory device; and
notifying the connection status stored in the first memory device only when it is determined that the connection status is allowed to be notified.
2. The status notifying method according to claim 1, wherein the client is associated with at least two user names each of which is used for connecting to the communication network, and wherein the server stores a connection status for each of the user names.
3. The status notification method according to claim 2, further comprising:
receiving an instruction for updating the connection status from a selected one of the plurality of clients; and
updating the connection status for all of the user names associated with the selected client that sent the instruction to update.
4. A status notifying server for notifying a connection status of a plurality of clients regarding connection to a communication network, comprising:
first memory for storing the connection status and information on whether notification of the connection status is allowed, the connection status and information being sent from the plurality of clients;
a request receiver that receives a request for notification of the connection status from one of the plurality of clients; and
a notification system that determines, in response to the received request, whether the connection status is allowed to be notified based on the information stored in the first memory and notifies the connection status stored in the first memory when it is determined that the connection status is allowed to be notified.
5. The status notification server according to claim 4, wherein the client has multiple user names, each of which is used for connecting to the communication network, and wherein the first memory stores a connection status for each of the user names.
6. The status notification server according to claim 5, further comprising:
an instruction receiver that receives an instruction for updating the connection status from a selected one of the plurality of clients; and
an updating system that updates the connection status for all of the user names associated with the selected client that sent the instruction to update.
7. A computer readable recording medium on which is recorded a program for causing a server to notify a connection status of a plurality of clients regarding connection to a communication network, the program causing the server to execute:
storing in a first memory device the connection status and information on whether notification of the connection status is allowed, the connection status and information being sent from the plurality of clients;
receiving a request for notification of the connection status from one of the plurality of clients;
determining, in response to the received request, whether the connection status is allowed to be notified based on the information stored in the first memory device; and
notifying the connection status stored in the first memory device when it is determined that the connection status is allowed to be notified.
8. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 7, wherein the client has multiple user names, each of which is used for connecting to the communication network, and wherein the server stores a connection status for each of the user names.
9. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 8, the program further causing the server to execute;
receiving an instruction for updating the connection status from a selected one of the plurality of clients; and
updating the connection status for all of the user names associated with the selected client that sent the instruction to update.

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 object illumination and image capture system part of a person-machine interface comprising:
a camera having a fixed field of view;
a plurality of individually controllable lighting elements directed toward the field of view, at least some of the lighting elements having different beam angles, including at least one wide-beam lighting element and one or more narrow-beam lighting elements; and
a controller coupled to the camera and the light sources and configured to:
operate the camera to capture a sequence of images including a control object arriving at and moving in the field of view;
operate the lighting elements to illuminate the field of view with the wide-beam lighting element while detecting the arrival of the control object and to activate the narrow-beam lighting elements and follow the control object with the narrow-beam lighting elements as it moves within the field of view; and
illuminate the moving control object using the narrow-beam lighting elements with sufficient intensity to facilitate detection of control gestures by the control object within the field of view.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein a plurality of lighting elements are narrow-beam lighting elements.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the narrow-beam lighting elements have a beam angle of approximately 60\xb0.
4. The system of claim 2 wherein the at least one wide-beam lighting element has a beam angle of approximately 120\xb0.
5. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller is configured to track the object and activate different ones of the narrow-beam lighting elements to maintain the object in illumination as it moves.
6. The system of claim 5 wherein the controller is configured to deactivate lighting elements not necessary to illuminate the object.
7. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller is configured to steer the narrow-beam lighting elements to maintain the object in illumination by at least one such element as the object moves.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to analyze images from the camera to predict a trajectory of the object and to activate or steer lighting elements in accordance with the predicted trajectory.
9. An object illumination and image capture system part of a person-machine interface comprising:
a camera having a fixed field of view;
a plurality of individually controllable lighting elements directed toward the field of view and controllable optics associated with at least some of the lighting elements, the optics controllably altering a beam angle of the associated lighting elements; and
a controller coupled to the camera and the light sources and configured to:
operate the camera to capture a sequence of images including a control object arriving at and moving in the field of view; and
operate the lighting elements and the optics to illuminate the field of view with at least one broad beam of light while detecting arrival of the control object and with one or more narrower beams of light while following the control object as it moves within the field of view; and
illuminate the moving control object using the one or more narrower beams of light with sufficient intensity to facilitate application of object axis detection to the sequence of images of the control object to detect control gestures by the control object within the field of view.
10. The system of claim 9 wherein the optics are tunable lenses.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein the controller controls the optics to vary a beam angle of a lighting element and a drive current to vary an output luminance of the lighting element.
12. A method of object illumination and image capture as a part of a person-machine interface used with a camera having a fixed field of view and a plurality of lighting elements oriented towards the field of view, at least some of the lighting elements having different beam angles, including at least one wide-beam lighting element and one or more narrow-beam lighting elements, the method comprising the actions of:
operating the camera to capture a sequence of images including a control object arriving at and moving in the field of view; and
operating the lighting elements to illuminate the field of view with the wide-beam lighting element while detecting the arrival of the control object and to activate the narrow-beam lighting elements and follow the control object with the narrow-beam lighting elements as it moves within the field of view; and
illuminate the moving control object using the one or more narrow-beam lighting elements with sufficient intensity to facilitate application of object axis detection to the sequence of images of the control object to detect control gestures by the control object within the field of view.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the lighting elements include a plurality of narrow-beam lighting elements.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the narrow-beam lighting elements have a beam angle of approximately 60\xb0.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one wide-beam lighting element has a beam angle of approximately 120\xb0.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein the object is tracked and different ones of the narrow-beam lighting elements are activated to maintain the object in illumination as it moves.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of deactivating lighting elements not necessary to illuminate the object.
18. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of steering the narrow-beam lighting elements to maintain the object in illumination by at least one such element as the object moves.
19. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of analyzing images from the camera to predict a trajectory of the object and activating or steering lighting elements in accordance with the predicted trajectory.
20. A method of object illumination and image capture as a part of a person-machine interface used with a camera having a fixed field of view and a plurality of individually controllable lighting elements oriented towards the field of view and controllable optics associated with at least some of the lighting elements, the optics controllably altering a beam angle of the associated lighting elements, including at least one wide-beam lighting element and one or more narrow-beam lighting elements, the method comprising the actions of:
operating the camera to capture a sequence of images including a control object arriving at and moving in the field of view;
operating the lighting elements and the optics to illuminate the field of view with the wide-beam lighting element while detecting the arrival of the control object and to activate the narrow-beam lighting elements and follow the control object with the narrow-beam lighting elements as it moves within the field of view; and
illuminate the moving control object using the one or more narrow beam lighting elements with sufficient intensity to facilitate detection of control gestures by the control object within the field of view.

1. A semiconductor device fabrication method comprising (1) forming a patterned mask layer on an oxide layer of a Mn-containing perovskite type oxide; (2) heat-treating the oxide layer; and (3) patterning the oxide layer with an etching solution containing at least one of hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, and nitric acid after the heat treatment of the oxide layer.
2. The semiconductor device fabrication method according to claim 1, wherein the oxide layer used in the step (1) is formed on a substrate bearing an under level electrode.
3. The semiconductor device fabrication method according to claim 1, wherein the Mn-containing perovskite type oxide is defined by the general formula AMnO3 wherein A includes one or more metals selected from the group consisting of La, Pr, Ca, and Sr.
4. The semiconductor device fabrication method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of upper level electrodes are utilized as the patterned mask layer.
5. The semiconductor device fabrication method according to claim 4, wherein the upper level electrodes are formed of a material containing a noble metal element.
6. The semiconductor device fabrication method according to claim 1, wherein the step (2) is carried out at 200 to 900\xb0 C.
7. The semiconductor device fabrication method according to claim 1, wherein the patterning in step (3) is first conducted by dry etching, and then by wet etching with the etching solution.

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.-15. (canceled)
16. A coextruded annealed heat-shrinkable packaging film comprising a core layer (A) comprising an ethylenevinyl alcohol copolymer, a first outer polyolefin layer (B), a second outer polyolefin layer (C), and at least one inner layer (D) of a copolymer of propylene with butene and optionally ethylene, said film comprising a maximum shrink force in the transverse direction of \u22660.35 Ncm.
17. The film of claim 16, wherein the copolymer of propylene of the at least one inner layer (D) is propylene-butene, propylene-butene-ethylene, or propylene-ethylene-butene.
18. The film of claim 16, wherein said at least one inner layer (D) of a copolymer of propylene with butene comprises the propylene copolymer in an amount of at least about 60%, at least about 70%, between 80-90%, or about 85% of layer (D), while the compliment to 100% is an ethylene copolymer.
19. The film of claim 16, wherein the film further comprises one or two tie layers (E) directly adhered to one or both surfaces of the core layer (A).
20. The film of claim 16, characterized by a maximum shrink force in the transverse direction of \u22660.34 Ncm or \u22660.33 Ncm.
21. The film of claim 16, comprising a residual shrink force between about 0.03 to 0.3 Ncm, about 0.1 to 0.28 Ncm, or about 0.11 to 0.22 Ncm.
22. The film of claim 16, comprising the following layer sequence:
(B)(D)(E)(A)(E)(D)(C),

(B)(E)(A)(E)(D)(E)(C),

(B)(D)(E)(A)(E)(D)(E)(C),

(B)(E)(D)(E)(A)(E)(D)(C),
or

(B)(E)(D)(E)(A)(E)(D)(E)(C).
23. The film of claim 16, wherein the polyolefins for the first outer layer (B) and the second outer layer (C) are independently selected from the group consisting of: ethylene homopolymers, ethylene copolymers, propylene homopolymers, propylene copolymers, and blends thereof.
24. The film of claim 23, wherein the polyolefins for the first outer layer (B) are selected from the group consisting of: ethylene homopolymers, heterogeneous or homogeneous ethylenealpha-olefin copolymers, ethylene-cyclic olefin copolymers, ethylenevinyl acetate copolymers, ethylene-(C1-C4) alkyl acrylate or methacrylate copolymers, ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers, ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymers, ionomers, polypropylene, propylene-ethylene copolymers, propylene-ethylene-(C1-C4)-alpha olefin copolymers, propylene-(C1-C4)-alpha olefin-ethylene copolymers, and blends thereof in any proportion.
25. The film of claim 16, wherein the first outer layer (B) and the second outer layer (C) have the same polymer composition.
26. A method for the manufacture of the film of claim 16, said method comprising:
a. coextruding the resins or blends of resins of the various layers through a coextrusion die;
b. quenching the primary tape thus obtained;
c. reheating the tape at the suitably selected solid state orientation temperature;
d. stretching the tape either monoaxially or biaxially;
e. submitting the oriented film to heat treatment at a temperature of about 70\xb0 C. to about 90\xb0 C. for a time sufficient to induce a decrease of its maximum shrink force in the transverse direction to a value not exceeding 0.35 Ncm; and
f. cooling the annealed film to room temperature.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein the quenched primary tape is irradiated with high energy electrons before being stretched.
28. A method of constructing a flowpack package using the film of claim 16, said method comprising:
a. depositing a product onto a tray;
b. folding the film around a former and longitudinally sealing to form a tube;
c. sealing the leading edge of the tube to form an envelope and flushing the interior of the envelope with a suitably selected gas or gas mixture;
d. positioning the tray inside the envelope;
e. sealing the open end of the envelope to form a closed package; and
f. passing the package into a shrink tunnel to form a flowpack package.
29. A method of constructing a lidded package using the film of claim 16, said method comprising:
a. depositing a product onto a tray comprising a rim or peripheral lip;
b. transporting the tray to a lid sealing station that comprises a lower chamber and an upper chamber;
c. providing a web of film over the top of the tray;
d. closing the upper and lower chambers of the lid sealing station together;
e. replacing the air in between the tray and the lidding film with any suitable gas or gas blend; and
f. sealing the lidding film to the rim or peripheral lip of the tray to form a lidded package.
30. A flowpack package or a tray-lidded package comprising the film of claim 16 as the wrapping film, lidding film, or as a component of the lidding system.