Author: claimsbot

1. A method comprising:
receiving, from a user device, a request to access at least one peripheral device, the request comprising information regarding the user device;
determining, based at least in part on at least one compliance rule and the information regarding the user device, whether to grant the request; and
in an instance in which it is determined to grant the request:
causing access to the at least one peripheral device by the user device to be facilitated.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein:
causing the access to the at least one peripheral device by the user device to be facilitated comprises causing software corresponding to the at least one peripheral device to be installed on the user device.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the at least one compliance rule comprises at least one geographic condition.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein:
the at least one compliance rule comprises at least one temporal condition.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein:
causing the access to the at least one peripheral device by the user device to be facilitated comprises causing the at least one peripheral device to permit access by the user device.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving information regarding the at least one peripheral device.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein:
determining whether to grant the request is further based at least in part on the information regarding the at least one peripheral device.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:
in an instance in which it is determined to not grant the request:
causing access to at least one alternate peripheral device by the user device to be facilitated.
9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:
causing a request to be generated based at least in part on the information regarding the at least one peripheral device; and
wherein the request comprises at least one of the following: a maintenance request, a procurement request, or a support request.
10. The method of claim 6, wherein:
the information regarding the at least one peripheral device comprises information gathered via at least one sensing device communicatively associated with the at least one peripheral device.
11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:
determining, based at least in part on the information regarding the at least one peripheral device, at least one peripheral device optimization scheme.
12. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing program code instructions, the at least one memory and program code instructions being configured to, with the at least one processor, direct the apparatus to at least:
receive, from a user device, a request to access at least one peripheral device, the request comprising information regarding the user device;
determine, based at least in part on at least one compliance rule and the information regarding the user device, whether to grant the request; and
in an instance in which it is determined to grant the request:
cause access to the at least one peripheral device by the user device to be facilitated.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:
causing the access to the at least one peripheral device by the user device to be facilitated comprises causing software corresponding to the at least one peripheral device to be installed on the user device.
14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:
the at least one compliance rule comprises at least one geographic condition.
15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:
the at least one compliance rule comprises at least one temporal condition.
16. The apparatus of claim 12, the apparatus being further directed to:
receive information regarding the at least one peripheral device.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:
determining whether to grant the request is further based at least in part on the information regarding the at least one peripheral device.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, the apparatus being further directed to:
in an instance in which it is determined to not grant the request:
cause access to at least one alternate peripheral device by the user device to be facilitated.
19. The apparatus of claim 16, the apparatus being further directed to:
cause a request to be generated based at least in part on the information regarding the at least one peripheral device; and
wherein the request comprises at least one of the following: a maintenance request, a procurement request, or a support request.
20. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program code portions embodied therein, the program code portions being configured to, upon execution, direct an apparatus to at least:
receive, from a user device, a request to access at least one peripheral device, the request comprising information regarding the user device;
determine, based at least in part on at least one compliance rule and the information regarding the user device, whether to grant the request; and
in an instance in which it is determined to grant the request:
cause access to the at least one peripheral device by the user device to be facilitated.

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 thermoelectric structure comprising:
at least first and second material systems having different lattice constants and interposed in contact with each other;
a physical interface at which said at least first and second material systems are joined with a lattice mismatch and at which structural integrity of said first and second material systems is substantially maintained; and
said at least first and second material systems having a charge carrier transport direction normal to said physical interface.
2. The structure of claim 1, wherein said physical interface is a Van Der Waals bonded interface between said first and second material systems.
3. The structure of claim 1, wherein said lattice mismatch is in at least a plane parallel to a central axis common to both materials, said lattice mismatch producing an acoustic mismatch and thereby reducing thermal conduction along the central axis.
4. The structure of claim 1, wherein said lattice mismatch is in at least a plane perpendicular to a central axis common to both first and second material systems, said lattice mismatch producing an acoustic mismatch and thereby reducing thermal conduction along the central axis.
5. The structure of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second material systems have a band energy offset within kT at a predetermined temperature, said bond energy offset selected to permit charge transport across a central axis common to both materials systems at the predetermined temperature, where k is the Boltzmann constant and T is absolute temperature.
6. The structure of claim 5, wherein the band energy offset is in a range from near zero to 3kT.
7. The structure of claim 5, wherein the band energy offset is less than or equal to 2 kT.
8. The structure of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second material systems and the physical interface comprise:
a superlattice structure having a conduction miniband which transports electrical current normal to said physical interface.
9. The structure of claim 8, wherein said physical interface comprises a Van der Waals bonded interface.
10. The structure of claim 8, wherein said superlattice structure comprises covalent bonds and said minband is configured to have a current transport direction along said covalent bonds.
11. The structure of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second material systems and the physical interface comprise:
superlattices in a Bi2Te3Sb2Te3 material system oriented along a c-axis so that Van der Waals bonds are along a central axis common to both materials systems.
12. The structure of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second material systems and the physical interface comprise:
superlattices in a Bi2Te3Bi2TexSe3x material system oriented along a c-axis so that Van der Waals bonds are along a central axis common to both materials systems.
13. The structure of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second material systems and the physical interface comprise:
a Bi2Te3Sb2Te3 superlattice, said Bi2Te3Sb2Te3 superlattice formed on a Bi2Te3 buffer deposited on a GaAs growth-substrate prior to a Bi2Te3Sb2Te3 superlattice deposition.
14. The structure of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second material systems and the physical interface comprise:
a Bi2Te3Bi2TexSe3 x superlattice formed on a Bi2Te3 buffer deposited on a GaAs growth substrate prior to a Bi2Te3Bi2TexSe3 x superlattice deposition, and remaining after removal of the Bi2Te3 buffer and the growth substrate.
15. The structure of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second material systems and the physical interface comprise:
a superlattice structure having a total thermal conductivity between 5 and 20 mWcm-K.
16. The structure of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second material systems and the physical interface comprise:
a superlattice structure having a lattice contribution to said total thermal conductivity of 1 to 6 mWcm-K.
17. The structure of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second material systems and the physical interface comprise:
a superlattice structure having a Seebeck coefficient between 175 and 350 VK.
18. The structure of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second material systems and the physical interface comprise:
a superlattice structure having an electrical resistivity between 0.25 mOhm-cm and 3 m-Ohm-cm along a c-axis of the superlattice structure.
19. The structure of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second material systems and the physical interface comprise:
a superlattice structure with periods in said superlattice structure in a range of 30 to 80 .
20. The structure of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second material systems and the physical interface comprise:
a superlattice structure with periods in said superlattice structure in a range of 50 to 60 .
21. The structure of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second material systems have a cross-plane Seebeck coefficient within an order of magnitude of an in-plane Seebeck coefficient.
22. The structure of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second material systems and said physical interface comprise:
a superlattice structure with a lattice mismatch at said interface occurring in a plane of epitaxial growth of said at least two material systems and providing an acoustic mismatch to reduce thermal conduction across said physical interface.
23. The structure of claim 22, wherein, said super lattice structure includes Bi2Te3Sb2Te3 and Bi2Te3Bi2Te2.85Se0.15 superlattices having van der Waals bonded interfaces.
24. The structure of claim 1, wherein said at least first and second material systems and the physical interface comprise:
a superlattice structure having band offsets between interfaces of said superlattice structure ranging from near zero to 3 kT, where k is the Boltzmann constant and T is absolute temperature for a predetermined temperature of charge carrier transport.
25. The structure of claim 24, wherein said band offsets range from kT to 2 kT.
26. The structure of claim 25, wherein said superlattice structure has component dimensions less than a unit cell of said superlattice structure without varying a period of said superlattice structure.
27. The structure of claim 1, wherein the at least first and second material systems include a superlattice structure joined by a Van Der Waals bonding interface, said superlattice structure having a miniband current transport direction along a Van Der Waals bonding direction.
28. The structure of claim 1, wherein the at least first and second material systems include a superlattice structure joined by a covalent bonding interface, said superlattice structure having a miniband current transport direction along a covalent bonding direction.
29. The structure of claim 1, wherein the at least first and second material systems include a superlattice structure consisting substantially of only pure and unalloyed components.
30. The structure of claim 1, wherein the at least first and second material systems have a ZT of at least 1.4.
31. The structure of claim 1, wherein the at least first and second material systems are deposited using metal organic chemical vapor deposition.
32. The structure of claim 1, comprising:
orthogonally-quantum-confined superlattice phonon-blocking electron-transmitting structures.
33. The structure of claim 32, comprising:
at least one of a quantum wire, a quantum dot, a nano-dot, and a quantum box.
34. The structure of claim 33, comprising:
carbon nano-tubes included in said at least first and second material systems and comprising quantum wires.
35. The structure of claim 32, comprising:
an orthogonally quantum-confined and sphere-like nano-dot, quantum-dot, or quantum-box.
36. A thermoelectric device comprising:
a heat source plate;
a heat sink plate operating at an elevated temperature with respect to the heat source plate;
at least one n-type thermoelectric element including the thermoelectric structure of claim 1;
at least one p-type thermoelectric element including the thermoelectric structure of claim 1 and electrically connected in series to said at least one n-type thermoelectric element.
37. The device of claim 36, further comprising:
ohmic contacts to the at least one n-type thermoelectric element and the t least one p-type thermoelectric element.
38. The device of claim 37, wherein the ohmic contacts include Cr.
39. The device of claim 36, wherein the ohmic contacts include at least one adhesion promoter.
40. The device of claim 39, wherein the adhesion promoter includes one or more metals selected from Cr, NiCr, Ti, Mo, W, and alloys containing these metals.
41. The device of claim 37, wherein the ohmic contacts include at least one diffusion barrier.
42. The device of claim 41, wherein the diffusion barrier includes one or more metals selected from Ni, Cr, NiCr, Pd, Fe, and alloys containing these metals.
43. The device of claim 42, wherein the ohmic contacts have a resistivity less than 107 Ohm-cm2.
44. The device of claim 37, wherein the ohmic contacts comprise Ohmic metallizations of at least one of Cr, Au, Ni, and Au.
45. The device of claim 44, wherein the ohmic metallizations include one or more metals selected from a group of Au, Cu, Ni, Ag, Pd, Pt, Al, Ga, In, and alloys containing these metals.
46. The device of claim 45, wherein the ohmic contacts have a resistivity less than 107 Ohm-cm2.
47. The device of claim 36, wherein the thermoelectric device is a thermoelectric cooler.
48. The device of claim 47, wherein the thermoelectric cooler comprises at least one of a refrigerator and an air conditioner.
49. The device of claim 36, wherein the thermoelectric device is a power conversion device
50. The device of claim 36, further comprising:
a pressurizing mechanism including chemical dopants in thermoelectric nanostructures of the at least first and second material systems, said chemical dopants configured to generate a misfit-induced pressure in the thermoelectric structure.
51. The device of claim 36, further comprising:
a magnetizing mechanism including chemical dopants in thermoelectric nanoastructures of the at least first and second material systems, said chemical dopants including magnetic materials.
52. A dynamic random access memory including the thermoelectric devices of any one of claims 36, 50, and 51 configured as at least one cooler.
53. The memory of claim 52, wherein the dynamic random access memory is configured as a static random access memory.
54. A thermoelectric power conversion device comprising:
at least first and second material systems having different lattice constants and interposed in contact with each other;
a physical interface at which said at least first and second material systems are joined with a lattice mismatch and at which structural integrity of said first and second material systems is substantially maintained;
said at least first and second material systems having a charge carrier transport direction normal to said physical interface;
a heat sink connected to the at least first and second material systems;
a heat source connected to the heat sink through the at least first and second material systems; and
electrodes connected to the at least first and second material systems and configured to output a thermoelectric voltage.
55. The device of claim 54, wherein said heat sink comprises a cold side of 250 K to 310K and said heat source comprises a hot side of 310 to 450K.
56. The device of claim 54, wherein the thermoelectric device has a ZT of at least 1.4.
57. The device of claim 54, further comprising:
a pressurizing mechanism including chemical dopants in thermoelectric nanostructures of the at least first and second material systems, said chemical dopants configured to generate a misfit-induced pressure in the structure.
58. The device of claim 54, further comprising:
a magnetizing mechanism including chemical dopants in thermoelectric nanoastructures of the at least first and second material systems, said chemical dopants including magnetic materials.
59. A thermoelectric heating and cooling device comprising:
at least first and second material systems having different lattice constants and interposed in contact with each other;
a physical interface at which said at least first and second material systems are joined with a lattice mismatch and at which structural integrity of said first and second material systems is substantially maintained;
said at least first and second material systems having a charge carrier transport direction normal to said physical interface;
at least one of a heat sink and a heat source connected to the at least first and second material systems; and
said thermoelectric device configured to direct charge transport to at least one of the heat sink for cooling and the heat source for heating.
60. The device of claim 59, wherein said heat sink comprises a cold side of 250 K to 310K and said heat source comprises a hot side of 310 to 450K.
61. The device of claim 59, wherein the thermoelectric device has a ZT of at least 1.4.
62. The device of claim 59, further comprising:
a pressurizing mechanism including chemical dopants in thermoelectric nanostructures of the at least first and second material systems, said chemical dopants configured to generate a misfit-induced pressure in the structure.
63. The device of claim 59, further comprising:
a magnetizing mechanism including chemical dopants in thermoelectric nanoastructures of the at least first and second material systems, said chemical dopants including magnetic materials.
64. The device of claim 59, wherein said heat sink is configured to connect to at least one of a microprocessor chip, a laser chip, and a superconducting chip.
65. The device of claim 59, wherein said heat source is configured to connect to components of at least one of a microprocessor chip, a laser chip, and a superconducting chip.
66. The device of claim 54, wherein said heat sink is configured as a heat exchanger in a refrigerating unit.
67. The device of claim 54, wherein said heat sink is configured as a heat exchanger in an air conditioning unit.
68. A thermoelectric power conversion device comprising:
means for phonon-blocking and electron-transmitting across at least first and second material systems having different lattice constants and interposed in periodic contact with each other;
a heat sink connected to the at least first and second material systems;
a heat source connected to the heat sink through the at least first and second material systems; and
electrodes connected to the at least first and second material systems and configured to output a thermoelectric voltage.
69. A thermoelectric cooling and heating device comprising:
means for phonon-blocking and electron-transmitting across at least first and second material systems having different lattice constants and interposed in periodic contact with each other;
at least one of a heat sink and a heat source connected to the at least first and second material systems; and
said thermoelectric device configured to direct charge transport to at least one of the heat sink for cooling and the heat source for heating.
70. The device of claim 1, wherein the lattice mismatch between the at least first and second material systems ranges from 1 to 100%.
71. The device of claim 70, wherein the lattice mismatch between the at least first and second material systems ranges from 1 to 5%.
72. The device of claim 54, wherein the lattice mismatch between the at least first and second material systems ranges from 1 to 100%.
73. The device of claim 72, wherein the lattice mismatch between the at least first and second material systems ranges from 1 to 5%.
74. The device of claim 59, wherein the lattice mismatch between the at least first and second material systems ranges from 1 to 100%.
75. The device of claim 74, wherein the lattice mismatch between the at least first and second material systems ranges from 1 to 5%.
76. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least first and second material systems are periodically arranged.
77. The device of claim 54, wherein the at least first and second material systems are periodically arranged.
78. The device of claim 59, wherein the at least first and second material systems are periodically arranged.

1. A method comprising:
intercepting, at a cloud connector device of a network, a request from a user for content;
when the content is not cached in the network:
redirecting the request to a cloud-based security as a service server;
receiving the content from the cloud-based security as a service server;
routing the content to a cache server; and
receiving at a cloud connector identity-based security policy from the cloud-based security as a service server for the content;

when the content is cached in the network:
determining at the cloud connector device for the cached content whether the request satisfies an identity-based security policy that is a same policy as at the security as a service server;
sending the request to the cache server when the request satisfies the identity-based security policy; and
rejecting the request when the request fails to satisfy the identity-based security policy.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein intercepting comprises intercepting all requests, including the request, received at the cloud connector device and wherein all of the cached content, including the content routed to the cache server, is filtered by the cloud-based security as a service server prior to caching.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein intercepting at the cloud connector device of the network comprises intercepting with a transparent proxy at an edge router of an enterprise network.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing a list of cachable target uniform resource locators, and determining whether the content is cached from the cachable target uniform resource locators.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein redirecting comprises redirecting to the security as a service server outside the network.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the content comprises receiving the content after filtering of the content by the cloud-based security as a service server.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein routing the content comprises routing the content to the cache server for caching and response, by the cache server, of the content to the request from a client other than the cache server.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising notifying the security as a service server of web caching in the network, wherein receiving the content comprises receiving the content with an altered caching header as compared to the content as provided by a content server.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the receiving the content with the altered caching header comprises receiving the content with an indication of no caching.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the request satisfies the identity-based security policy comprises determining an identity of a source of the request by user, user group, device group, security clearance, location of the source, or combinations thereof.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the identity-based security policy from the cloud-based security as a service server.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the request satisfies the identify-based security policy comprises determining whether an identity of a source of the request is in a white list or a black list for the content.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein further comprising requesting a policy from the security as a service server where the identity is not in the white or black lists.
14. Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor is operable to perform operations comprising:
receiving, within a network, identity-based security information from a security as a service server outside the network;
receiving, from an identified source, a request for content cached within the network;
determining that the content is cached within the network, the cached content comprising content filtered by the cloud-based security as a service;
verifying, with the identity-based security information, that the identified source is allowed access to the filtered content cached within the network; and
providing the content to the identified source.
15. The logic encoded in the one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14 wherein receiving the identity-based security information comprises receiving user identities, user-group identities, location identities, device identities, or combinations thereof and corresponding security policies implemented by the security as a servicer server, and wherein verifying comprises applying the security policies to the request for the cached content.
16. The logic encoded in the one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14 further comprising:
receiving a further request for content not cached in the network;
redirecting the further request to the security as a service;
receiving a response to the further request from the security as a service; and
providing the response for caching in the network.
17. The logic encoded in the one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 16 wherein the response comprises further content responsive to the further request, the further content comprising security filtered content with a caching lifetime adjusted by the security as a service server.
18. An apparatus comprising:
a client device connected to a network, the client device configured to request content; and
a gateway device of the network, the gateway device configured to restrict serving, in response to the request, of cached content within the network based on an identity-based security policy received from a cloud-based security as a service.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising a cache server storing the cached content, a lifetime of the cached content set by the security as a service to be different than a setting of a source of the content.
20. A method comprising:
receiving, at a security service processor, a request for content from a host in an enterprise network;
requesting the content from a web server;
receiving from the web server the content in response to the request;
filtering, by the security service processor, the content received from the web server;
adjusting a freshness setting of the content, the freshness setting corresponding to caching;
transmitting the content with the adjusted freshness setting to the enterprise network as a response to the request; and
transmitting an identity-based security policy to a cloud connector in the enterprise network for providing the content from cache within the network using the identity-based security policy.

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 traction apparatus that impresses a desired traction force to a body to be pulled, the traction apparatus comprising:
a traction mechanism that includes a harness coupled to the body to be pulled, a rope having a first end attached to the harness, and a take-up drum attached to a second end of the rope and impressing the traction force on the body to be pulled by taking up the rope;
a first pulley that engages, at a predetermined wrapping angle, the rope to which the traction force is impressed by being taken up by the take-up drum, a rope load being impressed to the first pulley from the rope;
a coupling plate that rotatably holds the first pulley, the rope load being impressed to the coupling plate from the rope via the first pulley;
a load sensor plate that holds the coupling plate at a first end portion thereof, the rope load being impressed to the load sensor plate from the rope via the first pulley and the coupling plate;
an outer frame that fixes a second end portion of the load sensor plate;
a load cell adhered to a surface of the load sensor plate, the load cell detecting an amount of strain of the load sensor plate caused by the rope load; and
a rotation mechanism that rotates the outer frame in agreement with a take-up position of the rope on a take-up surface of the take-up drum,
the first pulley rotating in accordance with rotation of the outer frame.
2. The traction apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a second pulley that engages the rope closer to the harness than the first pulley.
3. The traction apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a lengthwise direction of the load sensor plate is a direction that forms equal angles with each of a first movement path of the rope from the second pulley to the first pulley and a second movement path of the rope from the first pulley to the take-up drum.
4. The traction apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the rope engages the first pulley so that the first movement path and the second movement path are orthogonal.
5. The traction apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a load sensor mechanism that includes the first pulley, the coupling plate, and the load sensor plate, wherein the load sensor mechanism is configured to be rotatable in compliance with a rope take-up position of the take-up drum.
6. The traction apparatus according to claim 5, comprising a second pulley that engages the rope closer to the harness than the first pulley, the second pulley is configured to be rotatable in compliance with movement of a first movement path of the rope from the first pulley to the second pulley accompanying rotation of the load sensor.
7. The traction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rope load is a tensile load.
8. A rope take-up mechanism of a traction apparatus impressing a desired traction force on a body to be pulled by a harness coupled to the body to be pulled and a rope having a first end of the rope attached to the harness, the rope take-up mechanism comprising:
a take-up drum that attaches to a second end of the rope and that impresses the traction force on the body to be pulled by taking up the rope;
a first pulley that engages, at a predetermined wrapping angle, the rope to which the traction force is impressed by being taken up by the take-up drum, and on which a rope load is impressed from the rope;
a second pulley that engages the rope closer to the harness than the first pulley;
a load sensor mechanism that includes: a coupling plate rotatably holding the first pulley, the rope load being impressed to the coupling plate from the rope via the first pulley; a load sensor plate holding the coupling plate at a first end portion thereof, the rope load being impressed to the load sensor plate from the rope via the first pulley and the coupling plate; an outer frame fixing a second end portion of the load sensor plate; and a load cell adhered to a surface of the load sensor plate, the load cell detecting an amount of strain of the load sensor plate caused by the rope load; and
a rotation mechanism that rotates the outer frame in agreement with a take-up position of the rope on a take-up surface of the take-up drum,
the first pulley rotating in accordance with rotation of the outer frame.
9. The rope take-up mechanism of the traction apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a lengthwise direction of the load sensor plate is a direction that forms equal angles with each of a first movement path of the rope from the second pulley to the first pulley and a second movement path of the rope from the first pulley to the take-up drum.
10. The rope take-up mechanism of the traction apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the rope engages the first pulley so that the first movement path and the second movement path are orthogonal.
11. The rope take-up mechanism of the traction apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the rope load is a tensile load.
12. The rope take-up mechanism of the traction apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the load sensor mechanism is configured to be rotatable in compliance with a rope take-up position of the take-up drum, and
the second pulley is configured to be rotatable in compliance with movement of a first movement path of the rope from the first pulley to the second pulley accompanying rotation of the load sensor.