Author: claimsbot

1. An energy storage system comprising a cable (13) and a mass (21) suspended from the cable (13) in a shaft (12), the cable (13) being attached to a winch means (11) by which the mass (21) may be raised in the shaft (12) to store potential energy, and the mass (21) being lowerable in the shaft (12) to release the potential energy, wherein the mass (21) comprises at least two sections (22, 23) clamped together around the cable (13).
2. An energy storage system as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of cables (13) and a plurality of multi-section masses (21) each suspended in the shaft (12) by a respective cable (13), the multi-section masses (21) being raised and lowered in synchronism in the shaft (12).
3. An energy storage system as claimed in claim 2, wherein each cable (13) is attached to a respective winch means (11).
4. An energy storage system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the multi-section masses (21) nest together side-by-side in the shaft (12) to form an overall composite mass body (20).
5. An energy storage system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the composite mass body (20) is cylindrical and there are four multi-section masses (21) each forming a quadrant of the cylindrical mass body.
6. An energy storage system as claimed in claim 5, wherein each quadrant (21) comprises an inner section (22) and an outer section (23) together defining a conduit (27) through which the cable (13) passes and in which the cable (13) is gripped.
7. An energy storage system as claimed in claim 4, wherein circumferentially adjacent multi-section masses (21) are fixed to oppositely wound cables (13).
8. An energy storage system as claimed in claim 4, wherein there are a plurality of composite mass bodies (20) suspended by the cables (13) one above the other in the shaft (12), each mass body being spaced from the adjacent mass body(s).
9. An energy storage system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the outer surface of the or each multi-section mass (21) of the composite mass body (20) has at least one hardened steel strip (24).
10. An energy storage system as claimed claim 1, wherein to store potential energy the or each multi-section mass (21) is raised by power derived from a source of renewable energy, for example wind, wave or solar energy.
11. An energy storage system as claimed in claim 1, wherein to store potential energy the or each multi-section mass (21) is raised by electrical or hydraulic energy.
12. An energy storage system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the released potential energy is converted to electrical or hydraulic energy.

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 performed by a mobile device having a plurality of sensors, the method comprising:
receiving image data and first timing information associated with the image data, wherein the image data includes images representative of a motion of the mobile device and is determined using a first sensor of the plurality of sensors;
receiving sensor data and second timing information associated with the sensor data, wherein the sensor data corresponds to the motion of the mobile device and is determined using a second sensor of the plurality of sensors;
determining a first estimation of the motion of the mobile device based on the image data and the first timing information;
determining a second estimation of the motion of the mobile device based on the sensor data and the second timing information;
determining whether the first estimation of the motion of the mobile device is within a threshold variance of the second estimation of the motion of the mobile device; and
based on whether the first estimation of the motion of the mobile device is within the threshold variance of the second estimation of the motion of the mobile device, providing an output indicative of a validity of the first timing information and the second timing information.
2. The method of claim 1 carried out by an application processor of the mobile device, wherein the first timing information and the second timing information are received from a co-processor of the mobile device that is configured to determine the first timing information and the second timing information.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving, by the application processor and from the co-processor, a digital image that includes the image data and the sensor data, wherein the sensor data is embedded in pixels of the digital image.
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving, by the application processor and from the first sensor, the image data.
5. The method of claim 1:
wherein the image data comprises a sequence of two-dimensional images, and
wherein determining the first estimation of the motion of the mobile device based on the image data and the first timing information comprises determining a first rotational motion of the mobile device based on movement of image features between images of the sequence of two-dimensional images.
6. The method of claim 5:
wherein the second sensor comprises a gyroscope, and
wherein determining the second estimation of the motion of the mobile device based on the sensor data and the second timing information comprises determining a second rotational motion of the mobile device.
7. The method of claim 1:
wherein the image data comprises a sequence of two-dimensional images of known three-dimensional points in a scene, and
wherein determining the first estimation of the motion of the mobile device based on the image data and the first timing information comprises determining a trajectory of the mobile device based on locations of the known three-dimensional points in the sequence of two-dimensional images.
8. The method of claim 7:
wherein the sensor data comprises another sequence of two-dimensional images of the known three-dimensional points in the scene, and
wherein determining the second estimation of the motion of the mobile device based on the sensor data and the second timing information comprises determining another trajectory of the mobile device based on locations of the known-three dimensional points in the other sequence of two-dimensional images.
9. The method of claim 7:
wherein the sensor data comprises a sequence of depth images, and
wherein determining the second estimation of the motion of the mobile device based on the sensor data and the second timing information comprises determining another trajectory of the mobile device based on a depth to a computed plane extracted from the sequence of depth images.
10. The method of claim 1:
wherein the image data comprises a sequence of depth images, and
wherein determining the first estimation of the motion of the mobile device based on the image data and the first timing information comprises determining a distance to a computed ground plane extracted from the sequence of depth images.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second sensor comprises a barometer.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second sensor comprises a light sensor, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining a first estimation of an illumination pattern based on the image data and the first timing information;
determining a second estimation of an illumination pattern based on the sensor data and the second timing information,
wherein the output is further based on whether the first estimation of the illumination pattern is within another threshold variance of the second estimation of the illumination pattern.
13. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing another output indicative of an accuracy of parameters of the first sensor or the second sensor based on whether the first estimation of the motion of the mobile device is within the threshold variance of the second estimation of the motion of the mobile device.
14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving additional sensor data and third timing information associated with the additional sensor data, wherein the additional sensor data corresponds to the motion of the mobile device and is determined using a third sensor of the plurality of sensors;
determining a third estimation of the motion of the mobile device based on the additional sensor data and the third timing information;
determining whether the first estimation of the motion of the mobile device is within another threshold variance of the third estimation of the motion of the mobile device; and
wherein the output indicative of the validity of the first timing information and the second timing information is further based on whether the first estimation of the motion of the mobile device is within the other threshold variance of the third estimation of the motion of the mobile device.
15. A mobile device comprising:
at least one camera;
at least one sensor; and
a processor, the processor configured to:
receive image data and first timing information associated with the image data, wherein the image data includes images representative of a motion of the mobile device and is determined using the at least one camera,
receive sensor data and second timing information associated with the sensor data, wherein the sensor data corresponds to the motion of the mobile device and is determined using the at least one sensor,
determine a first estimation of the motion of the mobile device based on the image data and the first timing information,
determine a second estimation of the motion of the mobile device based on the sensor data and the second timing information,
determine whether the first estimation of the motion of the mobile device is within a threshold variance of the second estimation of the motion of the mobile device, and
based on whether the first estimation of the motion of the mobile device is within the threshold variance of the second estimation of the motion of the mobile device, provide an output indicative of a validity of the first timing information and the second timing information.
16. The mobile device of claim 15:
wherein the image data comprises a sequence of two-dimensional images, and
wherein determining the first estimation of the motion of the mobile device based on the image data and the first timing information comprises determining a first rotational motion of the mobile device based on movement of image features between images of the sequence of two-dimensional images.
17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to provide another output indicative of an accuracy of parameters of the first sensor or the second sensor based on whether the first estimation of the motion of the mobile device is within the threshold variance of the second estimation of the motion of the mobile device.
18. A non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform functions comprising:
receiving image data and first timing information associated with the image data, wherein the image data includes images representative of a motion of a mobile device and is determined using a first sensor of a plurality of sensors of the mobile device;
receiving sensor data and second timing information associated with the sensor data, wherein the sensor data corresponds to the motion of the mobile device and is determined using a second sensor of the plurality of sensors;
determining a first estimation of the motion of the mobile device based on the image data and the first timing information;
determining a second estimation of the motion of the mobile device based on the sensor data and the second timing information;
determining whether the first estimation of the motion of the mobile device is within a threshold variance of the second estimation of the motion of the mobile device; and
based on whether the first estimation of the motion of the mobile device is within the threshold variance of the second estimation of the motion of the mobile device, providing an output indicative of a validity of the first timing information and the second timing information.
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18:
wherein the image data comprises a sequence of two-dimensional images, and
wherein determining the first estimation of the motion of the mobile device based on the image data and the first timing information comprises determining a first rotational motion of the mobile device based on movement of image features between images of the sequence of two-dimensional images.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18:
wherein the image data comprises a sequence of depth images, and
wherein determining the first estimation of the motion of the mobile device based on the image data and the first timing information comprises determining a distance to a computed ground plane extracted from the sequence of depth images.

1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate which includes a plurality of electrodes and in which a depression is formed on a side on which the electrodes are formed;
forming a resin protrusion on the semiconductor substrate so that part of the resin protrusion is positioned in the depression; and
forming an interconnect on the resin protrusion, the interconnect being electrically connected to at least one of the electrodes.
2. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as defined in claim 1,
wherein the resin protrusion is formed to include a narrow portion which covers the depression.
3. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as defined in claim 2,
wherein the resin protrusion is formed so that the narrow portion has a width which is equal to a width of the depression.
4. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as defined in claim 1,
wherein the interconnect is formed to avoid covering the depression.
5. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as defined in claim 2,
wherein the interconnect is formed to avoid covering the depression.
6. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as defined in claim 1,
wherein a plurality of the interconnects are disposed so that the depression is positioned between two of the interconnects adjacent to each other.
7. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as defined in claim 2,
wherein a plurality of the interconnects are disposed so that the depression is positioned between two of the interconnects adjacent to each other.
8. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as defined in claim 1,
wherein a plurality of the interconnects are formed to extend over the same resin protrusion so that part of the resin protrusion covering the depression is disposed between two of the interconnects adjacent to each other.
9. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as defined in claim 2,
wherein a plurality of the interconnects are formed to extend over the same resin protrusion so that part of the resin protrusion covering the depression is disposed between two of the interconnects adjacent to each other.
10. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as defined in claim 1,
wherein the step of forming the resin protrusion includes:
providing a resin material on the semiconductor substrate so that part of the resin material is positioned in the depression; and
curing the resin material.
11. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as defined in claim 2,
wherein the step of forming the resin protrusion includes:
providing a resin material on the semiconductor substrate so that part of the resin material is positioned in the depression; and
curing the resin material.
12. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate which includes a plurality of electrodes and in which a depression is formed on a side on which the electrodes are formed;
a resin protrusion formed on the semiconductor substrate so that part of the resin protrusion is positioned in the depression; and
an interconnect formed on the resin protrusion and electrically connected to at least one of the electrodes.
13. The semiconductor device as defined in claim 12, further comprising:
a plurality of the interconnects,
wherein the depression is positioned between two of the interconnects adjacent to each other.
14. The semiconductor device as defined in claim 12,
wherein the resin protrusion includes a narrow portion which covers the depression;
wherein a plurality of the interconnects are formed on the same resin protrusion; and
wherein the narrow portion of the resin protrusion is disposed between two of the interconnects adjacent to each other.

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 handover control apparatus for controlling handover of a radio terminal unit between edge routers provided in respective base stations for radio communication with a radio terminal unit and to which routers are connected above in a hierarchical structure, said handover control apparatus comprising:
a controller configured to specify a relay router from a plurality of Cross Over Routers (CORs) where all paths from an edge router before movement of the radio terminal unit and from every edge router as a candidate for a destination of the movement to a communication correspondent intersect, wherein
each of said edge routers are configured to store information about edge routers mounted in base stations forming radio zones adjacent to a radio zone of a base station in which the edge router before movement of the radio terminal is mounted, and information about superordinate routers to which the adjacent edge routers and the edge router before movement of the radio terminal are connected, and
said controller is configured to specify the relay router from the plurality of CORs on the basis of the stored information.
2. The handover control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to notify the radio terminal unit registered in the edge router of information about the relay router.
3. A radio terminal unit configured to, on the basis of the information about the relay router notified of by the handover control apparatus as set forth in claim 2, transmit a Regional Registration (RR) instruction to the COR specified as the relay router by the handover control apparatus.
4. A router configured to provide an RR function on the basis of the RR instruction transmitted from the radio terminal unit as set forth in claim 3.
5. The handover control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to locate a location registration relaying function in said COR as a relay router, and notify the communication correspondent of the radio terminal unit of information about a location of the relay router where the location registration relaying function is located.
6. The handover control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein after completion of the handover of the radio terminal unit and in timing different from that of the handover, where the specified relay router is different from the relay router before the movement, the controller is configured to locate the location registration relaying function in another relay router and data is continuously forwarded from the relay router before the movement.
7. The handover control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to notify the edge router of the information about the relay router.
8. An edge router configured to, on the basis of the information about the relay router notified of by the handover control apparatus as set forth in claim 7, transmit an RR instruction to the COR specified as a relay router by the handover control apparatus.
9. A router configured to provide an RR function on the basis of the RR instruction transmitted from the edge router as set forth in claim 8.
10. A mobile communication system for implementing handover of a radio terminal unit between base stations, said mobile communication system comprising:
routers connected above the base stations in a hierarchical structure and configured to perform relaying of data to the base stations; and
edge routers provided in the respective base stations, each edge router configured to specify a relay router from a plurality of Cross Over Routers (CORs) where all paths from a base station before movement of the radio terminal unit and from every base station as a candidate for a destination of the movement to a communication correspondent intersect,
wherein each of said edge routers are configured to store information about edge routers mounted in base stations forming radio zones adjacent to a radio zone of the base station before movement of the radio terminal unit, and information about superordinate routers to which the adjacent edge routers and an edge router mounted in the base station before movement of the radio terminal unit are connected, and wherein the relay router is specified from the plurality of CORs on the basis of the stored information.
11. The mobile communication system according to claim 10, wherein said edge router is configured to notify the radio terminal unit registered in the edge router of information about the relay router.
12. The mobile communication system according to claim 11, wherein the radio terminal unit is configured to transmit a Regional Registration (RR) instruction to the COR specified as the relay router based on the information about the relay router notified of by the edge router.
13. The mobile communication system according to claim 12, wherein the COR specified as the relay router provides an RR function on the basis of the RR instruction transmitted from the radio terminal unit.
14. The mobile communication system according to claim 11, wherein a location registration relaying function is located in said COR as a relay router and wherein the communication correspondent of the radio terminal unit is notified of information about a location of the relay router where the location registration relaying function is located.
15. The mobile communication system according to claim 14, wherein after completion of the handover of the radio terminal unit and in timing different from that of the handover, where the specified relay router is different from the relay router before the movement, the location registration relaying function is located in another relay router and data is also continuously forwarded from the relay router before the movement.
16. The mobile communication system according to claim 11, wherein the edge router is configured to transmit a RR instruction to the COR specified as the relay router.
17. The mobile communication system according to claim 16, wherein the COR specified as the relay router provides an RR function on the basis of the RR instruction transmitted from the edge router.
18. A handover control method of controlling handover of a radio terminal unit between edge routers provided in respective base stations for radio communication with radio terminal unit and to which routers are connected above in a hierarchical structure, said handover control method comprising:
a control step of specifying a relay router from a plurality of Cross Over Routers (CORs) where all paths from an edge router before movement of the radio terminal unit and from every edge router as a candidate for a destination of the movement to a communication correspondent intersect,
a storage step wherein each of said edge routers stores information about edge routers mounted in base stations forming radio zones adjacent to a radio zone of a base station in which the edge router before movement of the radio terminal unit is mounted, and information about superordinate routers to which the adjacent edge routers and the edge router before movement of the radio terminal unit are connected, and
wherein said control step further comprises specifying the relay router from the plurality of CORs on the basis of the information stored in the storage step.
19. The handover control method according to claim 18, wherein said control step further comprises notifying the radio terminal unit registered in the edge router of information about the relay router.
20. The handover control method according to claim 19, further comprising:
transmitting, from the radio terminal unit, a Regional Registration (RR) instruction to the COR specified as the relay router based on the information about the relay router notified of by the edge router.
21. The handover control method according to claim 20, further comprising:
providing, from the COR specified as the relay router, a RR function on the basis of the RR instruction transmitted from the radio terminal unit.
22. The handover control method according to claim 19, wherein said control step further comprises locating a location registration relaying function in said COR as a relay router, and notifying the communication correspondent of the radio terminal unit of information about a location of the relay router where the location registration relaying function is located.
23. The handover control method according to claim 22, wherein after completion of the handover of the radio terminal unit and in timing different from that of the handover, where the specified relay router is different from the relay router before the movement, said control step further comprises locating the location registration relaying function in another relay router and continuously forward data from the relay router before the movement.
24. The handover control method according to claim 18, further comprising:
transmitting, from the edge router, a RR instruction to the COR specified as the relay router.
25. The handover control method according to claim 24, further comprising:
providing, from the COR specified as the relay router, a RR function on the basis of the RR instruction transmitted from the edge router.