Author: claimsbot

What is claimed is:

1. In a remote data mirroring arrangement of data storage systems, a method of operating a data storage system comprises:
determining that storage traffic is to be transferred between the data storage system and a remote data storage system to which the data storage system is coupled by an IP network in accordance with a remote data service application; and
enabling transfer of the storage traffic between the data storage system and the remote data storage system over the IP network using a native connection to the IP network.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP network is the Internet.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the IP network is a private network.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling comprises using a socket interface to interface an operation of the remote data service to TCPIP protocols.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the native connection comprises TCPIP over Gigabit Ethernet
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the socket interface is split across two processors, with a first socket relay residing on a first processor and a second socket relay residing on a second processor.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first socket relay and remote data service application operation conform to a common interface.
8. The method of claim 4, wherein enabling further comprises using the socket interface to create a socket from which the native connection to the IP network is formed.
9. A computer program product residing on a computer-readable medium for operating a data storage system in a remote data mirroring arrangement of data storage systems, the computer program product comprising instructions causing a computer to:
determine that storage traffic is to be transferred between the data storage system and a remote data storage system to which the data storage system is coupled by an IP network; and
enable transfer of the storage traffic between the data storage system and the remote data storage system over the IP network using a native connection to the IP network.
10. A data storage system comprising:
one or more storage devices;
a controller coupled to the one or more storage devices; and
wherein the controller directs local storage traffic from the data storage system to a remote data storage system over an IP network using a native connection to the IP network.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing guaranteed Quality of Services (QoS) in an IP network, comprising:
a. after receiving a service request with guaranteed QoS requirement from a subscriber, a relevant service entity in the network obtaining the addresses of source subscriber and destination subscriber and QoS parameters for the service through analyzing the service request, and sending a route selection and resource application request to bearer control layer of the network;
b. a bearer network resource manager in the bearer control layer allocating route and resources for the service in the service bearer logic network according to said addresses of the source subscriber and the destination subscriber and service type; and
c. forwarding the traffic streams in the service bearer logic network according to the route and resources determined by the bearer control layer.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said service bearer logic network is pre-planned and pre-configured from basic network according to the service type.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said service bearer logic network includes edge nodes and tandem switching nodes between which Label Switched Path (LSP) connections are established with Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) technology.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said tandem switching nodes are a part of core routers which are selected from network resource management areas.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said service bearer logic network includes edge nodes and tandem switching nodes between which LSP connections are established with MPLS technology.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said tandem switching nodes are a part of core routers which are selected from network resource management areas.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said route allocated for the service is represented with a multi-level label stack, in step c, nodes in the service bearer logic network forward the traffic stream according to labels configured in the multi-level label stack; and the levels of the multi-level label stack is decreased by one level whenever a MPLS packet for the service passes a tandem switching node.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein during forwarding traffic stream data packets, the just passed LSP ends whenever a traffic stream data packet passes a tandem switching node, the label representing said LSP in the multi-level label stack is popped at this switching node or the second last hop router in the LSP, then said tandem switching node forwards said packet according to the current top label representing the next LSP.
9. The method according to claim 1, step b further comprising the step of informing the service control layer to reject the service request from the subscriber when a bearer network resource manager finds the route selection is failed due to not enough resources in the logic topology of the area.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said service bearer logic networks have the same topology or different topologies for each service type.
11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network structure of said service bearer logic network is identical with or similar to that of a public telephone network.
12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said service bearer logic network can be a metropolitan area network, a provincial backbone network, a national backbone network or even an international backbone network.
13. The method according to claim 1, wherein said service bearer logic network is divided into different network resource management areas which are respectively managed by correspondent bearer network resource manager.
14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network is an IP backbone network, a local area network, a metropolitan network or an internetwork network.
15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the service with guaranteed QoS requirement is a voice service, a video communication service, a stream media video service or other service with special QoS requirement.
16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: after a subscriber terminates or finishes the service, said bearer control layer releasing resources occupied by the service, and informing correspondent edge routers to cancel processing for the traffic stream.
17. A system for providing guaranteed QoS in an IP network, comprising:
a basic network layer including edge routers and core routers, for bearing various IP service packets;
a service bearer logic layer planed and configured from the basic network, including edge nodes, tandem switching nodes and connections among them, for bearing traffic streams with guaranteed QoS requirements;
a bearer control layer including resource managers, for managing the bearer network resources of said service bearer logic layer and basic network layer; and
a service control layer including service entities, for processing service requests.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the logic connections between nodes in the service bearer logic layer are LSP connections established with MPLS technology.

1. A sensor for generating electrical signals indicating a positional property and an extent property of a mechanical interaction within a sensing zone, said sensor comprising a plurality of conductive layers, the plurality of conductive layers being placed on first and second sheets:
said first sheet carrying a first conductive layer having a first conductive area;
a first electrical terminal and a second electrical terminal in electrical connection with said first conductive area;
said first conductive area being configured to enable an electrical potential gradient to be established between said first electrical terminal and said second electrical terminal in a first direction extending across said first conductive layer;
said second sheet carrying a second conductive layer having a second conductive area;
a third electrical terminal in electrical connection with said second conductive area;
said sensor being configured such that an electrical path is established between said first conductive area and said second conductive area during a mechanical interaction within said sensing zone; and
at least one of said first sheet and said second sheet comprises a pressure-sensitive conductive layer comprising a quantum tunnelling conductance (qtc) material;
said sensor being configured such that direct electrical contact between said first and second conductive layers is permitted during the absence of a mechanical interaction within said sensing zone.
2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein said third electrical terminal is a sheet terminal.
3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein said second conductive area has a fourth electrical terminal connected thereto and is configured to allow an electrical potential gradient to be established between said third electrical terminal and said fourth electrical terminal, in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to said first direction.
4. The sensor of claim 3, wherein
said first conductive layer presents a plurality of conductive rows, each row electrically insulated from the others, each row having a first electrical terminal and a second electrical terminal in electrical connection therewith and configured to allow an electrical potential gradient to be established between said first electrical terminal and said second electrical terminal, in a first direction, and
said second conductive layer presents a plurality of conductive columns, each column electrically insulated from the others, each column having a third electrical terminal and a fourth electrical terminal in electrical connection therewith and configured to allow an electrical potential gradient to be established between said third electrical terminal and said fourth electrical terminal, in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to said first direction.
5. A method of generating electrical signals indicating a positional property and an extent property of a mechanical interaction within a sensing zone of a sensor, comprising the steps of:
receiving the sensor of claim 3,
establishing an electric potential gradient across said first conductive layer, between said first electrical terminal and said second electrical terminal, in said first direction,
receiving a first voltage from one of said third electrical terminal and said fourth electrical terminal of said second conductive layer, to produce a first positional value,
processing said first positional value to produce a first positional value of a mechanical interaction,
establishing an electric potential gradient across said second conductive layer, between said third electrical terminal and said fourth electrical terminal, in said second direction,
receiving a second voltage from one of said first electrical terminal and said second electrical terminal of said first conductive layer, to produce a second positional value,
processing said second positional value to produce a second positional value of a mechanical interaction,
establishing an electric potential from one of said first electrical terminal and said second electrical terminal of said first conductive layer, to produce a first current,
measuring said first current from one of said third electrical terminal and said second electrical terminal of said second conductive layer, to produce a first current value,
establishing an electric potential from the other of said first electrical terminal and said second electrical terminal of said first conductive layer, to produce a second current,
measuring said second current from the other of said third electrical terminal and said fourth electrical terminal of said second conductive layer, to produce a second current value, and
processing said second current value in combination with said first current value to produce an extent property of a mechanical interaction.
6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein a first pressure-sensitive conductive layer comprising a quantum tunnelling conductance (qtc) material provides said first conductive layer,
a second pressure-sensitive conductive layer comprising a quantum tunnelling conductance (qtc) material provides said second conductive layer, and
said sensor comprises said first conductive layer and said second conductive layer only.
7. The sensor of claim 1, wherein a pressure-sensitive conductive layer provides a third conductive layer that is disposed between said first conductive layer and said second conductive layer.
8. The sensor of claim 7, wherein a second pressure-sensitive conductive layer comprising a quantum tunnelling conductance (qtc) material provides a fourth conductive layer, and said fourth conductive layer and said second conductive layer are configured as a separate sheet to said first sheet.
9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein said extent property is one of:
magnitude of applied force, magnitude of applied pressure, area of mechanical interaction.
10. The sensor of claim 1, wherein said sensing zone is non-planar, said sensor being constructed of a plurality of molded parts assembled together.
11. The sensor of claim 1, wherein at least one conductive layer comprises textile fibres.
12. A method of generating electrical signals indicating a positional property and an extent property of a mechanical interaction within a sensing zone of a sensor, comprising the steps of:
receiving the sensor of claim 1,
establishing an electric potential gradient across said first conductive layer, between said first electrical terminal and said second electrical terminal, in said first direction,
receiving a first voltage from said third electrical terminal, to produce a first positional value,
processing said first positional value to produce a first positional property of a mechanical interaction,
establishing an electric potential from one of said first electrical terminal and said second electrical terminal of said first conductive layer, to produce a first current,
measuring said first current from said third electrical terminal of said second conductive layer, to produce a first current value,
establishing an electric potential from the other of said first electrical terminal and said second electrical terminal of said first conductive layer, to produce a second current,
measuring said second current from said third electrical terminal of said second conductive layer, to produce a second current value, and
processing said second current value in combination with said first current value to produce an extent property of a mechanical interaction.

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 sensor operative to track changes in a liquid level of a hand-held liquid container, the sensor comprising:
an liquid-level sensor configured to indicate a liquid level of a liquid in a hand-held liquid container;
a radio transmitter; and
a processor configured to draw power from a portable power source, receive liquid-level indications from the ultrasonic liquid-level sensor, and cause the radio transmitter to transmit data indicative of changes in the liquid level.
2. The sensor of claim 1, comprising:
a water bottle having a mouth with a threaded opening between 55 and 67 millimeters in diameter measured from an outer surface of a rim defining the opening and measured in a recess of the threading;
a water bottle cap shaped to be threaded to the opening to close the mouth of the water bottle, the water bottle cap including the portable power supply, the liquid-level sensor, the radio transmitter, the processor, an accelerometer coupled to the processor, and an aperture positioned to dispense liquid from the water bottle when the water bottle is inverted, wherein:
the water bottle defines a cavity of less than 2 liters in volume to store the liquid;
the portable power supply comprises a battery coupled to the processor;
the liquid level sensor is an ultrasonic liquid-level sensor;
the processor is operative to:
receive signals indicative of acceleration from the accelerometer;
determine that the water bottle is oriented within a threshold angle relative to a vertical orientation;
in response to determining that the water bottle is oriented within the threshold angle relative to the vertical orientation and signals indicative of acceleration, cause the ultrasonic liquid-level sensor to sense the level of the liquid in the water bottle;

the ultrasonic liquid-level sensor comprises:
a transmitter having a piezoelectric transmitter operative to transmit sound waves at between 35 kHz and 45 kHz and oriented to direct the sound waves into the cavity;
a receiver, separated from the transmitter in the water bottle cap by material configured to dampen vibrations passing through the cap from the transmitter to the receiver, and operative to generate an electrical signal indicative of the amplitude of sound waves impinging upon the receiver, including transmissions of the transmitter echoing off the surface of the liquid;

wherein the sensor comprises:
a band-pass filter operative to select electrical signals from the receiver within a range of frequencies;
an echo selector operative to receive a plurality of echoes from the band pass filter and select an echo having a highest amplitude among the plurality of echoes as corresponding to an echo from the surface of the liquid;
a clock operative to indicate a duration of time that elapses between a transmission of the transmitter and a receipt of a corresponding echo by the receiver; and
a distance calculator operative to generate an indication of the liquid level based on the duration of time indicated by the clock;

wherein the processor is configured to cause the radio to periodically broadcast a beacon indicative of functionality of the water bottle cap and establish two-way wireless communication with a computing device that wirelessly requests data indicative of the liquid level, wherein the data indicative of the liquid level comprises a plurality of time-stamped indications of the liquid level at different times.
3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the liquid-level sensor comprises a capacitive liquid level sensor.
4. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the liquid-level sensor comprises an ultrasonic liquid level sensor, wherein the ultrasonic liquid-level sensor is capable of indicating the liquid level when the surface of the liquid is less than 20 centimeters away from the ultrasonic liquid-level sensor.
5. The sensor of claim 4, wherein the ultrasonic liquid-level sensor comprises:
a ultrasonic transmitter; and
a ultrasonic receiver that is spaced away from the transmitter.
6. The sensor of claim 4, wherein the ultrasonic liquid-level sensor comprises:
a piezoelectric transmitter having a resonance frequency of physical vibration between 20 kHz and 120 kHz.
7. The sensor of claim 6, comprising:
a multi-axis accelerometer coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to determine that a user has dispensed the liquid based on signals from the multi-axis accelerometer indicative of acceleration of the sensor and, in response to determining that the user has dispensed the liquid, cause the ultrasonic liquid-level sensor to measure the liquid level.
8. The sensor of claim 7, wherein determining that the user has dispensed the liquid comprises:
determining that the sensor has accelerated upward relative to a direction of gravity, then rotated about an axis in the horizontal plane in a first direction, then rotated about an axis in the horizontal plane in a second direction, then accelerated downward, and then oriented within a threshold angle relative to the direction of gravity.
9. The sensor of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to execute a gesture classifier operative to receive a sequence of signals from the multi-axis accelerometer and classify a subset of the sequence of signals as indicating that liquid was dispensed.
10. The sensor of claim 4, comprising:
a gyroscope coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to determine that a user has opened the container based on signals from the gyroscope indicative of the sensor twisting in a first direction and, in response to determining that the user has opened the container, cause the ultrasonic liquid-level sensor to measure the liquid level.
11. The sensor of claim 10, wherein determining that a user has opened the container comprises determining that the user has closed the container based on signals from the gyroscope indicative of the sensor twisting in a second direction different from the first direction.
12. The sensor of claim 1, comprising:
a three or more axis accelerometer coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to:
receive a sequence of signals from the accelerometer indicative of accelerations of the sensor over time;
determine that the sequence of signals indicate accelerations occurring within a threshold range of frequencies; and
determine that the sequence of signals is not indicative of a user dispensing the liquid based on the determination the sequence of signals indicate accelerations occurring within a threshold range of frequencies.
13. The sensor of claim 1, comprising:
an accelerometer coupled to the processor,
wherein the processor is configured to periodically determine whether the accelerometer indicates the hand-held liquid container is oriented vertically and in response to determining that the hand-held liquid container is oriented vertically, measure the level of the liquid in the container.
14. The sensor of claim 4, comprising:
a temperature sensor coupled to the processor, wherein the temperature sensor is operative to measure a temperature of air in the container between the ultrasonic liquid-level sensor and a surface of the surface of the liquid,
wherein the processor is configured to calculate a distance between the ultrasonic liquid-level sensor and the surface of the liquid based on both the temperature of the air measured by the temperature sensor and a duration of time an ultrasonic sound wave takes to travel from the ultrasonic liquid-level sensor to the surface of the liquid and back to the ultrasonic liquid-level sensor, wherein the processor is operative to calculate longer distances in response to higher temperatures for a given duration of time.
15. The sensor of claim 4, comprising:
a filter configured to receive signals indicative of ultrasonic vibrations and selectively pass a subset of the signals indicative of an ultrasonic echo from the surface of the liquid.
16. The sensor of claim 15, wherein the filter comprises an analog band pass filter.
17. The sensor of claim 15, wherein the processor includes a digital signal processor configured to selectively pass the subset of the signals.
18. The sensor of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to:
cause the ultrasonic liquid-level sensor to emit an ultrasonic sound;
receive a sequence of signals from the ultrasonic liquid-level sensor indicative of a plurality of echoes from the emitted ultrasonic sound; and
select an echo corresponding to the surface of the liquid from among the plurality of echoes.
19. The sensor of claim 18, wherein selecting the echo corresponding to the surface of the liquid from among the plurality of echoes comprises:
determining an amplitude of each of the plurality of echoes; and
selecting an echo having the highest amplitude among the plurality of echoes as the echo corresponding to the surface of the liquid.
21. The sensor of claim 4, wherein the processor is operative to cause the ultrasonic liquid-level sensor to indicate a distance from a transmitter of the ultrasonic liquid-level sensor to the surface of the liquid, wherein indicating the distance comprises:
causing the transmitter to vibrate for a plurality of milliseconds; and
after causing the transmitter to vibrate for a plurality of milliseconds, delaying for a resting period and, then, causing the transmitter to emit plurality of ultrasonic pulses separated from one another by temporal guard bands.
22. The sensor of claim 1, comprising:
a buffer memory,
wherein the processor is configured to
obtain a plurality of time-stamped indications of levels of the liquid;
store the plurality of time-stamped indications of levels of the liquid in the buffer memory;
establish a wireless connection with computing device via the radio transmitter;
retrieve the time-stamped indications of levels of the liquid from the buffer memory; and
convey the time-stamped indications of levels of the liquid to the computing device via the wireless connection.
23. The sensor of claim 1, comprising:
a bottle sized to be hand held by a user, wherein the bottle is attachable to the portable power source, the liquid-level sensor, the radio transmitter, and the processor; and
a mobile computing device having another processor, another radio, an operating system, a cellular connection to a remote server, and a hydration tracking application stored in memory of the mobile computing device, wherein the hydration tracking application, when executed by the mobile computing device, is operative to receive, via a wireless connection between the radio and the other radio, data describing additions of, and removal of, liquid in the bottle over time and integrate the additions and removals over time to estimate an amount of liquid consumed by a user, wherein the hydration tracking application, when executed, is further operative to cause the amount of liquid consumed to be conveyed via the cellular connection and the Internet to the remote server for storage.