Author: claimsbot

1. A thermoacoustic tomograph for imaging an object, comprising:
at least one excitation source configured to thermally excite the object;
at least one large-area or integrating line detector for detecting acoustic waves caused by the object upon excitation thereof by said source, said at least one detector having a size chosen in dependence on a distance between said detector and a point of the object that is furthest away from said detector, wherein d denotes the distance between said detector and a point of the object that is furthest away from said detector, and wherein said detector has at least one dimension with an extent of at least \u221a{square root over (8)}\xb7d;
a movement device for moving the object andor the at least one detector relative to one another; and
a device connected to said detector for reconstructing an image of the object from the acoustic waves detected by said detector in dependence on a respective position of the object.
2. The tomograph according to claim 1, wherein said at least one detector is a linear detector or a strip-shaped detector having a length of at least \u221a{square root over (8)}\xb7d.
3. The tomograph according to claim 2, wherein said detector is one of a plurality of mutually parallel linear or strip-shaped detectors.
4. The tomograph according to claim 1, wherein said at least one detector is a flat detector, with a surface having a diameter of at least \u221a{square root over (8)}\xb7d.
5. The tomograph according to claim 1, wherein said at least one detector has a planar shape.
6. The tomograph according to claim 1, wherein said at least one detector is concavely curved.
7. The tomograph according to claim 6, wherein said at least one detector has a semi-cylindrical shape.
8. The tomograph according to claim 1, wherein said detector has an upper cut-off frequency of several GHz.
9. The tomograph according to claim 1, wherein said at least one detector is a piezoelectric sensor.
10. The tomograph according to claim 9, wherein said at least one detector is a polyvinylidene fluoride sheet or layer.
11. The tomograph according to claim 9, wherein said at least one detector is a zinc oxide sheet or layer.
12. The tomograph according to claim 1, wherein said at least one detector is an optical sensor.
13. The tomograph according to claim 12, wherein said at least one detector is an optical waveguide.
14. The tomograph according to claim 1, wherein said at least one excitation source is a laser.
15. The tomograph according to claim 14, wherein said laser is an infrared laser.
16. The tomograph according to claim 1, wherein said at least one excitation source is a microwave source.
17. The tomograph according to claim 1, wherein said at least one detector and the object are commonly disposed in a liquid coupling medium.
18. The tomograph according to claim 1, wherein said at least one detector is provided with a protective sheet.
19. The tomograph according to claim 1, wherein said movement device is a stepping motor.
20. The tomograph according to claim 1, wherein said reconstruction device is a computer.
21. The tomograph according to claim 1, which comprises a display connected to said reconstruction device for displaying the image of the object.

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 storage apparatus comprising:
a controller that:
writes, at the time of receiving a request to update at least a part of first data stored in a first storage area by at least a part of second data, the second data to a second storage area other than the first storage area,
determines whether or not a write error occurs,
compares, when the write error does not occur, a first write amount if the controller performs a first combination process for writing the second data to the first storage area with a second write amount if the controller performs a second combination process for writing a differential portion of the first data other than an update portion to the second storage area,
selects one of the first combination process and the second combination process on the basis of a comparison result, and
performs the selected combination process.
2. The storage apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an addition device which adds a check code to the second data to be written to the second storage area, wherein when the control section writes the second data to the second storage area, the control section determines on the basis of the added check code whether or not the write error occurs.
3. The storage apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a storage device, wherein:
the first data is used for updating a first portion of corresponding data stored in the storage device;
the second data is used for updating a second portion of the corresponding data; and
the controller updates the first portion of the corresponding data and the second portion of the corresponding data by combined data.
4. The storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the write error occurs, the controller does not combine the first data and the second data and deletes the second data.
5. The storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the write error occurs, the controller gives notice of occurrence of the write error.
6. The storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller selects based on the comparison result a process that requires a smaller write amount among the first combination process and the second combination process, and performs the selected combination process.
7. The storage apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:
the corresponding data is updated by the first data and is then updated by the combined data; and
the first portion overlaps at least in part with the second portion.
8. The storage apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a cache memory which includes the first storage area and the second storage area,
wherein the controller:
determines whether or not a storage area included in the cache memory is free; and
selects the second storage area on the basis of a determination result.
9. A control apparatus comprising:
a controller that:
writes, at the time of receiving a request to update at least a part of first data stored in a first storage area by at least a part of second data, the second data to a second storage area other than the first storage area,
determines whether or not a write error occurs,
compares, when the write error does not occur, a first write amount if the controller performs a first combination process for writing the second data to the first storage area with a second write amount if the controller performs a second combination process for writing a differential portion of the first data other than an update portion to the second storage area,
selects one of the first combination process and the second combination process on the basis of a comparison result,
performs the selected combination process, and
updates data that is stored in a storage device and that corresponds to the first data and the second data by data obtained by the selected combination process.
10. A control method of controlling a storage apparatus, the control method comprising:
writing, at the time of receiving a request to update at least a part of first data stored in a first storage area by at least a part of second data, the second data to a second storage area other than the first storage area, and determining whether or not a write error occurs;
comparing, when the write error does not occur, a first write amount if a first combination process for writing the second data to the first storage area is performed with a second write amount if a second combination process for writing a differential portion of the first data other than an update portion to the second storage area is performed,
selecting one of the first combination process and the second combination process on the basis of a comparison result, and
performing the selected combination process.
11. A storage apparatus comprising:
a first controller that:
stores first data in a first storage area,
transmits the first data to a second controller,
writes, at the time of receiving a request to update at least a part of the first data by at least a part of second data, the second data to a second storage area other than the first storage area,
transmits the second data to the second controller,
determines whether or not a write error occurs,
combines, when the write error does not occur, the first data and the second data, and
acquires, when the write error occurs, third data from the second controller, and
the second controller that:
receives the first data from the first controller, and
generates, when the second data is received from the first controller, the third data by combining the first data received from the first controller and the second data received from the first controller.

1) A home appliance, comprising:
a memory storing instructions; and
a processing unit that executes the instructions to store operating information over a time period, analyze the operating information to determine a future time frame when the home appliance can operate, communicate the future time frame to a power distributor that provides electrical power to the home appliance, receive from the power distributor a time to operate the home appliance during the future time period, and operate the home appliance at the time received from the power distributor and with the electrical power received from the power distributor.
2) The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further executes the instructions to communicate to the power distributor a requested amount of kilowatt hours to be used during the future time frame.
3) The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the future time frame specifies a calendar date and a range of time that has not yet occurred and is given in hours on this calendar date during which the home appliance can operate.
4) The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further executes the instructions to negotiate directly with the power distributor for a price to buy the electrical power to operate the home appliance during the future time frame.
5) The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further executes the instructions to calculate a probability that home appliance will operate during the future time frame.
6) The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further executes the instructions to: receive a request from a customer to operate, and analyze the operating information to determine that the home appliance can operate at anytime during the future time period in order to comply with the request.
7) A method executed by an electrical device of a customer, comprising:
receiving, at the electrical device of the customer, requests for power from a plurality of different home appliances of the customer;
transmitting, by the electrical device of the customer, the requests for power to a power distributor;
receiving, at the electrical device of the customer and from the power distributor, future times when the plurality of different home appliances of the customer can begin to utilize the requests for power; and
instructing, by the electrical device of the customer, the plurality of different home appliances of the customer when in time to commence usage of the requests for power based on the future times received from the power distributor.
8) The method of claim 7 further comprising:
consolidating, by the electrical device of the customer, the requests for power;
transmitting, by the electrical device of the customer, the consolidated requests for power to the power distributor.
9) The method of claim 7, wherein the requests for power from the plurality of different home appliances include an amount of power being requested and a length of time to use the amount of power being requested.
10) The method of claim 7, wherein the future times include multiple different times of day that provide a time when each of the plurality of different home appliances of the customer will turn on.
11) The method of claim 7 further comprising, negotiating, by the electrical device of the customer and on behalf of the plurality of different home appliances, with the power distributor to determine a time when the plurality of different home appliances can turn on to receive a lowest cost for electricity that is being sold by the power distributor during the future times.
12) The method of claim 7 further comprising, requesting, by the electrical device of the customer, price quotes for the power from a plurality of different power distributors, wherein the price quotes are for a sale of the power during the future times.
13) A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for causing a home appliance to execute a method, comprising:
analyze historic operating information of the home appliance to determine a probability that the home appliance will operate during a future time frame;
provide the future time frame to a power distributor;
receive from the power distributor a time to operate the home appliance during the future time period; and
operate the home appliance at the time received from the power distributor and with electrical power received from the power distributor.
14) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions of claim 13 further causing the home appliance to execute the method comprising, provide the power distributor with an amount of power to be used during the future time frame.
15) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions of claim 13 further causing the home appliance to execute the method comprising:
receive a start request from a user;
display that the home appliance will delay execution of the start request, and
display a future time period to execute the start request.
16) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions of claim 13 further causing the home appliance to execute the method comprising, negotiate with the power distributor to find a lowest cost of electricity during the future time frame.
17) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions of claim 13 further causing the home appliance to execute the method comprising, provide the future time frame to a second power distributor in order to obtain competing costs of electricity to operate the home appliance during the future time frame.
18) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions of claim 13 further causing the home appliance to execute the method comprising, purchase power to operate the home appliance from the power distributor before the home appliance uses the power during the future time frame.
19) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions of claim 13 further causing the home appliance to execute the method comprising, instruct a user that execution of a function of the home appliance will be delayed while the home appliance negotiates with the power distributor to obtain a lower price for power to operate the home appliance.
20) A system, comprising:
a plurality of home appliances;
a power distributor that supplies electrical power to the home appliances; and
a load manager including a memory that stores instructions and a processing unit that executes the instructions to determine a future time range during which each of the home appliances can operate, communicate with the power distributor to determine a time to begin operating the home appliances during the future time range, and instruct the home appliances to begin to operate at the time, wherein the time at which the home appliances begin to operate represents a lowest cost to purchase power during the future time range.
21) The system of claim 20, wherein the home appliances include an automobile recharging unit configured to charge an automobile.
22) The system of claim 20, wherein the processing unit of the load manager further executes the instructions to designate the home appliances as variable time based load devices (VTLDs) and provide a customer of the VTLDs cost savings information on purchasing electricity to assist the customer in making a decision whether to accept or reject the electrical devices being designated as VTLDs.
23) The system of claim 20, wherein the processing unit of the load manager further executes the instructions to obtain from the power distributor a rate schedule that provides different prices for electricity during different times of day, and determine the future time range during which each of the home appliances can operate based on the rate schedule.
24) The system of claim 20, wherein the processing unit of the load manager further executes the instructions to receive from a customer a time to operate the home appliances, change the time received from the customer due to the lowest cost to purchase power during the future time range, and instruct the customer of the change to the time before the home appliances begin to operate.
25) A method executed by a load manager having a processing unit, comprising:
obtaining, by the load manager, a future time range during which a home appliance will operate;
providing, by the load manager, a power distributor with the future time range and an amount of power to be consumed by the home appliance during the future time range;
negotiating, by the load manager and with the power distributor, a time to operate the home appliance during the future time range; and
instructing, by the load manager, the home appliance to operate at the time.
26) The method of claim 25 further comprising:
receiving the future time range from a customer;
instructing the customer of the time before the home appliance operates at the time.
27) The method of 25 further comprising:
predicting the future time range based on an analysis of historic operating information of the home appliance;
instructing the customer of the future time range before the home appliance operates at the time.
28) The method of claim 25 further comprising, instructing, by the load manager, a customer of a cost savings in purchasing electricity from the power distributor to operate the home appliance at the time, wherein the cost savings is provided to the customer before the home appliance operates.
29) The method of claim 25 further comprising, receiving, at the load manager and from the power distributor, different costs for electricity to operate the home appliance during the future time range.
30) The method of claim 25, wherein the time to operate the home appliance represents a lowest cost for electricity to operate the home appliance during the future time range.

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 of routing a non-IP multimedia subsystem message from a first user terminal that has telecommunications service provided by a first network carrier to a second user terminal that has telecommunications service provided by a second network carrier, the method comprising:
searching a first telephone number mapping database for an entry for the second user terminal;
querying a second telephone number mapping database that is operated by the second network carrier in response to not finding any entry for the second user terminal in the first telephone number mapping database;
receiving routing information for routing the non-IP multimedia subsystem message to a network entry point within a network operated by the second network carrier in response to the query to the second telephone number mapping database; and
routing the non-IP multimedia subsystem message to the network entry point within the network operated by the second network carrier using the routing information provided by the second telephone number mapping database.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying a third telephone number mapping database to obtain an address for the second telephone number mapping database, wherein the third telephone number mapping database is a local copy of a telephone number mapping database that includes telephone number mapping data for multiple carriers and that is maintained by a third party that is independent of both the first network carrier and the second network carrier.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first telephone number mapping database comprises a private database that is not accessible to the second network carrier.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing some of the routing information that is received from the second telephone number mapping database to a non-IP multimedia subsystem core.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-IP multimedia subsystem message comprises a Short Message Service or Multimedia Message Service message.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising routing the non-IP multimedia subsystem message based on the routing information received from the second telephone number mapping database.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user terminal comprises an analog telephone connected to a public switched telephone network.
8. A communications system, comprising:
an IP multimedia system core to manage voice over IP communications sessions;
a non-IP multimedia subsystem core to manage Short Message Service and Multimedia Message Service communications;
a private telephone number mapping database that is responsive to queries from both the IP multimedia subsystem core and the non-IP multimedia subsystem core, the private telephone number mapping database containing records that include complete routing information for subscriber terminals within the communications system for both IP multimedia subsystem and non-IP multimedia subsystem communications;
a second telephone number mapping database; and
a network entry point to receive a non-IP multimedia subsystem message that is forwarded from outside the communications network to a subscriber terminal within the communications system, wherein the routing information in the second telephone number mapping database comprises routing information to the network entry point.
9. The communications system of claim 8, wherein the communications system comprises a converged communications network that is operated by a single communications service provider and that includes first and second communications subsystems, and wherein the private telephone number mapping includes routing information for routing a non-IP multimedia subsystem message from a first subscriber terminal that is part of the first communications subsystem to a second subscriber terminal that is part of the second communications subsystem.
10. The communications system of claim 8, wherein the second telephone number mapping database contains records that include limited routing information for subscriber terminals within the communications system.
11. The communications system of claim 8, further comprising a local copy of a third telephone number mapping database that includes routing information for terminals located outside the communications system.