Author: claimsbot

1. A slack value setting method for setting a slack value to each of the transit pins of plural gates on data paths with respect to an electronic circuit having plural data paths between a start point to an end point, the slack value setting method comprising:
a worst path selecting step for selecting a worst path having the largest path delay in said plural data paths,
a first slack value calculating step for calculating the slack value to be set up to each of the transit pins on the worst path,
a first slack value setting step for setting up the slack value calculated in the first slack value calculating step to each of the transit pins on said worst path,
a worst path branching pin table generating step for generating a worst path branching pin table registered with the branching pins in a predetermined order by carrying out a backward trace from the end point toward the start point of the worst path to pick out the branching pins in the backward direction of the worst path,
a second slack value calculating step for calculating the slack value to be set up to each of the transit pins on another paths other than the worst path in said plural data paths, and
a second slack value setting step for setting up the slack value calculated in the second slack value calculating step to each of the transit pins on the another paths by carrying out backward trace on the another paths from the branching pins stored in the worst path branching pin table based on the worst path branching pin table generated in the worst path branching pin table generating step.
2. The slack value setting method according to claim 1, further comprising a slack value setting determination step for determining whether or not the slack value has been set up with respect to the transit pins on said data paths, wherein in the slack value setting determination step, the second slack value calculating step and the second slack value setting step are repeatedly carried out until it is determined that the slack value has been set up to all of the transit pins on the data paths.
3. The slack value setting method according to claim 2, further comprising:
an another path branching pin table generating step for generating an another path branching pin table registered with the branching pins in a predetermined order by carrying out backward trace on the another paths from the branching pin to pick out the branching pins in the backward direction of the another paths,
a third slack value calculating step for calculating the slack value to be set up to each of the transit pins on the another paths, and
a third slack value setting step for setting the slack value calculated in the third slack value calculating step to each of the transit pins on the another paths by carrying out backward trace on the another paths from the branching pin stored in the another path branching pin table based on the another path branching pin table generated in the another path branching pin table generating step, wherein
the another path branching pin table generating step, the third slack value calculation step and the third slack value setting step are repeatedly carried out until it is determined that the slack value has been set up to all of the transit pins on the data paths in the slack value setting determination step.
4. A slack value setting method for setting a slack value to each of the transit pins of plural gates on data paths with respect to an electronic circuit having plural data paths between a start point to an end point, the slack value setting method comprising:
a slack value calculation step for calculating the slack value to be set up to each of the transit pins on the data paths,
a branching pin table generating step for generating a branching pin table registered with the branching pins in a predetermined order by carrying out backward trace from the end point to the start point of the data path to pick out branching pins in the backward direction of the data path,
a slack value setting step for setting the slack value calculated in the slack value calculation step to each of the transit pins on the data paths by carrying out backward trace on the data path from the branching pins stored in the branching pin table based on the branching pin table generated in the branching pin table generating step, and
a slack value setting determination step for determining whether or not the slack value has been set up with respect to the branching pins on said data path, wherein
the slack value calculation step, the branching pin table generating step and the slack value setting step are repeatedly carried out until it is determined that the slack value has set up to all of the branching pins on the data paths in the slack value setting determination step.
5. A slack value setting device for setting a slack value to each of the transit pins of plural gates on data paths with respect to an electronic circuit having plural data paths between a start point to an end point, the slack value setting device comprising:
a worst path selecting section for selecting a worst path having the largest path delay in said plural data paths,
a first slack value calculating section for calculating the slack value to be set up to each of the transit pins on the worst path,
a first slack value setting section for setting up the slack value calculated in the first slack value calculating section to each of the transit pins on said worst path,
a worst path branching pin table generating section for generating a worst path branching pin table registered with the branching pins in a predetermined order by carrying out a backward trace from the end point toward the start point of the worst path to pick out the branching pins in the backward direction of the worst path,
a second slack value calculating section for calculating the slack value to be set up to each of the transit pins on another paths other than the worst path in said plural data paths, and
a second slack value setting section for setting up the slack value calculated in the second slack value calculating section to each of the transit pins on the another paths by carrying out backward trace on the another paths from the branching pins stored in the worst path branching pin table based on the worst path branching pin table generated in the worst path branching pin table generating section.
6. The slack value setting device according to claim 5, further comprising a slack value setting determination section for determining whether or not the slack value has been set up with respect to the transit pins on said data paths, wherein
the second slack value calculating section and the second slack value setting section repeatedly carry out the calculation of said slack value and the setting of said slack value respectively until it is determined that the slack value has been set up to all of the transit pins on the data paths by the slack value setting determination section.
7. The slack value setting device according to claim 6, further comprising:
an another path branching pin table generating section for generating an another path branching pin table registered with the branching pins in a predetermined order by carrying out backward trace on the another paths from the branching pin to pick out the branching pins in the backward direction of the another paths,
a third slack value calculating section for calculating the slack value to be set up to each of the transit pins on the another paths, and
a third slack value setting section for setting the slack value calculated in the third slack value calculating section to each of the transit pins on the another paths by carrying out backward trace on the another paths from the branching pin stored in the another path branching pin table based on the another path branching pin table generated in the another path branching pin table generating section, wherein
the another path branching pin table generating section, the third slack value calculating section and the third slack value setting section repeatedly carry out the generation of said another path branching pin table, the calculation of said slack value and the setting of said slack value until it is determined that the slack value has been set up to all of the transit pins on the data paths by the slack value setting determination section.
8. A recording medium recording therein a slack value setting program readable by a computer, which causes the computer to execute slack value setting function to set up slack values to transit pins of plural gates on the data path with respect to an electronic circuit having plural data paths between a start point and an end point, wherein
the slack value setting program causes the computer to execute:
a worst path selecting step for selecting a worst path having the largest path delay in said plural data paths;
a first slack value calculating step for calculating the slack value to be set up to each of the transit pins on the worst path;
a first slack value setting step for setting up the slack value calculated in the first slack value calculating step to each of the transit pins on said worst path;
a worst path branching pin table generating step for generating a worst path branching pin table registered with the branching pins in a predetermined order by carrying out a backward trace from the end point toward the start point of the worst path to pick out the branching pins in the backward direction of the worst path;
a second slack value calculating step for calculating the slack value to be set up to each of the transit pins on another paths other than the worst path in said plural data paths; and
a second slack value setting step for setting up the slack value calculated in the second slack value calculating step to each of the transit pins on the another paths by carrying out backward trace on the another paths from the branching pins stored in the worst path branching pin table based on the worst path branching pin table generated in the worst path branching pin table generating step.
9. The recording medium recording therein a slack value setting program readable by a computer according to claim 8, wherein
the slack value setting program causes the computer to execute a slack value setting determination step for determining whether or not the slack value has been set up with respect to the transit pins on said data paths,
and further causes the computer to repeatedly execute the second slack value calculation step and the second slack value setting step until it is determined that the slack value has been set up to all of the transit pins on the data paths in the slack value setting determination step.
10. The recording medium recording therein a slack value setting program readable by a computer according to claim 9, wherein
the slack value setting program causes the computer to execute:
an another path branching pin table generating step for generating an another path branching pin table registered with the branching pins in a predetermined order by carrying out backward trace on the another paths from the branching pin to pick out the branching pins in the backward direction of the another paths;
a third slack value calculating step for calculating the slack value to be set up to each of the transit pins on the another paths; and
a third slack value setting step for setting the slack value calculated in the third slack value calculating step to each of the transit pins on the another paths by carrying out backward trace on the another paths from the branching pin stored in the another path branching pin table based on the another path branching pin table generated in the another path branching pin table generating step,
and further causes the computer to execute the another path branching pin table generating step, the third slack value calculation step and the third slack value setting step repeatedly until it is determined that the slack value has been set up to all of the transit pins on the data paths in the slack value setting determination step.

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 packet switching device, with the method comprising:
establishing a smaller plurality of next-hop candidates based on architectural role policy filtering a plurality of next-hop candidates for backing up a plurality of routes over one or more links to a first packet switching device in a network, with the smaller plurality of next-hop candidates consisting of fewer next-hops than in the plurality of next-hop candidates;
determining a shortest-path, loop free backup route for each of the plurality of routes by considering each of the smaller plurality of next-hop candidates and not all of the plurality of next-hop candidates; and
installing, in a routing data structure, routing information corresponding to each of said determined shortest-path, loop free backup routes for use in backing up corresponding routes of the plurality of routes.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a shortest-path, loop free backup route for each of the plurality of routes includes calculating, from the perspective of each of the smaller plurality of next-hop candidates, routing information for each of the plurality of routes.
3. The method of claim 1, including routing packets according to routing information in the routing data structure, which includes routing one or more packets according to one of said determined shortest-path, loop free backup routes.
4. The method of claim 1, comprising: receiving, via a routing protocol from one or more other appliances in the network, policy information specifying that said one or more particular next-hops are not to be considered as a backup candidate; and
wherein said policy filtering of the plurality of next-hop candidates includes: excluding each particular next-hop of said one or more particular next-hops from being in the smaller plurality of next-hop candidates based on said identification that said particular next-hop is said not to be considered as a backup candidate.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein each said particular next-hop of said one or more particular next-hops advertises, via the routing protocol, from being in the smaller plurality of next-hop candidates based on said identification that said particular next-hop is said not to be considered as a backup candidate.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said policy filtering of the plurality of next-hop candidates includes: excluding said each particular next-hop of said one or more particular next-hops from being in the smaller plurality of next-hop candidates based on an identification of the absolute physical locations of the particular packet switching device and said particular next-hop.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said policy filtering of the plurality of next-hop candidates includes: excluding said each particular next-hop of said one or more particular next-hops from being in the smaller plurality of next-hop candidates based on an identification of a trust or security level of said particular next-hop.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein a next-hop candidate of plurality of next-hop candidates corresponds to a neighboring node and a communications path from the particular packet switching device to the neighboring node.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of next-hop candidates in the network includes: a first communications path to a first neighboring node in the network, and a second communications path to the first neighboring node; and wherein the smaller plurality of next-hop candidates includes the first communications path to the first neighboring node, but not the second communications path to the first neighboring node.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first communications path is identified with a first security or trust level, and the second communications path is identified with a second security or trust level different than the first security or trust level; and
wherein said policy filtering of the plurality of next-hop candidates comprises: excluding said next-hop identified by the second communications path to the first neighboring node based on the second security or trust level, and including said next-hop identified by the first communications path to the first neighboring node based on the first security or trust level.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein a communications path is identified by an interface of the particular packet switching device coupled to a link between the particular packet switching device and a neighboring node, or a communications path is identified by a link between the particular packet switching device and a neighboring node.
12. A method performed by a packet switching device, with the method comprising:
establishing a smaller plurality of next-hop candidates based on architecture role policy a plurality of next-hop candidates for backing up a plurality of routes over one or more links to a first packet switching device in a network, with the smaller plurality of next-hop candidates consisting of fewer next-hops than in the plurality of next-hop candidates;
determining a shortest-path, loop free backup route for each of the plurality of routes by considering each of the smaller plurality of next-hop candidates and not all of the plurality of next-hop candidates; and
installing, in a routing data structure, routing information corresponding to each of said determined shortest-path, loop free backup routes for use in backing up corresponding routes of the plurality of routes;
wherein the first packet switching device is identified as performing a first architectural role;
wherein each of one or more particular next-hops of the plurality of next-hop candidates is identified as performing a second architectural role; and
wherein said policy filtering of the plurality of next-hop candidates includes: excluding said each particular next-hop of said one or more particular next-hops from being in the smaller plurality of next-hop candidates based on said identification of the first packet switching device performing the first architectural role and said identification of said particular next-hop performing the second architectural role.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second architectural roles are the same.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the first and second architectural roles includes being an edge router.
15. The method of claim 12, comprising: receiving, via a routing protocol from one or more other appliances in the network, router architectural information that the architectural role of each of said one or more particular next-hops includes said performing the second architectural role.
16. An apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of interfaces configured for sending and receiving packets with other devices in a network; and
one or more processing mechanisms configured for maintaining routing information in the apparatus for use in forwarding packets;
wherein said maintaining routing information includes:
establishing a smaller plurality of next-hop candidates based on architectural role policy filtering a plurality of next-hop candidates for backing up one or more routes over one or more links to a first packet switching device in a network, with the smaller plurality of next-hop candidates consisting of fewer next-hops than in the plurality of next-hop candidates;
determining a shortest-path, loop free backup route for each of said one or more routes by considering each of the smaller plurality of next-hop candidates and not all of the plurality of next-hop candidates; and
installing, in a routing data structure, routing information corresponding to each of said determined shortest-path, loop free backup routes for use in backing up corresponding routes of said one or more routes.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said determining a shortest-path, loop free backup route for each of said one or more routes includes calculating, from the perspective of each of the smaller plurality of next-hop candidates, shortest-path routing information for each of said one or more routes.
18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first packet switching device is identified as performing a first architectural role;
wherein each of one or more particular next-hops of the plurality of next-hop candidates is identified as performing a second architectural role; and
wherein said policy filtering of the plurality of next-hop candidates includes: excluding said each particular next-hop of said one or more particular next-hops from being in the smaller plurality of next-hop candidates based on said identification of the first packet switching device performing the first architectural role and said identification of said particular next-hop performing the second architectural role.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said maintaining routing information includes: receiving, via a routing protocol from one or more other appliances in the network, router architectural information that the architectural role of each of said one or more particular next-hops includes said performing the second architectural role.
20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a next-hop candidate of plurality of next-hop candidates corresponds to a neighboring node and a communications path from the particular packet switching device to the neighboring node.

1-6. (canceled)
7. A printing method comprising:
scanning a medium, shaped in a disk shape having a hole portion in the middle thereof and disposed on a document table;
recognizing a non-printing region on data obtained by scanning the medium in accordance with the kind of a print medium to be printed;
executing an image processing, processing the data corresponding to the non-printing region as a non-printing region on the print medium and obtaining a processed data; and
printing the processed data on the print medium.
8. The printing method according to claim 7, wherein each of the medium and the print medium is a CD-R or a DVD-R.
9. The printing method according to claim 8, wherein the print medium is determined by setting a CD-R scan-print mode or a DVD-R scan-print mode.
10. The printing method according to claim 7, wherein the non-printing region on data is recognized based on the size of the medium in length and width derived from the data obtained by scanning the medium and information of a non-printing region prepared in accordance with the kind of the print medium.
11. The printing method according to claim 10, wherein the information of the non-printing region is stored in a ROM.
12. The printing method according to claim 7, wherein the non-printing region on the data includes a region corresponding to at least one of a shadow portion of an edge portion of the medium, the middle hole portion, and a part of the document table placed outside the medium.
13. The printing method according to claim 7, wherein the scanning step includes a first scanning step to judge the position of the medium disposed on the document table and a second scanning step to recognize the non-printing region on the data.
14. A printing method used in a printing apparatus which can scan a disk-shaped medium having a hole portion in the middle thereof on a document table and print scanned data on a print medium, the printing method comprising:
determining a non-printing region from scanned data in accordance with the kind of the print medium to create a printed data;
printing the printed data on the print medium.
15. The printing method according to claim 14, wherein each of the medium and the print medium is a CD-R or a DVD-R.
16. The printing method according to claim 14, wherein the non-printing region is determined by comparing the size of the medium obtained from the scanned data with information of a non-printing region prepared in accordance with the kind of the print medium.
17. The printing method according to claim 14, wherein the non-printing region includes a region corresponding to at least one of a shadow portion of an edge portion of the medium, the middle hole portion, and a part of the document table placed outside the medium.

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 for computer-aided segmentation of an environment into individual objects, in particular of a wood into individual trees, in which
signals (SIG_R) which are backscattered by the objects are recorded by measurement technology, with the backscattered signals (SIG_R) resulting from the irradiation of the environment to be segmented with electromagnetic radiation;
spatial co-ordinates (x, y, z) of points which cause the backscattering and represent the object parts (X1, X2, . . . , X5) are determined from the backscattered signals (SIG_R), and a feature vector (f) is assigned to each of the points (P; P1, P2), which feature vector comprises at least the spatial co-ordinates (x, y, z) of the point in question (P; P1, P2);
a distance measure (d) is determined for each of the feature vectors (f), which represents a similarity between the feature vectors (f) of two points (P; P1, P2);
the feature vectors (f) assigned to the points (P; P1, P2) are allocated to disjoint segments (A, B) in such a manner that a cost function (E) which takes into account the distance measures (d) of all the feature vectors (f) to each other is minimised, as a result of which the segmentation of the environment into individual objects is provided.
2. The method according to claim 1, in which the electromagnetic radiation is generated by coherent laser beams.
3. The method according to claim 2, in which the electromagnetic radiation is generated by a full waveform laser scanner, wherein complete recording of a respective full waveform signal which is backscattered by the points (P; P1, P2) takes place, from which signal at least the co-ordinates (x, y, z) of a respective point (P; P1, P2) are determined.
4. The method according to claim 3, in which the full waveform signal is decomposed into a series of Gaussian functions in order to determine the backscattered points (P; P1, P2).
5. The method according to claim 4, in which at least one further point-related feature (W, I) is determined for each point from the temporal profile of the energy of the backscattered signal (SIG_R), which feature is added to the allocated feature vector (d).
6. The method according to claim 5, in which the intensity (I) andor the width (W) of a signal pulses which is allocated to a point (P; P1, P2) is determined as the at least one further point-related feature.
7. The method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the emitting of the electromagnetic radiation andor the recording by measurement technology of the backscattered signals takes place in an airborne manner by means of flights, in a satellite-aided manner or terrestrially.
8. The method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the distance measure (d) is determined by the application of a norm to the feature vectors (f) of two points (P; P1, P2).
9. The method according to one of claims 1 to 7, in which the distance measure (d) is determined by combining at least two distance measures (F, X, Z, G) which are weighted using a respective parameter and differ from each other, wherein the differing distance measures (F, X, Y, Z) assess similaritiesdistances in the at least one point-related feature and spatial distances of the points, in particular in the x and y directions as well as in the z direction, differently.
10. The method according to one of the preceding claims, in which a clustering method is used for minimising the global cost function.
11. The method according to one of claims 1 to 9, in which a graph-based method is used for minimising the global cost function, in which a graph consisting of the points as nodes and the distance measures (d) between the points (P; P1, P2) as edges is formed.
12. The method according to claim 11, in which the graph-based NCut measure is used, wherein the cost function is minimised by the Normalised-Cut method.
13. The method according to claim 11, in which the cost function is minimised by means of a graph cut method, wherein a flux between two segments to be formed is maximised and the flux represents the sum of all the edges between nodes of the two subgraphs to the defined.
14. The method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the number of the resulting segments is defined by means of one or a plurality of parameters.
15. The method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the segments are iteratively further decomposed into subsegments as far as a termination criterion.
16. The method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the environment is divided into a predefined spatial grid of voxels and the points (P; P1, P2) are in each case assigned to one of the voxels, wherein points which lie in the same voxel are combined.
17. The method according to one of the preceding claims, in which for at least some of the points (P; P1, P2) at least one further feature is added to the respective feature vectors (f) as a measure which is calculated from the point-related features (W, I) of other points (P; P1, P2) from a local neighbourhood.
18. The method according to claim 17, in which the measure is defined locally for each of the points (P; P1, P2) by a core-based spatial filtering over all the points (P; P1, P2).
19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, in which known knowledge about the objects is added as further information to the feature vectors and is taken into account by means of a further distance measure.
20. The method according to one of the preceding claims, in which trees in a wood are segmented as the objects.
21. The method according to claim 20, in which positions of tree trunks are determined by defining vertical lines in the set of points (P; P1, P2).
22. A computer program product which can be loaded directly into the internal memory of a digital computer and comprises software code sections with which the steps according to one of the preceding claims are carried out when the product runs on a computer.
23. A device for computer-aided segmentation of an environment into individual objects, in particular of a wood into individual trees, comprising
a first means for recording signals (SIG_R) which are backscattered by the objects by measurement technology, wherein the backscattered signals (SIG_R) result from the irradiation of the environment to be segmented with electromagnetic radiation;
a second means for determining spatial co-ordinates (x, y, z) of points which cause the backscattering and represent the object parts (X1, X2, . . . , X5) from the backscattered signals (SIG_R), wherein a feature vector (f) can be assigned by the second means to each of the points (P; P1, P2), which feature vector comprises at least the spatial co-ordinates (x, y, z) of the point in question (P; P1, P2);
a third means for determining a distance measure (d) for each of the feature vectors (f), which represents a similarity between the feature vectors (f) of two points (P; P1, P2);
a fourth means for allocating the feature vectors (f) assigned to the points (P; P1, P2) to disjoint segments (A, B) in such a manner that a cost function (E) which takes into account the distance measures (d) of all the feature vectors (f) to each other can be minimised, as a result of which the segmentation of the environment into individual objects is provided.