All The Claims

1. A method of transmitting DRM content, stored in a device, to another external device, comprising:
embedding a rights object in a mutable information box of a Digital rights management Content Format (DCF), thus integrating the rights object and the DCF into a single object, and transmitting the DCF, in which the rights object is embedded, with a message authentication code being embedded in the mutable information box of the DCF so as to enable integrity validation for the DCF, in which the rights object is embedded;
wherein the rights object is a domain rights object capable of being shared by one or more devices.
2. The method of transmitting DRM content as set forth in claim 1, wherein the message authentication code is constructed using a Hash-based Message Authentication Code (HMAC)-Secure Hash Algorithm 1 (SHA1), and a master key for the message authentication code is created using a specific security algorithm.
3. The method of transmitting DRM content as set forth in claim 1, wherein the transmitting the DCF, in which the rights object is embedded, to the external device is performed via mobile storage, in which no security function exists or no security function is set.
4. The method of transmitting DRM content as set forth in claim 3, wherein the transmitting the DCF, in which the rights object is embedded, via mobile storage comprises:
creating a device authentication code for identifying a target device; and
transmitting the device authentication code, together with the DCF.
5. The method of transmitting DRM content as set forth in claim 4, wherein a secret key, used when the device authentication code is created, is reprocessed through a specific security algorithm and is then used as a master key for the message authentication code.
6. The method of transmitting DRM content as set forth in claim 4, wherein the target device is an unconnected device.
7. The method of transmitting DRM content as set forth in claim 6, wherein the target device is car audio equipment, including at least a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port or a memory card slot.
8. The method of transmitting DRM content as set forth in claim 1, wherein the transmitting the DCF, in which the rights object is embedded, to the external device comprises transmitting a playlist file for the DRM content, together with the DCF.

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. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of image carriers;
toner image forming means for forming toner images on the plurality of image carriers respectively;
primary transfer means for transferring successively the toner images formed on the plurality of image carriers onto an intermediate transfer member whose surface moves;
secondary transfer means for transferring to a recording medium the toner images on the intermediate transfer member, on a surface of which the images are moved, in one operation; and
intermediate transfer member cleaning means, which is in contact with the intermediate transfer member, for cleaning secondary transfer residual toner, and,
wherein the plurality of image carriers is in a form of a plurality of image carrier units that can each be removed from or inserted into a main body of the image forming apparatus, and
the intermediate transfer member cleaning means is disposed upstream, relative to the direction of movement of the surface of the intermediate transfer member, of the image carrier unit that is disposed uppermost in the upstream direction, and the intermediate transfer member cleaning means being capable of being integrally removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus.
2. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate transfer member cleaning means is an elastic blade.
3. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate transfer member cleaning means is a fiber member.
4. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fiber member is provided on the image carrier unit with an elastic member disposed therebetween.
5. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate transfer member cleaning means is removable with respect to the image carrier unit.
6. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein when mounting the image carrier unit on the main body, the intermediate transfer member is separated from the image carrier of the image carrier unit.
7. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate transfer member is in a form of a belt, and a cleaning opposing roller is disposed opposite to the intermediate transfer member cleaning means on a reverse side of the intermediate transfer member.
8. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein second intermediate transfer member cleaning means for cleaning the intermediate transfer member is disposed upstream of the intermediate transfer member cleaning means relative to the direction of movement of the surface of the intermediate transfer member.
9. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the intermediate transfer member cleaning means is a fiber member, and the second intermediate transfer member cleaning means is an elastic blade.
10. An image forming apparatus comprising;
a plurality of image forming carriers;
toner image forming means configured to form toner images on the plurality of image carriers respectively;
primary transfer means configured to transfer successively the toner images formed on the plurality of image carriers onto an intermediate transfer member whose surface moves;
secondary transfer means configured to transfer to a recording medium the toner images on the intermediate transfer member, on a surface of which the images are moved, in one operation; and
intermediate transfer member cleaning means, which is in contact with the intermediate transfer member, and is configured to clean secondary transfer residual toner, and,
wherein the plurality of image carriers is in a form of a plurality of image carrier units that can each be removed from or inserted into a main body of the image forming apparatus, and
the intermediate transfer member cleaning means is disposed upstream, relative to the direction of movement of the surface of the intermediate transfer member, of the image carrier unit that
is disposed uppermost in the upstream direction, and the intermediate transfer member cleaning means being capable of being integrally removed from the main body of the image forming apparatus

What is claimed is:

1. A method for utilizing excess inventory of parts, said parts used in end products and having part numbers, the method comprising:
determining a summary of at least one end product utilizing at least one excess part number, said summary including a total quantity of said at least one excess part number required to produce respective said at least one end product; and
based on a selection of at least one end product from said summary and at least one corresponding quantity, generating a report of end products that, for each quantity of at least one end product, lists:
the dollar value of excess parts consumed to produce said quantity of end product; and
the dollar value of additional parts to be purchased to produce said quantity of end product.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining a summary of at least one end product includes submitting an excess inventory file to an MRP engine, said excess inventory file containing part numbers and corresponding quantities of excess parts held in inventory.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining a summary of at least one end product further includes executing a BOM mark up process, comprising:
tagging part numbers listed in BOM files corresponding to said part numbers provided in said excess inventory file; and
consolidating tagged part numbers according to corresponding end products and entering resulting data into said summary.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating a report of end products includes:
setting existing supply and demand data for all part numbers and end products to zeros, said data held in said MRP engine;
retaining existing parts data and usage data;
applying existing end product feature ratio percentages operable for driving optimum mixes;
reducing parameters to a minimum profile value; and
appending said excess inventory file to supply data fields.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein said generating a report of end products further includes:
submitting arbitrary demand values expressed in ranges to said MRP engine, said values comprising:
a first quantity in a first time bucket;
a second quantity in a second time bucket; and
a third quantity in a third time bucket;
performing coverage analysis on each of said values using appended excess inventory file data as existing supply;

appending output values to a file resulting in said report, said output values including:
a list of excess parts consumed during said coverage analysis and a unit cost per part; and
a list of additional parts needed and a unit cost per part; and
developing a build plan according to said output values contained in said report.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said summary provides a listing of end products sorted in descending order.
7. A storage medium encoded with machine readable computer program code for utilizing excess inventory, the storage medium including instructions for causing a computer to implement a method comprising:
determining a summary of at least one end product utilizing at least one excess part number, said summary including a total quantity of said at least one excess part number required to produce respective said at least one end product; and
based on a selection of at least one end product from said summary and at least one corresponding quantity, generating a report of end products that, for each quantity of at least one end product, lists:
the dollar value of excess parts consumed to produce said quantity of end product; and
the dollar value of additional parts to be purchased to produce said quantity of end product.
8. The storage medium of claim 7, wherein said determining a summary of at least one end product includes submitting an excess inventory file to an MRP engine, said excess inventory file containing part numbers and corresponding quantities of excess parts held in inventory.
9. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein said determining a summary of at least one end product further includes executing a BOM mark up process, comprising:
tagging part numbers listed in BOM files corresponding to said part numbers provided in said excess inventory file; and
consolidating tagged part numbers according to corresponding end products and entering resulting data into said summary.
10. The storage medium of claim 7, wherein said generating a report of end products includes:
setting existing supply and demand data for all part numbers and end products to zeros, said data held in said MRP engine;
retaining existing parts data and usage data;
applying existing end product feature ratio percentages operable for driving optimum mixes;
reducing parameters to a minimum profile value; and
appending said excess inventory file to supply data fields.
11. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein said generating a report of end products further includes:
submitting arbitrary demand values expressed in ranges to said MRP engine, said values comprising:
a first quantity in a first time bucket;
a second quantity in a second time bucket; and
a third quantity in a third time bucket;
performing coverage analysis on each of said values using appended excess inventory file data as existing supply;

appending output values to a file resulting in said report, said output values including:
a list of excess parts consumed during said coverage analysis and a unit cost per part; and
a list of additional parts needed and a unit cost per part; and
developing a build plan according to said output values contained in said report.
12. The storage medium of claim 7, wherein said summary provides a listing of end products sorted in descending order.
13. A system for utilizing excess inventory, comprising:
an MRP engine;
an inventory reduction tool accessible to said MRP engine;
at least one excess inventory file containing part numbers and corresponding quantities of excess parts held in inventory;
a database of bills of material files; and
a report database;
wherein upon submitting said at least one excess inventory file to said MRP engine, said inventory reduction tool identifies end products utilizing excess parts via a bill of material mark up process, and tests end product candidates identified as using desired quantities of said excess parts.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein said end product candidates are tested via:
setting existing supply and demand data for all part numbers and end products to zeros, said data held in said MRP engine;
retaining existing parts data and usage data;
applying existing end product feature ratio percentages operable for driving optimum mixes;
reducing parameters to a minimum profile value; and
appending said excess inventory file to supply data fields.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein said end product candidates are further tested via:
submitting arbitrary demand values expressed in ranges to said MRP engine, said values comprising:
a first quantity in a first time bucket;
a second quantity in a second time bucket; and
a third quantity in a third time bucket;
performing coverage analysis on each of said values using appended excess inventory file data as existing supply;

appending output values to a file resulting in said report, said output values including:
a list of excess parts consumed during said coverage analysis and a unit cost per part; and
a list of additional parts needed and a unit cost per part; and

developing an optimal build plan according to said output values contained in said report.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein said optimal build plan is determined by identifying which end products, if produced, will consume a greatest quantity of excess parts while requiring minimal additional expenditure for additional parts.

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

1-22. (canceled)
23. A nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:
a substrate comprising a surface having projection portions and recess portions;
a buffer layer formed on bottom surfaces of said recess portions; and
a nitride-based semiconductor layer formed on said buffer layer.
24. The nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 23, wherein
said nitride-based semiconductor layer has a flat surface.
25. The nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 23, wherein
said substrate includes a substrate selected from a group consisting of a sapphire substrate, an SiC substrate, a GaN substrate, a GaAs substrate, a GaP substrate, an InP substrate, a ZrB2 substrate and a quartz substrate.
26. The nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 23, further comprising an n-type layer, an emission layer, and a p-type layer, formed on said nitride-based semiconductor layer.
27. The nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 23, wherein
said recess portions or said projection portions are formed in a circular, hexagonal or triangular shape in a plan view.
28. The nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting device according to claim 23, wherein
said bottom surfaces of said recess portions are formed in a width within the range of several 100 nm to several 10 \u03bcm and said recess portions are formed in a height within the range of several nm to several \u03bcm.
29. A nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting device comprising:
a substrate comprising a surface having projection portions and recess portions;
a buffer layer formed on bottom surfaces of said recess portions; and
a nitride-based semiconductor layer formed on said buffer layer, wherein
the width of said recess portions is larger than the height of said recess portions.