All The Claims

1. A fingerprint authentication server device comprising:
a database in which user IDs and the registered fingerprint data of plural users are stored; and

a hash value table including user hash values of the user IDs and the registered fingerprint data of the users;
wherein the fingerprint authentication server device is configured to receive a hash value of a user ID of a user to be authenticated and a hash value of the registered fingerprint data associated with the user ID from a client computer; perform a search in the hash value table to determine whether there are hash values corresponding to the received hash values in the hash value table; and transmit a determination result to the client computer, thereby to cause the client computer to perform a fingerprint authentication process for a user for which correspondence of the hash values has been confirmed.
2. The fingerprint authentication server device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising
an index table which is used to perform a search in the hash value table.
3. The fingerprint authentication server device as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the fingerprint authentication server device is further configured to receive a user ID of a user to be authenticated and fingerprint data to be checked from the client computer, wherein the fingerprint data is generated from a fingerprint image acquired from the user; check the user ID and the fingerprint data against data in the database; and transmit a check result to the client computer.
4. The fingerprint authentication server device as claimed in claim 3, wherein
the fingerprint authentication server device is further configured to transmit the registered fingerprint data against which the fingerprint data transmitted from the client computer is checked as well as the check result if the check result represents correspondence, thereby to cause the client computer to store the registered fingerprint data such that it is associated with the user ID.
5. The fingerprint authentication server device as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the registered fingerprint data in the database includes registered fingerprint minutiae data to be checked based on a minutiae feature and registered fingerprint pattern data to be checked based on a pattern feature.
6. A client computer comprising:
a storage in which a user ID and registered fingerprint data are stored; wherein
the client computer is configured to calculate a hash value of a user ID input from a user to be authenticated and a hash value of the registered fingerprint data associated with the input user ID in the storage; transmit the hash values to a fingerprint authentication server;
and perform a fingerprint authentication based on the registered fingerprint data stored in the storage and a fingerprint data generated from a fingerprint image acquired from the user if the client computer receives from the fingerprint authentication server a check result which represents that correspondence of the hash values has been confirmed.
7. The client computer as claimed in claim 6, wherein
the client computer is further configured to transmit a user ID of a user to be authenticated and fingerprint data to be checked to the fingerprint authentication server if there is no corresponding user ID stored in the storage, wherein the fingerprint data to be checked is generated from a fingerprint image acquired from the user; and request the fingerprint authentication server to perform the fingerprint authentication based on the fingerprint data to be checked.
8. The client computer as claimed in claim 7, wherein
the client computer is further configured to store registered fingerprint data, which is transmitted together with a result of the fingerprint authentication from the fingerprint authentication server, in the storage such that it is associated with the user ID related to the request.
9. The client computer as claimed in claim 6, wherein
the client computer is further configured to transmit a user ID of a user to be authenticated and fingerprint data to be checked to the fingerprint authentication server if the check result from the fingerprint authentication server represents that there is correspondence of the hash value of the user ID but no correspondence of the hash value of the registered fingerprint data, wherein the fingerprint data to be checked is generated from a fingerprint image acquired from the user; and request the fingerprint authentication server to perform the fingerprint authentication based on the fingerprint data to be checked.
10. The client computer as claimed in claim 9, wherein
the client computer is further configured to overwrite the current registered fingerprint data with registered fingerprint data, which is transmitted together with a result of the fingerprint authentication from the fingerprint authentication server, in the storage such that it is associated with the user ID related to the request.
11. The client computer as claimed in claim 6, wherein
the registered fingerprint data stored in the storage is registered fingerprint minutiae data to be checked based on a minutiae feature.
12. A fingerprint authentication method in a fingerprint authentication server comprising:
providing a database in which user IDs and the registered fingerprint data of plural users are stored, and a hash value table including user hash values of the user IDs and the registered fingerprint data of the users;
receiving a hash value of a user ID of a user to be authenticated and a hash value of registered fingerprint data associated with the user ID from a client computer;

determining whether there are hash values corresponding to the received hash values in the hash value table; and
transmitting a determination result to the client computer, thereby to cause the client computer to perform a fingerprint authentication process for a user for which correspondence of the hash values has been confirmed.

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 polypeptide selected from the group consisting of:
(a) a polypeptide encoded by a polynucleotide comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO:1;
(b) a polypeptide comprising a polypeptide sequence having at least 95% identity to the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;
(c) a polypeptide having at least 95% identity to the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;
(d) the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 and
(e) fragments and variants of such polypeptides in (a) to (d).
2. The polypeptide of claim 1 comprising the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID No:2:
3. The polypeptide of claim 1 which is the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.
4. A polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of:
(a) a polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence having at least 95% identity to the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1;
(b) a polynucleotide having at least 95% identity to the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:1;
(c) a polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide sequence having at least 95% identity to the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;
(d) a polynucleotide having a polynucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide sequence having at least 95% identity to the polypeptide sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;
(e) a polynucleotide with a nucleotide sequence of at least 100 nucleotides obtained by screening a library under stringent hybridization conditions with a labeled probe having the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a fragment thereof having at least 15 nucleotides;
(f) a polynucleotide which is the RNA equivalent of a polynucleotide of (a) to (e);
(g) a polynucleotide sequence complementary to said polynucleotide of any one of (a) to (f), and
(h) polynucleotides that are variants or fragments of the polynucleotides of any one of (a) to (g) or that are complementary to above mentioned polynucleotides, over the entire length thereof.
5. A polynucleotide of claim 4 selected from the group consisting of:
(a) a polynucleotide comprising the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:1;
(b) the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO:1;
(c) a polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2; and
(d) a polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO:2.
6. An expression system comprising a polynucleotide capable of producing a polypeptide of any one of claim 1-3 when said expression vector is present in a compatible host cell.
7. A recombinant host cell comprising the expression vector of claim 6 or a membrane thereof expressing the polypeptide of any one of claim 1-3.
8. A process for producing a polypeptide of any one of claim 1-3 comprising the step of culturing a host cell as defined in claim 7 under conditions sufficient for the production of said polypeptide and recovering the polypeptide from the culture medium.
9. A fusion protein consisting of the Immunoglobulin Fc-region and a polypeptide any one one of claims 1-3.
10. An antibody immunospecific for the polypeptide of any one of claims 1 to 3.
11. A method for screening to identify compounds that stimulate or inhibit the function or level of the polypeptide of any one of claim 1-3 comprising a method selected from the group consisting of:
(a) measuring or, detecting, quantitatively or qualitatively, the binding of a candidate compound to the polypeptide (or to the cells or membranes expressing the polypeptide) or a fusion protein thereof by means of a label directly or indirectly associated with the candidate compound;
(b) measuring the competition of binding of a candidate compound to the polypeptide (or to the cells or membranes expressing the polypeptide) or a fusion protein thereof in the presence of a labeled competitor;
(c) testing whether the candidate compound results in a signal generated by activation or inhibition of the polypeptide, using detection systems appropriate to the cells or cell membranes expressing the polypeptide;
(d) mixing a candidate compound with a solution containing a polypeptide of any one of claims 1-3, to form a mixture, measuring activity of the polypeptide in the mixture, and comparing the activity of the mixture to a control mixture which contains no candidate compound; or
(e) detecting the effect of a candidate compound on the production of mRNA encoding said polypeptide or said polypeptide in cells, using for instance, an ELISA assay, and
(f) producing said compound according to biotechnological or chemical standard techniques.

1. A communications network comprising:
an Ethernet packet-switched network (PSN);
a first provider edge (PE) device in communication with a second PE device through the Ethernet PSN;
pseudowire (PW) established between the PE devices for emulating a service across the Ethernet PSN, each packet of the service having a frame format with an Ethernet tunnel header and a PW header that encapsulates a payload; and
a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network in communication with the Ethernet PSN, and wherein the PW extends through the MPLS network and the Ethernet PSN.
2. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the service is a non-Ethernet service and the payload is a non-Ethernet payload.
3. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the service is an Ethernet service and the payload is an Ethernet payload.
4. The communications network of claim 1., wherein the payload is normalized by Martini encapsulation.
5. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the PW header of the frame format includes an Ethertype field used to signify a type of service of the non-Ethernet payload.
6. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the PW header includes a service identifier (I-SID) for identifying a particular flow of the non-Ethernet service.
7. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the Ethernet tunnel header of the frame format includes an Ethertype signifying, Martini encapsulation of the PW.
8. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the PW header of the frame format includes a VC (Virtual Circuit) label used to identify a particular flow of the service.
9. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the Ethernet PSN is configured to provide Provider Backbone Transport (PBT).
10. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the Ethernet PSN is configured to provide Provider Backbone Bridging (PVB).
11. The communications network of claim 1, wherein the Ethernet PSN adds an Ethernet 802.1ah tag to each packet of the service to forward the packet to the MPLS network.
12. A method of emulating a service across an Ethernet packet-switched network (PSN), the method comprising:
configuring the Ethernet PSN to provide Provider Backbone Bridging (PBB);
establishing a pseudowire (PW) between a first provider edge (PE) device and a second PE device on the Ethernet PSN;
encapsulating a payload of packets of the service in a PW header and in an Ethernet tunnel header; and
receiving a packet of the service at the first PE device for forwarding to the second PE device through the Ethernet PSN over the PW, removing the Ethernet tunnel header from the packet and adding a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) tunnel header to the packet for forwarding through the an MPLS PSN.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the service is a non-Ethernet service and the payload is non-Ethernet payload.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the service is an Ethernet service and the payload is Ethernet payload.
15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of normalizing the payload by Martini encapsulation.
16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of signifying a type of service of the payload, in an Ethertype field in the PW header.
17. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of identifying a particular flow of the service with a service identifier (I-SID) in the PW header.
18. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of signifying, in the Ethernet tunnel header, Martini encapsulation of the PW.
19. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of identifying a particular flow of the service with a VC (Virtual Circuit) label in the PW header.
20. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of configuring the Ethernet PSN to provide Provider Backbone Transport (PBT).
21. The method of claim 12, comprising adding an Ethernet 802.1ah tag to each packet of the service fbr forwarding the packet to the MPLS network.
22. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of removing the MPLS tunnel header from the packet, and adding the Ethernet tunnel header to the packet for forwarding through the Ethernet PSN.

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 piping slider comprising:
a cavity in which a pipe-shaped part of an adherend is accommodatable;
a slit that intercommunicates the cavity with an outside;
a connector to which an object is connected;
a grip member on which the cavity and the slit are provided;
a key member insertable into the slit; and
a lock mechanism that restricts a displacement between the key member and the grip member when the key member is inserted into the slit, wherein
an opening width of the slit is greater than a minimum width of the pipe-shaped part and an opening width when the key member is inserted into the slit is smaller than the minimum width of the pipe-shaped part.
2. The piping slider according to claim 1, wherein
the connector comprises an insertion hole provided in the grip member and an insertion hole provided in the key member, the insertion hole provided in the grip member and the insertion hole provided in the key member being provided at a position mutually in communication with each other when the key member is inserted into the slit.
3. The piping slider according to claim 1, wherein
the lock mechanism is provided by integrally connecting the connector provided on the grip member and the connector provided on the key member with the object.
4. The piping slider according to claim 1, wherein
the piping slider comprises a pair of slider members, each of the pair of slider members having the same shape in which the key member is connected to an extension of the slit of the grip member, the key member of one of the pair of slider members being insertable into the slit of the other of the pair of slider members, and
the lock mechanism maintains a connection between the pair of slider members when the key members of the pair of slider members are inserted.
5. The piping slider according to claim 4, wherein
each of the pair of slider members comprises a support member that connects the grip member and the key member.