A memory system may include a memory device including 0th to N-1th memory blocks, wherein N is a positive integer; and a controller having a first list and a second list, wherein the first list includes 0th to N-1th erase count values respectively for the 0th to N-1th memory blocks, wherein the second list includes 0th to N-1th difference values respectively for the 0th to N-1th memory blocks, wherein each of the 0th to N-1th difference values is a difference between an average value of the 0th to N-1th erase count values and each of the 0th to N-1th erase count values, wherein the controller selects a source block and a target block among the 0th to N-1th memory blocks depending on the 0th to N-th erase count values included in the first list and the 0th to N-1th difference values included in the second list to perform a wear leveling between the source block and the target block.

Semiconductor memory devices are provided. The semiconductor memory device includes an input/output (I/O) drive controller, a data I/O unit and a data transmitter. The input/output (I/O) drive controller generates drive control signals and an input control signal for driving first and second global I/O lines in a first test mode or a second test mode. The data I/O unit drives the first global I/O line in response to an input data when a write operation is executed in the first test mode and to drive the first and second global I/O lines in response to the drive control signals when the write operation is executed in the second test mode. The data transmitter transfers the data on the first global I/O line onto first and second local I/O lines to store the data on the first global I/O line in a memory cell array portion when the write operation is executed in the first test mode. The data transmitter also transfers the data on the first and second global I/O lines onto the first and second local I/O lines to store the data on the first and second global I/O lines in the memory cell array portion when the write operation is executed in the second test mode. Related methods are also provided.

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device and a method for operating the semiconductor device are provided. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a first electrode layer; forming a material layer, including conductive path components, over the first electrode layer; forming a second electrode layer over the material layer; performing a forming operation, which includes initially creating, in the material layer, a conductive path that electrically connects the first electrode layer to the second electrode layer by applying one of a predetermined voltage and a predetermined current between the first and second electrode layers, the conductive path including the conductive path components; and performing a first heat-treatment process at a predetermined temperature that removes some of the conductive path components from the conductive path, wherein a resistance state of the material layer changes based on the creation or dissolution of the conductive paths.

An apparatus for assigning a plurality of access nodes of a wireless communication network to control areas includes a processing apparatus. The processing apparatus is configured to assign each access node in the plurality of access nodes to a control area of a plurality of control areas and to determine a first control phase. The first control phase is a period of time during which the assignment of access nodes to control areas remains constant. The processing apparatus is configured to, when changing from the first control phase to a following second control phase, reassign at least a subset of access nodes which were assigned during the first control phase to a first control area to a second control area and reassign at least a subset of access nodes which were assigned during the first control phase to a third control area to the first control area.

A method for transmitting uplink (UL) data requiring low latency in a wireless communication system according to the present invention, the method performed by a user equipment comprises transmitting contention PUSCH resource block (CPRB) indication information used for identifying a particular UE and/or particular data to an eNB; transmitting UL data to the eNB through CPRB resources of a contention based PUSCH (CP) zone; and receiving a hybrid automatic retransmit request (HARQ) response with respect to the UL data from the eNB through a physical hybrid ARQ indicator channel (PHICH).

Methods and apparatus for multiple user uplink are provided. In one aspect, method for wireless communication includes receiving an assignment of a frequency bandwidth for an uplink transmission of a station. The method further includes determining whether a portion of the assigned frequency bandwidth is unavailable for the uplink transmission. The method further includes selectively transmitting the uplink transmission based on whether the portion of the assigned frequency bandwidth is unavailable.

A VDC resource request method, user equipment, and a base station, where the VDC resource request method includes sending, by user equipment, a VDC resource request message to a base station when the user equipment needs to request a VDC resource for sending vehicle service information, where the VDC resource request message includes at least one piece of the following information: a VDC resource status list, or travel information of the user equipment, and an available VDC resource is indicated in the VDC resource status list, receiving a VDC resource allocation indication message from the base station, and sending the vehicle service information by using the VDC resource indicated by the VDC resource allocation indication message.

In a communications system which complies with LTE including a base station which transmits data by using an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) method as a downlink access method, and a mobile terminal, in a case in which an uplink scheduling request signal is transmitted by using an S-RACH when an Ack/Nack signal is being transmitted by using an Ack/Nack exclusive channel, the transmission of the Ack/Nack signal is stopped while the uplink scheduling request signal is transmitted.

A first communication device and method therein for transmitting data information at fixed time instants on a radio channel to a second communication device in a radio communications network. First, the first communication device determines that the radio channel is available for transmitting data information to the second communication device during a time period determined by the first communication device. Then, the first communication device transmits a preamble on the available radio channel after the time period. The first communication device thereafter transmits the data information on the available radio channel to the second communication device at a next fixed time instant following the transmission of the preamble.

A time-reversal wireless system comprising a first wireless transceiver of a time-reversal client, one or more second wireless transceiver and/or a time-reversal client with the first wireless transceiver. The first wireless transceiver of the time-reversal client is wirelessly coupled to the one or more second wireless transceiver through a wireless broadband multipath channel associated with a space. The time-reversal client contains the first wireless transceiver. The time-reversal client also contains a processor and a memory configured to obtain a set of channel state information (CSI) in a channel probing phase, and/or to obtain a set of location-specific signatures based on the set of CSI and/or a time reversal operation in a channel probing phase. The set of CSI is captured when one or more probing signal is sent either from the first wireless transceiver to each of the at least one second wireless transceiver, or from each of the at least one second wireless transceiver to the first wireless transceiver, through the wireless broadband multipath channel associated with the space. A channel passband with bandwidth W0 is associated with the wireless broadband multipath channel. A first passband with bandwidth W1 is associated with the first wireless transceiver. The W1 is not larger than W0 such that the first passband is part of the channel passband. One or more second passband is associated with the one or more second wireless transceiver such that a bandwidth W2 associated with each of the one or more second passband is not larger than W1 such that the each of the one or more second passband is part of the first passband. Each of the set of CSI include a channel impulse response, a channel frequency response, and/or another channel state data of the wireless broadband multipath channel.

A data transmission apparatus in a communication system includes a reception unit configured to receive terminal information from a plurality of terminals through a new frequency band for transmission and reception of data between the plurality of terminals and an AP (access point); a determination unit configured to determine access timing of the terminals to the AP by using the terminal information, and generate terminal access information including information on the access timing; and a transmission unit configured to transmit the terminal access information and beacon frames to the terminals, wherein the terminals access the AP and transmit data frames to the AP, at the access timing based on the beacon frames.

Disclosed are a method for transmitting and receiving a frame in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system and an apparatus for the same. A method for generating interference/non-interference station lists includes receiving a first frame from a second station, acquiring a receiver address of the first frame from the first frame, and setting, based on whether to receive a second frame that is a response to the first frame from a third station indicated by the receiver address within a preset time from a time when the first frame has been received, the third station as an interference station or a non-interference station. Therefore, the performance of a communication system may be improved.

Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for generating a codeword, and a method and an apparatus for recovering a codeword. An encoder calculates the number of punctured symbol nodes among symbol nodes included in a codeword, punctures symbol nodes located at even or odd number positions among the symbol nodes included in the codeword, calculates the number of symbol nodes which need to be additionally punctured on the basis of the calculated number of the symbol nodes to be punctured, classifies the symbol nodes, which need to be additionally punctured, into one or more punctured node groups on the basis of the calculated number of symbol nodes which need to be punctured, determines the locations on the codeword where the one or more punctured node groups are to be arranged, and punctures the symbol nodes included in the codeword which belong to the punctured node groups according to the determined locations. A transmission unit transmits the codeword.

An apparatus, system and method are provided for transmitting data from logical channel queues over a telecommunications link, each of the logical channel queues capable of being associated with quality of service attributes, the method including determining available resources for transmission over the telecommunications link in a frame; selecting one of the logical channel queues based on a first one of the quality of service attributes; packaging data from the selected one of the logical channel queues until one of: a second one of the quality of service attributes for the selected one of the logical channel queues is satisfied, the available resources are used, or the selected one of the logical channel queues is empty; and repeating the selecting step and the packaging step for remaining ones of the logical channel queues.

The present disclosure provides an auxiliary communication method and system, a device having base station function and a terminal. The auxiliary communication method includes: determining whether it is needed to provide auxiliary communication for any terminal according to channel quality of communication channels with the any terminal and data transmission requirement of the any terminal; selecting a specified terminal which is connected to the device having the base station function as an auxiliary terminal for assisting communication of the any terminal, when it is determined that it is needed to provide auxiliary communication for the any terminal; communicating with the any terminal through the auxiliary terminal. The present disclosure enables accurately to determine the terminal assisted in communication. Wasting communication sources and blind assistance are avoided. And higher channel quality of the terminal between the terminal and the base station and higher data transmission rate can be ensured.

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may perform, for example, a method for detecting signal interference in a first segment of a plurality of segments of a radio frequency spectrum of a wireless communication system, determining according to the signal interference a measure of quality of service of the first segment for transmitting voice traffic, comparing the measure of quality of service to a desired measure of quality of service measure for voice traffic, determining from the comparison that the first segment is not suitable for voice traffic, and notifying a system that the first segment is not suitable for voice traffic. Other embodiments are disclosed.

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, and a method for determining a resource for device-to-device communication by a user equipment is disclosed. A method for determining a resource for device-to-device communication according to an embodiment of the present invention may comprise the steps of: receiving, from an eNode B (eNB), configuration information related to a resource pool configured for each level; selecting the resource pool of the device-to-device communication on the basis of the configuration information; and selecting a resource for the device-to-device communication in the resource pool. Herein, the resource pool may be configured to have two or more levels.

A time-division mechanism that a source station uses a proprietary frame for notifying switching from a normal bandwidth operation to a narrow bandwidth operation to at least one destination station in a wireless communication system, and uses a protection frame to reserve the service period for the narrow bandwidth operation without the interference from the normal bandwidth operation, wherein the service period of the narrow bandwidth operation is indicated in the protection frame.

A method and a radio network node for scheduling wireless devices. The node assigns, to each wireless device, a D2D pair out of the D2D pairs based on spatial compatibilities for each of the D2D pairs with respect to each wireless device. The node estimates, for each wireless device and the assigned D2D pair, a first respective throughput for cellular communication and D2D communication, and estimates, for each wireless device, a second respective throughput for only cellular communication. The node schedules one or more of the wireless devices of the cellular network based on the first and second respective throughputs. Each of the wireless devices is scheduled for cellular communication together with the D2D communication of the assigned D2D pair when the first respective throughput exceeds the second respective throughput, or for only cellular communication when the first respective throughput is below the second respective throughput.

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a wireless access point, including: a first radio frequency module, a second radio frequency module, and a processor. A frequency band of the first radio frequency module is the same as that of the second radio frequency module; the first radio frequency module and the second radio frequency module work on different channels; a first transmit power upper limit of the first radio frequency module is greater than a second transmit power upper limit of the second radio frequency module; and the processor is configured to schedule a terminal whose signal strength is greater than a threshold to associate with the wireless access point by using the second radio frequency module. The complexity of hardware design for integrating two radio frequency modules of a same frequency band into one AP may be reduced.

A technique for emulating virtual port control of airtime fairness for wireless stations using per station Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) parameters. Specific parameters are received for each of a plurality of stations connected to the access point. An EDCA field of a beacon that stores a general EDCA parameter is set to an empty state. The beacon is broadcast to a plurality stations on the wireless communication network and within range of an access point. The beacon comprises a BSSID (Basic Service Set Identifier) for use by the plurality of stations to connect with the access point for access to the wireless communication network. The beacon also comprises an empty EDCA field. In response to broadcasting the empty EDCA parameter, receiving a direct inquiry from each of the plurality of stations for the general EDCA parameter. Each of the plurality of stations is responded to with a direct communication of a specific parameter corresponding to each station. A transmission is received from at least one of the stations complying with the specific parameter.

A method, in a network node, for managing a wireless device is disclosed. The method comprises conducting spectrum opportunity detection within a spectrum band and indicating a result of the spectrum opportunity detection to the wireless device. For the purposes of the method, a spectrum opportunity comprises a channel within the spectrum band which is at least temporarily available for use by the wireless device. Also disclosed is a method in a wireless device in a network. The method comprises detecting an indication of a result of spectrum opportunity detection conducted by a network node within a spectrum band and if the indication indicates a detected spectrum opportunity, conducting one of a transmission or reception operation on the detected spectrum opportunity. Also disclosed are a computer program product for carrying out the above methods, a network node and a wireless device.

According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes an electromagnetic wave emitter, a wireless communication circuitry and a hardware processor. The electromagnetic wave emitter emits a first electromagnetic wave. The wireless communication circuitry communicates with another electronic apparatus according to a first standard, using a second electromagnetic wave. The first electromagnetic wave can be noise for a communication by the wireless communication circuitry. The hardware processor determines a period to be allowed to communicate with the another electronic apparatus according to the first standard. The electromagnetic wave emitter emits the first electromagnetic wave during the first period.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a device for communication according to a specific communication protocol is provided. The communication device includes a processor for generating and processing frames based on frame formats defined by the communication protocol. The processor generates a beacon frame so that information on a collision avoidance scheme supported by the device of a plurality kinds of information specified based on the communication protocol is omitted. Further, the processor processes a connection request frame transmitted from other device to extract information on a collision avoidance scheme supported by the other device, and controls communication with the other device based on comparison of the extracted information on the collision avoidance scheme with the information on the collision avoidance scheme supported by the device.

The sensing method a first vehicle user equipment (UE) for collision avoidance in a wireless communication network comprises receiving a set of scheduling assignment (SA) information allocated to a set of second vehicle UEs, decoding the set of SA information, each of which includes SA information to each of the set of second vehicle UEs, performing energy sensing operation for resources to be used by each of the set of second vehicle UEs to determine additional potential SA transmission and data transmission from the set of second vehicle UEs over the resources, determining available resources for the data transmission from the first vehicle UE based on the performed energy sensing and SA sensing, skipping a channel sensing operation on at least one subframe that is used for the data transmission from the first vehicle UE, and transmitting data among resources identified as unused in next transmissions from second vehicle UEs.

A user apparatus in a communication system including a first base station and a second base station that perform communication with the user apparatus by inter-base station carrier aggregation, including: a maximum transmission power holding unit configured to hold a maximum transmission power that is configured beforehand for the first base station; a transmission power determination unit configured to determine whether a transmission power that is used by the user apparatus for performing signal transmission to the first base station reaches the maximum transmission power held by the maximum transmission power holding unit; and a transmission control unit configured, when it is determined that the transmission power reaches the maximum transmission power by the transmission power determination unit, to stop signal transmission to the second base station.

Provided is a method of assigning a slot, the method including transmitting an assignment request for at least one slot of a first frame to a terminal, determining whether an acknowledgement (ACK) of the assignment request is received from the terminal, in a slot corresponding to the at least one slot in a second frame which is a subsequent frame of the first frame, and determining whether the at least one slot for which the assignment request is transmitted has been assigned based on whether the ACK of the assignment request is received.

A method includes: monitoring a plurality of wireless working frequency bands supported by a smart terminal; when a Peer to Peer (P2P) data packet is received at any of the wireless working frequency bands, analyzing the P2P data packet and obtaining device information of a smart device; and establishing a wireless connection with the smart device at the wireless working frequency band according to the device information.

This application provides a data transmission link establishment apparatus. The apparatus includes: a selection unit, configured to select a target node; a determining unit, configured to determine a backhaul node that needs to establish a data transmission link with the target node selected by the selection unit; a setting unit, configured to set protocol stack roles, in the data transmission link, of the target node and the backhaul node that is determined by the determining unit; and a configuration unit, configured to perform configuration on the target node and the backhaul node according to the protocol stack roles that are set by the setting unit, to establish the data transmission link between the target node and the backhaul node.

A Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi) communication control method of a vehicle includes: determining a Wi-Fi communication state of the vehicle at a current position; selecting a Wi-Fi channel having a low communication load according to the Wi-Fi communication state of the vehicle at the current position; and forming a Wi-Fi zone in the vehicle using the selected Wi-Fi channel.

Provided are a device-to-device (D2D) operation method carried out by a terminal in an RRC connection state in a wireless communication system, and a terminal using the method. The method is characterized by: determining whether a radio resource control (RRC) connection establishment process is problematic; and transmitting a D2D signal using an exception resource, when the RRC connection establishment process is determined to be problematic.

A master user equipment (UE) device may coordinate device-to-device (D2D) communications amongst a plurality of UE devices. For example, a UE device, which has been designated as a master UE device, may coordinate a D2D communication between a first UE device and a second UE device. The master UE device may be a UE device that obtains an indication that it is a master UE device that is to coordinate D2D communications amongst the plurality of UE devices. In some embodiments, the coordinating the D2D communication may be on behalf of a network and/or to facilitate wireless communication between the network and at least one of the plurality of UE devices.

Provided are a device-to-device (D2D) operation method carried out by a terminal in an RRC connection state in a wireless communication system, and a terminal using the method. The method is characterized by: determining whether a communication link with a base station is problematic; and transmitting a D2D signal using an exception resource, when the communication link with the base station is determined to be problematic.

Provided is a network self-healing method in which, when a link between a parent device and a child device breaks down in a wireless communication network of a cluster-tree structure in which a main communication device (referred to an access point (AP)) manages network operation, routers that are devices capable of having their child devices, and end devices that are devices incapable of having their child devices are associated with each other in a parent-child device relationship, the link is restored. When a router becomes an orphan device, the router makes network re-association in a cluster unit while maintaining synchronized operation with its child devices, and thus time, energy and signaling burden for network self-healing is largely reduced.

The invention is in relation to a method initiating a device discovery process communications between user terminals capable of communicating on device-to-device and cellular communications links in the cellular communications network; determining a first parameter indicating interference of transmissions from a first user terminal on a device-to-device communications link to a second user terminal; determining a second parameter indicating interference of transmissions from the first user terminal on a cellular communications link; applying, on the basis of the first parameter exceeding the second parameter, asymmetric communications between the user terminals such that transmissions from the first user terminal to the second user terminal are communicated over the cellular communications links via infrastructure of the cellular communications network and transmissions from the second user terminal to the first user terminal are communicated over the device-to-device communications link.

In a paper or board machine drying line after the wire section, during dewatering a web's (W) width is affected in a direction crosswise to the web's traveling direction. Starting from an edge, at least one device (20A, 20B) brings about a force effect of a desired magnitude which is directed all the way to a desired arbitrary crosswise web position in order to modify web characteristics. A device in a paper or board machine line after the wire section has means for processing the web and for dewatering. The paper or board machine line after the wire section further has at least one device (20A; 20B) for directing a force effect at a desired partial area (WS) of the web (W) in the cross machine direction in order to modify the web's characteristics profile in the cross machine direction.

Clipping both right and left side edge parts of a sheet or film by right and left pitch-variable clips having flow-directional clip pitches variable along with travel movements, respectively, having positions (AR, AL) for initiation of enlargements of flow-directional clip pitches changed between right clips and left clips, and enlarging flow-directional clip pitches along with travel movements of clips to thereby make an oblique stretch.

In one embodiment, a biased fabric is supplied. The biased fabric supply has a first specified width and a first bias angle of warp yarns relative to weft yarns. At least one overfeed roller configured to overfeed fabric from the biased fabric supply at an overfeed rate is provided. At least one spreading arm configured to stretch the fabric to a second specified width and a fabric oven configured to heat the biased fabric supply to a specified temperature and output a balanced crimp and/or elongation biased fabric are also provided.

Vehicle internetworks provide for communications among diverse electronic devices within a vehicle, and for communications among these devices and networks external to the vehicle. The vehicle internetwork comprises specific devices, software, and protocols, and provides for security for essential vehicle functions and data communications, ease of integration of new devices and services to the vehicle internetwork, and ease of addition of services linking the vehicle to external networks such as the Internet.

An improved apparatus for correcting deflection in small diameter feed and retard rolls of an open width stabilizer so as to create a straight line nip with uniform pressure across the nip. The improved apparatus provides apparatus for adjusting deflection of the rolls to thereby maintain a desired size to a passageway between them so as to optimize compaction of a fabric web material. A wedge-like member is disposed between, and in moving relationship to, feed and retard roller bearings. The wedge-like member is asymmetrical, has feed and retard sides that engage the feed and retard roller bearings, respectively, and exerts reaction forces against each of the respective bearings. Improvement resides in the reaction forces causing the rolls the rolls to not deflect downwardly.

Systems, methods, and program product for facilitating electronic ordering of goods, services, or goods and services, or other products, through messaging over a financial services electronic payment network, are provided. A customer provides electronic order registration activation information for an electronic order transaction card. The customer is provided an electronic order card having a unique electronic payment network compatible electronic order card identifier including a non-financial transaction IIN and a customer number, and is provided a catalogue or list including product order codes each associated with a different product, to enable electronic ordering over the financial services electronic payment network. An electronic order card configured to interface with a conventional point-of-sale terminal can be used to facilitate the electronic ordering over the existing financial services electronic payment network when presented to the point-of-sale terminal with a product order code identifying a selected product.

This invention is about a structure for supporting clothes to be decolorized and for aiding in the process of decoloration, to a method of forming the same, and to a method of using the same to decolorize clothes. It includes manufacturing a semi-finished product for supporting clothes and manufacturing the supporting structure as well as a the method of decolorizing clothes using the supporting structure to have various decolorizing textures and styles.

A method for identifying vulnerable system call pairs is disclosed. The method is based on a model for identifying Time-Of-Check-To-Time-Of-Use (TOCTTOU) problem (called STEM), which enumerates the potential file system call pairs (called exploitable TOCTTOU pairs) that form the check/use steps. The system function calls are classified into a plurality of predefined classes and pairs of the function calls are formed according to predefined criteria, where the function calls within a pair are associated with the same file invariant.

According to the present invention there is provided a method for opening a fabric, in which warp and weft yarns can be uniformly opened using a simple method without having to alter the fabric weaving procedure. The method is a method for opening a fabric (4) produced by weaving a warp yarn (2) and a weft yarn (3), each of which having a bundled plurality of fiber filaments (1). A contact body (6) is provided to a surface of the fabric (4) with a protective film (5) interposed therebetween, and the contact body (6) is caused to move over the fabric (4) obliquely, and in a relative manner, with respect to the longitudinal direction of the warp yarn (2) or the weft yarn (3), whereby the warp yarn (2) or the weft yarn (3) is spread.

An apparatus for reducing pilling on a piece of garment/fabric includes at least one holding member adapted to secure the piece of garment/fabric, a rotatable brush member adapted to brush on the piece of garment/fabric until loose fibers of the garment/fabric migrates to a surface of the garment/fabric to form a layer of pillable fuzz, a shaving member adapted to remove the layer of pillable fuzz on the piece of garment/fabric, and a control unit adapted to control movement of the rotatable brush member and the shaving member.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a high-quality porous film. Here, while the porous film is being manufactured through forming micropores by stretching, a raw film is prevented from slipping on the surfaces of the respective rolls as much as possible even though the raw film includes oil or liquid paraffin as a solvent. The method is for manufacturing a porous film through forming micropores by successive biaxial stretching. A tensile force applied to the raw film F transferring from the longitudinal stretching machine (10) to the transverse stretching machine (50) is set not less than a stretching force necessary for the longitudinal stretching, and thus the raw film is prevented from slipping on a contact surface between the raw film and each roll of the longitudinal stretching machine (10).

The invention relates to an artificial turf, comprising a backing and a number of artificial grass blades connected to the backing and extending transversely of the surface thereof, which artificial grass blades have an irregular, in particular a locally narrowed, cross-section. Owing to this locally narrowed cross-section in the vicinity of the free end thereof, these artificial grass blades greatly resemble natural blades of grass and also display similar behavior. The invention also relates to a method for forming such an artificial turf and to a device with which this method can be performed. The narrowed cross-section can herein be formed by stretching the artificial grass blades, wherein the artificial grass blades can be plasticized before, during and/or after the stretching, for instance by local heating thereof.

A data conversion system for a vehicle includes an interface gateway device that is configured to be communicatively coupled with a data acquisition module and a client module. The data acquisition module obtains a value of a data parameter related to operation of the vehicle and communicates the value to the interface gateway device in a first message provided in a first format. The interface gateway device is configured to convert the first format of the first message into a different, second format to form a second message and to communicate the second message to the client module. The client module uses the second message to perform a function for the vehicle.

A method, apparatus, program, and storage medium, for managing a network device by communicating with an information processing device and the network device via a network and managing the network device in response to a request from the information processing device. If a request for execution of a process, which needs particular authorization, upon the network device, is received from the information processing device, it is determined whether a command to invalidate a password of said network device has been received together with the process execution request. When the password of the network device is to be invalidated, a password invalidation request is transmitted to the network device. This technique makes it possible for an administrator of a network device to use it even when the administrator forgets the device password assigned to the network device without having to perform initialization which would cause all setting data to be lost.

Clipping both right and left side edge parts of a sheet or film by right and left pitch-variable clips having flow-directional clip pitches variable along with travel movements, respectively, having positions (AR, AL) for initiation of enlargements of flow-directional clip pitches changed between right clips and left clips, and enlarging flow-directional clip pitches along with travel movements of clips to thereby make an oblique stretch.