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according to the invention , a is a linear , branched or cyclic alkylene or alkenylene group having 2 to 24 carbon atoms , wherein the alkenylene group is a 1 - alkenylene or an internal alkenylene group . examples of suitable alkylene groups are ethylene , propylene , butylene , pentylene , decylene , octadecylene and eicosenylene and the like . examples of suitable alkenylene groups are propenylene , but - 2 - enylene , oct - 4 - enylene and the like . according to a most particular preferred embodiment of the present invention , the alkyl and alkenyl moieties comprise at least one internal ethynylene moiety . that is , that a is in particular a linear group having 6 to 24 carbon atoms according to the formula : wherein p is in the range of 1 to 7 and q is in the range of 1 to 7 , the groups —( ch 2 )— and —( c ≡ c )— optionally occurring in a random sequence , and wherein the right terminus of a is bonded to b . such ethynylene moieties can be polymerized to provide a cross - linked network that will reduce the permeability of the monolayer , and that will provide more stabilization to the monolayer . examples of this linear group are : preferably , the linear group has the formula — ch 2 — ch 2 —( ch 2 ) p —( c ≡ c ) q —( ch 2 ) r —, wherein p is 1 to 9 , preferably 7 , r is 1 to 9 and q is 1 or 2 . according to the invention , b can be selected from the functional groups as defined above . suitable examples of — ch ═ cr 2 r 3 groups are ethenyl , 2 - propenyl , 4 - butenyl and the like . the formula — ch ═ cr 2 r 3 may represent a cyclic structure having a carbon carbon double bond in the ring or having an exo carbon carbon double bond , that is that the formula — ch ═ cr 2 r 3 includes structures such as cyclopent - 3 - enyl and 2 - methylene cyclopentyl . suitable examples of — c ≡ cr 2 groups are ethynyl , 2 - propynyl and the like . suitable examples of the — xr 2 group are — oh , — sh , — ome , — oet and the like , wherein me represents methyl and et represents ethyl . suitable examples of the — n ( r 2 ) 2 group include primary , secondary and tertiary amino groups such as — nh 2 , — nhet and — nme 2 . a suitable example of the urea group — nr 2 — c ( o )— n ( r 2 ) 2 is — nh — c ( o )— nh 2 . the group — o —[( c ( r 4 ) 2 ) p o ] q — r 2 represents oligomers and polymers of alkylene oxides . r 4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and c 1 - c 4 alkyl , e . g . methyl , ethyl , n - propyl and i - propyl . preferably , r 4 is hydrogen or methyl and p is 2 . the group — o —[( c ( r 4 ) 2 ) p o ] q — r 2 encompasses diblock , triblock , multiblock or comb - like oligomers and polymers , e . g . — o —[( ch 2 o ) s —( chmeo ) t ]— r 2 wherein s + t = q . a suitable diblock polymer consists for example of a polyethylene oxide block and a polypropylene oxide block . in addition , these oligomers and polymers may be terminated with a hydroxyl group or an alkoxy group ( e . g . a methoxy group ), the latter being represented by — or 2 as appears from the formula . suitable examples of the — c ( x ) xr 1 group are ester groups and thioester groups , e . g . — c ( o ) ome , — c ( o ) oet , — c ( s ) sme and the like . suitable examples of the amide groups or thioamide groups — c ( x ) nr 2 r 3 are — c ( o ) nme 2 and — c ( s ) nme 2 . suitable examples of the sulfino group — s ( o ) or 1 are — s ( o ) ome and — s ( o ) oet . suitable examples of the sulfonyl group — s ( o ) 2 or 1 are — s ( o ) 2 ome and — s ( o ) 2 oet . likewise , a suitable example of the group — s ( o ) nr 2 r 3 includes — s ( o ) nme 2 . a suitable example of the sulfamoyl group — s ( o ) 2 nr 2 r 3 is — s ( o ) 2 nme 2 . a suitable example of the group — p ( o )( r 1 )( or 1 ) is — p ( o )( me )( ome ) and a suitable example of the group — p ( o )( or 1 ) 2 is — p ( o )( ome ) 2 . suitable examples of the groups according to formula ( 2 ) are shown below as belonging to preferred embodiments of b . according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , b is a functional group selected from — ch ═ cr 2 r 3 ; — c ≡ cr 2 ; — or 2 ; — n ( r 2 ) 2 ; — nr 2 — c ( o )— n ( r 2 ) 2 ; — o —[( c ( r 4 ) 2 ) p o ] q — r 2 ; — c ( o ) or 1 ; — c ( o ) sr 1 ; — c ( o ) nr 2 r 3 ; — s ( o ) or 1 ; — s ( o ) 2 or 1 ; — s ( o ) nr 2 r 3 ; — s ( o ) 2 nr 2 r 3 ; — p ( o )( r 1 )( or 1 ); — p ( o )( or 1 ) 2 ; — cn ; — cl ; — nco ; — ocn ; and according to a more preferred embodiment of the present invention , b is a functional group selected from — ch ═ cr 2 r 3 ; — c ≡ cr 2 ; — or 2 ; — n ( r 2 ) 2 ; — o —[( c ( r 4 ) 2 ) p o ] q — r 2 wherein r 4 is hydrogen or methyl , p is 2 and q is an integer within the range of 1 - 250 ; — c ( o ) or 1 ; — c ( o ) nr 2 r 3 ; — s ( o ) or 1 ; — s ( o ) 2 or 1 ; — s ( o ) nr 2 r 3 ; or — s ( o ) 2 nr 2 r 3 ; and wherein n is 1 . it is furthermore preferred that a is a linear alkylene or alkenylene group having 2 to 24 carbon atoms . more preferably , a is a linear alkylene or alkenylene group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms . even more preferably , a is a linear alkylene or alkenylene group having 8 to 18 carbon atoms . the present invention also provides a process for the preparation of a functionalized si / ge surface , wherein a si / ge surface is subjected to the following steps : ( a ) etching the si / ge surface with an etching agent to form an etched si / ge surface ; and ( b ) reacting the etched si / ge surface with an ω - functionalized alkene represented by the general formula ( 4 ) or with an ω - functionalized alkyne represented by the general formula ( 5 ) or with a mixture thereof : wherein p is a linear , branched or cyclic alkenyl group having 2 to 24 carbon atoms , the alkenyl group being a 1 - alkenyl group or an internal alkenyl group ; q is a linear , branched or cyclic alkynyl group having 2 to 24 carbon atoms , the alkynyl group being a 1 - alkynyl group or an internal alkynyl group ; c is a functional group selected from : — ch ═ cr 2 r 3 ; — c ≡ cr 2 ; — nr 2 — c ( o )— n ( r 2 ) 2 ; — o —[( c ( r 4 ) 2 ) p o ] q — r 1 ; — c ( x ) xr 1 ; — c ( x ) nr 2 r 3 ; — s ( o ) or 1 ; — s ( o ) 2 or 1 ; — s ( o ) nr 2 r 3 ; — s ( o ) 2 nr 2 r 3 ; — p ( o )( r 1 )( or 1 ); — p ( o )( or 1 ) 2 ; — cn ; — cl , — br ; — i ; or — ncx ; — xcn ; or — xc ( x ) r 1 ; — nr 2 c ( x ) r 1 ; — xr 5 ; — xsi ( r 1 ) 3 ; — os ( o )( or 1 ); — os ( o ) 2 or 1 ; — p ( o )( r 1 )( or 1 ); — op ( o )( or 1 ) 2 ; a group of the general formula ( 6 ) and tautomers thereof : wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , p and q are as defined above ; r 5 is a monofunctional hydroxy or thiohydroxy protecting group ; r 6 represents a protected — oh or — nh 2 group , wherein the protected — oh group is selected from the groups defined for — xr 5 wherein x is o and wherein the protected — nh 2 group is selected from the groups defined for — nr 2 c ( x ) r 1 ; and wherein n is an integer in the range of 1 to 3 . according to the present invention , r 5 is a monofunctional hydroxy or thiohydroxy protecting group . such protecting groups are well known in the art as well as methods for adding such groups to — xh groups and methods for removing such protecting groups under conditions that do not affect the molecular structure of the functionalized si / ge surface obtained . 15 suitable examples of monofunctional hydroxy and thiohydroxy protecting groups include methoxymethyl , methylthiomethyl , 2 - methoxyethoxymethyl , bis ( 2 - chloroethoxy ) methyl , tetrahydropyranyl , tetrahydrothiopyranyl , 4 - methoxytetrahydropyranyl , 4 - methoxytetrahydrothiopyranyl , tetrahydrofuranyl , tetrahydrothiofuranyl , 1 - ethoxyethyl , 1 - methoxyl - methoxyethyl , 2 -( phenylselenyl ) ethyl , t - butyl , allyl , benzyl , optionally substituted triphenylmethyl ( trityl ). however , it is preferred that the monofunctional hydroxyl or thiohydroxy protecting group is selected from the group of allyl , benzyl , optionally substituted trityl , and tetrahydropyranyl . it is even more preferred that the monofunctional hydroxyl or thiohydroxy protecting group is selected from benzyl and tetrahydropyranyl . suitable examples of the — si ( r 1 ) 3 group are trimethylsilyl , triethylsilyl , triisopropylsilyl , isopropyldimethylsilyl , t - butyldimethylsilyl , t - butyldiphenylsilyl and tribenzylsilyl . methods of the introduction and removal of such groups are well known in the art . 16 preferably , c is a functional group selected from — ch ═ cr 2 r 3 ; — c ≡ cr 2 ; — nr 2 — c ( o )— n ( r 2 ) 2 ; — o —[( c ( r 4 ) 2 ) p o ] q — r 1 ; — c ( o ) or 1 ; — c ( o ) nr 2 r 3 ; — s ( o ) or 1 ; — s ( o ) 2 or 1 ; — s ( o ) nr 2 r 3 ; — s ( o ) 2 nr 2 r 3 ; — p ( o )( r 1 )( or 1 ); — p ( o )( or 1 ) 2 ; — cn ; — cl ; and — nco ; — ocn ; or c is a protected functional group selected from — oc ( o ) r 1 ; — nr 2 c ( o ) r 1 ; — or 5 ; — osi ( r 1 ) 3 ; — os ( o )( or 1 ); — os ( o ) 2 or 1 ; — p ( o )( r 1 )( or 1 ); — op ( o )( or 1 ) 2 ; and a group of the general formula ( 6 ) and tautomers thereof which is shown above , wherein r 6 represents a protected — oh or — nh 2 group , wherein the protected — oh group is selected from the groups defined for — xr 5 wherein x is o and wherein the protected — nh 2 group is selected from the groups defined for — nr 2 c ( x ) r 1 ; wherein r 5 is a monofunctional hydroxy or thiohydroxy protecting group ; and wherein n is 1 . even more preferably , c is a functional group selected from — ch ═ cr 2 r 3 ; — c ≡ cr 2 ; — o —[( c ( r 4 ) 2 ) p o ] q — r 1 wherein r 4 is hydrogen or methyl , p is 2 and q is an integer within the range of 1 - 10 ; — c ( o ) or 1 ; — c ( o ) nr 2 r 3 ; — s ( o ) or 1 ; — s ( o ) 2 or 1 ; — s ( o ) nr 2 r 3 ; — s ( o ) 2 nr 2 r 3 ; or c is a protected functional group selected from — oc ( o ) r 1 ; — nr 2 c ( o ) r 1 ; — or 5 ; — osi ( r 1 ) 3 ; and a group of the general formula ( 6 ) and tautomers thereof which is shown above , wherein r 6 represents a protected — oh or — nh 2 group , wherein the protected — oh group is selected from the groups defined for — xr 5 wherein x is o and wherein the protected — nh 2 group is selected from the groups defined for — nr 2 c ( x ) r 1 ; wherein r 5 is a monofunctional hydroxy or thiohydroxy protecting group ; and wherein n is 1 . according to the present invention , it is preferred that c is in the ω - position of the alkenyl and alkynyl groups . consequently , it is therefore preferred that the functionalized alkene is a ω - c - 1 - alkene and that the functionalized alkyne is a ω - c - 1 - alkyne , the ω - position being dependent on the number of carbon atoms of the alkene or alkyne , respectively . according to a most particular preferred embodiment of the present invention , the alkenyl groups p and the alkynyl groups q comprise at least one internal ethynylene moiety . that is , that p and q are in particular a linear group having 6 to 24 carbon atoms according to the formula : wherein p is in the range of 1 to 7 and q is in the range of 1 to 7 , the groups —( ch 2 )— and —( c ≡ c )— optionally occurring in a random sequence , and wherein the right terminus of p and q are bonded to c . preferably , the linear groups p and q have the formula wherein p is 1 to 9 , preferably 7 , r is 1 to 9 and q is 1 or 2 . the etching agent is preferably selected from hf , nh 4 f / hf or h 3 po 4 . when nh 4 / hf is used , the ratio of nh 4 f to hf is preferably 1 : 1 to 20 : 1 , most preferably 5 : 1 to 15 : 1 . most preferably , however , the etching agent is hf . according to the invention , the etching step is performed for at least about 0 . 01 h . to about 100 h . the etching agent is usually used as a solution in water , said solution comprising about 0 . 1 to about 10 . 0 wt . %, preferably about 1 . 0 to 3 . 0 wt . % of the etching agent , based on the total weight of the solution . the etching step can be performed as is well known in the art . in step ( b ) mixtures of ω - functionalized alkenes or mixtures of o - functionalized alkynes may be used . step ( b ) may furthermore be performed in an inert organic solvent and elevated temperature , e . g . at reflux , or using microwave irradiation . the inert organic solvent is preferably a hydrocarbon such as mesitylene . however , according to the invention step ( b ) may be performed without solvent , i . e . that the etched si / ge surface is reacted with neat functionalized alkene according to the general formula ( 4 ) or neat functionalized alkyne according to the general formula ( 5 ). an important advantage of the functionalized si / ge surfaces is their versatility , i . e . that they can provided with hydrophobic or hydrophilic properties depending on the nature of the functional groups b , which in addition can be converted into other groups as will be apparent to those skilled in the art . for example , the functional groups b may me made ionic , e . g . by converting amino groups into cationic ammonium groups or by converting carboxyl groups into anionic carboxylate groups . the present invention further relates to the use of the functionalized si / ge surfaces in the preparation of si / ge surfaces bearing pendant groups , wherein the pendant groups are derived from biologically active groups or host molecules . as discussed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 569 , 979 , incorporated by reference herein , the biologically active groups may be proteins , dna or rna molecules or fragments or derivatives thereof , e . g . single stranded oligonucleotides that have for example been used in gene sequencing , drug research , medical diagnostics and binding studies of ligands to oligonucleotides . additionally , the host molecules may be selected from calixarenes , dendrimers or fragments and derivatives thereof and mono - oligo - and polysaccharides . the present invention also relates to si / ge surfaces bearing pendant groups , wherein alkyl or alkenyl moieties as defined above are covalently bonded to the si / ge surface , wherein the alkyl or alkenyl moieties bear a pendant group , preferably in their ω - position , that are derived from biologically active groups or host molecules . as will be apparent to those skilled in the art , such si / ge surfaces bearing pendant groups can be prepared from the functionalized si / ge surfaces as disclosed herein , wherein the functional groups b provide a linking means for bonding the biologically active groups or host molecules . for example , b may be an — oh group that by way of an esterification can be bonded to a host molecule bearing a carboxylic group . obviously , if b is a protected functional group such as a — osime 3 group , b must first be deprotected prior to the addition of the host molecule bearing a carboxylic group . it will be apparent to the person skilled in synthetic organic chemistry how to conduct the syntheses of such si / ge surfaces bearing pendant groups . the present invention therefore also relates to a process for the preparation of si / ge surfaces bearing pendant groups , wherein a functionalized si / ge surface is attached to a pendant group , wherein the pendant groups are derived from biologically active groups or host molecules . low - stress silicon - enriched silicon nitride surfaces ( 1 cm 2 , 200 nm thickness ) were deposited on polished silicon wafers using low - pressure chemical vapor deposition . the higher than stoichiometric si / n ratio may direct the chemistry of silicon nitrides towards the chemistry of silicon , e . g . h - termination by treatment with hf solutions and monolayer attachment . xps measurements show the presence of si , c , n and o in solvent - cleaned but un - etched silicon nitrides ( see examples ); the presence of c in the unmodified sample is attributed to environmental contamination . prolonged exposure to hf leaves the nitride layer largely intact : almost complete removal of oxygen is observed , while there are no significant changes in the n signal ( xps data ; see fig1 : n1s and o1s xps spectra of si 3 n x before ( a ) and after ( b ) etching in 2 . 5 % hf for 2 min .). in addition , x - ray reflectivity measurements indicate no observable change in the silicon nitride layer thickness upon etching . the static water contact angle θ was found to increase from ˜ 20 ° to ˜ 60 ° after 2 min etching with 2 . 5 % hf solution , indicating the formation of the less polar si — h bonds . the presence of n ( partially as nh and nh 2 sites at the surface ) makes θ for the h - terminated silicon nitride surface lower than that obtained for h - terminated si surfaces . 8 the residual amount of oxygen that is observed after etching is at least partially due to deeply embedded atoms that cannot be removed upon etching , but which are therefore not expected to be reactive at the surface ( a small fraction of surface re - oxidation can probably also not be fully excluded at this stage ). 3 the effect of the reaction time on the quality of 1 - hexadecene monolayers on silicon nitride surfaces , as studied by measuring θ , is shown in fig2 ( variation of the static water contact angle θ of a 1 - hexadecene - derived monolayer on silicon nitride as a function of reaction time ). stable and almost densely packed monolayers are obtained after ˜ 24 h reaction time ( θ ˜ 107 °). this is much better than obtained without hf etching ( θ ˜ 83 °), 11 which is attributed to the formation of reactive si — h bonds at the surface upon hf etching . support for monolayer formation also comes from xps c1s spectra that show a clear increase in the amount of carbon upon modification after different time intervals ( fig3 : xps c1s spectra of si 3 n , before ( reference spectrum ), and after monolayer attachment of 1 - hexadecene , for 2 and 8 h , respectively ). the c1s signals due to the alkyl chain are not resolved from si — c bond formation ( 284 . 9 and 283 . 1 ev , respectively ). 14 the shoulder at 286 . 9 ev that appears only for modified si 3 n x is likely due to n — c bond formation . 14 no precise indication of the ratio of n — c and si — c bond formation can be given at this stage , but without wishing to be bound by any theory , the inventors believe that both these data strongly support covalent monolayer attachment . increase of the 1 - alkene concentration to neat reaction mixtures yields a rise of θ by 1 - 2 ° to ˜ 106 - 108 ° ( example 3 ), which points to the formation of an almost densely packed hydrophobic monolayer . this packing is no indication for high ordering in this case , as shown by infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy ( irras , 1 cm − 1 resolution ). irras yields peaks corresponding to anti - symmetric and symmetric ch 2 vibrations at 2923 and 2855 cm − 1 , respectively ( see fig4 ). these irras spectra strongly support the presence of a well - defined monolayer . in addition , they also point to a significant degree of disorder in these monolayers , as the peak at 2923 cm − 1 is intermediate between that obtained for ch 2 in isotropic media ( 2928 cm − 1 ) and that obtained in crystalline media ( 2919 cm − 1 ). 1 the inventors attribute this disorder partially to the surface roughness of hf - etched silicon nitride surfaces , and likely also to a slightly diminished packing density of the monolayer . finally , functionalization of these monolayers has been shown via the attachment of a trifluoroethanol - ester derived alkene ( ch 2 ═ ch —( ch 2 ) 9 cooch 2 cf 3 ; example 4 and fig4 : irras data of modified silicon nitride ( left ) ch 2 vibrations after reaction of silicon nitride with different 1 - alkenes . ( right ) c ═ o vibrations after reaction of silicon nitride with ch 2 ═ ch ( ch 2 ) 9 co 2 ch 2 cf 3 , before ( d ) and after ( e ) hydrolysis ). attachment shows in irras the appearance of a c ═ o stretching vibration at 1740 cm − 1 , characteristic for the ester functionality . hydrolysis of this moiety under basic conditions ( 0 . 25 m potassium tert - butoxide in dmso ) reduced θ from 88 ° to 44 °. this was also visible in the irras spectrum , which yields a shift of the c ═ o stretch frequency from 1740 to 1640 cm − 1 . hydrolysis of this moiety under acidic conditions ( 2 n hcl ) reduced θ from 88 ° to 32 °. this was also visible in the irras spectrum , which yields a shift of the c ═ o stretch frequency from 1740 to 1640 cm − 1 . stability of the alkyl monolayer under these circumstances was shown by a near - constant intensity of the ch 2 stretching vibrations . organic monolayers on this h - terminated si 3 n x surface were prepared by placing the wafer in refluxing solutions of 1 - alkene or 1 - alkyne ( 0 . 4 m ) in mesitylene , 8 or in neat 1 - alkene at 165 ° c . 15 1 - hexadecene ( aldrich , purity & gt ; 99 %) was purified by double vacuum distillation to achieve a purity of almost 1000 % ( gc ). all the solvents ( acros ) were first distilled at atmospheric pressure before use . silicon nitride coated silicon [ 10 × 10 × 0 . 5 mm 3 single side - polished ] wafers were supplied by aquamarijn , the netherlands , or by lionix , the netherlands . nitride thicknesses between 100 and 200 nm were used in this work . silicon nitride samples were first cleaned by rinsing several times with chemically pure acetone and wiped with a tissue . subsequently , the wafer is sonicated for 5 minutes in acetone . surfaces were further cleaned in air plasma cleaner / sterilizer ( harrick pdc - 32g ) for 3 min followed by 2 × 3 minutes in oxygen plasma . hydrogen termination is carried out by dipping the samples in 2 . 5 % hf for 2 minutes , while the flask with the hf solution and sample is placed within an ultrasonic bath . neat 1 - hexadecene or its solution in mesitylene ( 10 ml , 0 . 4 m ) is placed in a small , three - necked flask fitted with a nitrogen inlet , a condenser with a cacl 2 tube , and a stopper . the solution is then deoxygenated for at least 45 min , by refluxing it at 200 ° c ., while slowly bubbling dry nitrogen through the solution . subsequently a freshly hydrogen - terminated silicon nitride wafer is dropped into the refluxing solution by removing and replacing the stopper quickly . the reaction time varied from 2 - 24 h . finally , the solution was allowed to cool and the sample was removed and rinsed extensively with distilled pe 40 / 60 , etoh , and ch 2 cl 2 . for xps and water contact angle measurements samples of 10 × 10 mm 2 were used , for irras samples of 30 × 15 mm 2 . silicon nitride surfaces were characterized by static water contact angle measurements using an erma contact angle meter g - 1 ( volume of the drop of demineralized h 2 o = 3 . 5 μl ), and by x - ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( xps ) on a phi quantera sxm machine , with as x - ray source the a1k - α 1486 . 6 ev line at 24 . 8 w , with a beam diameter of 100 . 0 μm , a 1 . 4 v 15 . 0 μa neutralizer , and the fat analyzer mode . the binding energies were calibrated with respect to si 2p corresponding to si 3 n 4 ( 101 . 80 ev ). the total surface xps spectrum of the original , un - etched but solvent - cleaned silicon nitride is shown in fig5 . irras spectra were measured on a bruker tensor 27 ft - ir spectrometer , using a commercial variable - angle reflection unit ( auto seagull , harrick scientific ). a harrick grid polarizer was installed in front of the detector , and was used for measuring spectra with either p - polarized ( parallel ) or s - polarized ( perpendicular ) radiation with respect to the plane of incidence at the sample surface . single channel transmittance spectra were collected using a spectral resolution of 1 or 4 cm − 1 , using 4096 scans in each measurement . the spectra shown in this paper are the result of spectral subtraction of a solvent - cleaned silicon nitride sample that was used as a background and the spectrum of the modified samples , without any further data manipulation ( no line smoothening or so ). samples were first cleaned by rinsing and sonication in acetone ( p . a .). the wafers were further cleaned for 2 × 3 min in an oxygen plasma using a plasma cleaner / sterilizer ( harrick pdc - 32g ), and used directly afterwards for the attachment of the monolayer . the wafer is placed in hot , nearly refluxing mesitylene (˜ 9 ml ), and should be fully covered by the solution . as soon as the wafer is placed into the mesitylene solution , the solution is brought to reflux within ˜ 30 s . after monolayer preparation the modified wafers are cleaned with petroleum ether ( 40 - 60 ), ethanol , and dichloromethane ( 10 × times each ). all solvents were distilled before use ; all 1 - alkenes and 1 - alkynes were doubly distilled under vacuum before use . the resulting wafers are stable under ambient conditions , i . e . no change in static water contact angle was measured for a 1 - hexadecene - derived monolayer over storage for 1 month . silicon nitride samples with 1 - hexadecyl monolayers prepared according to example 1 were examined by x - ray reflectivity measurements . fit of the x - ray reflectivity data of the modified surface indicates a monolayer thickness of 18 angstrom . silicon nitride samples with 1 - hexadecyl monolayers prepared according to example 1 were dipped in hydrochloric acid solutions , ph = 1 , for different time intervals . the static water contact angle is not affected ( for more than 1 °, the experimental error ) up to 4 hours in both cold and hot acid solutions . slight decreases in the measured contact angles are observed thereafter : the decrease in the water contact angle after 20 hours was only 5 ° ( 103 °, rather than 108 °) silicon nitride samples with 1 - hexadecyl monolayers prepared according to example 1 were immersed in 0 . 1 m aqueous sodium hydroxide solutions for different time intervals . the monolayer stability was monitored by measuring the static water contact angle and recording irras spectra of the monolayer . no significant change in the water contact angle or the quality of the irras spectra was observed up to three hours of treatment . thereafter , contact angle decreased to 90 ° after treating the monolayer for four hours . 1 - octadecyl and 1 - hexadecenyl - modified silicon nitride surfaces prepared according to the method described in example 2 were dipped in alkaline solution , ph = 11 , at 60 ° c . for different time intervals . monolayer stability was monitored by measuring static water contact angle , and further examination on the stability of the monolayer was performed by recording the irras spectra of the treated samples . the values of water contact angles of 1 - octadecyl monolayer attached to silicon nitride decreased from 108 to 104 ° after 6 hours under these conditions . however , 1 - hexadecenyl monolayers showed a much higher stability , as the water contact angle only decreased from 108 to 102 ° after 22 hours under the same conditions . silicon carbide powder ( 1 g ; 400 mesh from aldrich ) was first cleaned by rinsing several times with chemically pure acetone . subsequently , the powder is sonicated for 5 minutes in acetone . the dry powder is then cleaned in an oxygen plasma for 10 minutes to achieve complete removal of any organic impurities . hydrogen termination is obtained by dipping the samples in 2 . 5 % hf for 5 minutes . the powder is then filtered through a millipore filter , and dried by flushing with n 2 . subsequently , the powder is transferred to a deoxygenated refluxing ( 200 ° c .) solution of 1 - hexadecene in mesitylene in the previously described flask , while slowly bubbling dry nitrogen through the solution . the reaction time was set to 15 h . afterwards , the solution was allowed to cool and the sample was removed by filtration on a filter paper and rinsed extensively with distilled pe 40 / 60 , etoh , and ch 2 cl 2 . first , an irras spectrum was recorded for the cleaned sic powder as a background followed by measuring the spectrum of the modified powder . the subtraction of these spectra provides a spectrum displayer material deposited on top of the sic . the antisymmetric and symmetric ch 2 - stretching bands of the subtracted spectra are shown in fig6 . they indicate the presence of a substantial amount of ch 2 moieties , corresponding to covalent monolayer formation . monolayers of trifluoroethanol ester were prepared using 0 . 4 m ester solutions applying the same procedure described previously . silicon nitride modified with trifluoroethanol ester is hydrolyzed by treatment with either 0 . 25 m potassium tert - butoxide in dmso for 3 minutes at room temperature or aqueous 2 . 5 m hcl at 70 ° c . for 2 h . 1 . 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( c ) qian , l . m . ; xiao , x . d . ; wen , s . z . langmuir 2000 , 16 , 662 . 10 . gao , h . ; luginbuhl , r . ; sigrist , h . sensors actuators b 1997 , 38 , 38 . 11 . pignataro , b . ; grasso , g . ; renna , l . ; marietta , g . surf . interf . anal . 2002 , 33 , 54 . 12 . cricenti , a . ; longo , g . ; luce , m . ; generosi , r . ; perfetti , p . ; vobornik , d . ; margaritondo , g . ; thielen , p . ; sanghera , j . s . ; aggarwal , i . d . ; miller , j . k . ; tolk , n . h . ; piston , d . w . ; cattaruzza , f . ; flamini , a . ; prosperi , t . ; mezzi , a . surf sci . 2003 , 544 , 51 . 13 . sieval , a . b . ; vleeming , v . ; zuilhof , h . ; sudhölter , e . j . r . langmuir 1999 , 15 , 8288 . 14 . moulder , j . f . ; stickle , w . f . ; sobol , p . e . ; bomben , k . d ., handbook of x ray photoelectron spectroscopy . physical electronics usa : 1995 , p . 40 . 15 . ( a ) mcomie , j . f . w ., protective groups in organic chemistry , plenum press , 1973 ; ( b ) theodora w . greene , peter g . m . wuts , protective groups in organic synthesis , 3 rd edition , john wiley & amp ; sons inc , june 1999 ( c ) carey , f . a . ; sundberg , r . j ., advanced organic chemistry part b : reactions and synthesis , 3 rd . ed ., plenum press , p . 678 - 686 , 1990 .	8
preferred embodiments of the invention are described below while referring to the accompanying drawings . it must be noted , however , that the invention is not limited by the illustrated embodiments alone . in fig1 and fig3 an automatic water feed mechanism mainly consists of a hand washer 1 , an artificial retina sensor 2 , and a control unit 3 for controlling the water feed operation of the hand washer 1 on the basis of the output of the artificial retina sensor 2 . further , the hand washer 1 is composed of a basin 1 a composed of a bowl 4 and a horizontal mounting plane 5 , and a faucet main body having a discharge pipe 6 installed on the horizontal mounting plane 5 . the bowl 4 is white in color . the discharge pipe 6 is inclined by a specified angle θ ( θ being an acute angle ) from a vertical plane n perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the horizontal mounting plane 5 to the bowl 4 side so as to be directed to the bowl 4 . reference numeral 6 b is a discharge port . on the other hand , the artificial retina sensor 2 has a camera function , and is disposed on the front side 6 a of the discharge pipe 6 so that the input image captured by the artificial retina sensor 2 through a sensing window 9 ( described later ) may be within a conical viewing field region ( light receiving region ) ( m ) as shown in fig2 fig3 and fig4 . fig2 fig3 and fig4 show the viewing field region ( m ) of the artificial retina sensor 2 , and more specifically fig2 and fig3 show the range along the height direction ( t direction ) from the bottom ( g ) of the bowl 4 of the basin 1 a , while fig4 shows the width in the lateral direction ( w direction ) of the basin 1 a . the range along the t direction of the viewing field region ( m ) is from the bottom ( g ) of the bowl 4 to the position of height ( h ). further , in fig4 m 1 is water discharge region , and when the user projects hands into this region m 1 and brings closer to the discharge port 6 b , water is discharged from the discharge port 6 b . meanwhile , m 2 and m 3 are non - discharge regions . in this embodiment , the artificial retina sensor 2 has 1024 ( 32 × 32 ) pixels ( dots ). the artificial retina sensor 2 is mainly composed of , as shown in fig2 a wide - angle lens 7 of a circular front view forming a nearly conical viewing field region ( m ), a photo detector element array 8 positioned immediately beneath the wide - angle lens 7 , and a sensing window 9 of a circular front view positioned immediately above the wide - angle lens 7 . the photo detector element array 8 has a square front view , and is formed on a circuit board 11 mounted on a base 10 , thereby forming an lsi . in this embodiment , for example , 1024 photo detector elements corresponding to a 32 × 32 image plate are disposed on the circuit board 11 . that is , in the embodiment , the 32 × 32 image plate is composed of the photo detector element array 8 , circuit board 11 , and base 10 . reference numeral 12 is a cover for surrounding the sensing window 9 , and 13 is a ring - shaped waterproof packing . that is , in order to extend the viewing field region of the artificial retina sensor 2 as much as possible , in this embodiment , the wide - angle lens 7 is provided above the photo detector element array 8 . by this wide - angle lens 7 , the viewing field region ( m ) is set so as to include not only the water discharge region m 1 but also non - discharge regions m 2 , m 3 . [ 0052 ] fig6 to fig9 show input images captured by the artificial retina sensor 2 . [ 0053 ] fig6 is an input image of the surface 4 a of the bowl 4 made of , for example , white porcelain , and a drain hole 4 c of the bowl 4 is depicted . fig7 and fig8 are input images of the user u of the hand washer 1 as object of detection in the process of washing hands . fig9 is an input image of the surface 4 a of the bowl 4 showing foreign matter z other than the hands of the user u . the control unit 3 is composed of , as shown in fig1 a microcomputer 15 , a memory 16 including two memory units 16 a , 16 b , a solenoid valve 17 responsible for water discharge and stopping action of the discharge pipe 6 , a solenoid valve drive circuit 18 for driving and controlling the solenoid valve 17 , a drive power source 21 of the control unit 3 , an alarm display circuit 19 for displaying drop of supply voltage of the drive power source 21 , and a low voltage circuit and voltage monitoring circuit 20 . the processing steps of input image captured by the artificial retina sensor 2 are shown . as the input image , an example of input image a in fig7 is explained . in fig1 , ( 1 ) an input image a is issued from the artificial retina sensor 2 as an output image a ′, and is input to the microcomputer 15 . ( 2 ) in the microcomputer 15 , the output image a ′ is optimized , and a recognition object image is acquired . as optimizing process , for example , when binary processing ( black and white processing ) is done , a recognition object image a ″ as shown in fig1 is obtained ( see also fig1 ). as described below , the black display shows the presence of an object , and the white display indicates the absence of an object . ( 3 ) this recognition object image ( hereinafter called acquired image ) a ″ is stored into the memory 16 from the microcomputer 15 . similarly , by the microcomputer 15 , the input image b in fig6 is processed as acquired image b ″ ( see fig1 ). the input image c in fig8 is processed as acquired image c ″. the input image d in fig9 is processed as acquired image d ″. consequently , these acquired images a ″, b ″, c ″, d ″, and so forth are processed by the recognition algorithm in the memory 16 . meanwhile , the input images a , b , c , d , etc . are those obtained in the 32 × 32 image plates . relating to the acquired image b ″, acquired image a ″, and acquired image c ″ the processing procedure by the recognition algorithm is explained . as mentioned above , fig1 and fig1 ( fig1 ) show acquired images b ″ and a ″ of the input image b and input image a , respectively . in fig5 the user u goes to the hand washer 1 to wash hands ( see step 100 ). first , at step 101 , the acquired image b ″ while the user u is not washing hands is stored in the memory unit 16 a . next , when the user u extends hands to the bowl 4 for washing , the acquired image a ″ is taken , and the acquired image a ″ is stored in the memory unit 16 b ( see step 102 ). at step 103 , referring to the memory units 16 a , 16 b , the number of changes ( a ) of dots for composing the image is extracted . that is , in the memory 16 , the acquired image b ″ stored first in time and the acquired image a ″ stored later in time are compared , and only the position changed in the number of dots ( difference ) is extracted , so that a change image s 1 showing a dot change as shown in fig1 is obtained . for example , in fig1 , dot d 1 in black display shown in the first acquired image b ″ is also shown in the later acquired image a ″ ( see fig1 ), and hence in the change image s 1 , position p of location of dot d 1 ( see fig1 ) is displayed in white , which tells no change is made . by contrast , dot d 2 in black display shown in the acquired image a ″ ( see fig1 ) is not found at the corresponding position in the acquired image b ″ ( see fig1 ), and therefore in the change image s 1 , dot d 2 remains in black display . this invention is designed to judge if the number of dot changes ( a ) recognized in the change image s 1 is within a specified range or not ( see step 104 ). for example , the upper limit of number of dot changes ( a ) is 960 , and the lower limit is 128 . that is , at step 104 , when the number of dot changes ( a ) is judged to be within this range , a valve opening signal for opening the solenoid valve 17 is sent from the microcomputer 15 to the solenoid valve drive circuit 18 , so that water is discharged from the discharge pipe 6 ( see step 105 ). ( 1 ) in this case , the acquired image b ″ stored earlier than the acquired image a ″ is deleted , and the acquired image a ″ is moved from the memory unit 16 b into the vacated memory unit 16 a ( see step 106 ). in succession , the acquired image c ″ acquired later in time than the acquired image a ″ is stored into the vacated memory unit 16 b ( see step 107 ). further , same as at step 103 , referring to the memory units 16 a , 16 b , the number of dot changes ( a ) for composing the image is extracted ( see step 108 ). that is , in the memory 16 , the acquired image a ″ stored first in time and the acquired image c ″ stored later in time are compared , and only the position changed in the number of dots is extracted , so that a change image s 2 showing a dot change as shown in fig1 is obtained . that is , in fig1 , comparing two acquired images a ″ and c ″ as the object of detection during use of the hand washer , the change image s 2 extracting only dot changes in the acquired images a ″, c ″ is shown . in this embodiment , when the number of dot changes ( a ) in the extracted change image s 2 is 64 or more , it is judged that the hand washer is being used ( see step 109 ), and the acquired images c ″ and subsequent images are acquired continuously . when the number of dot changes ( a ) is less than 64 , a valve close signal for closing the solenoid valve 17 is sent from the microcomputer 15 to the solenoid valve drive circuit 18 ( see step 110 ). then the process returns to step 105 . ( 2 ) at step 104 , if the number of dot changes ( a ) is judged to be out of the specified range , the acquired image b ″ stored earlier than the acquired image a ″ is deleted , and the acquired image a ″ is moved from the memory unit 16 b into the vacated memory unit 16 a ( see step 111 ). then the process returns to step 102 . thus , changes in the number of dots are operated in two consecutive acquired images b ″, a ″, and a ″, c ″, and the motion of the object of sensing is detected by the difference , so that the sensing method not affected by the color of the basin 1 can be presented . at step 104 , it is judged if water can be discharged or not in non - use state ( closed state of solenoid valve 17 ). that is , when the solenoid valve 17 is closed , if the number of dot changes ( a ) is a ≧ 128 , a valve open signal is sent to the solenoid valve 17 , but the upper limit of the number of dot changes ( a ) is set at 960 because sensing control is effected visually . that is , in the environments of use , the surrounding brightness has a large influence , and in the case of a room , for example , considering a case of extinguishing of lighting , an upper limit is required in recognition value by the number of dot changes ( a ). as a result , malfunction due to lighting or extinguishing can be avoided . the number of photo detector elements used in the invention is not limited to 1024 . [ 0079 ] fig1 to fig1 show embodiment 2 of the invention in which the viewing field region ( m ′) is set so as to include only the water discharge region m 1 by using a condenser lens 30 . in fig1 to fig1 , same reference numerals as in fig1 to fig1 refer to same objects . in fig1 to fig1 , an artificial retina sensor 2 ′ has a condenser lens 30 disposed between a narrow - angle lens 7 ′ and a photo detector element array 8 . the condenser lens 30 has a function of narrowing the width in the w direction of the viewing field region ( m ) in embodiment 1 so as to include only the water discharge region m 1 , and further setting the height in the t direction in viewing field region ( m ′) higher than in the viewing field region ( m ) in embodiment 1 . the range along the t direction of the viewing field region ( m ′) is from the bottom ( g ) of the bowl 4 to the position of height h (& gt ; h ). the width in the lateral direction ( w direction ) of the viewing field region ( m ′) includes only the water discharge region m 1 . as a result , the image i of the viewing field region ( m ′) seen from the sensing window 9 is as shown in fig1 . that is , by disposing the condenser lens 30 between the narrow - angle lens 7 ′ and photo detector element array 8 , the viewing field region ( m ′) can be heightened in the height direction ( t direction ), and the viewing field region ( m ′) is set vertically long so as to include only the water discharge region m 1 . on the other hand , the narrow - angle lens 7 ′ is set to narrow the viewing field region ( m ′) of the artificial retina sensor 2 ′ as much as possible . as a result of combination of the narrow - angle lens 7 ′ and condenser lens 30 , the input image a 1 captured by the artificial retina sensor 2 ′ through the sensing window 9 is as shown in fig1 . in fig1 , ( 1 ) the input image a 1 becomes an output image a 1 ′ from the artificial retina sensor 2 ′, and is input to the microcomputer 15 . ( 2 ) in the microcomputer 15 , the output image a 1 ′ is optimized , and a recognition object image a 1 ″ is obtained . in this embodiment , since the non - discharge regions m 2 , m 3 are not included in the viewing field region m ′ of the artificial retina sensor 2 ′, useless information from the non - discharge regions m 2 , m 3 can be omitted . accordingly , the recognition object image ( acquired image ) a 1 ″ obtained in the artificial retina sensor 2 ′ is sharper , and the motion of hands of the user u in the water discharge region m 1 can be judged more accurately , so that malfunction can be prevented securely . the invention is not limited to the hand washer , but may be applied to flush urinal and other lavatories . the first to fourth aspects of the invention using one artificial retina sensor have been explained so far . in fifth and sixth aspects of the invention , a plurality of artificial retina sensors are used as explained below . [ 0088 ] fig1 to fig2 refer to embodiment 3 of the invention configured so as to monitor the user u of a flush urinal 31 from a position immediately above the flush urinal 31 , by disposing a pair of artificial retina sensors 2 right , 2 left at right and left positions of a water feed piping 32 of the flush urinal 31 so that the central axes x 1 , x 2 of the viewing field regions ( light receiving regions ) m , m may be parallel to each other . in fig1 to fig2 , same reference numerals as in fig1 to fig1 refer to same objects . in fig1 and fig2 , the automatic water feed mechanism comprises the flush urinal 31 , two artificial retina sensors 2 right , 2 left having a camera function , and a control unit 3 ′ for controlling the water feed operation of the flush urinal 31 on the basis of outputs from the artificial retina sensors 2 right , 2 left . the artificial retina sensor 2 right is positioned at the right side of the front of the flush urinal 31 , and the artificial retina sensor 2 left is positioned at the left side of the front of the flush urinal 31 . the two artificial retina sensors 2 right , 2 left are provided because the user u of the flush urinal 31 as the object of sensing can be recognized securely with a perspective sense as compared with the case of one artificial retina sensor . the flush urinal 31 is installed in a vertical state on a front side 34 a of a wall 34 . reference numeral 32 is a water feed piping , which projects upward from the top of the flush urinal 31 , and is bent to the wall side , and is connected to a piping 36 disposed at the rear side 34 b of the wall 34 . that is , the downstream end of the water feed piping 32 is connected to the flush urinal side , and the upstream end is connected to the piping 36 . the structure of the artificial retina sensors 2 right , 2 left is as shown in fig2 , which is same as the structure of the artificial retina sensor 2 shown in fig2 . in fig2 , a is an image seen from the sensing window 9 of , for example , the artificial retina sensor 2 right . that is , a is an input image captured by the artificial retina sensor 2 right . the processing steps of the image seen from the sensing window 9 of the artificial retina sensor 2 right are explained below while referring to fig1 and fig2 . in fig1 and fig2 , ( 1 ) the input image a becomes an output image a ′ from the artificial retina sensor 2 right , and is input to the microcomputer 15 . ( 2 ) in the microcomputer 15 , the output image a ′ is optimized , and a recognition object image is acquired . as optimizing process , for example , when binary processing ( black and white processing ) is done , a recognition object image a ″ as shown in fig2 is obtained . as described below , the black display shows the presence of an object ( the user u ), and the white display indicates the presence of the flush urinal 31 . ( 3 ) this recognition object image ( hereinafter called acquired image ) a ″ is stored into the memory 16 from the microcomputer 15 . on the other hand , fig2 is a diagram explaining the water feed operation of the flush urinal 31 when the user u approaches the flush urinal 31 . [ 0098 ] fig2 ( a ) shows an acquired image p r1 ″ corresponding to the input image p ( not shown ) captured by the artificial retina sensor 2 right and an acquired image q l1 ″ corresponding to the input image q ( not shown ) captured by the artificial retina sensor 2 left , when the user u of the flush urinal 31 is at a remote position . naturally , these acquired images p r1 ″ and q l1 ″ correspond to the images seen at the same time from the sensing windows 9 , 9 . in fig2 ( a ), for example , the flush urinal 31 and the user u of the flush urinal 31 are apart by a distance corresponding to length l 1 . as mentioned above , for example , the acquired image p r1 ″ is an acquired image obtained as a result of optimizing process ( for example , binary processing ) of the output image p ′ as the input image p is input to the microcomputer 15 through the output image p ′ ( not shown ) from the artificial retina sensor 2 right . since the user u is away , the input image p and input image q are nearly same and there is few mutual change . [ 0099 ] fig2 ( b ) shows an acquired image p r2 ″ corresponding to the input image p ″ ( not shown ) captured by the artificial retina sensor 2 right and an acquired image q l2 ″ corresponding to the input image q ″ ( not shown ) captured by the artificial retina sensor 2 left , when the user u approaches the flush urinal 31 . naturally , these acquired images p r2 ″, p r1 ″ and acquired images q l2 ″, q l1 ″ are mutually consecutive images . that is , fig2 ( b ) shows the acquired images p r2 ″, q l2 ″, for example , when the distance between the flush urinal 31 and the user u of the flush urinal 31 is shortened to a distance corresponding to length l 2 (& lt ; l 1 ). as mentioned above , for example , the acquired image p r2 ″ is an acquired image obtained as a result of optimizing process ( for example , binary processing ) of the output image p ′″ as the input image p ″ is input to the microcomputer 15 through the output image p ′″ ( not shown ) from the artificial retina sensor 2 right , but as compared with the case of fig2 ( a ), since the user u is closer to the flush urinal 31 , the acquired image p r2 ″ and acquired image q l2 ″ are mutually different . [ 0101 ] fig2 ( c ) shows an acquired image pr 3 ″ and an acquired image ql 3 ″ when the user u approaches more closely to the flush urinal 31 as compared with the case in fig2 ( b ). naturally , these acquired images p r3 ″, p r2 ″ and acquired images q l3 ″, q l2 ″ are mutually consecutive images . that is , fig2 ( c ) shows the acquired image p r3 ″ corresponding to the input image captured by the artificial retina sensor 2 right and acquired image q l3 ′ corresponding to the input image captured by the artificial retina sensor 2 left , when the distance between the flush urinal 31 and the user u of the flush urinal 31 is shortened further to a distance corresponding to , for example , length l 3 (& lt ; l 2 & lt ; l 1 ). as mentioned above , for example , the acquired image p r3 ″ is an acquired image obtained as a result of optimizing process ( for example , binary processing ) of the output image as the input image seen from the sensing window 9 is input to the microcomputer 15 through the output image from the artificial retina sensor 2 right . however , as compared with the case of fig2 ( b ), since the user u is further closer to the flush urinal 31 , the image of the user u appears on the entire surface of the input image seen from the sensing window 9 , and , as mentioned below , since artificial retina sensors 2 right , 2 left are disposed at right and left symmetrical positions so that the central axes x 1 , x 2 of the viewing field regions ( light receiving regions ) m , m may be parallel to each other , in the acquired image p r3 ′ and the acquired image q l3 ″, the image portions 200 , 201 corresponding to the image of the user u are nearly covering the entire area , the image portions 200 , 201 are mutually positioned asymmetrically . further , the two artificial retina sensors 2 right , 2 left are disposed at right and left symmetrical positions on both sides of the water feed piping 32 ( see fig2 ). for example , a fixing plate ( not shown ) for fixing the artificial retina sensors 2 right , 2 left is installed at the front side 34 a of the wall 34 , and the two artificial retina sensors 2 right , 2 left are fitted to the fixing plate with the sensing windows 9 , 9 facing the direction vertical to the front side 34 a of the wall 34 . in this embodiment , as shown in fig2 , the artificial retina sensors 2 right , 2 left are disposed at right and left symmetrical positions on both sides of the water feed piping 32 so that the central axes x 1 , x 2 of the viewing field regions ( light receiving regions ) m , m may be parallel to each other . then a box - shaped cover 35 c having openings 9 a , 9 a [ see fig2 ( c )] where the two sensing windows 9 , 9 are positioned is fitted to the fixing plate , and the two artificial retina sensors 2 right , 2 left are covered . in this embodiment , the artificial retina sensors 2 right , 2 left having 1024 ( 32 × 32 ) pixels ( dots ) are used , but other two artificial retina sensors having a different number of pixels ( dots ) may be also used in the present invention . the control unit 31 of the embodiment is same in configuration as the control unit 3 shown in fig1 . referring now to examples of the acquired image p r1 ″ ( hereinafter called lsi { circle over ( 1 )} image ), acquired image ql 1 ″ ( lsi { circle over ( 2 )} image ), the acquired image p r2 ″ ( lsi { circle over ( 3 )} image ), acquired image q l2 ″ ( lsi { circle over ( 4 )} image ), acquired image p r3 ″ ( lsi { circle over ( 5 )} image ), and acquired image q l3 ′ ( lsi { circle over ( 6 )} image ), procedure of processing by recognition algorithm is explained . in fig2 ( a ) and fig2 , the user u goes to the flush urinal 31 ( see step 120 ). first , as shown at step 121 , while the user u is away from the flush urinal 31 by a distance corresponding to length l 1 , of the two lsi images , for example , lsi { circle over ( 1 )} image is stored in the memory unit 16 a and lsi { circle over ( 2 )} image is stored in the memory unit 16 b . in fig2 ( a ), the image portion 300 ( black portion ) corresponding to the image of the user u in the lsi { circle over ( 1 )} image is supposed to be composed of m dots . similarly , the image portion 301 ( black portion ) corresponding to the image of the user u in the lsi { circle over ( 2 )} image is supposed to be composed of n dots . at step 122 , the memory units 16 a , 16 b are referred to , the change in the number of dots is calculated , and the number of dot changes ( a ) (= absolute value \| m − n \|) is extracted . ( 1 ) overlapping the lsi { circle over ( 1 )} image and lsi { circle over ( 2 )} image , if there is an overlapping portion of image portions 300 , 301 , it means to calculate so as to delete the overlapping portion and maintain the non - overlapping portions of image portions 300 , 301 . that is , it means to calculate the absolute value \| m − n \|, and ( 2 ) as shown , for example , in fig2 ( a ) below , if there is no overlapping portion of image portions 300 a , 301 a by overlapping the lsi { circle over ( 1 )} image and lsi { circle over ( 2 )} image , it means to calculate to maintain the both portions 300 a , 301 a . that is , it means to calculate the number of dot changes ( a ) (= number of dots g for composing image portion 300 a + number of dots h for composing image portion 301 a ). as a result of the calculation , the change image s 1 shown in fig2 ( a ) is obtained . as recognized in this change image s 1 , the number of dot changes ( a ) presumed to be displayed in black is hardly observed . this is because the user u is away from the flush urinal 31 , the central axes x 1 , x 2 of the viewing field regions ( light receiving regions ) m , m are parallel to each other , and the artificial retina sensors 2 right , 2 left are disposed at right and left symmetrical positions , and therefore the image portions 300 , 301 are composed of a nearly same number of dots ( m being nearly equal to n ), and are present at the same position . the present invention is configured to judge if the number of dot changes ( a ) recognized in the change image s 1 is within a specified range or not ( see step 123 ). for example , the upper limit of the number of dot changes ( a ) (= absolute value \| m − n \|) is 960 , and the lower limit is set at 64 . that is , at step 123 , when the absolute value \| m − n \| is judged to be in a range of 960 ≧ number of dot changes ( a )≧ 64 , a valve open signal for opening the solenoid valve 17 is sent from the microcomputer 15 to the solenoid valve drive circuit 18 , and water is discharged from the water feed piping 32 , but since the number of dot changes ( a ) (= m − n ≈ 0 ) recognized in the change image s 1 is smaller than or equal to the lower limit , and the process returns to step 121 , and newly acquired images shown in fig2 ( b ), that is , lsi { circle over ( 3 )} image and lsi { circle over ( 4 )} image are stored , for example , in the memory unit 16 a and memory unit 16 b , respectively . in this case , the already stored images lsi { circle over ( 1 )} image and lsi { circle over ( 2 )} image are deleted . successively , at step 122 , the memory units 16 a , 16 b are referred to , and the number of changes of the number of dots m ′ for composing the image portion 400 ( black portion ) corresponding to the image of the user u in the lsi { circle over ( 3 )} image and the number of dots n ′ for composing the image portion 401 ( black portion ) corresponding to the image of the user u in the lsi { circle over ( 4 )} image are calculated , and the number of dot changes ( a ) (= absolute value \| m ′− n ′\|) is extracted . in this case , too , overlapping the lsi { circle over ( 3 )} image and lsi { circle over ( 4 )} image , the overlapping portion is deleted , and a change image s 2 as shown in fig2 ( b ) is obtained . in this case , too , the number of dot changes ( a ) of the change image s 2 judged at step 123 is smaller than or equal to the lower limit , and the process returns to step 121 again . the lsi { circle over ( 3 )} image and lsi { circle over ( 4 )} image stored in the memory unit 16 a and memory unit 16 b are deleted , and newly acquired images shown in fig2 ( c ), that is , lsi { circle over ( 5 )} image and lsi { circle over ( 6 )} image are stored , for example , in the memory unit 16 a and memory unit 16 b , respectively . successively , at step 122 , the memory units 16 a , 16 b are referred to , and the number of changes of the number of dots m ″ for composing the image portion 200 ( black portion ) corresponding to the image of the user u in the lsi { circle over ( 5 )} image and the number of dots n ″ for composing the image portion 201 ( black portion ) corresponding to the image of the user u in the lsi { circle over ( 6 )} image are calculated , and the number of dot changes ( a ) (= absolute value \| n ″− n ″\|) is extracted . in this case , too , overlapping the lsi { circle over ( 5 )} image and lsi { circle over ( 6 )} image , the overlapping portion is deleted , and a change image s 3 as shown in fig2 ( c ) is obtained . in this case , at step 123 , the absolute value \| m ″− n ″\| is judged to be within a range of 960 ≧ number of dot changes ( a )≧ 64 . accordingly , at step 124 , a valve open signal for opening the solenoid valve 17 is sent from the microcomputer 15 to the solenoid valve drive circuit 18 , and water is discharged from the water feed piping 32 . during discharge of water , newly acquired novel images ( consecutive image ) not shown are stored in the memory unit 16 a and memory unit 16 b from which the lsi { circle over ( 5 )} image and lsi { circle over ( 6 )} image are deleted ( see step 125 ). the novel images are respectively lsi { circle over ( 7 )} image and lsi { circle over ( 8 )} image , and the number of dot changes ( a ) is judged similarly . that is , in the water discharge state , at step 126 , the memory units 16 a , 16 b are referred to , and the number of changes of the number of dots m ′″ for composing the image portion corresponding to the image of the user u in the lsi { circle over ( 7 )} image ( not shown ) and the number of dots n ′″ for composing the image portion corresponding to the image of the user u in the lsi { circle over ( 8 )} image ( not shown ) are calculated , and the number of dot changes ( a ) (= absolute value \| m ′″− n ′″\|) is extracted . in this case , if the absolute value \| m ′″− n ′″\| exceeds , for example , 64 , it is judged that the user u leaves the flush urinal 31 ( see step 127 ), and the microcomputer 15 sends a valve close signal to the solenoid valve 17 ( see step 128 ). on the other hand , if the absolute value \| m ′″− n ′″\| is , for example , less than 64 , it is judged that the user u still remains at the flush urinal 31 ( see step 127 ), and the valve open signal continues to be transmitted , and the process returns to step 125 . [ 0124 ] fig2 shows an example of water feed operation . when the user u approaches the flush urinal 31 within 55 cm , a green lamp lights for 1 second [ see fig2 ( a )], and in about another 1 second , the flush urinal 31 is prewashed for 2 seconds [ see fig2 ( b )]. after use , when the user u leaves the flush urinal 31 , the flush urinal 31 is washed for 6 seconds [ see fig2 ( c )]. moreover , to prevent drying of discharge pipe of the flush urinal 31 if the flush urinal 31 is not used for a long period , it is automatically flushed in every 24 hours . [ 0125 ] fig2 to fig2 refer to embodiment 4 of the present invention configured so as to monitor the user u of a flush urinal 31 from a position immediately above the flush urinal 31 , by disposing a pair of artificial retina sensors 2 right , 2 left at right and left positions of a water feed piping 32 of the flush urinal 31 so that the central axes x 1 , x 2 of the viewing field regions ( light receiving regions ) m , m may intersect each other . in fig2 to fig2 , same reference numerals as in fig1 to fig2 refer to same or equivalent objects . in fig2 ( a ) and fig2 , the user u goes to the flush urinal 31 ( see step 500 ). first , as shown at step 501 , while the user u is away from the flush urinal 31 by a distance corresponding to length l 1 , of the two lsi images , for example , lsi { circle over ( 1 )} image is stored in the memory unit 16 a and lsi { circle over ( 2 )} image is stored in the memory unit 16 b . in fig2 ( a ), the image portion 300 a ( black portion ) corresponding to the image of the user u in the lsi { circle over ( 1 )} image is supposed to be composed of g dots . similarly , the image portion 301 a ( black portion ) corresponding to the image of the user u in the lsi { circle over ( 2 )} image is supposed to be composed of h dots . at step 502 , the memory units 16 a , 16 b are referred to , and the change in the number of dots ( a ) is extracted . in this case , different from above - mentioned embodiment 3 , in embodiment 4 , since the artificial retina sensors 2 right , 2 left are disposed at right and left positions of the water feed piping 32 of the flush urinal 31 so that the central axes x 1 , x 2 of the viewing field regions ( light receiving regions ) m , m may intersect each other , the image portion 300 a and image portion 301 b are mutually composed of nearly same number pixels ( g ≈ h ), but are not located at the same position as in above - mentioned embodiment 3 as shown in fig2 ( a ), but are present at mutually exact opposite positions as shown in fig2 ( a ). that is , the change image f 1 obtained as a result of calculation of the number ofdot changes is exactly same as the remaining of the image portion 300 a and image portion 301 a . next , at step 503 , when the number of dot changes ( a ) recognized in the change image f 1 is judged to be less than 64 , a valve open signal for opening the solenoid valve 17 is transmitted to the solenoid valve drive circuit 18 from the microcomputer 15 , and water is discharged from the water feed pipe 32 , but since the number of dot changes ( a ) recognized in the change image f 1 is more than or equal to 64 , going back to step 501 , newly acquired novel images shown in fig2 ( b ), that is , lsi { circle over ( 3 )} image and lsi { circle over ( 4 )} image are stored , for example , in the memory unit 16 a and memory unit 16 b respectively . in this case , the previously stored lsi { circle over ( 1 )} image and lsi { circle over ( 2 )} image are deleted . successively , at step 502 , the memory units 16 a , 16 b are referred to , and the number of changes ( a ) of the number of dots g ′ for composing the image portion 400 ( black portion ) corresponding to the image of the user u in the lsi { circle over ( 3 )} image and the number of dots h ′ for composing the image portion 401 ( black portion ) corresponding to the image of the user u in the lsi { circle over ( 4 )} image are extracted . in this case , in fig2 ( b ) same as in fig2 ( a ), although the image portion 400 a and image portion 401 a are composed of a nearly same number of dots ( g ′≈ h ′), as shown in fig2 ( b ), the image portion 400 and image portion 401 are notpartly overlapped , but the image portion 400 a and image portion 401 a are separate from each other , and the change image f 2 obtained as a result of calculation of the number of dot changes ( a ) is same as the remaining of the image portion 400 a and image portion 401 a . in this case , too , the number of dot changes ( a ) of the change image f 2 is more than or equal to 64 , and the process returns to step 501 again . after the lsi { circle over ( 3 )} image and lsi { circle over ( 4 )} image stored in the memory unit 16 a and memory unit 16 b , respectively , are deleted , newly acquired novel images shown in fig2 ( c ), that is , lsi { circle over ( 5 )} image and lsi { circle over ( 6 )} image are stored , for example , in the memory unit 16 a and memory unit 16 b , respectively . again , at step 502 , the memory units 16 a , 16 b are referred to , and the number of changes ( a ) is extracted from the number of dots g ″ for composing the image portion 200 a ( black portion ) corresponding to the image of the user u in the lsi { circle over ( 5 )} image and the number of dots h ″ for composing the image portion 201 a ( black portion ) corresponding to the image of the user u in the lsi { circle over ( 6 )} image . in this case , since the user u is further approaching the flush urinal 31 , the image of the user u is shown in the entire area of the image seen from the sensing window 9 , and the image portions 200 a , 201 a cover almost the entire area , and the image portions 200 a , 201 a are located nearly at same position . hence , by overlapping lsi { circle over ( 5 )} image and lsi { circle over ( 6 )} image , the image portions 200 a , 201 a are overlapped almost completely . hence , as recognized in the change image f 3 obtained as a result of calculation , the number of dot changes ( a ) presumed to be shown in black is hardly recognized . herein , the number of dot changes ( a ) recognized in the change image f 1 at step 503 is judged to be less than 64 , and a valve open signal for opening the solenoid valve 17 ( see step 504 ) is sent from the microcomputer 15 to the solenoid valve drive circuit 18 , so that water is discharged from the water feed pipe 32 . during discharge of water , newly acquired novel images ( consecutive images ) not shown are stored in the memory unit 16 a and memory 16 b , respectively , from which the lsi { circle over ( 5 )} image and lsi { circle over ( 6 )} image have been deleted ( see step 505 ). the novel images are lsi { circle over ( 7 )} image and lsi { circle over ( 8 )} image , and the number of dot changes ( a ) is similarly judged . that is , in the water discharge state , at step 506 , the memory units 16 a , 16 b are referred to , and the number of changes ( a ) is extracted . in this case , if the number of dot changes ( a ) is less than 64 , it is judged that the user u is away from the flush urinal ( see step 507 ), and the microcomputer 15 sends a valve close signal to the solenoid valve 17 ( see step 508 ). if the number of dot changes ( a ) is over 64 , on the other hand , it is judged that the user u is not away from the flush urinal 31 ( see step 507 ), and the transmission of valve open signal continues , and the process returns to step 505 . in the present invention , the number of photo detector elements is , natually , not limited to 1024 . also , the present invention is not limited to the flush urinal , but may be applied in the hand washer and other lavatories .	4
the invention provides a trolling plate design that releases reliably and automatically when water pressure generated by a propeller exceeds a selected threshold . fig1 shows a perspective view of a trolling plate set in a substantially vertical orientation , referred to as the &# 34 ; trolling position &# 34 ;. trolling plate assembly 20 includes mounting bracket or base 22 . base 22 is configured for mounting on the cavitation plate of an outboard motor . plate member 24 is pivotally connected to brace 22 via two lateral support bars 26 , only one of which can be seen in fig1 . lateral support bar 26 is pivotally connected to base 22 so that it can pivot around inside axis 28 . at its other end , lateral support bar 26 is pivotally mounted to plate member 24 so that it is free to pivot around outside axis 30 . ramp 40 is mounted on the inside of plate member 24 , intermediately between lateral support bars 26 . a bolt or threaded member 42 is accessible from the back of plate member 24 and threads through plate member 24 to contact ramp 40 . adjustment of bolt 42 alters the angle of ramp 40 relative to plate member 24 . curved bumper member or roller 44 is mounted on cylinder 45 between the sides of base 22 . roller 44 is aligned with ramp 40 so that ramp 40 and bumper 44 contact and move ( slide or roll ) relative to each other when force is applied to the inside surface of plate member 24 . rigid bar 46 extends obliquely upward from the upper inside surface of plate member 24 . lanyard 50 is connected to cable 52 which is linked to distal tip 54 of bar 46 and also to ring 56 which is affixed to axle 58 . detent 60 is secured near the center of axle 58 such that ring 56 and detent 60 rotate together with rotation of axle 58 . a pair of cables 62 connect cylinder 45 to plate member 24 . cables 62 prevent plate member 24 from being drawn into a propeller when the engine is placed in reverse . fig2 is a top view of trolling plate 20 of fig1 . most of the details shown in fig2 have already been discussed in reference to fig1 . rigid extensions such as bolts 63 function as stops limiting upward movement of lateral support bars 26 . in fig1 and 2 , plate member 24 is positioned where it will be when there is no significant force being exerted on plate member 24 except for gravity , i . e ., where plate member 24 is located when the motor is turned off . in this location , ramp 40 and roller 44 are not in contact . when the motor is placed in forward , ramp 40 moves into contact with roller 44 . an important feature of the invention is the mechanism which enables a person to alter or fine - tune the assembly so that it will release in response to a threshold amount of water pressure that suits the particular motor or trolling situation . when trolling with a large motor , the release setting is adjusted so that a relatively large amount of water pressure is required to push the plate member into the non - trolling position . this is because a large motor trolls at higher horsepower than a small motor . if the plate is set at a minimal release threshold , then water pressure generated by the large engine propeller at its trolling speed may cause the plate to rotate out of its trolling position at the wrong time . however , if the trolling plate is being used behind a small engine that is capable of trolling at significantly lower horsepower , then it is desirable to adjust the release setting so that the plate moves to its non - trolling position in response to a smaller amount of water pressure from the propeller . fig3 and 4 show the trolling plate responding to different amounts of water pressure at two different ramp angles relative to plate member 24 . force vectors in fig3 and 4 are not drawn to scale , but are used to illustrate relative differences in the function of trolling plate assembly 20 at different settings . in each of fig3 and 4 , ramp 40 and plate member 24 are shown in three different positions rotating around roller 44 in response to water pressure generated by propeller 65 . in fig3 and 4 , positions a and aa , shown in solid lines , are trolling positions for two different ramp settings . positions b and bb , drawn in dashed lines , show plate member 24 and ramp 40 , moved upward relative to roller 44 , at or near the trip - point . positions c and cc , shown in dash - dot lines , show locations of ramp 40 and plate member 24 after passing the trip - point , rotating toward the substantially horizontal non - trolling position . in fig3 trolling plate assembly 20 is adjusted for use behind a large outboard motor . ramp 40 forms angle α 1 with plate member 24 . propeller 65 generates water pressure against plate member 24 causing clock - wise torque t 1 on lateral support bar 26 around axis 28 . plate member 24 moves upward relative to base 22 because the only way for plate member 24 to gain any distance from propeller 65 is to move upward along with clock - wise rotation of support bar 26 toward parallel orientation with base 22 . as bar 26 approaches parallel , progressively more force is required to move plate member 24 upward . angled ramp 40 substantially impedes or counter - forces against upward movement of plate member 24 because roller 44 applies force f n normal to the surface of ramp 40 . f n has a vertical force component f i that is directed downward countering or impeding upward movement of plate member 24 . consequently , a relatively large upward force f is required to elevate plate member 24 distance d 1 to the trip - point position b . in contrast , as shown in fig4 a relatively small angle α 2 is formed between ramp 40 and plate member 24 . the small magnitude of angle α 2 causes ramp 40 to be less of an impedance or counter - force against upward movement of plate member 24 . roller 44 exerts force fnn normal to the surface of ramp 40 . f nn has a downward vertical force component f ii which is much smaller than fi in fig3 . when propeller 65 speeds up substantially above its trolling speed , water pressure exerted against the inside surface of plate member 24 causes torque t 2 on lateral support bar 26 around axis 28 . since ramp 40 is minimally angled to provide less impedance ( f ii ) against upward movement of plate member 24 , a relatively small amount of upward force f 2 is required to move plate member 24 upward by distance d 2 to the trip - point position bb . f 1 in fig3 is substantially greater than f 2 in fig4 while d 1 and d 2 are approximately equal . fig5 shows a bar graph illustrating the relative amounts of work ( w . sub . α1 = f 1 × d 1 , w . sub . α2 = f 2 × d 2 ) required to push plate member 24 to trip - point positions b and bb , respectively , depending on the angles ( α 1 and α 2 ) formed between ramp 40 and plate member 24 . fig6 and 7 illustrate use of lanyard 50 to pull plate member 24 up from its trolling position . once plate member 24 is pulled to the trip - point , then water pressure causes plate member 24 to complete rotation around roller 44 to the non - trolling position . as shown in fig6 bar 46 is connected to the inside surface of plate member 24 , and rests on cylinder 45 . cable 52 is connected to distal tip 54 of bar 46 . a person in the boat can pull on lanyard 50 , causing bar 46 to act as a lever on fulcrum cylinder 45 , thereby pulling plate member 24 up and over the trip - point , as shown in fig7 . fig8 and 9 show how detent 60 secures plate member 24 in its non - trolling position , and how lanyard 50 can be pulled on to cause release of the detent securing mechanism . in fig8 plate member 24 has rotated to an approximately horizontal position in which protrusion 68 of detent 60 hooks over plate member 24 , thus holding plate member 24 in its non - trolling position . detent 60 is urged forward to engage plate member 24 , by spring 72 which is contacted and bent by ramp 40 . spring 72 is anchored to a lower portion of detent 60 . as shown in fig9 a person can tug on lanyard 50 , thereby causing clock - wise rotation of axle 58 and detent 60 . when plate member 24 is unhitched by detent 60 , it rotates counter - clock - wise , primarily under gravitational force , toward the trolling position . preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail . however , it is apparent that many modifications of the invention are also possible . for example , the positions of the ramp and roller can be switched . the ramp can be connected to the base of the trolling plate assembly , while the roller is connected to the plate member . there are also other ways to make the trolling plate assembly adjustable for different motor sizes . for example , the ramp angle can be permanently fixed , while the orientation of the lateral support bars can be adjustable . the connection points between the lateral support bars and the plate member can be adjustable vertically . alternatively , the connection points between the lateral support bars and the base can be adjustable horizontally . further , the vertical position of either the ramp or the roller could be adjusted to cause the trip - point to be reached sooner or later in the plate &# 39 ; s rotation . moving the roller down in the configuration shown in fig3 would cause the plate member to trip more quickly , thus serving a smaller motor . conversely , moving the roller up would require the motor to drive the plate further up ( and the lateral support bars to a more horizontal position ) before tripping , hence serving a larger motor .	1
phasing plugs perform two functions . first , the phasing plug provides acoustic load , i . e ., acoustic amplification to the throat of the horn . this is done through acoustic impedance matching , and generally depends on the compression ratio and the distance between the diaphragm and the phasing plug . therefore , to match the impedance , the height of the dome formed in the phasing plug and the width of the slots both need to be accurate because the height of the dome affects the distance between the diaphragm and the phasing plug ; and the width of the slots affects the compression ratio . put differently , because the cross - sectional area of the slots ( or air channel inlets ) are smaller than the area of the diaphragm , the air between the diaphragm and the phasing plug ( i . e ., the compression region ) can be compressed to relatively high pressures by motion of the diaphragm . this allows a compression driver to output sound at greater pressure levels than conventional loudspeakers where the diaphragm radiates directly into the air . the efficiency of the loudspeaker is thus increased by virtue of the phasing plug being placed in close opposition to the diaphragm to minimize the volume of air between the diaphragm and the phasing plug . second , the phasing plug provides equalized path length to its orifice so that all of the transmitted sounds are in phase . without such path length equalization , sound waves emanating from the different air channels or air passages would constructively or destructively interfere with one another at certain frequencies to distort the overall frequency response . to minimize such distortion and to maximize the impedance matching , the two - stage phasing plug needs to be manufactured to a tight dimensional tolerance . in other words , the path length will be eschewed , if the dimensions deviate from the specified dimensions and , therefore , distortion will occur . moreover , the shape and height of the dome and the width of the slots on the rear side ( the side adjacent to the diaphragm ) of the first phasing plug that create the acoustic impedance matching need to be accurate for the two - stage phasing plug to perform properly . fig1 illustrates a general overview of a compression driver 100 having a two - stage phasing plug assembly 102 and a diaphragm 104 adapted to couple to a horn 106 . the two - stage phasing plug assembly 102 , comprised of the first phasing plug 108 and the second phasing plug 110 , is adapted to couple to the throat 112 of the horn 106 . the diaphragm 104 may be adapted to be juxtaposed to the first phasing plug 108 to drive air through the two - stage phasing plug assembly and then to the throat 112 of the horn 106 . to manufacture a two - stage phasing plug with tight tolerances in the critical areas , the two - stage phasing plug 102 may be divided into two pieces comprising a first phasing plug 108 and a second phasing plug 110 . the first phasing plug 108 may be made from a unitary work - piece and is machined to shape the dome surface 114 and its height and may be cut to form the slots ( see also fig2 - 6 ). in other words , tolerances can be tightly held because the first phasing plug is machined from a unitary work - piece . with regard to the second phasing plug 110 , the accuracy may not be as critical as the dimensional requirements in the first phasing plug . therefore , the second phasing plug may be assembled from a number of components made of less expensive material , such as plastic , paper material or any material and allows for materials having lower tolerances . alternatively , the first phasing plug may be assembled from a number of pieces that are glued or fitted together and adapted to associate with the second phasing plug . also , the second phasing plug may be made from a unitary work - piece as well . fig2 illustrates a cross - sectional view of the two - stage phasing plug assembled within the compression driver 100 . a cover 202 encloses the entire assembly . the diaphragm 200 may be adjacent or juxtaposed to the first phasing plug 108 . moreover , the second phasing plug 110 may be flush within the first phasing plug 108 to form the two - stage phasing plug assembly . in this embodiment , a three circular slots 204 , 206 , and 208 may be formed between the first and second phasing plugs 108 , 110 to form air passages or channels so that air between the diaphragm 200 and the first phasing plug 108 may be compressed through the three slots . compressed air then exit through the throat of the horn . as illustrated in fig3 , the first phasing plug 108 may have a rear side 300 and a first intermediate side 302 . in this embodiment , the rear side 300 may have a convex or dome shape , while the first intermediate side 302 may have a concave shape . on the first intermediate side 302 , the first phasing plug 108 has a cavity 308 adapted to receive the second phasing plug 110 . the cavity 308 may have a cylindrical shape having a diameter “ d ” and the intermediate side 302 forming a base for the cavity 308 . moreover , the first phasing plug 108 has a flange 304 adapted to couple to the throat 112 of the horn 106 illustrated in fig1 . to do so , the flange 304 has a threaded opening 306 to receive a bolt to couple to the throat 112 of the horn . fig4 illustrates a plurality of slots , three circular slots 204 , 206 , and 208 in this embodiment , formed between the rear and first intermediate sides 300 and 302 . moreover , the three slots 204 , 206 , and 208 have a substantially similar slot length l between the rear and first intermediate sides 300 and 302 . the slots forming the air channels may expand from the rear side 300 to the first intermediate side 302 . that is , the width of the cut on the rear side 300 may be smaller than the width of the cut on the first intermediate side 302 . besides the slots , a pair of indentations 400 may be made forming a first bridge 402 between the pair of indentation so that the inner plate 404 is not cut away from the first phasing plug 108 because of the slot 204 . similar indentations and bridges may be made to hold a center plate 406 and an outer plate 408 in place . the plurality of slots form air passages or channels so that air between the diaphragm and the rear side 300 may be compressed into the plurality of slots . the radial distance δ 1 generally represents the radial diameter of the first slot 204 . the radial distance δ 2 separates the two slots 204 and 206 . the radial distance δ 3 separates the two slots 206 and 208 . the radial distances δ 1 , δ 2 , and δ 3 may be substantially similar to the wavelength of the highest frequency the two stage - phasing plug 100 needs to produce such that any cancellation , if at all , occurs at the highest frequency possible outside of the audio band . that is , as the diaphragm compresses , air pressure waves are formed , and some of the pressure waves takes a longer path to the slots than other pressure waves . for instance , pressure waves at the center of two slots must travel , half of the radial distance , i . e ., δ / 2 , further than pressure waves near the same two slots . if distance δ / 2 is equal to one - half of the wavelength , then the pressure waves at δ / 2 distance from any of the slots are out of phase with the pressure waves near the slots , thus canceling each other . put differently , “ standing waves ” as generally known to one skilled in the art , typically occur in the cavity between the diaphragm and the rear side 300 of the first phasing plug 108 , which can interfere with or cancel the pressure waves passing through the slots in the phasing plug . to minimize the interference from the standing waves , the radial distances δ 1 , δ 2 , and δ 3 may be positioned on the rear side 300 of the first phasing plug 108 based on a methodology developed by bob smith in a paper entitled “ an investigation of the air chamber of horn type loudspeakers ” jasa , vol . 25 , no . 2 , published march of 1953 , that is incorporated by reference into this application . any one of the modes may be suppressed by making the horn throat an annulus which is located at the node , of this mode . if it is necessary to suppress two modes , two annuluses ( slots ) are required . these annuluses can be located at the nodes of the second mode and thus do not excite it . each annulus does excite the first node , but the excitation by the second annulus is out of phase with that of the first annulus . by suitable choice of annulus widths , complete cancellation of the first mode results . thus , the first two modes are suppressed . the process can be carried out for any number of annuluses , i . e ., in the general casae of “ m ” annuluses the first “ m ” modes can be suppressed . the air chamber theory developed here suggests the following design procedure : the diaphragm size is selected by the power requirements of the loudspeaker . one then computes the frequencies of the modes associated with this diaphragm from eq . ( 13 ), decides how many modes have to be suppressed , and chooses this number of annuluses . the radii of these annuluses are determined from eq . ( 26 ) and the relative widths from the set of eqs . ( 25 ). λ 1 = 1 . 64 a , λ 2 = 0 . 896 a , λ 3 = 0 . 618 a , λ 4 = 0 . 471 a . the first a modes can be suppressed by letting “ j ” take on integral values from 1 to m . this produces a set of simultaneous equations : a 1 j o ( k 1 r 1 ) . . . a m j o ( k 1 r m )= 0 a 1 j o ( k m r 1 ) . . . a m j o ( k m r m )= 0 ( 25 ) any set of annulus areas and radii which satisfy eq . ( 25 ) will suppress the first m modes . one way of doing this is to choose the radii such that j o ( k m r i )= 0 i = 1 , . . . m , ( 26 ) i . e ., choose the radii to be at the nodes of the “ m ” th mode of jo . this reduces eq . ( 25 ) to “ m − 1 ” equations . these equations can be solved simultaneously for the area of each annulus . for the case of one , two , or three annulus the proper radii and widths of annulus are for m = 1 : r 1 = 0 . 628a and ω 1 arbitrary ; for m = 2 : r 1 = 0 . 334a , r 2 = 0 . 788a , ω 1 arbitrary , and ω 2 = 1 . 004ω 1 ; for m = 3 : r 1 = 0 . 238a , r 2 = 0 . 543a , r 3 = 0 . 853a , ω 1 arbitrary , ω 2 = 1 . 025ω 1 , and ω 3 = 1 . 065ω 1 . in general , incorporating more slots in the phasing plug further suppresses the lower frequency standing waves . alternatively , with enough slots in the phasing plug , the occurrence of the standing waves may be outside of the audio band such that the interference may not be noticeable to a listener at all . as such , the radial distances δ 1 , δ 2 , and δ 3 each may vary depending on the application of the compression driver . in general , the benefit of having more slots is balanced with the increase in cost associated with incorporating more slots into the phasing plug . for example , the first phasing plug 108 according to fig4 may have the following exemplary dimensions . the slot width for the slot 204 on the rear side 28 may be from about 0 . 02 inches to about 0 . 10 inches , and in particular about 0 . 06 inches ; while on the first intermediate side 302 , the width of the slot 204 may be from about 0 . 02 inches to about 0 . 15 inches , and in particular about 0 . 077 inches . the width for slots 206 and 208 may be substantially similar to the width of the slot 204 . the radial distances δ 1 , δ 2 , and δ 3 may be about 0 . 5 inches to provide a compression ratio to be about 6 : 1 to about 12 : 1 , and in particular about 10 : 1 . the first phasing plug 108 may be made from a work - piece that has been machined and cut . for example , a work - piece may be initially formed from a cast that is cylindrical in shape . to accurately cut the rear side 300 into a dome surface , the work - piece may be installed in a spindle or lathe and tooled to form the dome shape according to the specification and tolerance . the work - piece may be cut with a tool that is computer controlled so that the rear surface 300 may be cut accurately to form the dome shape in one pass . other methods known to persons skilled in the art may be used to polish or carve the rear side 300 to satisfy the tolerance requirement . the work - piece may be initially cast or forged with sufficient tolerances that it may not need to be carved or polished to satisfy the specification . once the rear surface 300 has been machined , the slots 204 , 206 , and 208 may be partially pierced between the rear and first intermediate sides 300 and 302 . this may be done using a variety of machining tools as known to one skilled in the art . then , the slots may be cut through the first phasing plug 108 between the rear side 300 and first intermediate sides 302 using a water jet or other suitable cutting mechanism , except for the bridges between the plates 404 , 406 , and 408 . for example , a water jet may be injected from the rear side 300 until it cuts through the first intermediate side 302 . with regard to the indentations , the water jet does not cut in those areas . one of the advantages with the water jet is that it expands as it cuts so that the water jet naturally makes the slots 204 , 206 , and 208 that expand from the rear side 300 to the first intermediate side 302 . therefore , there is no additional machining that needs to be done to expand the slots or air channels from the rear side 300 to the first intermediate side 302 . alternatively , a laser , cutting tools , or plasma cutting methods or any other methods known to one skilled in the art may be used to cut the slots as well . fig5 illustrates a side view of the first phasing plug 108 that has been machined on the rear side 300 to form a dome shape having a particular dimensional tolerance , and cut to have the slots 204 , 206 , and 208 . the slot 204 defining the inner plate 404 , the slot 206 defining the center plate 406 , and the slot 208 defining the outer plate 408 . fig6 illustrates the bottom view of the first phasing plug 108 showing the first intermediate side 302 . although the dimensional tolerance on the first intermediate side 302 may not be as critical as the rear side 300 , the first intermediate side 302 may be machined as well so that the thickness between the rear and first intermediate sides 300 , 302 is substantially constant . again the slot 204 defines the inner plate 404 . the center plate 406 is between the two slots 204 and 206 . and the outer plate 408 is between the two slots 206 and 208 . to hold the plates together , an inner bridge 602 is formed between the inner plate 404 and the center plate 406 , a center bridge 604 is formed between the center plate 406 and the outer plate 408 , and an outer bridge 606 is formed between the outer plate 408 and the edge 608 of the first phasing plug 108 . moreover , a number of threaded openings 608 are formed to receive a bolt to couple to the throat of a horn . the two - stage phasing plug may have a number of slots depending on the application . for instance , fig7 illustrates a two - stage phasing plug 700 including a first phasing plug 702 and a second phasing plug 704 with four slots 706 , 708 , 710 , and 712 . and fig8 illustrates a two - stage phasing pug 800 including a first phasing plug 802 and a second phasing plug 804 with five slots 806 , 808 , 810 , 812 , and 814 . note that in this example , the first intermediate side 816 is substantially flat rather than being concave as in the other embodiments . with additional slots in the two - stage phasing plug , the radial distances need to be smaller to accommodate more slots on the rear side 818 . as such , to maintain the compression ratio on the compression driver , which may be generally defined as the overall surface area of the rear side of the first phasing plug in relation to the overall opening area of the slots on the rear side , the width of the slots need to be reduced as well . in general , the compression ratio may be between about 6 : 1 and about 12 : 1 , and in particular about 10 : 1 . as illustrated in fig8 , the thickness between the first intermediate side 816 and the rear side 818 need not be constant . for example , the first intermediate side 816 or the base of the cavity may be a substantially flat surface rather than being a curved surface as illustrated in fig3 . fig9 - 12 illustrate by way of example the second phasing plug 110 configured to substantially fill the cavity 308 of the first phasing plug 108 illustrated in fig3 . fig9 illustrates the second phasing plug 110 having a second intermediate side 900 and a front side 902 . the second intermediate side 900 substantially matches the shape of the first , intermediate side 302 so that when the first and second intermediate sides are adjacent they are substantially flush together . in other words , there is little gap , if any , between the first and second intermediate sides 302 , 900 . as illustrated in fig1 , the second phasing plug 110 has a plurality of slots 1000 , 1002 , and 1004 that correspond to the slots 204 , 206 , and 208 , respectively , in the first phasing plug 108 . moreover , the slot 1000 generally defines an inner piece 1010 . between the two slots 1000 and 1002 is a centerpiece 1012 , and between the slots 1002 and 1004 is an outerpiece 1014 . that is , the second intermediate side 900 is comprised of the inner piece 1010 , the centerpiece 1012 , and the outerpiece 1014 , which flush against the inner plate 404 , the center plate 406 , and the outer plate 408 on the first intermediate side 302 of the first phasing plug 108 , respectively . in other words , the second intermediate side 900 substantially matches the first intermediate side 302 so that when the second phasing plug 110 is inserted into the cavity of the first phasing plug 108 , the second intermediate side 900 may be substantially flush against the first intermediate side 302 . to substantially fill the cavity 308 , the second phasing plug 108 may have a cylindrical shape with a diameter “ d ” that is equal or slightly less than the diameter “ d ” of the cavity 308 in fig3 . therefore , the second phasing plug 108 may be press - fitted into the cavity 308 . alternatively , glue may be used to securely hold the second phasing plug 110 within the cavity 308 of the first phasing plug 108 . in another embodiment , the second phasing plug 110 may be interchangeable so that the compression assembly 100 may be adaptable for a particular application by simply changing the second phasing plug . that is , the second phasing plug may be releaseably held in the cavity of the first phasing plug , so that the second phasing plug may be removed and replaced with a different phasing plug depending on the application . fig1 illustrates the slots 1000 , 1002 , and 1004 exiting through the front side 902 of the second phasing plug 110 . as illustrated in fig1 , the slots 1000 , 1002 , and 1004 expand from the second intermediate side 900 to the front side 902 , i . e ., the exit side . moreover , the width of the slots 1000 , 1002 , and 1004 in the second intermediate side 900 are substantially similar to the corresponding slots 204 , 206 , and 208 on the first intermediate side 302 . this way , the slots forming the path lengths or air channels from the first and second phasing plugs transition smoothly and continuously . in this embodiment , the front side 902 is substantially flat such that the second phasing plug may be fully inserted into the cavity 308 , as shown in fig2 . alternatively , the front side 52 may extend into the throat 112 of the horn 106 . the second phasing plug 110 may be assembled using a variety of methods . one such method is illustrated in fig1 - 18 . as dimensional accuracy in the second phasing plug 110 is not as critical as in the first phasing plug 108 , the second phasing plug may be assembled together , unlike the first phasing plug 108 , which may be made from a unitary work - piece . that is , in this embodiment , an inner piece 1300 , the centerpiece 1400 , the outerpiece 1600 , and a housing 1800 are assembled to make the second phasing plug 110 . fig1 illustrates the inner piece 1300 having a cone shape with a pair of flanges 1302 . the inner piece 1300 has an inner surface 1304 that is a portion of the second intermediate side 900 , which flush against the inner plate 404 along the first intermediate side 302 of the first phasing plug 108 . fig1 and 15 illustrate the centerpiece 1400 having a funnel shape with a bore 1402 ; and a center surface 1404 that is a portion of the second intermediate side 900 and fits flush against the center plate 406 of the first phasing plug 108 . moreover , the centerpiece 1400 has a pair of divots 1406 adapted to receive the pair of flanges 1302 , so that the inner piece 1300 may be press - fitted into the bore 1402 of the centerpiece 1400 . likewise , the centerpiece 1400 has three flanges 1408 so that the centerpiece may be press - fitted into the outerpiece 1600 . fig1 and 17 illustrate the outerpiece 1600 having a funnel shape as well . the outerpiece 1600 has an opening 1602 , and three divots 1604 adapted to receive the three flanges 1408 from the centerpiece 1400 . that is , the centerpiece 1400 may be press - fit into the opening 1602 of the outerpiece 1600 . likewise , the outerpiece 1600 has an outer surface 1606 that fits flush against the outer plate 408 of the first phasing plug 108 . moreover , the outerpiece 1600 has three flanges 1608 . fig1 illustrates the housing 1800 having a cylindrical shape with a diameter “ d ” and an opening 1802 . within the opening 1802 are three divots 1804 which are adapted to receive the three flanges 1608 so that the outerpiece 1600 may be press - fit into the housing 1800 . accordingly , the second phasing plug 108 as shown previously in fig9 - 12 may be assembled by press - fitting the inner piece 1300 into the center piece 1400 , then press - fitting the center piece 1400 into the outerpiece 1600 , and then press - fitting the outerpiece 1600 into the housing 1800 . with regard to the expansion of the slots through the two - stage phasing plug 102 , the slots may expand gradually in a straight line through the first phasing plug 108 and then to the second phasing plug 110 , as illustrated in fig2 . alternatively , as illustrated in fig1 , the first phasing plug 1908 may have slots 1912 , 1914 , 1916 , and 1918 expanding gradually in a straight line but in the second phasing plug 1910 , the slots 1912 , 1914 , 1916 , and 1918 expand in a curve or in any conic profile , i . e ., hyperbolic , parabolic , etc . shape so that the length of the each slots through the two - stage phasing plug 1900 between the rear side 1920 and the front side 1922 are substantially constant . moreover , the slots 1912 , 1914 , 1916 , and 1918 exit through the second phasing plug 1910 substantially parallel with the center axis 1950 . that is , air exits through the slots substantially parallel with the center axis 1950 . still further , as illustrated in fig2 , in another embodiment , a two - stage phasing plug 2000 may have slots 2012 , 2014 , 2016 , and 2018 through the first phasing plug 2008 that expand in a curve or in any conic profile , i . e ., hyperbolic , parabolic , etc . shape as well as in the second phasing plug 2010 . here , the first phasing plug 2008 may be assembled from a number of pieces rather than being formed from a unitary piece . also , the slots 2012 , 2014 , 2016 , and 2018 exit through the front side 2022 of the second phasing plug 2010 at an acute angle relative to the center axis line 2050 . in other words , as air exit through the slots 54 , air diverges off of the center axis line 2050 at an acute angle φ , such as between about 5 ° and about 25 °. one of the advantages here is that as air exit through the slots 2012 , 2014 , 2016 , and 2018 in a divergent direction so that the direction of the air is in alignment with the contour of a horn that flares out as well . in other words , with this embodiment , pressure waves leave the slots in the direction that conforms to the shape of the horn . fig2 illustrates yet another embodiment of the invention , where a phasing plug 2100 may be made of a number of pieces rather than in two stages as discussed above . that is , slots 2112 , 2114 , 2116 , and 2118 may be formed through the phasing plug 2100 which are curve comprised of number of pieces assembled together like the second phasing plug 110 assembled together as illustrated in fig9 through 12 . the first phasing plug may be made of any ferromagnetic material such as steel . alternatively , any other materials known to one skilled in the art may be used as well . the second phasing plug , on the other hand , may be made of less expensive and easier to work with material such as plastic or any material known to one skilled in the art . any method may be used to make the second phasing plug , such as well - known molding processes . also , machining and cutting processes are well known to one skilled in the art and may be selected based on the tolerance requirements . although the invention is generally described in terms of the one embodiment above , numerous modifications and / or additions to the above - described embodiment would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art . for example , the slots may be cut in any configuration . u . s . pat . no . 4 , 050 , 541 , is incorporated by reference into this application and discloses a radial slot configuration . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 117 , 462 , is incorporated by reference into this application discloses a whole array . the first intermediate surface 302 may also have a convex surface rather than a concave surface . phasing plugs have been made with many designs . perhaps the most frequently used type is one having annular cross - sections that usually increase in area as the principal radius of each annulus decreases in moving toward the throat of a speaker . this is shown , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 037 , 187 , entitled “ sound translating device ,” issued to wente in 1936 and incorporated by reference . another type is the salt shaker design , so called because holes at the spherical outer surface of the plug that extend through to the throat of the speaker resemble the holes of a salt shaker . another design that has been used , shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 050 , 541 , entitled “ acoustical transformer for horn - type loudspeaker ,” couples the diaphragm region to the throat by radial slots extending from the axis of cylindrical symmetry of the speaker and is incorporated by reference into this application . while various embodiments of the application have been described , it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of this invention . accordingly , the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents .	8
a nacelle ( not depicted ) constitutes a tubular housing for a turbojet engine and channels the air flows that it generates defining the internal and external aerodynamic lines necessary to obtain optimal performance . it also houses various components necessary for the operation of the turbojet engine , together with ancillary systems such as a thrust reverser . the nacelle is intended to be attached to a fixed structure of an airplane , such as a wing , via a pylon . more specifically , a nacelle has a structure comprising a front section that forms an air inlet 4 , a central section 5 intended to surround a fan of the turbojet engine , and a rear section ( not visible ) surrounding the engine of the turbojet engine and generally housing a thrust reversal system . the air inlet 4 splits into two zones , namely , on the one hand , an inlet lip 4 a designed optimally to funnel toward the turbojet engine the air needed to be fed to the fan and to the internal compressors of the turbojet engine and , on the other hand , a downstream structure 4 b comprising an external panel 40 and an internal panel 41 and to which the lip 4 a is attached and which is intended to channel the air suitably toward the fan blades . the central section also breaks down into an external wall and an internal wall comprising a casing of the fan . a nacelle that has an air inlet structure as depicted in fig1 and 2 has a lip 4 a incorporated into the external panel 40 , it being possible for said external panel also to incorporate , at least in part , the external wall of the central structure 5 . the external wall 40 and the air inlet lip 4 a therefore form a single dismantlable component extending over the entire upstream part of the nacelle . the internal panel 41 for its part is attached upstream of the fan casing via fixing flanges . the external panel 40 may be modular and comprise a plurality of longitudinal external panels each defining a portion of the external wall of the nacelle . in such a case , the external structure of the nacelle will have meeting lines running longitudinally with respect to the nacelle , and these will have only a negligible impact on the aerodynamic continuity of the air inlet structure 4 , unlike a nacelle according to the prior art that has a peripheral meeting line where the external panel 40 meets the lip 4 a and where the external panel 40 meets the external panel of the central section 5 , said meeting line running transversely with respect to the direction of the air flow . as shown in fig1 and 2 , the external panel is mounted with the capacity for translational movement along a substantially longitudinal axis of the nacelle to make it easier to remove and / or to replace . this translational movement is performed by virtue of the installation of guide means 100 according to the invention , comprising a rail 101 collaborating with a slide 102 . the present invention will be illustrated by a guide system 100 comprising a rail 101 fixedly mounted on the internal wall 41 and a slide 102 fixedly connected to the external panel 40 . quite clearly , the present application is not restricted to such a configuration and it is entirely possible for the invention to be extended to cover a rail fixed to the moving external panel and collaborating with a fixed slide of the nacelle ; or alternatively to use a rail with rollers , for example . as explained , a nacelle as described hereinabove allows simple opening of the entire upstream section of the nacelle but also at the same time allows said external panel 40 to be removed . as a result , the guide system 100 needs to allow the slide to be halted at the end of its travel when the external panel 40 is simply being opened , but needs also to be able to allow an over - travel of the slide 102 so that it can be disengaged from the rail 101 and the external panel can be removed . the present invention aims to provide such a guide system 100 which is depicted during the course of various steps in fig3 to 8 . as previously stipulated , a guide system 100 comprises a rail 101 on which there is mounted a slide 102 capable of translational movement along said rail 101 . the rail 101 is hollow and incorporates a retractable translational immobilization system . for this , the rail 101 has a first end 103 in which two heel pieces 104 are mounted facing one another . each heel piece 104 has a first end 104 a forming a pivot and via which it is mounted on an axis of rotation against the wall of the rail 101 and a second end 104 b that projects from the first end 103 of the rail 101 forming a return 105 able to project laterally from the rail 101 when the heel piece 104 is pressed against the wall of the rail 101 ( engaged position ) but not protruding laterally beyond the rail 101 when the heel pieces are sufficiently far away from the wall of the rail 101 ( disengaged position ). the heel pieces 104 are connected to one another by a spring 106 that constitutes an elastic return means that tends to return them to their disengaged position . alternatively , it is equally possible to imagine equipping each heel piece 104 with a spring mounted against the wall of the rail 101 and tending to push them away from said wall . each heel piece 104 has , at its end 104 b , a beveled face 107 intended to collaborate with a corresponding frustoconical end 121 of a connecting rod 120 mounted with the capacity for translational movement inside the rail 101 and able to move alternately from a first position in which the frustoconical end acts as an end stop for the heel pieces 104 and keeps them in their engaged position against the action of the spring 106 , to a second position in which the frustoconical end 121 is away from the heel pieces 104 and allows them , under the effect of the spring 106 , to return toward their disengaged position . the rod 120 is made to move between its two positions by means of a trigger 130 positioned at a second end 108 of the rail 101 . the trigger 130 is mounted such that it can rotate between two stable positions and is connected to the rod 120 by a link 131 . the trigger 130 is also connected to an elastic return means 132 allowing it to be kept in each of the two stable positions and to be returned to one of its two positions when it is in an unstable intermediate position . the two stable positions of the trigger 130 are determined in such a way that , on the one hand , when actuated into its first stable position , the trigger 130 , via the link 132 , drives the rod 120 into its position of separation from the heel pieces 104 which then move into the disengaged position and , on the other hand , when actuated into its second stable position , the trigger 130 via the link 132 returns the rod 120 to its position of engagement with the heel pieces 104 which , as explained hereinabove , are then kept in their engaged position . it will also be noted that the trigger is equipped with an extension 133 arranged in such a way that it projects laterally from the rail 101 when the heel pieces 104 are in the disengaged position . the various steps in implementing the guide system 100 and its in - built locking system will now be explained with the aid of fig3 to 8 . fig3 illustrates the guide system 100 in its initial position when the external panel 40 is closed and the heel pieces 104 are in their engaged position . in this position , the slide 102 is retreated toward the second end 108 of the rail 101 . as for the in - built immobilizing system , the heel pieces 104 are kept in the engaged position , that is to say in the position in which they project laterally from the rail 101 , by the end 121 of the rod 120 . the trigger 130 is in the corresponding stable position . fig4 illustrates the guide system 101 in the case of simple opening of the external panel 40 without its removal . in this configuration , the heel pieces 104 are still in the engaged position and the slide 102 has slid toward the first end 103 of the rail 101 until possibly it has come into abutment against the return 105 of the heel pieces 104 . fig5 to 8 illustrate the steps involved in completely removing and possibly replacing the external panel 40 . to do this , the trigger 130 is pivoted by hand or through an electric control into its second stable position . it will be noted that the locking means are located at one end of the rail while the control means are located at the second end . this is because such positioning is advantageous because it allows ease of access to the control means , the moving cowl 40 beginning to open from the side at which the control means are located . as this happens , the link 132 transmits this movement to the rod 120 which undergoes a slight translational movement until the frustoconical end 121 has moved away from the heel pieces 104 to allow them , under the effect of the spring 106 , to return to their disengaged position . thus , the returns 105 of the heel pieces 104 no longer project laterally from the rail 101 and the slide 102 is free to continue its travel as illustrated in fig6 so that the rail 101 and the slide 102 can be disengaged , allowing the external panel 40 to be removed . as illustrated in fig7 , the external panel 40 or a new panel is refitted by performing the procedure in reverse . however , as is depicted in fig8 , the locking system is able automatically to return to the engaged position once the external panel 40 has been refitted . what happens is that when the external panel 40 is returned to the closed position , the slide 102 undergoes a translational movement along the rail 101 toward its second end 108 where the extension 133 of the trigger projects laterally from the wall of the rail 101 . as the external panel 40 is returned to the closed position , the slide butts against said extension 133 of the trigger and pushes it back , thus causing the trigger 130 to return to its first stable position and , as a result , causing the heel pieces 104 to reengage . the external panel 40 is manipulated in the conventional way using suitable tooling mounted on lifting points , advantageously situated near the center of gravity of the wall . hence it is easy to perform a pivoting by hand in order to fit and remove said one - piece wall . optionally , the lifting point may be situated inside a casing of a latch . although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific exemplary embodiments , it is quite obvious that it is not in any way restricted thereto and that it comprises all technical equivalents of the means described and combinations thereof where these fall within the scope of the invention . in particular , it would be possible to provide retractable end stops of different shapes . it will also be noted that the present guide system is not limited to an air inlet external panel but could also be applied to the guidance of any moving part of a nacelle . it will finally be noted that the locking system according to the invention may be combined with an electric drive and control system , possibly associated with a sensor to detect that the external panel has been re - closed .	1
the copying apparatus shown in fig1 has an original table 1 on which an original 2 to be copied such as a book or a sheet is stationarily placed . the original table 1 is made of transparent glass and fixedly mounted on the upper part of a machine frame 0 of the apparatus body . an optical image of the original 2 is projected onto a photosensitive medium 10 at the exposure position a by a projection optical system composed of plane mirrors 3 , 4 an in - mirror lens 6 having a mirror 6 &# 39 ; at its rear portion , and a plane mirror 12 or by a projection optical system composed of the plane mirrors 3 , 4 , in - mirror lens 6 , a roof mirror 7 and a plane mirror 9 . the photosensitive medium 10 is formed of a photosensitive drum having an electrophotographic photosensitive layer provided on the circumference in a known manner . the drum 10 is rotated in the direction of arrow 11 not only during the forward scanning time but also during the backward scanning time of the original . the photosensitive drum 10 is slitwise exposed to the original image . to define the slit - like exposure area whose long side extends in the direction along the generating line of the drum , that is , in the direction normal to the direction in which the drum 10 is moved , there is disposed a slit plate 5 in the optical path between the original table 1 and the mirror 3 . the slit plate 5 has a slit opening 5 &# 34 ; provided for limiting the width of the original image forming beam relative to the direction of original scanning . the long side of the slit opening 5 &# 34 ; extends in the direction normal to the direction of the original being scanned ( the moving direction of mirrors 3 and 4 described later ). the slit plate 5 may be disposed in the vicinity of the photosensitive drum 10 . in either case , an optical image of the original 2 is slitwise exposed on the drum 10 . a lamp 8 illuminates the original . in the manner well known in the art , the photosensitive drum 10 is electrically charged uniformly by a corona discharger b and then it is subjected to a slit exposure of the original image at the position indicated by a . by this exposure there is formed on the photosensitive drum 10 an electrostatic latent image which is then developed by a developing device c . the toner image obtained by the development is then transferred onto a sheet of paper p moving in the direction of arrow under the action of a corona discharger d . the transferred toner image on the paper p is fixed on the paper by a fixing device e . on the other hand , after transferring , the photosensitive drum is cleaned up by a cleaning device f . the original 2 is scanned by the mirrors 3 and 4 . to this end , the mirrors 3 and 4 are reciprocally moved in parallel to the original and in synchronized relation with each other between the position indicated by solid and the position suggested by phantom mirrors 3 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;. to keep constant the optical length between the original and the photosensitive drum , the mirror 4 is moved in the same direction as the mirror 3 but at a half ( 1 / 2 ) speed of the running speed of the mirror 3 . since the slit plate 5 and the lamp 8 is mounted on the same carriage on which the mirror 3 is mounted ( the carriage is not shown in the drawing ), the slit plate 5 and lamp 8 move together with the mirror 3 . means for moving the mirrors 3 , 4 , slit plate 5 and lamp 8 in the manner described above is well known in the art and therefore need not to be further described . a forward scanning of the original is performed during the time when the mirrors 3 , 4 , slit plate 5 and lamp 8 are together moved from the position indicated by solid ( starting point of forward movement ) to the position suggested by phantom 3 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;, 5 &# 39 ;, 8 &# 39 ; ( end point of forward movement ) in the direction of arrow 15 . a backward scanning of the original is performed during the time when the mirrors 3 , 4 , slit plate 5 and lamp 8 are moved back in the direction of arrow 16 from the position suggested by phantom to the position indicated by solid . during the forward scanning time and also during the backward scanning time , the light coming from the original passes through at first the slit opening 5 &# 34 ; and then it is reflected successively by the mirrors 3 and 4 toward the lens 6 . the light entering the lens 6 is reflected by the mirror 6 &# 39 ; of the lens and then exits from the lens . during the forward scanning , that is , when the mirrors 3 and 4 are moved forwards in the direction of arrow 15 , the roof mirror 7 is in the optical path at the downstream side of the lens 6 . namely , during the forward scanning , the roof mirror 7 takes the position suggested by phantom . fig2 shows the structure of the roof mirror 7 as viewed in the direction of arrow x in fig1 . as seen in fig2 the roof mirror 7 has a first reflecting plane surface 71 and a second reflecting plane surface 72 . the two reflecting plane surfaces 71 and 72 intersect at right angles . in fig2 a ray a is at first reflected by the reflecting surface 71 and then reflected by the reflecting surface 72 whereas another ray b is reflected by the reflecting surface 72 and then by intersection 73 . as readily understood from the running courses of the rays , the roof mirror 7 can invert the image in regard to the direction normal to the intersection 73 of the two reflecting planes 71 and 72 ( the vertical direction as viewed in the drawing of fig2 ). the angle θ at which the two reflecting planes 71 and 72 intersect , is preferably 90 °. however , the intersectional angle θ is not necessarily always 90 °. the angle may be acute or obtuse . in any case , the roof mirror 7 is disposed in such manner that the intersection 73 is orientated toward the direction normal to the longitudinal direction of the slit opening 5 &# 34 ; or to the generating line of the photosensitive drum 10 . as previously described , during the forward scanning of the original , the image forming beam exiting from the lens 6 is incident on the roof mirror 7 . after reflected by the two reflecting surfaces of the roof mirror 7 , the image forming beam runs toward the plane mirror 9 along the optical path l 2 . the plane mirror 9 reflects the image forming beam to the exposure position a . this mirror 9 is fixedly mounted on the machine frame 0 so that the mirror remains stationary in the optical path l 2 . the roof mirror 7 is fixed to one end of an arm 13 the other end of which is supported by a pivot 14 fixed to the machine frame 0 . therefore , the arm 13 is swing movable about the pivot 14 . a tension spring 17 is disposed between the arm 13 and the machine frame 0 . one end of the spring 17 is anchored to the arm and the other end is anchored to the machine frame . this tension spring 17 biases the arm 13 to clockwise rotation about the pivot 14 . the arm 13 is also in engagement with an electromagnetic plunger 18 . when the plunger 18 is energized , it rotates the arm 14 counter - clockwise about the pivot 14 against the force of the spring 17 thereby moving mirror 7 down to the position indicated by solid 7 &# 39 ; from the position indicated by phantom 7 . when the plunger 18 is deenergized , the mirror 7 is moved up to the phantom line position 7 from the solid line position 7 &# 39 ; by the elastic force of the spring 17 . the rotational movement of the arm 13 is limited by stoppers 19 and 20 . in the course of upward movement of the arm by the spring force , the arm 13 abuts against the stopper 19 by which the roof mirror 7 is positioned in the position indicated by phantom lying in the optical path l 1 of the image forming beam . in the course of downward movement of the arm by the action of the plunger 18 , the arm 13 abuts against the stopper 20 by which the roof mirror 7 is positioned in the solid line position out of the above mentioned optical path l 1 . in this retracted position indicated by solid , the roof mirror 7 can not take any part in forming an image on the photosensitive drum 10 . during the forward scanning time , the plunger 18 remains deenergized . it is energized after the mirrors 3 , 4 slit plate 5 and lamp 8 have reached the respective end positions 3 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;, 5 &# 39 ; and 8 &# 39 ; and before they start returning back in the direction of arrow 16 . in other words , the plunger 18 is energized at a time point between the end of a forward scanning and the start of a backward scanning subsequent to it . when the plunger 18 is energized , the roof mirror 7 is retracted to the solid line position 7 &# 39 ; out of the optical path of the image forming beam in the manner described above . therefore , in this position , the image forming beam from the lens 6 is incident on the stationary plane mirror 12 but not on the roof mirror 7 &# 39 ;. the plane mirror 12 reflects the beam toward the position a along the optical path l 3 which does not pass through the mirror 9 . in other words , the mirror 9 is disposed in the optical path l 2 at a position out of the optical path l 3 . in the retracted position , the roof mirror 7 never obstructs the running of the beam reflected by the mirror 12 along the optical path l 3 . as previously noted , the optical path l 1 of image forming beam extending from the original to the roof mirror 7 in the phantom line position is common to the forward scanning and the backward scanning . but , the optical path extending from the phantom position to the photosensitive drum 10 is l 2 for the forward scanning and l 3 for the backward scanning . the optical paths l 2 and l 3 are different from each other . thus , the roof mirror 7 , when it is in the working position before the stationary mirror 12 , reflects the image forming beam passed through the lens 6 in the direction different from the direction in which the beam is reflected by the stationary mirror 12 . when the roof mirror 7 is positioned in its working position by the stopper 19 , the intersection of the two reflecting surfaces of the roof mirror 7 is somewhat inclined to the stationary mirror . in any event , the focused state of the image on the photosensitive drum during the forward scanning and that during the backward scanning must desirably be equal to each other . to satisfy this requirement , it is desirable that the working position of the roof mirror 7 indicated by the broken line and the position of the stationary mirror 9 should be selected in such manner that the optical path length from the lens 6 to the drum 10 through the roof mirror 7 in the working position and the mirror 9 is substantially equal to the optical path length from the lens 6 to the drum 10 through the mirror 12 . further , it is preferable that the mirror 9 be so disposed as to reflect the image forming beam reflected by the roof mirror 7 toward the same exposure position a as the beam is directed to by the stationary mirror 12 during the backward scanning . however , the image exposure position on the photosensitive drum during the forward scanning may be slightly different from that during the backward scanning . in summary , according to the invention , the roof mixture 7 is in its working position indicated by broken line or phantom only when the original is scanned forwards . in this position , the optical path for the image forming beam is formed by mirrors , 3 , 4 , lens 6 , roof mirror 7 and mirror 9 . when the original is scanned backwards , the plunger 18 is energized and the roof mirror 7 is retraced to its non - working position indicated by solid line . in this position , the optical path for the image forming beam is formed by mirrors 3 , 4 , lens 6 and mirror 12 . with this arrangement of the invention , the original can be correctly copied not only by a forward scanning but also by a backward scanning of the original . this is because during the forward scanning , the roof mirror 7 effects an inversion of the original image on the photosensitive drum relative to the original image formed during the backward scanning in regard with the direction of the generating line of the drum or the longitudinal direction of the slit and also the mirror 9 effects an inversion of the original image relative to that formed during the backward scanning with regard to the direction of the drum being moved or the direction normal to the longitudinal direction of the slit . in brief , the roof mirror 7 and mirror 9 together have an effect of changing the orientation of the original image on the drum 10 by 180 ° relative to the original image on the drum during the backward scanning . by this effect it is made possible to obtain correct copies of an original during the forward scanning as well as during the backward scanning while using a photosensitive drum rotating always in the same direction . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made therein in the light of the above teachings . for example , the positions 3 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;, 5 &# 39 ; and 8 &# 39 ; suggested by phantom may be selected as the starting points for forward running of mirrors 3 , 4 , slit plate 5 and lamp 8 . in this case , the original is forward scanned by these elements 3 , 4 , 5 and 8 moving in the direction of arrow 16 . when they run in the direction of arrow 15 , a backward scanning of the original is performed . the roof mirror 7 is brought to its working position indicated by broken line when the backward scanning is carried out . the roof mirror 7 may be fixed stationary , for example , at the position of mirror 9 in fig1 while the plane mirror 9 is attached to the arm 13 . further , there may be a prism having a roof reflecting surface as the roof mirror 7 . the mirrors 3 , 4 slit plate 5 and lamp 8 may be mounted stationary on the machine frame 0 while reciprocally moving the original table 1 above the slit opening 5 &# 34 ; using a known original table moving means . in this modification , the original is scanned with the reciprocal movement of the original table 1 . the roof mirror 7 is moved to its working position indicated by phantom when the original table 1 is moved in the direction of arrow 16 . when the original table is moved in the direction arrow 15 , the roof mirror is retracted to the position indicated by solid in fig1 . as another modification , the original may be reciprocally moved above the slit opening 5 &# 34 ; using a known original conveying means such as belt and roller . also , in this case , the roof mirror 7 is brought to its working position when the original is moved in the direction of arrow 16 and it is retracted to non - working position when the original is moved in the direction of arrow 15 . the present invention is applicable also to an electro fax type copying machine in which a photosensitive paper is used as copying paper and an image is fixed on the photosensitive paper .	6
please refer to fig1 and fig2 . fig1 is a schematic diagram of a monitor 1 of a preferred embodiment according to the present invention . fig2 is a back view of the monitor 1 . the monitor 1 includes a displaying device 12 , a supporting device 14 , and a console 16 ( or other input device , the invention is not limited to it ). the supporting device 14 is connected to and supports the displaying device 12 . the console 16 is connected in communication to the displaying device 12 and is capable of being engaged with the supporting device 14 . in the embodiment , the console 16 is electrically connected to a universal serial bus connection port 122 of the displaying device 12 by a cable 18 . however , the invention is not limited to this ; the console 16 is alternatively capable of being connected to the displaying device 12 through any other connection ports , even through a wireless connection . the supporting device 14 includes amounting 142 and a support 144 . the support 144 is disposed between the displaying device 12 and the mounting 142 . the mounting 142 can be placed on a plane ( not shown in the figure ) such as tabletop ; however , the invention is not limited to it . the displaying device 12 is supported by the support 144 . the displaying device 12 thereon defines a view direction 124 ; correspondingly , the mounting 142 thereon defines a disposition direction 1422 perpendicular to the view direction 124 . the mounting 142 includes an engagement structure 1424 along the disposition direction 1422 on each of two sides of the mounting 142 . in other words , the mounting 142 has a mounting left end 1421 a and a mounting right end 1421 b . each of the mounting left end 1421 a and the mounting right end 1421 b has the engagement structure 1424 . thereby , the console 16 is capable of being engaged with the supporting device 14 by either of the engagement structures 1424 , or being departed from the mounting 142 . there are two of the engagement structures 1424 in the embodiment ; hence , a user is able to choice either of the engagement structures 1424 by his habit to engage . that is , the user can use his left or right hand to engage the console 16 to the mounting 142 by the left or right side . however , for the disposition , quantity , and geometric structure of the engagement structure 1424 , the invention is still not limited to the above disclosure . it is added that , in the embodiment , the mounting 142 has a mounting top surface 1423 . the console 16 has an input - device top surface 161 . when the mounting 142 is engaged with the console 16 by the engagement structure 1424 , the mounting top surface 1423 and the input - device top surface 161 are coplanar . furthermore , the mounting 142 has a mounting front edge 1425 . the console 16 has an input - device front edge 163 . similarly , when the mounting 142 is engaged with the console 16 by the engagement structure 1424 , the mounting front edge 1425 is aligned with the input - device front edge 163 . in addition , as the engagement direction of the console 16 and the mounting 142 shown in fig1 , the console 16 has an input - device left end 165 a and an input - device right end 165 b . there is one of the engagement structures 1424 at the mounting left end 1421 a . the input - device right end 165 b is capable of being engaged with the mounting left end 1421 a by the engagement structure 1424 at the mounting left end 1421 a , while the input - device left end 165 a has a plurality of buttons ( i . e . the buttons marked with numbers ‘ 1 ’, ‘ 2 ’ and ‘ 3 ’ and a return symbol ). in the embodiment , the engagement structure 1424 is a protrusion basically ; the console 16 has a depression 162 correspondingly ( shown in dashed lines in fig2 ). the console 16 realizes the engagement purpose of the console 16 and the supporting device 14 by the joining the depression 162 and the protrusion together . in practice , the protrusion may include some structure features thereon so that the depression 162 and the protrusion can be joined tight . for example , the engagement sections of the protrusion and the depression 162 can be designed to be more complex in geometry so as to increase the contact area between the protrusion and the depression 162 ; or the protrusion thereon forms ribs ( the extension direction of which is non - parallel to the disposition direction 1422 ) while the depression 162 forms corresponding slots inside , so as to produce the effect of holding . furthermore , because the console 16 has depressions 162 on the both sides , the user can engage the console 16 with the mounting 142 by either engagement structure 1424 on different side ; however , the invention is not limited to this . it is added that , in practice , the engagement structure 1424 can be a depression , and the console 16 includes a protrusion correspondingly for being engaged with the depression . please refer to the above description for the engagement herein , which is no longer to be discussed more . in addition , the engagement mechanism using geometric structure has the effect of positioning , so by the design of appearance dimensions of the console 16 and the mounting 142 , the whole profile of the console 16 engaged with the mounting 142 together is continuous and smooth to show an integral whole , which improves the appearance of the product . please refer to fig3 , which is a schematic diagram of the engagement for the mounting 142 and the console 16 of another embodiment according to the present invention . in this embodiment , there is no engagement structure meshing with each other for the mounting 142 and the console 16 . however , the mounting 142 and the console 16 includes magnetic parts 1426 and 164 respectively , so the console 16 is capable of being mounted on the mounting 142 by use of the magnetic attraction induced by the magnetic parts 1426 and 164 . in practice , the magnetic parts 1426 and 164 can be disposed outside or inside the mounting 142 and the console 16 , even integrated into a part of the case thereof . the magnetic parts 1426 and 164 can be made of magnetic material ; or one of the magnetic parts 1426 and 164 is a magnet , and the other is made of magnet - conductive material . however , the invention is not limited to this . in this embodiment , there is no engagement structure meshing with each other , so the user to attach the console 16 on the mounting 142 more easily . in addition , in practice , for the advantages of the alignment accuracy of physical geometric structure and the convenience of magnetic engagement , a meshing structure such as pyramids 1428 and holes 166 ( shown in dashed lines ) for guiding the engagement may be added to the engagement interface in fig3 . it is added that , in the engagement mechanism shown in fig2 , magnets may be disposed in the engagement structures 1424 and the depressions 162 respectively to improve the engagement stability of the console 16 and the mounting 142 . please refer to fig4 and fig5 . fig4 is a schematic diagram of the console 16 of the monitor 1 in fig1 . fig5 is a partial section of the console 16 for showing the interior thereof ; the position of the cutting plane for the section is shown as the cutting line x - x in fig4 substantially . the console 16 includes three switch keys 168 a , 168 b ad 168 c , a back key 170 , a rotary part 172 , and a confirmation key 174 . in the embodiment , the rotary part 172 is a rotary wheel , the rotation of which is sensed by use of a sensor 176 . the confirmation key 174 is disposed below the shaft of the rotary part 172 ( as shown in fig5 ). the rotary part 172 can be pressed down to trigger the confirmation key 174 . a user can set the displaying parameters , including sizes , brightness , saturation , contrast , horizontal position , vertical position and so on , of the displaying device 12 by use of the back key 170 , the rotary part 172 and the confirmation key 174 . for a general setting operation , an on - screen display menu 126 relative to the displaying parameters of the displaying device is shown as in fig6 . in the embodiment , the on - screen display menu 126 is a nest structure to be displayed in single list , which is conducive to selecting by use of the rotary wheel ; however , the invention is not limited to this . furthermore , in practice , there are displaying parameters having been stored in advance correspondingly to each of the switch keys 168 a , 168 b and 168 c . if any one of the switch keys 168 a , 168 b and 168 c is triggered ( such as by pressing ), the displaying device 12 will be switched to a displaying mode relative to the displaying parameters corresponding to the pressed switch key 168 a , 168 b or 168 c . in the embodiment , the user can also use the back key 170 , the rotary part 172 , and the confirmation key 174 to set the displaying parameters correspondingly to the switch keys 168 a , 168 b and 168 c respectively . for example , when the user has set the displaying parameters by use of the on - screen display menu 126 , the user can press any one of the switch keys 168 a , 168 b and 168 c for some time ( for example 5 seconds or any other set time ) to store the present displaying parameters corresponding to the pressed switch key 168 a , 168 b or 168 c . in addition , according to a program design , the user can press anyone of the switch keys 168 a , 168 b and 168 c for some time ( for example 10 seconds or any other set time , usually longer than the time for storing abovementioned ) to restore a default displaying parameters corresponding to the pressed switch key 168 a , 168 b or 168 c . in sum , the switch keys 168 a , 168 b and 168 c corresponds to different displaying parameters respectively . anyone of the switch keys 168 a , 168 b and 168 c can be triggered ( such as by pressing ) for switching the displaying device 12 to operate in the displaying mode relative to the displaying parameters corresponding to the pressed switch key 168 a , 168 b or 168 c . therefore , in the embodiment , the displaying device 12 has at least three displaying modes ; for example , except for the original displaying modes corresponding to the switch keys 168 a , 168 b and 168 c , the switch keys 168 a , 168 b and 168 c can be triggered together with the back key 170 for switching more displaying modes . in practice , the above - mentioned displaying modes can be a bright displaying mode , a predetermination - sized displaying mode , a theater displaying mode , a game displaying mode , a darkroom displaying mode , a document - processing displaying mode and so on . it is added that the operation design for the keys ( including the switching keys 168 a , 168 b and 168 c , the back key 170 , the rotary part 172 , and the confirmation key 174 ) can involve more functions depending on different program designs to satisfy different demands . further , the invention is not limited to controlling the displaying modes of the displaying device 12 . for example , the invention is also applied to interactive manipulations on the displaying content of the displaying device 12 . the above is not described one by one herein . in addition , in practice , the operation for triggering the switch keys 168 a , 168 b and 168 c is not limited to pressing ; for example , if the switch keys 168 a , 168 b and 168 c are realized by a touch panel , the triggering can be performed by touching the touch panel . furthermore , in practice , the user can remove the console 16 from the mounting 142 to approach his body for convenient operation ; alternatively , the user can reach his hands for operation , which does not trouble the user much . anyway , the user can operate easily to switch the displaying modes for the displaying device 12 by use of the switch keys 168 a , 168 b and 168 c without the problem of the on - screen display menu 126 shadowing the screen , which solves the problem of inconvenience , wasting time , distraction and so on during the switching in the prior . besides , the console 16 does not directly contact the displaying device 12 , so the hands of the user will not affect the displaying device 12 during the operation on the console 16 and the shaking problem in the problem is therefore avoided . please refer to fig7 , which is a partial section of the console 16 according to another embodiment for showing the interior thereof . compared with the console 16 in fig5 , in this embodiment , the rotary part of the console 16 in fig7 is a trackball 173 and the sensor of console 16 is a photo - sensor 177 for sensing the two - dimensional rolling of the trackball 173 . the carrier 178 for carrying the trackball 173 shows a cantilever structure ( or other elastic structures ). the confirmation key 174 is disposed under the free end of the carrier 178 such that the trackball 173 can be pressed to make the carrier 178 press down the confirmation key 174 , and the operation of triggering the confirmation key 174 is therefore completed . it is added that the trackball 173 can provide pointer operation of two - dimensional movement , so the on - screen display menu 126 ( as shown in fig6 ) can be displayed in an arrangement of multiple lists in this embodiment , and the user can perform selection and setting by use of the trackball 173 . in the above embodiments , they are illustrated for the invention by the supporting device 14 mainly consisting of the single mounting 142 and the single support 144 ; however , the invention is not limited to this . please refer to fig8 , which is a schematic diagram of a monitor 3 of the invention according to another preferred embodiment . a mounting 342 of a supporting device 34 of the monitor 3 includes a base 3422 and two feet 3424 . the two feet 3424 are symmetrically connected to the base 3422 . a support 344 of supporting device 34 is connected to the base 3422 . an engagement structure 3426 of the mounting 342 is disposed on the base 3422 between the two feet 3424 . a displaying device 32 of the monitor 3 is connected to the support 344 . a console 36 is connected in communication to the displaying device 32 by a cable 38 and is capable of being disposed between the two feet 3424 to be connected to the engagement structure 3426 . in the embodiment , the engagement structure 3426 is a wedge structure where the console 36 has a corresponding wedge structure to be connected . similarly , the engagement structure 3426 can be replaced with magnetic parts so that the magnetic attraction replaces the structure constraint , or the engagement structure 3426 further includes magnetic parts therein for the both advantages . the above - mentioned explanation for the engagement structure and the magnetic part is also applied herein , which is not repeated . it is added that the rotary part of the console 36 is a rotary wheel 362 . a confirmation key is disposed under the rotary wheel 362 and is capable of being triggered by pressing the rotary wheel 362 . an applicable structure for the confirmation key can be easily realized according to the description of the above embodiments , which will not be described . switch keys 364 a , 364 b and 364 c of the console 36 are disposed at a side of the main body of the console 36 . a back key 366 of the console 36 is disposed in the hollow portion of the rotary wheel 362 . regarding descriptions for other components of the monitor 3 , please refer to the relevant descriptions mentioned above of the components with the same names of the monitor 1 , which will not be repeated . please refer to fig9 , which is a schematic diagram of a monitor 5 of the invention according to another preferred embodiment . a displaying device 52 of the monitor 5 is connected to a support 544 of a supporting device 54 of the monitor 5 . a mounting top surface 5423 of a mounting 542 of the supporting device 54 of the monitor thereon forms a rectangle depression slot 5422 having an accommodating space , regarded as the engagement structure for accommodating a console 56 . thereby , the console 56 can be accommodated in the accommodating space or be taken out of the accommodating space selectively . in the embodiment , the profile of the rectangle depression slot 5422 matches the profile of the console 56 ; however , the invention is not limited to this . the console 56 and displaying device 52 are connected in communication with a cable 58 . the rotary part of the console 56 is a rotary wheel 562 . directly pressing the rotary wheel 562 can trigger a confirmation key of the console 56 . the rotary wheel 562 , a back key 564 , and switch keys 566 a , 566 b and 566 c are arranged in order on the main body of the console 56 . regarding descriptions for other components of the monitor 5 , please refer to the relevant descriptions mentioned above of the components with the same names of the monitor 1 , which will not be repeated . it is added that , in practice , the rectangle depression slot 5422 can be a through hole passing through the mounting 542 with a bottom directly by the top of a desk ; therefore , the console 56 can still be accommodated in the rectangle depression slot 5422 stably . please refer to fig1 , which is a schematic diagram of a monitor 7 of the invention according to another preferred embodiment . a displaying device 72 of the monitor 7 is connected to a support 744 of a supporting device 74 of the monitor 7 . amounting top surface 7423 of a mounting 742 of the supporting device 74 of the monitor thereon forms a circular depression slot 7422 having an accommodating space , regarded as the engagement structure for accommodating a console 76 . thereby , the console 76 can be accommodated in the accommodating space or be taken out of the accommodating space selectively . in the embodiment , the profile of the circular depression slot 7422 matches the profile of the console 76 ; however , the invention is not limited to this . the console 76 and displaying device 72 are connected in communication with a cable 78 . the rotary part of the console 76 is a rotary wheel 762 . a confirmation key 764 and a back key 766 of the console 76 are disposed at two sides of the main body of the console 76 respectively . switch keys 768 a , 768 b and 768 c are disposed in the hollow portion of the rotary wheel 762 . regarding descriptions for other components of the monitor 7 , please refer to the relevant descriptions mentioned above of the components with the same names of the monitors 1 and 5 , which will not be repeated . please refer to fig1 , which is a schematic diagram of a monitor 9 of the invention according to another preferred embodiment . a support 944 of a supporting device 94 of the monitor 9 consists mainly of two pillars . a displaying device 92 of the monitor 9 is connected to the support 944 . a mounting 942 of the supporting device 94 thereon forms a circular protrusive pedestal 9422 as the engagement structure for accommodating a console 96 , slightly protruding out the mounting 942 between the two pillars . in the embodiment , the circular protrusive pedestal 9422 forms a protrusion - and - depression structure thereon . the bottom of the console 96 thereon forms a corresponding protrusion - and - depression structure ( not shown in the figure ) for engaging with the circular protrusive pedestal 9422 . such design can also achieve the engagement of the console with the supporting device . furthermore , in the embodiment , the console 96 and the displaying device 92 transit signals by wireless communication , which saves a cable for electrical connection so that the appearance of the monitor 9 is simpler . the rotary part of the console 96 is a rotary wheel 962 . directly pressing the rotary wheel 962 can trigger a confirmation key of the console 96 . the rotary wheel 962 , a back key 964 , and switch keys 966 a , 966 b and 966 c are adjacent to be arranged at the circumference of the main body of the console 96 . regarding descriptions for other components of the monitor 9 , please refer to the relevant descriptions mentioned above of the components with the same names of the monitors 1 and 5 , which will not be repeated . it is added that , the above embodiments are exampled illustrated for the invention by the console capable of being engaged with the mounting of the supporting device ; however , the invention is not limited to this . for example , the console can also hang on the support . in this case , the console does not physically contact the displaying device either , so manipulation on the console on the support does not induce any noticeable shaking of the displaying device . as discussed above , compared to the prior art , the console of the invention is designed to be detachable , so that the user can remove the console from the supporting device for manipulation close by or can manipulate the console when the console is still engaged with the supporting , which depends on the user &# 39 ; s habits . no matter which the user takes , the invention can provide the user convenient setting manipulation and quick switching manipulation ; moreover , the console does not physically contact the displaying device , so the manipulation does not induce any noticeable shaking of the displaying device . therefore , the invention can effectively solve the problems of wasting time , distraction , shaking , and soon induced by setting or switching the displaying modes in the prior art . those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention .	6
an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig4 . fig4 illustrates an exemplary gop 400 in accordance with the mpeg standard , but modified to include two important data portions . similar to gop 300 discussed above with reference to fig3 , gop 400 includes a vol header portion 402 and a plurality of vops ( frames ) portions . for simplicity of discussion , in this example , gop 400 includes a first vop ( frame ) portion 404 and a second vop ( frame ) portion 406 . similar to vol header portion 302 discussed above with reference to fig3 , vol header portion 402 is a sequence level header associated with all vop portions within gop 400 , which in this case are first vop portion 404 and second vop portion 406 . vol portion 402 includes a tirc portion 416 and a user data portion 418 . similar to first vop portion 304 discussed above with reference to fig3 , first vop portion 404 includes a first vop header portion 408 and a first vop data portion 410 . first vop header portion 408 includes a first tic portion 420 and a first user data portion 422 . in the case of first tic portion 420 , there is no previous frame , so both modulo time base and time increment will be zero . similar to second vop portion 306 discussed above with reference to fig3 , second vop portion 406 includes a second vop header portion 412 and a second vop data portion 414 . second vop header portion 412 includes a second tic portion 424 and a second user data portion 426 . the second tic portion 424 consists of a modulo time base , which indicates the number of integral seconds between the second frame 406 and the first frame 404 , and a time increment , which represents the time difference between the second frame 406 and the last integral second . distinct from user data portion 318 discussed above with reference to fig3 , user data portion 418 includes a recorded - time - increment - resolution code ( rtirc ) portion 428 . rtirc portion 428 comprises a 16 - bit unsigned integer that represents the resolution of video time stamps as recorded . a video time stamp is the time that is associated with a video frame in the encoded video bit stream that indicates the relative time of occurrence of that video frame with respect to the start of the recording . specifically , rtirc portion 428 includes data corresponding to the time resolution of the video data as recorded or the number of units or “ ticks ” per second . rtirc portion 428 corresponds to the resolution of the video data as recorded , whereas tirc portion 416 is a conventional data portion that corresponds to the resolution of the video data for purposes of playback by a compliant decoder . distinct from first user data portion 322 discussed above with reference to fig3 , first user data portion 422 includes a first recorded - time - increment code ( rtic ) portion 430 , and second user data portion 426 includes a second rtic portion 432 . data within first rtic portion 430 and second rtic portion 432 indicates the real video record frame rate , which may be provided in terms of a frame rate ( recorded modulo time base and recorded time increment ), a slow - motion factor or both a multiplier and divider that represents the slow - motion factor . for example , a frame rate of 120 fps or a 4 × slow - motion factor would be used if generating a 30 fps recording from a 120 fps input . rtic portions 430 and 432 correspond to the recorded frame rate of the video data , whereas tic portions 420 and 424 are conventional data portions that correspond to the frame rate of the video data for purposes of playback by a compliant decoder . one will note that first vop portion 404 includes the modulo time base and time increment code , i . e ., the apparent record frame rate , in first tic portion 420 . similarly , second vop portion 406 includes the modulo time base and time increment code , i . e ., the apparent record frame rate , in second tic portion 424 . as such , a conventional video player would recognize the apparent frame rate , e . g ., 30 fps , and would therefore be interoperable with a recorder in accordance with the present invention . for example , suppose first rtic portion 430 and second rtic portion 432 indicates a real video record frame rate in terms of a 4 × slow - motion factor . a conventional video player would not recognize first rtic portion 430 or second rtic portion 432 . therefore , the conventional video player would not recognize the 4 × slow - motion factor indicated within first rtic portion 430 or second rtic portion 432 . the conventional video player would , however as discussed above , recognize the apparent record frame rate . in such a case , with a 4 × slow - motion factor , a frame recorded 2 seconds after the start of recording would have a time stamp of 8 seconds , which is the time that frame would appear after the start of playback when played back by an existing video player . returning back to fig2 , as for interleaving audio packets 204 , in accordance with the present invention , audio data can be recorded along with the video data . however , audio packets 204 may not playback , i . e ., be decoded , correctly in existing video players . this is due to the fact that each audio packet 204 will have a true - speed audio time stamps , which are associated with an audio frame in the encoded audio bit stream that indicates the relative time of occurrence of that audio frame with respect to the start of the recording . in accordance with the present invention , if the video data is recorded in a frame rate that is different than the apparent record frame rate , i . e ., the rtic portion within a frame includes a real recorded frame rate , then the video data will have scaled time stamps . as such , the video data will run slower than the audio data . for example , 30 seconds of recording with the example 4 × slow - motion factor would result in 30 seconds of audio but the apparent length of the video would be 120 seconds . a video player in accordance with the present invention is operable to recognize tirc portion 416 and tic portions 420 and 424 as defined by the mpeg standard . a video player in accordance with the present invention is operable to additionally recognize rtirc portion 428 and rtic portions 430 and 432 . as such , a video player in accordance with the present invention will decode the video data , frame - for - frame , and interpret rtirc portion 428 and rtic portions 430 and 432 to determine any encoded recorded frame rate , e . g ., slow - motion factors . once the real recorded frame rate is known , a video player in accordance with the present invention can provide an accurate and known true - speed playback . in particular , such a video player may accept a playback speed factor p , for example via any known user interface , wherein a playback speed factor p = 1 × is real - time and p & gt ; 1 × is slow - motion . on the contrary , a conventional video player may test a range of playback factors when decoding bitstream 400 and may , at some point , provide a true - speed playback . however , in such a case , the conventional player , and user of the player , will not know that the playback speed is the true - speed . accordingly , one of the benefits of the present invention is the ability to provide an accurate and known true - speed playback . a video player in accordance with the present invention can further compute the playback frame rate . tic portion portions 420 and 424 include the video time stamps v = fps . rtic portions 430 and 432 include the recorded frame rate , which may be in the form of a slow - motion factor = s . a user may provide , via a user interface as discussed above , the playback speed factor = p . the video player may then compute the playback frame rate = f =( v * s / p fps ). furthermore , a video player in accordance with the present invention can skip frames between a video decoder output and a display to match a desired playback speed with a user provided display update frame rate d . for example , by using die computed playback frame rate = f discussed above , in conjunction with the user provided display update frame rate d , the video player may easily compute to skip ( f - d ) out of every ( f ) frames , wherein frames must be skipped uniformly during playback . still further , as noted above , a video player in accordance with the present invention can enable and synchronize the audio data with the video data when displaying the decoded video data at true - speed ( playback speed factor = 1 ). this would not be possible without precise knowledge of the frame rate at which the video was recorded . note that audio output can only be synchronized with the video output during true - speed playback . playback equipment capable of decoding the recorded frame rate , can process the bitstream and display , as the operator chooses , slow - motion , or real - time video with synchronized sound . in accordance with the present invention , a user is able to playback at slow - motion or true - speed via a user interface . in conventional systems , the user cannot select true - speed playback . more specifically , in conventional systems , the user can select virtually any playback speed , but will not know the true - speed and further cannot dial - in a specific playback speed factor . since an aspect of the present invention enables true - speed playback , the present invention additionally enables synchronizing video playback with audio playback . in conventional systems , there is no audio because video is recorded such that it cannot be played back at true - speed and therefore cannot be synchronized with audio . in accordance with the present invention , audio could be recorded along with the video , then audio could be ignored during playback except when playback is at true - speed . aspects of the invention may be extended to other video compression standards . an example embodiment in accordance with the present invention in the h264 video compression standard will be described below . the h264 compression technique is able to transform a video sequence corresponding to a plurality of consecutive recorded individual images , each image of which comprises a large amount of data , into a number of network abstraction layer ( nal ) units . these nal units will contain sequence headers , picture headers or picture data . the nal units include the time stamp for each frame , which corresponds to the apparent frame rate , e . g 30 fps . each frame of the h264 bitstream has a supplemental enhancement information ( sei ) nal unit that includes a user_data_unregistered payload . the user_data_unregistered payload includes an rtirc , which is a 16 - bit integer that represents the resolution of the video stamps as recorded , and an rtic . data within the rtic indicates the real video recorded frame rate , which may be provided in terms of frame rate ( recorded modulo time base and recorded time increment ), a slow motion factor or both a multiplier and divider that represents the slow motion factor . for example , a frame rate of 120 fps or a 4 × slow - motion factor . the nal units include frame time stamps corresponding to the apparent frame rate . as such , a conventional video player would recognize the apparent frame rate , e . g 30 fps , and would therefore be interoperable with a recorder in accordance with the present invention . for example , suppose rtic portions in the user_data_unregistered payload of the sei nal unit of each frame indicates a recorded frame rate in terms of a 4 × slow - motion factor . a conventional video player would not recognize the 4 × slow - motion factor indicated by the rtic portions , but would recognize the apparent frame rate of 30 fps . a video player in accordance with the present invention is operable to recognize the time stamps present in the nal units , which indicate the apparent frame rate . a video player in accordance with the present invention is operable to additionally recognize the rtirc and rtic portions in the user_data_unregistered payload of the sei nal units . as such , a video player in accordance with the present invention will determine the recorded frame rate , e . g slow - motion factor . many of the example embodiments discussed - above include an example of a 30 fps recording from a 120 fps input . in accordance with aspects of the present invention , the apparent from rate is not limited to 30 fps and the actual frame rate is not limited to 120 fps . the foregoing description of various preferred embodiments of the invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed , and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . the exemplary embodiments , as described above , were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto .	7
in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of this invention , a seismic gas exploder 10 resting on the ground 11 is interconnected with an upstanding hydraulic catcher cylinder 12 which is in turn affixed to a supporting frame 14 , which may be either stationary or truck mounted . the gas exploder 10 may consist generally of any of various types adapted to impart a downwardly directed seismic pulse into the ground 11 and then rebound upwardly responsive to the reaction force . the gas exploder 10 is suitably fastened to the lower end of a piston rod 15 projecting downwardly from a catcher piston 16 movable within the catcher cylinder 12 . the upper and lower ends of fluid bypass conduit 18 are respectively interconnected with the catcher cylinder 12 above and below the piston 16 . at a position intermediate the upper and lower ends of the conduit 18 , a metering tube or orifice 20 is positioned so as to restrict fluid flow therethrough . an oil reservoir or accumulator 22 also intercommunicates with the bypass conduit 18 . a channel 24 extends in an axial direction through the piston 16 so that when the exploder 10 rebounds in an upward direction from a seismic shot , fluid 26 flows essentially without restraint through the channel 24 in a downward direction . when the exploder 10 reverses direction and starts to fall , a flapper valve 28 positioned behind the piston 16 shuts off the lower opening of channel 24 so that fluid 26 is forced to return slowly to the upper part of the cylinder 12 through the restricting orifice 20 in the conduit 18 thereby damping the motion of exploder 10 . the reservoir 22 stores excess hydraulic fluid 26 on the upward stroke of the piston 16 and returns such excess fluid to the system on the downward stroke thereof . turning now to the features more particularly concerned with this invention , a flexible diaphragm 30 may be positioned in a wall of the conduit 18 so that it is responsive to pressure in the fluid 26 . the diaphragm 30 is adapted to operatively engage a pivotable contact arm 32 of a dual position pressure switch 34 normally urged against fixed contact 36 by means of spring 38 . as the exploder 10 falls and the flapper valve 28 closes due to upward pressure of fluid 26 , the weight of the exploder 10 rests on the piston 16 and is transmitted thereby to increase the pressure of the hydraulic fluid 26 beneath the piston 16 from a few psi to a substantial value , for example 100 psi or more . as the pressure in the fluid 26 increases , the diaphragm 30 moves and exerts a force to separate arm 32 and contact 36 . this condition persists until such time as the exploder 10 returns to earth so that its weight no longer rests on the piston 16 . in this manner , therefore , the condition of the exploder 10 with respect to earth contact is automatically and continuously sensed and monitored . clearly the diaphragm 30 and pressure switch 34 may be designed so that arm 32 and contact 36 will separate at any predetermined pressure . in this manner , an indication may be received when any predetermined percentage of the weight of the exploder 10 is supported by the earth 11 . it is desirable , particularly in repetitive operation of the exploder 10 , to insure that a firing signal is not provided thereto in accordance with known techniques until exploder 10 has been returned to the earth . to this end , the pressure switch 34 may be positioned to control the operation of a conventional firing circuit 37 as more particularly exemplified in fig2 which is illustrative of known commercial circuits such as , for example , the delta products type mark x capacitor discharge firing circuit , as will now be explained . in a typical operation , the gas exploder 10 may be truck mounted and transported in a raised position preparatory to firing . the exploder 10 can be initially lifted to such a position by firing or by means of separate hydraulic means ( not shown ), well - known in the art , adapted to inject additional fluid 26 beneath the piston 16 . a solenoid valve 39 ( fig1 ) is actuated to block fluid return through the conduit 18 , thus holding the exploder 10 in the raised position . in this position the weight of exploder 10 applies pressure to fluid 26 and diaphragm 30 urges the contact arm 32 away from contact 36 and against contact 35 . this completes a charging circuit for capacitor 41 from power supply 42 through a resistance 43 . when it is desired to fire the exploder 10 , the solenoid valve 39 may be actuated to lower it again to the ground , permitting spring - biased contact arm 32 to again engage contact 36 . a firing signal may be provided by a well - known means to close a switch such as tone control switch 44 . this enables the capacitor 41 to discharge through the primary of the spark coil 45 to yield a high voltage across the secondary thereof and to generate a hot spark across the gap 46 . this spark in turn is suitable for ignition of an explosive mixture within the exploder 10 . the firing circuit 37 will be disabled as long as switch contact arm 32 and contact 36 are separated , which indicates a continued high pressure in fluid 26 and an above - ground condition of the exploder 10 . an alternate mode of operation can be achieved by maintaining the switch 44 in a closed position . in that event , the capacitor 41 will discharge to provide a spark at gap 46 automatically when the exploder 10 reaches the earth . during the rebound of the exploder 10 to its maximum height , the diaphragm 30 is not under pressure and consequently the charging circuit for the capacitor 41 is not completed . however , during the downward stroke of the exploder 10 and the piston 16 , the pressure switch 34 is actuated to again move arm 32 against contact 35 so that the capacitor 41 has adequate time to charge before the exploder 10 returns to earth . it is understood , of course , that the above cycle of operation will be coordinated in a well - known manner with an explosive mixture filling operation . for safety purposes , the capacitor charging circuit is interruptable by means of a switch 47 as shown . those skilled in this art will have no difficulty in envisaging other purposes in connection with the operating cycle of seismic gas exploders wherein it will be advantageous to have a simple and effective means of determining when the exploders have fully or partially returned their weight to the ground . it should also be pointed out that although the invention has been described and illustrated with a certain degree of particularity , it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed .	8
referring now to fig1 a , 1b and 2 , a preferred embodiment of transfer system 10 of the present invention is illustrated . transfer system 10 comprises a box frame 11 which is shaped to provide a base 200 which fits between a mattress 16 and a foundation 18 such as box springs or a bed platform . so positioned , frame 11 rests on its base , extending from one edge of the base around an edge of the mattress 16 , preferably the end of the mattress located at the foot of a bed . from the exposed edge of the base frame 11 rises vertically for a distance and then bends back over mattress 16 . the end of frame 11 opposite the base is thus suspended over mattress 16 . on the end of frame 11 over mattress 16 , a handle 12 and a support brace 14 are positionable for the use of a person getting into and out of bed . normally , a person lying on mattress 16 can grab handle 12 when extended and be pulled to a sitting position by the handle as it is retracted . for individuals with limited use of their arms , a harness 92 may be attached to handle 12 by straps 93 and 95 . the individual can than fit harness 92 around their back with the straps 93 and 95 extending from under their arms to be pulled to a sitting position . alternatively , handle 12 can be removed and harness 92 fitted directly to the linkages used for attachment of the handle to frame 11 . the upper section of frame 11 , corresponding in part to arms 23 and 27 , slants downwardly from a location over the end of the mattress 16 toward the head of the bed . handle 12 is movable on frame 11 from the end of the frame over the bed in the directions indicated by double arrow “ a ”. handle 12 thus may be extended somewhat downwardly toward the head of the bed ( illustrated in fig4 ) and retracted back into frame 11 . handle 12 is disposed on rods which extend from within frame tubes 20 and 24 and which are spring biased to urge the handle outwardly from frame 11 out over mattress 16 toward the head of the bed . a handle retraction motor 111 is mounted to frame 11 on cross member 32 and is connected to handle 12 by a flexible tether 113 set on a pulley ( illustrated below ). tether 113 provides for retracting handle 12 into frame 11 with sufficient force to overcome the bias of the spring . when the weight of a person &# 39 ; s torso hangs from handle 12 the person is gently lowered onto the bed from a sitting position and can , from a recumbent position , pull the handle towards themselves . handle 12 is also rotatable in the directions indicated by double arrow “ b ” on an axis which is parallel to the upper major surface of mattress 16 to allow the handle to be pushed out of the way or pulled to a more convenient position . a support brace 14 is also mounted to a cross member 34 near the upper end of frame 11 . support brace 14 may be rotated in the directions indicated by double arrow “ c ” about an axis substantially perpendicular to the upper major surface of mattress 16 . brace 14 may be moved out over one of the major edges of mattress 16 to provide support to a person moving from a standing position along side the bed to a sitting position on mattress 16 , or from a sitting position on the mattress to standing alongside the bed . frame 11 is constructed from two tubular members 20 and 24 , and a plurality of transverse cross members 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 . each tubular member has , in turn , three major sections corresponding to the principal parts of the frame 11 . for tubular member 20 there is a base leg 21 , an upright 22 and a positioning arm 23 . tubular member 20 is preferably formed from a single tube with curved transition sections between the major sections . similarly , tubular member 24 has a base leg 25 , an upright 26 and a positioning arm 27 . frame 11 has three major sections , defined by their respective functions , which are : as a base or foundation for the frame ; as a riser disposed between the base and an upper support platform to allow positioning of the frame around an edge of the bed ; and as a platform positioned above the bed for the active elements of the support system 10 . frame 11 stands on one side of the frame , comprising base legs 21 and 25 and cross member 28 , which form the base . the base is illustrated as positioned below a mattress 16 , which stabilizes frame 11 on a box spring or platform 18 . the riser corresponds to vertical uprights 22 and 26 and cross member 30 . the platform to position patient aid braces and handles within easy reach of a patient is formed by arms 23 and 27 along with cross members 32 and 34 . vertical support for arms 23 and 27 is provided by vertical uprights 22 and 26 , respectively . uprights 22 and 26 are braced against on one another be cross member 30 . positioning arms 23 and 27 depend from uprights 22 and 26 , respectively , and are linked to one another by cross members 32 and 34 . cross members 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 are attached to tubular members 20 and 24 by suitable fastening means . for cross members 28 , 30 and 32 these may include penetration of the tubular members 20 and 24 by the ends of the cross members coupled with screws through the bodies of the tubular members into the cross members . cross member 34 serves other functions and is attached to tubular members 20 and 24 somewhat differently as is described below . frame 11 generally defines a u - shaped frame , which can be fitted around one edge of bed mattress and which is held in place by the mattress . specific construction elements , such as tubular frames , joints , bends and cross members , including consideration of their size and material may vary upon specific application of the device , for example in houses or health care facilities , or the type of bed used . spring types , fasteners and the like may be chosen based on cost considerations or the desire for the highest refinement of the tool . the basic design concept would be unchanged . for example , hospital and nursing home beds are different than beds normally found in individual houses or apartments in that a spring grid is all that is provided immediately under the top level bedding element . no box spring is provided and as a result no integral surface exists as a base . in such an application a tubular frame base would not be appropriate . in some applications welded joints joining distinct tubes may be used in place of a single bent tubes , or rectangular tubing may be used instead of circular cross - section tubing to enhance rigidity . the retraction motor is preferably of a type generating high torque at low rotational speeds , such as provided by vehicle windshield wiper motor . [ 0029 ] fig2 is a side elevation of frame 11 illustrating more fully tubular member 20 and the position relative thereto of handle 12 . brace 14 swings on a pivot axis 70 which is perpendicular to the upper major surface of mattress 16 . a plurality of screws 80 are set in tubular member 20 hold cross members 28 , 30 and 32 in place . similar screws ( not shown ) join the cross members 28 , 30 and 32 to tubular member 24 . referring now to fig3 a - b and 4 , the mechanical details relating to positioning of handle 12 are illustrated . handle 12 is mounted on co - axial pivoting mounts 42 and 44 , which are provided by rods 50 and 52 to position a gripping section 36 within easy reach of a person laying in a bed . rods 50 and 52 are mounted in cylinders 46 and 48 with rod exerts 54 and 56 extending from the cylinders to mate with holes through handle arms 38 and 40 , respectively . appropriate threaded nuts or other fastening elements may be used to hold handle 12 on rod exerts 54 and 56 . retraction of handle 12 is powered by a motor 111 , which is mounted on a platform 123 which in turn is set on cross rod 32 . motor 111 is turned on by depression of either of switch pads 115 which may be placed on handle 12 to be easily reached by a user . the position indicated for switch pads 115 is illustrative only and many other locations may be used for the control switch such as a free box which may be placed on an adjacent table . typically the switches will be spring loaded and will cut off if continuous pressure is not applied . motor 111 turns a shaft 127 which in turn drives a constant rotation direction pulley 125 . tether system 113 is connected to retract a cable between pivot mounts 42 and 44 and the constant rotation direction payout pulley 125 to effect retraction of handle 12 . tether system 113 comprises a base cable 121 which winds on pulley 125 . cable 121 divides into two parts , 117 and 119 which are looped through holes 97 and 99 in extensions 83 and 85 , which depend from mounts 42 and 44 , respectively . tether segments 117 and 119 feed though openings 150 and 152 through cross member 34 . extension and retraction of handle 12 relative to frame 11 is supported on piston rods 62 and 64 , which extend from the bases of mounting cylinders 46 and 48 , respectively , and which are partially inserted into the open ends of positioning arms 23 and 27 . rods 62 and 64 are free to move in and out of positioning arms 23 and 27 except as limited rod ends 67 and 69 and by restraining caps 78 and 80 . restraining caps 78 and 80 close the open ends of positioning arms 23 and 27 save for annular openings sized to pass rods 62 and 64 . restraining caps 78 and 80 are of smaller diameter than the width of rod ends 67 and 69 . this allows the free traversal of the rods 62 and 64 . referring to fig4 a cross sectional view of arm 27 illustrates a spring biasing mechanism applicable to both arms . compression spring 68 biases rod 64 outwardly from the tube forming positioning arm 27 toward an extended position . compression spring is located between a piston rod shoulder stop 76 located around piston rod 64 and a screw 220 which positions one end of cross member 32 . if desired , the force generated by spring 68 may be adjusted by building up shoulder 76 , or by selecting a spring with a different spring constant . for a patient with minimal upper body strength and no abdominal strength , handle 12 should be easily drawable , if speed limited , the retractive force applied by the tether 113 balancing the outward force supplied by spring 68 and a comparable spring in arm 23 . retractive force , overcoming the spring forces and supporting the weight of the patient is supplied by motor 111 . the maximum speed of extension may be set by limiting the speed at which constant rotation direction payout pulley 125 can turn . brace 14 is pivotally mounted to an extension of cross member 34 , which positions the pivot 70 for the brace at a point horizontally displaced from the upper or positioning section of frame 11 toward an edge of the bed . a pivot stop 72 limits travel of brace 14 toward the center of the bed and allows the infirm user of the apparatus to pull him or herself around to bring their legs over the edge of the bed . brace 14 may then be pivoted outwardly over the edge of the bed , or to other convenient positions , to provide a support for the individual as he or she stands . it should be apparent that brace 14 and handle 12 may be used to reverse the process as well . [ 0036 ] fig5 illustrates a simple series circuit suitable forproviding energization of motor 111 . a power supply 131 may be connected to motor 111 by simple closure of switch 115 . as stated above , switch 115 is biased open . wires for switch 115 are typically snaked through the tubing of the handle and of frame 11 to reach motor 111 . where handle 12 is removed for a harness an independent switch box may be provided . the present invention aids the infirm in getting into and out of bed , generally without assistance of another individual , or in the case where two elderly persons live together , eases the task of helping another person out of bed . the preferred embodiment is readily installed on most beds , requiring no permanent physical modification of the bed , and is readily removed if desired . when positioned with a bed the apparatus does not limit access to the bed by blocking the major sides with rails . while the invention is shown in only one of its forms , it is not thus limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	8
the following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention . the description is not to be taken in a limiting sense , but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention , since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims . as used herein , the following terms shall refer to the stated structures among the various fig1 — rack assembly ; 11 — upper portion ; 12 — bottom portion ; 13 — receptacle ; 14 — latch ; 15 — tail gate ; 16 — slide ; 17 — hinge ; 18 — bed side ; 19 — bed back ; 20 — bed floor ; 30 — trailer hitch ; 31 — horizontal top link connector ; 32 — lift arm connector ; 33 — vertical top link connector ; 34 — tow spine support ; 35 — tow spine 40 — rail tube ; 41 — short rib tube ; 42 — cross bar ; 50 — wheel ; 51 — caster ; 52 — legs ; 53 — wheel mount plate ; 54 — leg sleeve ; 55 — aperture 60 — lumber rack tool bracket ; 61 — ring tool bracket ; 62 — side bin bracket ; 63 — strap tool bracket ; 64 — j hook bracket ; 65 — chainsaw holder ; 110 — alternative rack assembly ; and 140 — alternative rail tube . referring to fig1 , a preferred embodiment of rack assembly 10 generally includes upper portion 11 having two curved rail tubes 40 extending to bottom portion 12 . bottom portion 12 includes receptacle 13 , including tail gate 15 , two bed sides 18 ( fig2 shows one ), bed back 19 ( fig3 ), and bed floor 20 ( fig4 ). as best shown in fig6 , tail gate 15 is connected to bed floor 20 at hinges 17 . fig4 depicts tailgate attached to side panels with spring pins for easy removal . tail gate 15 is preferably a continuous and planar surface with upper surface of bed floor 20 when tail gate 15 is in opened position ( fig1 ). tail gate 15 can released from vertical position to rest at horizontal position , and be locked at vertical position , by slides 16 . alternatively , tail gate 15 can be released and locked by latches 14 , as shown in fig2 . curved rail tubes 40 are preferably constructed of square tubing having approximately 1¼ to 2 inch width , and preferably approximately 1 / 16 inch wall thickness . wall and floor structures of receptacle 13 are preferably constructed of between 12 and 16 gauge , and preferably 13 gauge , steel . it is preferred to use cold rolled steel in the construction of rack assembly 10 , in order to gain strength and durability . also , it may be desirable to corrugate panels such as tail gate 15 and bed back 19 in order to gain more rigidity under load . as shown in fig2 , rack assembly 10 can include an assembly which is compatible with the 3 point hitch system found in many tractors . this assembly includes horizontal top link connector 31 , vertical top link connector 33 , and lift arm connector 32 . as best shown in fig6 , horizontal top link connector 31 and vertical top link connector 33 comprise one unitary “ l - shaped ” piece , with the former forming the short part of the “ l ”, and the latter forming the long part of the “ l ”. fig5 - 52 depict a tractor mounted with rack assembly 10 . however , it should be understood that rack assembly 10 can be used without the 3 point hitch assembly , as shown in fig2 & amp ; 27 . in this embodiment rack assembly 10 plugs directly into a conventional receiver , such as that found on a pickup truck . rack assembly 10 can be engaged with a variety of vehicles including automobiles , trucks , vans , atv &# 39 ; s , utv &# 39 ; s , golf carts , tractors , or others that can accept a 2 ″ receiver hook up and / or that have a 3 point hitch . on the opposite side of horizontal top link connector 31 is trailer hitch 30 ( fig5 ), thereby providing an attachment point for an additional trailer . having two connection points , for example trailer hitch 30 on one side and 3 point hitch assembly on the other side , permits “ daisy chaining ” of trailers . alternatively , “ daisy chaining ” can be without 3 point hitch assembly , as depicted in fig4 - 46 . it is desirable that trailer hitch 30 includes a square receiver opening of 1 . 25 inches ( for class i / ii towing ), or 2 inches ( for class iii / iv / v towing ). class iv / v receivers , in 2 . 5 inches , are also possible . in this manner a user tow items such as a seed spreader , log splitter , trailers for personal watercraft , and so forth . as would be understood by those in the art , rack assembly 10 must withstand a tremendous amount of force when used with a vehicle . for one , rack assembly 10 extends outwardly from a vehicle , without being supported underneath . additionally , a trailer may be connected rearwardly . there is also the weight of rack assembly 10 itself ( approximately 170 pounds , depending on the configuration ), plus all the implements stored on and inside the device . finally , the rack assembly 10 is subjected to bouncing when attached to a moving tractor or other vehicle . rack assembly 10 includes various structures which enable the device to withstand these forces . of particular importance is tow spine 35 , which unifies trailer hitch 30 and horizontal top link connector 31 . in addition , a plurality of tow spine supports 34 , extending substantially perpendicularly from tow spine 35 , also provide structural integrity by strongly reinforcing bed floor 20 . this is further strengthened by lift arm connectors 32 , as shown in fig6 , and the use of a 3 point hitch where compatible . tow spine 35 performs the majority of the work in terms of load bearing and resistance to deformation of the structure when under different loading scenarios . while most of the assembly could be delivered as a flat packed bolt together kit , the tow spine 35 is a welded , heavier gauge steel , providing a rigid foundation for the rest of the rack , in addition to the modular hitch features . the tow spine &# 39 ; s metal thickness can range from ⅛ inch to ¼ inch . regarding fig5 a and 56b , two acceptable loading scenarios are demonstrated . fig5 a shows a loading scenario with a 480 lbf evenly distributed in the center of the rack , bringing the total static weight to 600 lbf . fig5 b shows a loading scenario with a 320 ( calculated ) load placed asymmetrically all on one side up to the maximum the rack can handle . fig5 - 66 set forth finite element analysis results . although this analysis was conducted with an earlier rack design , consisting of mostly square tubing , the focus was on determining the strength of the spine component . accordingly , much of the data is relevant to the present invention . regarding fig5 , for the finite element analysis , the rack weight was configured for 2 ″ square receiver , approximately 120 lbs , and the analysis was based on 1020 cold rolled steel material properties . regarding fig5 , the following support specifications are preferred : 3 point hitch ( category 0 ), 12 ″ behind lp 450 lbf ( jd ) 3 point hitch ( category 1 ), 24 ″ behind lp 680 - 1450 lbf ( jd ) 2 ″ square receiver ( class iii , standard ) 600 lbf ( tw ) 1¼ ″ square receiver ( class i ) * 200 lbf ( tw ) 1¼ ″ square receiver ( class ii ) 300 lbf ( tw ) reasonable design limit for standard configuration ( 2 ″ square receiver ) is 600 lbf ( static ). this would be an acceptable load for all class 3 rated receivers and receivers on class 1 or higher 3 point hitches . * possible to design 1¼ ″ configuration such that system only fits class ii receivers regarding fig5 , a spine component designed with ⅛ ″ walls , appr . 16 lbs , is depicted with a symmetric loading of 1200 lbf total load ( 120 lbf plus 480 lbf payload , 2 × fos ), showing that the highest stresses are at the square tube where it exits the receiver , but the stresses should not cause yielding of rack . regarding fig5 , a spine component is depicted with a symmetric loading , showing that at maximum load and 2 × gravity ( driving over a bump ), the point furthest from the receiver will flex downward approx . 0 . 144 ″. fig5 depicts maximum payloads of different materials , evenly distributed . fig5 a depicts 12 concrete blocks evenly distributed at 30 - 40 lbf each . fig5 b depicts 12 cubic feet of green oak at 40 lbf / ft 3 evenly distributed ( other woods weigh less , so larger volume could be carried .) fig5 c depicts 6 bags of cement evenly distributed at 80 lbf each . fig5 d depicts one 55 gallon drum filled with water at 500 lbf ( slightly over max ) evenly distributed . fig6 depicts 320 lbf asymmetrically loaded at extremes of ribs and 120 lbf representing weight of rack ( 2 × fos for a total of 880 lbf ). system has highest stresses where 2 ″ tube exits hitch receiver but should not yield . additional strength can be gained ( if needed ) by using 3 / 16 ″ wall tubing . fig6 , depicts 640 lbf asymmetrically loaded at extremes of ribs ( 2 × fos ) and 240 lbf representing weight of rack ( 2 × fos ). deflection at worst position is approximately 0 . 25 ″ vertically . fig6 depicts maximum payloads equal to 320 lbf ( static ), unevenly distributed . although it is difficult to predict how the rack will be loaded , the rack will handle 4 bags of cement or 8 concrete blocks when subjected to 2 times g ( gravity ). as can be seen in fig7 - 12 , and 29 - 34 , a variety of add - on brackets and holders may be added to rack assembly 10 in order to customize the device according to the needs of the user . examples of add - ons include lumber bracket 60 , ring tool bracket 61 , side bin bracket 62 , strap tool bracket 63 , j hook bracket 64 , and chain saw holder ( unnumbered in fig2 , 30 , 31 and 34 ). as shown in fig7 , cross bar 42 may also be used , which adds additional structural integrity to the device and provides an attachment site for additional add - ons . fig1 depicts alternative rack assembly 110 , having alternative rail tube 140 , which is substantially rectangular in shape . one advantage of rack assembly 10 is that it may be removed from a vehicle and used as a semi - stationary storage device ( fig1 ), or as a tool cart ( fig1 ). as shown in fig1 , rolling functionality is provided for by connecting one wheel mount plate 53 to each bed side 18 . each wheel mount plate 53 includes a pair of hollow leg sleeves 54 which releasably receive legs 52 . vertical displacement of rack assembly 10 can be changed by adjusting position of legs 52 within leg sleeves 54 , then securing with pins ( not shown ) that pass through apertures 55 . in this manner rack assembly 10 can be rolled on wheels 50 from one location to another . this functionality may be particularly helpful when engaging and disengaging rack assembly 10 and vehicle . by way of example , a user can roll fully loaded rack assembly 10 to the vicinity of a vehicle &# 39 ; s hitch , connect the rack to the vehicle , remove wheel mount plate 53 , and use the vehicle - mounted rack in the ordinary manner . when it is desirable to remove the rack from the vehicle the user can attach mount plates 53 , and then roll the rack ( fully loaded ) to a desired location . in this manner a user adjusts leg lengths once , and then simply attaches the wheel mount plates ( and connected legs ) as desired . in another embodiment , depicted in fig3 - 40 , 47 and 48 there are four individual legs that are mounted . this embodiment is used in the manner described , except it is necessary to attach legs one at a time . another important structure of the present invention is the suitcase weight bracket accessory of fig2 - 266 . this bracket holds suitcase weights ( not shown ) for counter weight . more specifically , fig2 - 266 depict a mounting bar that attaches to the 3 pt riser arm , and is used to hang counterweights . it should be understood , of course , that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims . by way of example the rack assembly can be modified for other specific uses such as transporting cargo , tailgating , camping , and hunting . add - ons can secure items such as hunting rifles , bows , bird cages , fishing gear , fishing poles and so forth . also accessories such as work tables , table saw work surfaces , and chop saw work surfaces can be used with the rack assembly &# 39 ; s 2 inch receiver . all ranges set forth herein include increments there between ; “ approximate ” and the like mean +/− 10 %	1
the method of the invention relates to using mixtures of betaines and amine oxides in the inhibition of enveloped viruses and treatment of viral infections caused by enveloped viruses . the method of the invention also relates to using mixtures of betaines and amine oxides in the inactivation of enveloped viruses . the betaines that can be used in this invention are alkyl - n - betaines , alkyl - n - sulfobetaines , acyl - n - betaines , alkyl n - substituted aminopropionic acids or alkylimidazolinium betaines or mixtures thereof . the amine oxides that can be used in this invention are alkyl - n , n - dimethylamine oxides , alkyl - n , n - dihydroxyethylamine oxides or acylamide t - amide oxides or mixtures thereof . these compositions are also effective for the treatment of viral , fungal , and microbial infections and contaminations . these compositions are effective in inhibiting enveloped viruses that are transmitted sexually or nonsexually . these compositions are also effective in the inhibition of bacteria and fungi which coexist with viruses or viral infections . these compositions can also be used topically . typically , these compositions are applied to areas where viruses are or can be transmitted . this includes application in the vagina , to mucous membranes , and to the skin . these compositions can also be used as spermicides , either alone or in combination with other spermicides . these compositions can also be used with or incorporated into contraceptive devices such as , for example , condoms , diaphragms , sponges , contraceptive films , suppositories , sustained release devices , and contraceptive patches . for example , the composition may be incorporated into a lubricant applied to a condom or as part of a reservoir at the tip of a condom , or incorporated into a contraceptive sponge , contraceptive film , suppository , sustained release device or contraceptive patch . a contraceptive film can comprise the composition described above , together with , type a gelatin , cellulose gum and a polyhydric alcohol . the compositions can also be used in contraceptive foams , gels , jellys , creams . the compositions can also be used in douches . for use in preventing the transmission of viruses , these compositions can be used alone , with other spermicides and with or incorporated into a contraceptive device as described above . this invention also comprises a method for inhibiting the transmission of viruses that cause sexually transmitted diseases which comprises applying the compositions to those parts of the anatomy that are exposed to body fluids emanating from another during sexual activity . these compositions have also unexpectedly been found to be less toxic to mammalian cells than nonoxoynol - 9 ( n - 9 ) ( see fig4 and 5 ). table 1 shows that these compositions have equivalent spermicidal activity to n - 9 , which is one of the few surfactants approved by the fda for use as a spermicide . for use in topical applications , the compositions can also be incorporated into liquids , creams , salves , lotions , foams and gels . the invention also provides a method for disinfecting air and inanimate surfaces , for example , in an operating room or laboratory . more particularly , this invention provides a method for disinfecting areas which are contaminated with enveloped viruses . these compositions can also be incorporated into sprays , mists , wipes , aerosols or devices which produce sprays , mists or aerosols . these compositions can also be applied as liquids . according to the method of this invention , these compositions may be used as viricides , fungicides and bactericides . the compositions employed in the method of the invention comprise an admixture of betaines and amine oxides . the betaines used in this invention are selected from the group consisting of ( a ) alkyl - n - betaines , alkyl - n - sulfobetaines , acyl - n - betaines , alkyl n - substituted aminopropionic acid , alkylimidazolinium betaines and mixtures of two or more thereof . typically the betaines have two lower alkyl groups bonded to the nitrogen atom . most effectively they have two methyl substituents on the nitrogen atom . the amine oxides used in this invention are selected from the group consisting of b ) a an alkyl - n , n - dimethylamine oxides , alkyl - n , n - dihydroxyethylamine oxide or acylamide t - amine oxides and mixtures of two or more thereof . typically , the betaine and amine oxide components are present in a molar ratio of from 1 : 5 to 5 : 1 , preferably in a molar ratio of 1 : 1 . the alkyl - n - betaine , the alkyl - n - sulfobetaine , the acyl - n - betaine , the alkyl n - substituted 2 - aminopropionic acid and alkylimidazolinium betaine ( also referred to as cocoamphoacetates ) employed as the components ( a ) of the composition of the invention have structures , respectively , as follows : where r is a higher alkyl group having from 10 to 18 carbon atoms , preferably from 12 - 16 carbon atoms . when used herein the term lower alkyl means an alkyl group of from 1 to 3 carbon atoms . illustrative of these aforementioned substances are : ( 1 ) coco - n - betaine , cetyl - n - betaine , stearyl - n - betaine , isostearyl - n - betaine , oleyl - n - betaine ; ( 2 ) coco - n - sulphobetaine , cetyl - n - sulphobetaine , stearyl - n - sulfobetaine , isostearyl - n - sulfobetaine , oleyl - n - sulfobetaine ; ( 3 ) cocoamido - n - betaine , cetylamido - n - betaine , stearylamido - n - betaine , isostearylamido - n - betaine , oleylamino - n - betaine ; ( 4 ) n - coco - 2 aminopropionic acid , n - cetyl - 2 - aminopropionic acid , n - stearyl - 2 - aminopropionic acid , n - isostearyl - 2 - aminopropionic acid , n - oleyl - 2 - aminopropionic acid , n - stearyl - bis ( 2 - aminopropionic acid ), n - oleyl - bis ( 2 - aminopropionic acid ), n - coco - bis ( 2 - aminopropionic acid ), n - cetyl - bis ( 2 - aminopropionic acid ), ( 5 ) n - lauryl - bis ( 2 - aminopropionic acid ) 1 - hydroxyethyl - 1 - carboxymethyl - 2 - decylimidazolium betaine ; 1 - hydroxyethyl - 1 - carboxymethyl - 2 - dodecylimidazolium betaine ; 1 - hydroxyethyl - 1 - carboxymethyl - 2 - cocoimidazolium betaine ; 1 - hydroxyethyl - 1 - carboxymethyl - 2 - stearylimidazolium betaine ; 1 - hydroxyethyl - 1 - carboxymethyl - 2 - oleylimidazolium betaine ; or mixtures of the same . when used here the term “ coco ” is that used in the ctfa ( designations of cosmetic and toiletry and fragrance association , wash ., d . c .) and is used to indicate alkyl groups present in coconut oil , i . e . a mixture of alkyl groups of from 10 to 18 carbon atoms . the designations of the compounds listed herein are those of the ctfa . the ( 1 ) alkyl - n , n - diethylamine oxide , ( 2 ) alkyl - n , n - dihydroxylethylamine oxide , or ( 3 ) acylamide t - amine oxide employed as component ( b ) of the aforementioned mixture , respectively , have the structure : where r is a higher alkyl group of from 10 to 18 carbon atoms , for instance , radicals such as decyl , undecyl , lauryl , tridecyl , myristyl , cetyl , stearyl , isostearyl or oleyl . exemplary of the amine oxides are : decyl - n , n - dimethylamine oxide , lauryl - n , n - dimethylamine oxide , stearyl - n - n - dimethylamine oxide , oleyl - n , n - dimethylamine oxide , coco - n , n dihydroxyethylamine oxide , cetyl - n , n - dihydroxyethylamine oxide , oleyl - n , n - dihydroxyethyl - amine oxide , n , n - dihydroxyethylamine oxide , oleyl - n ,- n - dihydroxyethyl - amine oxide and mixtures of the same . the components ( a ) and ( b ) are usually admixed and acid is then added in an amount necessary to adjust the ph of a 0 . 5 % solution to between 4 - 8 , preferably to ph 4 . 5 - 5 . 5 . the ph of an aqueous solution comprising the above enumerated components of the invention is determined by employing an aqueous solution of 0 . 5 %, by weight , total of active components typically at a glass electrode , to precisely define the acidity of the composition . in general , the acid used to adjust the overall composition to the required ph is any organic or inorganic acid that is compatible with the intended use of the composition , for example , hydrochloric acid , phosphoric acid , sulfuric acid , citric acid , acetic acid or nicotinic acid . the balance of the composition , after allowing for the acid is usually an acceptable solvent , such as water or a lower ( c 1 - c 4 ) monohydric aliphatic alcohol , for a total of 100 parts or more . where water is employed , small amounts of a lower alkyl alcohol , such as ethanol or propanol , may also be added to provide ease in formulation . acceptable diluents , carriers and excipients are , for example , ethyl or isopropyl alcohols , polyethylene glycol , povidone , polyhydric alcohols , glycerine , cellulose gums , gelatin , colorants and fragrances . if necessary , the ph of the total composition is then adjusted to the requisite ph by adding a suitable inorganic or organic acid thereto . the result is a substantially uniform , homogeneous , relatively nontoxic composition having enhanced activity against enveloped viruses , bacteria and fungi . it has been unexpectedly found that these compositions exhibit ( 1 ) low mammalian cell toxicity , a property which is known to correlate with low irritation and low toxicity when used in contact with mucous membranes ( journal clinical dentistry 2 ( 2 ): 34 - 38 , ( 1990 )), and ( 2 ) highly efficacious inactivation of enveloped viruses although cytocidal activity is low . in the past , research has used cytocidal activity as an index of activity . ( asculai , s . s ., antimicrb . agents chemother . 13 : 678 - 690 ( 1978 )) in practice , the total amount of the components ( a ) and ( b ) of the overall composition can range from 0 . 01 %- 40 %, preferably from 0 . 03 %- 30 % depending on the intended means of use . for example , concentrations used are , approximately 20 %- 30 % in contraceptive films and 0 . 2 % to 2 % in gels . compositions for use in this invention comprise alkyl n - di ( lower alkyl ) glycines and alkyl n - di ( lower alkyl ) amine oxides , wherein the lower alkyl is c 1 - c 3 . one class of betaines i have found to be partically useful in this invention are the alkyl n - dimethyl betaines , such as cocobetaines and lauryl betaines . particularly useful amine oxides for use in this invention are the an alkyl n - dimethyl amine oxides , such as cocodimethyl amine oxides and lauryl dimethyl amine oxides . one particular composition that can be used in this invention comprises cocobetaine , cocamine oxide and citric acid monohydrate . another composition that can be used in this invention comprises lauryl betaine , lauramine oxide and citric acid monohydrate . in such compositions , the molar ratio of betaines to amine oxides is normally from 5 : 1 to 1 : 5 , preferably in a molar ratio of 2 : 1 to 1 : 2 , more preferably about 1 : 1 . other compositions that can be used in this invention comprise mixtures of betaines , amine oxides , gelatin having a bloom strength of 100 - 300 and a molecular weight from about 75 , 000 to about 300 , 000 , polyhydric alcohols and cellulose gums . such compositions are described in a copending u . s . application being filed simultaneously with the present application and having attorney docket no . u8186 , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 244 , 652 . compositions used in this invention can inhibit the activity of viruses that are related to aids . it is also expected that these compositions can inhibit the activity of hsv - 1 and hsv - 2 . it is also expected that the compositions used in this invention can inhibit hepatitis a , b and c . it is expected that the compositions can be used to inhibit viruses , bacteria and fungi which are associated with sexually transmitted diseases ( std &# 39 ; s ). the compositions of this invention may be useful in relation to the following : 1 ) transmission of hiv is often associated with the co - transmission of other viral and / or microbial pathogens . indeed , some investigators have suggested that hiv may not be the sole agent responsible for aids ( see duesberg , p . h . ( 1991 ) proc . natl . acad . sci . 88 : 1575 - 1579 ; lemaitre , m ., guetard , d ., henin , y ., montagnier , l . and zerial , a . ( 1990 ). res . virol . 141 : 5 - 16 ). for this reason , antimicrobial agents , such as those described in this application , with a broad spectrum of activities against viruses , bacteria , and yeasts such as candida may be of particular value in the prevention and treatment of acquired immune deficiency syndrome ( aids ). 2 ) it is thought that certain bacteria known to cause std &# 39 ; s may aid in hiv transmission . in persons who have been exposed to hiv , certain bacteria which cause std &# 39 ; s often fail to respond to therapies that are otherwise highly effective . hiv infection may help the spread of a bacterial std that in turn helps to spread hiv . std &# 39 ; s such as chlamydia , chancroid , syphilis , genital herpes and gonorrhea which cause ulcerations of the genital skin seem to increase the risk of acquiring or transmitting hiv infection sexually . aral , s . o ., et al . scientific american , 264 ( 2 ): 62 - 69 ( february 1991 ). the compositions described above may also be of use to inactivate other enveloped viruses , including vaccinia , varicella , herpes zoster , cytomegalovirus , epstein barr virus , influenza , mumps , measles , rhinovirus , rabies and rubella . in order to facilitate a further understanding of the invention , the following examples are presented primarily for the purposes of illustrating more specific details thereof . the invention is not to be deemed as limited thereby except as defined in the claims . the composition described below is a concentrate of c31g , an equimolar preparation of cocobetaine and cocodimethylamine oxides ( designations of ctfa cosmetic and toiletry and fragrance association , wash ., d . c .) [ cfta ] which can be used in a number of different configurations . to make about 782 . 5 lb c31g at 29 . 6 % ai , at a dilution 1 % ai ; ph = 4 . 9 . the spermicidal activity of c31g of example 1 was compared to the spermicidal activity of nonoxynol - 9 ( n - 9 ). the studies were conducted using the hamilton - thorn sperm motility analyzer . samples of pooled washed semen were incubated with dilutions of the two compounds for fifteen seconds and were analyzed ( in triplicate ) for determination of the minimum concentration for inactivation by the following criteria : as shown in table 1 , c31g and n - 9 gave identical results : the cytotoxic effects of c31g and n - 9 on mammalian cells were determined in several types of assays . cell toxicity is an indication of the relative safety and comfort in use of surfactants in contraceptives or prophylactics . as shown in fig4 a two week study monitoring drug effects on sup - ti cells , ( a human lymphocytic cell line ), c31g demonstrated minimal toxicity at 0 . 001 % [ 10 ppm ] while n - 9 at the same concentration was extremely toxic . fig5 shows mmt reduction in cem cells after five days of continuous exposure . under these conditions c31g showed no toxicity to mammalian cells at 3 ppm [ 0 . 0003 %] while n - 9 showing toxicity , reducing mammalian cell viability by 50 % at the same concentration . it is unexpected that a compound having the same spermicidal activity as n - 9 would be less toxic to mammalian cells than n - 9 . to test the effect of c31g and n - 9 on herpes simplex virus type - 1 ( kos strain ), the virus stock was prepared in vero ( african green monkey kidney ) cells . the virus was released from the cells by one freeze - thaw cycle followed by sonication . the virus titer was 4 . 5 × 10 8 plaque forming units ( pfu )/ ml , as determined on vero cells . the drug formulations used were identical to the drugs in the spermicidal study . the stock concentration of each drug was 5 %. two - fold serial dilutions were made , down to 0 . 04 %, in pbs ph 7 . 4 at room temperature . 24 ul of each dilution was added to 220 ul of virus ( 10 8 pfu ), giving final concentrations of 0 . 5 - 0 . 004 %. these samples were incubated at room temperature for 10 min , and then 100 ul of each was immediately diluted to 1 ml with ice - cold dmem / 5 % fbs . 10 - fold serial dilutions were then made , down to 10 - 7 , for titration of remaining infectious virus on vero cells in 24 - well plates . plaques were counted 36 hours post - infection . note that these are titers ( ie . pfu / ml ), rather than absolute numbers of pfu . the titer determined for untreated virus was 4 . 7 × 10 8 pfu / ml in the experiment using n - 9 and 4 . 5 × 10 8 pfu / ml in the experiment using c31g . it is noted that complete inhibition of plaque formation by c31g occurs at more than one dilution below that of n - 9 . see fig6 . the inactivation of hiv - 1 ( aids ) virus was studied in two experiments . the first study compared the effects of c31g of hiv - 1 at two different exposure times , 2 minutes and 45 minutes . the next study compared the relative activity of c31g and n - 9 on hiv using the same virus strain and measuring antiviral activity by reduction of virus titer as determined by reduction of p - 24 hiv antigen . cells : sup - t1 cell line ( cd4 + lymphoid cells which produce characteristic cell fusion with giant cells and syncytia when infected with hiv ) 1 . serial fourfold dilutions of c31g in pbs ( 4 . 0 %- 0 . 004 % and pbs alone as control ) were prepared . ph was adjusted to 5 . 5 . 2 . pooled aliquots of viral stock were prepared and c31g was added at each concentration , at 1 : 9 detergent : virus ratio ( 1 : 10 detergent dilution ). these were incubated for either 2 or 45 minutes . 3 . serial fourfold dilutions of each virus / detergent mixture down to 1 : 4096 were prepared . 4 . 16 . 6 ul of each virus / detergent dilution from each series were added to four replicate wells of sup - t1 cells ( 10 4 cells in 150 ul volume ; 1 : 10 detergent dilution followed by further fourfold dilutions ). 5 . the wells were examined twice weekly for two weeks and each well was scored positive or negative for the presence of characteristic viral syncytia or non - syncytial ghost formation due to detergent lysis . virus was exposed to c31g at a 1 : 10 dilution of initial concentration for either 2 or 45 minutes , followed by another 1 : 10 dilution and then serial four - fold dilutions for the entire period . cells were exposed to c31g at a 1 : 100 and then serial fourfold dilutions of initial concentration for entire period . test compounds : compounds c31g and n - 9 , supplied as 5 % solutions , were filtered through a low binding 0 . 22 filter prior to diluting . 1 . serial 2 fold dilutions of compounds n - 9 and c31g in pbs adjusted to ph 5 . 5 were prepared . the highest concentration was 4 % and the lowest was 0 . 03 %. the initial concentrations were 4 , 2 , 1 , 0 . 5 , 0 . 25 , 0 . 125 , 0 . 06 , and 0 . 03 %, as well as a control without drug . the control titration was done twice . 2 . 14 12 × 75 mm sterile plastic tubes with 0 . 9 ml each of concentrated virus ( at least 1 × 10 6 tcid 50 / ml ) were set - up . 0 . 1 ml of each compound dilution were transferred to a tube ( dilution of 1 : 10 of the initial drug concentrations ). 3 . incubation was for 10 minutes at room temperature , and was terminated ( or slowed ) by diluting 1 : 10 in complete growth medium ( on ice ). 4 . additional serial 5 fold dilutions ( 7 dilutions , with the final dilution equal to 1 : 781250 ) in complete medium on ice were prepared . 5 . 50 ul of the virus dilutions were added to quadruplicate wells of 96 well trays ( u bottom ) containing 3 × 10 4 cem cells in 50 ul . 6 . 60 minutes were allowed for virus absorption . the cells were washed twice by centrifuging the plates at 1500 rpm for 5 minutes and aspirating the supernatents . the final cell pellets were resuspended in 100 ul of medium and transferred to flat bottom 96 well trays . the results are shown in fig8 and 9 . the above are stirred to a uniform solution . at a dilution of one part to 30 , the composition should have a ph of 4 . 85 at the glass electrode . putative concentration equal to 28 . 5 % active ingredients ( ai ). the above are stirred to solution at 45 ° c . and injected into molds , cooled and ejected for packaging . added to each mold for curing urethane . charge in mold provided with polyester loop for post coital removal of the sponge . spermicidal gels , creams or jellies for use with cervical caps condoms , diaphragms or alone prior to coitus . procedure — the gelating and cellulose gum are triturated in the glycerine and added to the water at 45 ° c . and stirred to solution . the surfactants are added to the vessel and the warm solution removed for packaging . a uniform fluid high viscosity gel forms on cooling . clear fluid contraceptive jellies are prepared by substitution of 1 . 5 pts of high viscosity grade hydroxypropyl or hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose for the gelatin and hydroxyethyl cellulose of the above examples . the gel formulations above are converted to cream formulations by incorporation of 0 . 5 pts of cetyl alcohol in gel 1 or 2 formulations by dissolving the alcohol in the glycerine at 49 ° c . before trituration of the gelating and cellulose gums . 6 . 2 lbs of gelatin type a100 is triturated with 0 . 5 lbs of hydroxyethylcelluose . 31 lbs of glycerine are added . solution is mixed thoroughly to form a slurry . add 33 lbs of ccon of example 8 and 15 lbs of water . warm to 40 ° c . mix until gums and gelatin are completely hydrated . solution is poured on polyethylene sheet to cast a film of about 3 mm thick to be cut for films to be used as contraceptive films after cooling .	8
it is necessary to modify the quantity of water flowing over the metal or steel strip 15 in order to provide greater uniformity in the cooling rate along the steel strip 15 for steel strip 15 having a width greater than 80 inches . in other words , it is necessary to reduce the temperature difference between points a and b and c and d in fig2 to a number within the acceptable range of 30 ° f . if the coolant flow from the coolant pipe 55 at the nozzles 60 closer to the edge of the steel strip 15 provides a reduced coolant flow , then the quantity of coolant over the steel strip 15 may be more uniform . more specifically , the subsequent heat transfer across the steel strip 15 may be more uniform . to that end , fig4 illustrates a supply pipe 50 with a coolant pipe 55 attached thereto . nozzles 100 , 105 , 110 , 115 extend across the width of the coolant pipe 55 . the nozzle 100 closest to the center 70 of the steel strip 15 has the largest inner diameter , and the inner diameter of the nozzles 105 , 110 and 115 become progressively smaller with distance from the center 70 of the steel strip 15 . in such a fashion , the profile of the water distribution over the steel strip is believed to be changed such that the quantity of water flowing at the edges of the steel strip 15 is closer in volume to the quantity of water flowing over the center 70 of the steel strip 15 . returning to fig2 it is believed that such an arrangement will result in a temperature profile more closely aligned with that illustrated by dotted line 200 between points a and b . while not illustrated , it should be realized that such a profile would also be available between points c and d . the nozzles illustrated in fig4 are symmetric in distance from the center 70 of the steel strip 15 and the internal diameters of the nozzles are also symmetric about the center 70 of the steel strip 15 . specifically , nozzles 105 on both sides of the center are identical , just as are nozzles 110 and 115 with one another . while nozzles 100 , 105 , 110 and 115 are illustrated as equally spaced along the cooling pipe by a distance l , this is not necessary , and just as the inner diameter of each of these nozzles is different , so , too , may be the spacing between the nozzles as illustrated in fig5 by nozzles 120 , 125 , 130 , 135 spaced apart by distances l1 , l2 and l3 . while fig5 illustrates nozzles having different inner diameters spaced apart by distances l1 , l2 and l3 , it is also possible to provide nozzles having the same inner diameter but spaced apart in a similar fashion . specifically , the distance between nozzles would increase from the center to the edges of the steel strip . fig4 illustrates a series of nozzles spaced equally along the length of the coolant pipe 55 in which the center nozzle 100 has the largest diameter and the adjacent nozzles 105 have smaller diameters . as illustrated in fig6 it is possible that a plurality of nozzles 200 , 205 clustered about the center of coolant pipe 55 have equal diameters and the nozzles 210 , 215 adjacent this cluster 220 have diameters of descending size as the nozzles are located further from the center of the coolant pipe 55 . all of the nozzles across the coolant pipe 55 may be spaced equally by a distance l , as illustrated in fig6 or , in the alternative , may be spaced symmetrically but with different distances between adjacent nozzles in a fashion similar to that illustrated in fig5 . furthermore , whatever the configuration of nozzles on either side of the cluster 220 , it is possible to vary the distance between nozzles within the cluster 220 in a fashion similar to that illustrated by the nozzles in fig5 . fig7 a , 7b and 7c illustrate a front view , cross sectional view and rear view of a typical nozzle 150 that may be used as any of the nozzles presented in fig4 - 6 . the difference in each of these nozzles , as indicated , would be the internal diameter . fig8 illustrates a cross sectional view of one embodiment of the coolant pipe 55 with the nozzle 150 mounted therein . while the coolant pipe 55 in this embodiment has a rectangular cross section , it is entirely possible for the coolant pipe 55 to have a circular cross section . for ease in removing and installing nozzle 150 , the nozzle body is preferably made of plastic , metal , or other suitable material and is secured to the coolant pipe 55 with a threaded portion 155 which mates with matching threads on an orifice extending through the coolant pipe 55 . the internal diameter of the nozzle 150 may be made larger or smaller than the cooling pipe orifice 160 in order to accommodate the nozzles of varying diameter that will be positioned across the length of the coolant pipe 55 and still retain the same exterior dimensions on the nozzle 150 , thereby permitting use of the same orifices 160 extending through the coolant pipe 55 . while fig4 and 6 illustrate schematics showing only seven nozzles , it should be appreciated for commercial applications , nozzles generally are distributed every 2 - 3 inches and therefore a coolant pipe having a length of 120 inches would , in actuality , have many more nozzles . this discussion has been directed toward an apparatus and a method for cooling the top surface of the steel strip 15 . it is also important to provide uniform cooling to the bottom surface of the steel strip 15 . however , the mechanisms employed are significantly different and are not the subject matter of this disclosure nor the focus of the subject invention . the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment . obvious modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description . it is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof .	1
while the invention is susceptible to embodiments in many different forms , the preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings ( fig2 and 5 ) and will be described in detail herein . it should be understood , however , that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the spirit or scope of the invention and / or the embodiments illustrated . it is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific methods and apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred . the heart of the invention is a technology breakthrough mems - scale plasma discharge ( fig1 ), developed in prof . gary eden &# 39 ; s laboratory at the university of illinois , called the microcavity discharge ( mcd ), the properties of which are highly adaptable to propulsion . this new technology can revolutionize low - power electric propulsion for pico -, nano -, micro - and even larger satellites to perform various mission tasks including orbit transfer , station - keeping , position , attitude and acceleration control , and structure control . the innovation forms the basis for a new class of electrothermal thruster that is particularly applicable to satellites . referring now to fig2 , the propulsion system 100 consists of 1 ) a gaseous propellant tank 130 and valve 132 used to control the release of a gaseous propellant 101 through feed tube walls 114 , 2 ) an about 1000 v ac power source 112 with an about 5 - 500 khz inverter 140 with step - up transformer 142 , 3 ) two electrodes 102 and 104 that are insulated in a material 105 and that are capacitively coupled to an about 1 atm . plasma 106 in an about 100 μm diameter microcavity 108 and 4 ) a mems small - area ratio micronozzle 110 ( similar to fig3 ) to accelerate the gas and generate thrust 120 one important aspect of one or more embodiments of the invention is potential scalability from very small to significantly large thrusters , as any desired number of cavities , also called pixels , can be run in parallel , with equally high efficiency . unlike normal glow or arc discharges that have a negative resistance v - i characteristic and are thermally unstable in parallel without ballast , the cavities operate in the abnormal glow mode , with ionization fraction & lt ;& lt ; 1 % and a positive v - i characteristic ( fig4 ), thus allowing parallel operation and power scaling . a 1 cm 2 square pixel array with a pixel spacing of about 500 μm would have a 20 × 20 ( 400 ) pixels . fig1 and 4 display parallel operation of a 3 × 3 pixel matrix , at a power of about 0 . 13 w / pixel . as much as 2 w per pixel has been demonstrated , with a plasma temperature of about 1500 k , achieved with aluminum electrodes encapsulated in al 2 o 3 . the new type of thruster of this invention is to modify an mcd into an mcdt thruster , as shown schematically in fig5 . our initial choices of propellant are neon and argon with a few percent n 2 or h 2 o seed gas , but other monatomic gases and ammonia show promise . these propellants are non - toxic and their implementation can build on the commercial micro - valve and pressure control hardware developed for cold gas thrusters . the mcd thruster is a readily - modified version of an mcd by adding a properly designed plenum and nozzle / valve array ( fig5 ) and running it at high current and voltage , i . e . in the upper right of the v - i plot in fig4 , at a few watts per pixel at frequencies of around 5 - 100 khz and higher . the mcd thruster will operated at a temperature of about 1500 k , previously - achieved by the mcd , and will attempt to go higher , including but not limited to 2000 k . the electrodes and nozzles can be fabricated in al / al 2 o 3 material , with possible fabrication in a higher temperature electrode / insulator combination using materials such as titanium or sic . the capability to machine conical and parabolic mems nozzle shapes into a cavity array has been demonstrated and this technology will be used for the first time on an mcd thruster ( fig3 ). this new propulsion approach is based on recent advances in mems cavity discharges , developed at the university of illinois . the mcd thruster is predicted to achieve & gt ; 60 % efficiency or greater at about 220 s with neon , or about 500 s with helium . maximum input power will be about 1 - 3 w per cavity . the gas propellant feed system is adapted from known technology , including filters to prevent particle contamination in about 100 μm orifices . the mcd is electrodeless , with al 2 o 3 insulation , and is therefore predicted to have a very long life , even with oxygen - containing propellant . voltage levels are modest (& lt ; 1 kv ), and the system does not require a neutralizer for operation . the predicted thrust efficiency exceeds considerably that of the micro - resistojet at 60 %. performance , in terms of specific impulse , and thruster mass and volume , is much higher than that of the resistojet . large arrays of these micro - cavities , as many as 400 / cm 2 , could absorb about 1 kw / cm 2 , resulting in a high power thruster with extremely low mass and high thrust / cm 2 . the mcd , the basis for the proposed thruster , has been under development at the university of illinois by prof . gary eden , dr . sung - jin park , and colleagues since 1997 , and is the subject of numerous patents . to date , applications of the mcd are display light sources , and microchemical reactors . in these applications the plasma is sometimes static , but in most cases flows through the cavity driven by a differential pressure ( herein after “ δp ”) of 0 . 2 - 0 . 3 atm . for the propulsion application , a flowing and accelerating plasma would be at a higher δp ( about 0 . 5 - 3 . 0 atm . across the microcravity and preferably around 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 atm .) and higher power input than has here - to - fore been demonstrated . the predicted efficiency of 60 % is much higher than that of other low power electrothermal , ion or hall microthrusters , because : 1 . ionization fraction is & lt ;& lt ; 1 %, and frozen flow loss from ionized exhaust is negligible . 3 . operating pressure is a few atm ., giving reasonable nozzle reynolds numbers , and low viscous losses . 4 . power processing is accomplished with a dc - ac converter with low mass , and with ppu efficiency as high as 96 %. 5 . the system is electrodeless ( meaning the electrodes are not exposed to the discharge gas because the electrodes are insulated ), eliminating sheath loss and electrode ablation . 6 . power is capacitively coupled , so electrodes are cool , and heat loss is minimized . power density is extremely high , typically 10 12 w / m 3 . calculations of heat loss at the operating reynolds number , using a nusselt number model , predict a loss of less than 10 % of the input power for argon , with the loss scaling as ( molecular weight ) − 1 / 2 thus approaching 10 - 20 % loss for helium . the primary reason the heat loss is low is that the cavity length is extremely low about 100 - 500 μm and most likely around 250 μm , resulting in a low wall area . 2 . the mcd thruster has very low thrust noise , making it a candidate for certain af and nasa missions requiring extremely precise , low - noise acceleration control . 3 . high stagnation temperatures are possible , much higher than attainable with the resistojet ( about 1500 k has been obtained with al / al 2 o 3 electrodes ), without the need for bulky , inefficient insulation . to achieve higher temperatures , a polyatomic seed gas can be added such as nitrogen or water vapor . 4 . a very low system mass and volume is anticipated , allowing use on very small satellites with mass as little as about 1 kg . technology development on the mcd ( microcavity discharge ) began eleven years ago at the university of illinois , with the objective of being used as a light source with practical applications for high resolution / thin - film plasma displays and medical treatment . in this case the mcd thruster is a variant of the mcd , originally made up of a 3 × 3 pixel array ( fig1 ), comprised of multiple pixels ( i . e . emitters ), each about 100 μm in diameter , fabricated by mems micro - machining . experimentally determined voltage - current ( v - i ) characteristics for a 3 × 3 pixel array of al 2 o 3 / al micro - discharge devices ( fig4 ), are for ne at about 700 torr and results are shown for sinusoidal ac excitation frequencies of 5 , 10 , 15 , and 20 khz . the dashed horizontal line indicates the approximate value of the ignition voltage , and the inset qualitatively illustrates the device structure ( not drawn to scale ). this technology was recently scaled to a large array size of 40 , 000 pixels giving us a great deal of confidence that mcd thruster technology can also be scaled for this propulsion application . this new thruster leverages technology developed over the past several years at the university of illinois in which microplasma devices having predetermined cross - sectional geometries can be fabricated with sidewalls of extraordinary quality ( rms surface roughness & lt ; 1 μm ). precise control of the cavity profile and surface morphology is achieved with a sequence of wet electrochemical processes . chemical micromachining enables the cavity cross - sectional profile , ranging from a linear taper to parabolic (“ bowl - shaped ”) geometry , fig3 , to be specified while maintaining all dimensions to within ± 2 %. aluminum electrodes produced by this process are buried in nanoporous al 2 o 3 , encompass each microcavity , and the inner surface of every electrode is conformal to the profile of the al 2 o 3 microcavity wall . arrays comprising as many as 51200 microcavity devices , each with a parabolic cross - section and an emitting aperture ( d ) of 160 ± 2 μm , have been operated in ne and ne / xe gas mixtures . referring now to fig6 a and 6b , there is shown a single microcavity with circular apertures about 150 ± 2 μm and about 100 ± 2 μm in diameter and a cross - sectional profile satisfying the relation : y = at 1 / 2 x 2 + bt , where a and b are constants , t is the time devoted to etching the microcavity , y is the coordinate collinear with the microcavity axis , and x is the orthogonal coordinate in the plane of the page . formed in al 2 o 3 , this cavity is a replica of that etched electrochemically in al . virtually all of the original al foil ( about 127 μm thick in this case ) has been converted into al 2 o 3 but the microcavity surface contour has been accurately preserved . a magnified , cross - sectional view of the region between two adjacent microcavities in a linear array of microplasma devices is presented by the sem in fig6 b . at the center of this electron micrograph is a segment of the buried al electrode that serves both microcavities . this structure is formed by the intersection of the ring electrodes encircling the neighboring cavities . as illustrated by the dashed white curve , the surfaces of the al electrode facing each cavity exhibit a profile that matches the shape of the corresponding portion of the cavity wall . electrode surfaces that are conformal to the microcavity wall are an inherent result of the anodization process , one that ensures the uniformity of the dielectric barrier thickness throughout the cavity . note , too , the surface morphology of the cavities of fig6 . the rms surface roughness is well under about 1 μm which is decidedly superior to that for cavities produced by mechanical methods , such as microdrilling or laser ablation . if the pitch for an array of cavities is increased beyond that of fig6 , the al electrode cross - section tapers down to an al strip interconnect thickness of 15 μm . fig7 displays two images of arrays of parabolic cross - sectional microcavities . panel ( a ) of the figure is an sem in plan view of a portion of an array of al 2 o 3 cavities with upper and lower apertures about 160 μm and about 100 μm in diameter , respectively . a segment of a more closely packed array of microcavities is shown by the sem of fig7 ( b ). cavities in these linear arrays were designed to be overlapped by about 20 % of the diameter of the emitting aperture . fig8 is a photograph , recorded with a telescope and ccd camera , of an 11 × 10 segment of a 200 × 100 array of microplasma devices , each having a parabolic cavity with an emitting aperture about 150 μm in diameter . the device pitch within a row is about 200 μm and the array is operating with about 500 torr ne and driven by about a 20 khz sinusoidal ac waveform . lineouts of ccd intensity maps show the variation of the peak emission from device - to - device to be within ± 5 % over the entire array , a result that is attributed to the quality of the microcavity wall surface and to stringent control of all microcavity dimensions . the ability for precision control of the geometry of a microcavity fabricated in al / al 2 o 3 structures represents an enormous asset for this innovation , allowing us to systemically correlate thruster design with performance . although we are confident that parabolic microcavities with exit apertures as small as about 10 - 20 μm in diameter ( and , possibly , smaller ) are achievable in the next 1 - 2 years , our near - term experiments will focus on about 50 - 100 μm diameter conical nozzles . numerical analysis will determine the optimal profile for the nozzle surface that , in turn , dictates the processing parameters for the wet chemical fabrication sequence . an important feature of the mcd thruster is the capability of operating at a reynolds number sufficiently high so that the nozzle flow is not dominated by viscous effects . typically this means re & gt ; 1000 . higher re operation is possible because , although the diameter and length of the mcd thruster are small , the pressure is relatively high . this is necessary because the mcd , in order to maintain a low breakdown voltage of several hundred volts , typically operates at a pd ( pressure times diameter ) value of about 2 - 10 torr - cm . at the upper end of the range , this implies that about a 100 mm ( 0 . 01 cm ) diameter cavity needs a pressure of about 1000 torr ( about 1 . 3 atm ). this value is sufficient to keep the re high enough to operate the nozzle efficiently . another asset of microplasmas that was mentioned earlier is that these plasmas generally operate in the abnormal glow region in which the v - i characteristic has a positive slope . in contrast to conventional ( macroscopic ) plasmas , therefore , microplasma arrays do not require external ballast . however , it is important that the plasma resistivity is measured so that the driving electronics can be optimized . from the resistivity the degree of ionization a can be inferred . we expect a very low level of α , and hence a very small loss due to frozen flow . the efficiency of the mcd thruster can be supported by heat transfer calculations . the first approach is to calculate a heat transfer coefficient h [ w / m 2 - k ] from the well - known nusselt number relation nu = hd / k , where nu = 0 . 023 ( pr ) 0 . 4 ( re ) 0 . 8 , k is thermal conductivity and d is taken as ( a wall ) 1 / 2 . for the mcd thruster the wall area is a wall = 0 . 063 mm 2 , giving d = 0 . 25 mm . the nusselt number calculation gives a heat transfer coefficient h for the mcd thruster of 520 w / m 2 - k and the resulting ha wall is 3 . 3e - 5 . since the mcd thruster operates at a power level of ( 2 - 3 w ) and a temperature of ( 1600 - 2000 k ), the value of ha wall δt is ˜ 60 milliwatts , and the conclusion is that the mcdt has a small heat loss . here we present a model of the wall heat loss based on the reynolds analogy , which relates heat transfer to skin friction through the statement that similar boundary layer solutions exist for the momentum and energy equations for laminar flow . the reynolds analogy relationship of heat transfer rate to shear stress , for fluid temperature t and velocity u , can be written : q . w = τ w ⁢ c p ⁡ ( t - t w ) u where { dot over ( q )} w is the local wall heating , and τ w is the local wall shear stress , related to the friction coefficient f and the fluid dynamic pressure q = ρu 2 / 2 by : for low re ( laminar flow ) the friction coefficient is given by f = 16 / re . it is convenient to use the relation ( mass flow )= ρua [ kg / s ], where a = flow area , and write re as : we now combine the above equations and wind up with the simple relation : q . w = 8 ⁢ μ ⁢ ⁢ c p ⁡ ( t - t w ) d ⁡ [ w / m 2 ] where μ is the viscosity in pa - s , and l is the length of the flow duct in meters . assuming that t w is constant and that t ( x ) increases linearly from t w at x = 0 to t max at x = l , the total wall heating loss is : { dot over ( q )} w = 4 πμc p ( t max − t w ) l note that the heat loss is independent of the diameter , and the fractional heat loss only depends on the flow duct length . the goal is to find the fractional heat loss , given by : input power p in ={ dot over ( q )} w +{ dot over ( m )} c p ( t max − t w ) which after rearranging gives the simple expression for fractional heat loss q : note that for simplicity we have used an average value instead of a temperature - dependent value for viscosity . the model predicts that low l and high mass flow rate are desirable , the latter implying high pressure . finally , our past experience with other microthrusters has shown that the dominant flow loss is nozzle frozen flow loss due to dissociation and ionization . for the mcdt this is not a concern , since we use monatomic neon propellant , and the degree of ionization is very small (˜ 0 . 01 %). it is likely that the major determiner of thrust efficiency is viscous losses in the nozzle due to the required reynolds number regime . if the nozzle expansion drops the flow temperature to an exit temperature t e , the nozzle thermal efficiency η n can be expressed as : η n = 1 - t e / t o = m e 2 m e 2 + 3 for the expected m e = 3 based on similar nozzles , η n = 0 . 75 . when added to heat loss , plume divergence and distribution loss , we anticipate with confidence an mcd thrust efficiency of 60 %. resistojets show thrust characteristics that follow predictions for supersonic nozzles , when allowance is made for viscous effects by operating at a sufficiently high reynolds number . although the nozzle flow can become rarified , these effects can only be determined from numerical modeling . the other control question is that of the minimum impulse bit , which is important for precision location and attitude control . a straightforward calculation shows that the impulse bit of the mcd thruster is small enough for most requirements . consider a satellite of mass m , which must be kept positioned within a distance d [ m ]. in order to keep the control thruster duty cycle greater than a period of t [ sec ] between operations , the velocity must be kept below d / t [ m / s ], and the momentum , or impulse bit , below md / t . thus for a satellite of mass 1 kg , for d = 1 mm and t = 10 seconds , i bit & lt ; 10 − 4 n - s = 100 μn - s . this i bit can be achieved by an mcd thruster with a thrust of 1 mn and a thrust time of t t = 0 . 1 s . while valve operating time is far less than 0 . 1 s , the plenum volume feeding the mcdt must be sufficiently small . the condition is that the characteristic volume flow time τ = v o /{ dot over ( v )} must be kept small compared to t t , where { dot over ( v )} is the volume flow rate a * a [ m 3 / s ] at the throat . for neon and a throat diameter of 100 mm , this requires v o = a a * t & lt ; 7 mm 3 . this value of v o is achievable with a small mcd thruster array and close - coupled valve . while this example is extreme , it indicates that precision mass flow control with an mcd thruster can be achieved with very small impulse bits if required . referring back to fig5 , in one embodiment of the present invention there is provided an electrothermal thruster system 200 . the system 200 includes a gaseous propellant feed line 205 , with upstream propellant tank ( not shown ) holding a pressurized gaseous propellant . a controlled valve 210 is further coupled to the feed line 205 for controlling the release of gaseous propellant from the tank into a plenum 215 . at least one microcavity 220 is coupled to the plenum . the at least one microcavity has a preferred diameter of about 50 - 300 microns and more preferred diameter of about 100 microns . the system 200 further includes an alternating current power source 225 in communication with a pair of electrodes 230 insulated in a material 235 , for which power is supplied to heat the gaseous propellant into a plasma with a temperature of about 500 - 4000 k , wherein increasing the temperature of the plasma through the microcavity 220 increases the velocity of the plasma as it discharges out of the microcavity producing thrust 240 . in other embodiments , the at least one microcavity can be an array of microcavities operating electrically and fluid dynamically in parallel , wherein the size of the array is at least 100 , 000 microcavities . in addition , the system may further include a converging - diverging micronozzle downstream of each microcavity that expands the heated propellant , accelerating it to create a supersonic exhaust jet . in yet other embodiments , the insulated material is aluminum oxide ( al 2 o 3 ) and / or the electrodes can be made of one or more of the following : titanium , titanium oxide , or silicon carbide . yet further may be a system having the power source operated at a discharge radio frequency of about 5 to 500 khz which is created from a dc bus voltage using a dc - ac inverter and step - up transformer , providing a voltage and current at about 1000 v and about 1 ma , for a typical power into each microcavity of about 1 watt . the gaseous propellant may be a monatomic gas such as but not limited to xenon , krypton , argon , neon , or helium and the gaseous propellant may be seeded with a few percent of polyatomic gases such as nitrogen or water vapor to increase power . in yet further embodiments the thruster system may include a differential pressure through the system of about 0 . 2 to about 3 atms and in other embodiments , about 0 . 5 to about 1 . 5 atms . the microcavity discharge ( mcd ) thruster is expected to be a high specific thrust , high thrust density , high specific power system , with high propellant utilization and a simple power processor . efficiency is predicted as greater than 60 %, and power scalability is straightforward over a wide range . lifetime is expected to be long , due to the lack of electrode sheaths and the capability of operating without an auxiliary neutralizer . from the foregoing and as mentioned above , it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concept of the invention . it is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific methods and apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred .	7
reference is now made to the drawings , in which like numerals designate like elements throughout the several views . generally described , one embodiment of the present invention includes the use of at least two substantially horizontal “ pusher plates ”, which are each slidably movable relative to an apparatus including a stationary floor and a horizontal - axis cutting drum . disclike wood “ lilypads ” are dropped via conveyor or other suitable means onto the floor , and the two pusher plates are urged towards the lilypads and eventually cause at least some of them to be urged into contact with the cutting drum and to be consumed thereby . the relative positioning of the two plates as they come into the vicinity of the lilypad is important ; the upper pusher plate overhangs the other such that a “ moving pocket ” is defined which tends to capture the disclike members in a desired orientation as they contact the cutting drum . reference is first made to fig1 to illustrate the manner in which the lilypad wood members 50 are oriented relative to a rotating cutting drum 11 . fig1 is a pictorial illustrative view of an isolated cutting drum 11 having cutting knives 12 mounted thereon . the cutting drum 11 rotates about a substantially vertical axis of rotation “ r ”, such that a lilypad wood member 50 is captured within a pocket is consumed by the cutting knives . the lilypad wood member 50 is oriented the during cutting process as if it was part of an elongate log 52 and the longitudinal axis of the log is parallel to the rotational axis of the cutting drum . as may be seen , lilypad wood members such as 50 are typically cut from the ends of typical elongate wood members such as a source log 52 . as is well known , the wood grain of such source logs runs along the longitudinal axis of the log . in the wood processing art , it has become known to process such logs with prior art knives or other suitable cutting members when the longitudinal axis 53 of the source log 52 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal and rotational axis of the cutting drum 11 . one reason for such desired orientation is due to the fact that such elongate log members lend themselves well to a “ cradling ” effect in which the log is cradled between the cutting drum and a stationary wall or anvil such as shown in my u . s . pat . no . 4 , 785 , 860 , or similarly cradled between a cutting drum and a plurality of toothed wheels drum as shown in my u . s . pat . no . 4 , 444 , 234 . however , as noted above , as more accurate wood processing techniques have been developed , less waste is involved ( the low - end trim is much shorter ) and therefore there is more of a tendency to create “ lilypads ” such as 50 in fig1 with the average length of the lilypads ( also known as cut - offs ”) being approximately 3 ″ thick × 6 ″- 36 ″ in diameter , although other dimensions are contemplated . therefore , it may be understood that the desired chipping action is similar to the desired chipping action as if a log was parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chipper drum , in that cutting is preferably done by slicing “ along the log ”, which takes less horsepower than if cutting with the end grain facing the drum . as noted above , the wood lilypads must be oriented correctly to make an acceptable chip . it has been determined that there is difficulty in orienting “ lilypad ” elements , due to their relatively short fiber length . the apparatus according to the present invention achieves such an orientation . reference is now made to fig2 . fig2 is a pictorial view of an isolated cutting drum 11 ( having a cutting drum axis of rotation “ r ”) shown relative to a lilypad wood member 50 as it is guided towards the circumferential surface of the cutting drum by an upper pusher plate 40 and a lower pusher plate 60 . the respective oscillation paths 42 , 62 , of the upper and lower pusher plates 40 , 60 , are also shown . the lower pusher plate 60 is configured to slidably move in a reciprocating fashion relative to the frame of the apparatus 10 . the upper pusher plate 40 , in one preferred embodiment , rests atop the lower pusher plate 60 , although as discussed later in this application , the upper pusher plate 40 is configured to slide relative to the lower pusher plate 60 , as well as to slide relative to the frame of the apparatus 10 . a sliding connection may be made by conventional means known in the art . in the case of the present invention , the sliding connection may be provided by the use of elongate bearing strips made of moly filled nylon or other prior art materials . as described later in further detail , the upper and lower pusher plates 40 , 60 , each move in a reciprocating manner along substantially horizontal and parallel travel axes . the paths of each of these pusher members are essentially the same length , beginning from a “ retracted ” position , and ending at a “ extended ” position . the lower pusher plate is powered by a hydraulic cylinder . however , the upper pusher plate 40 is not powered , but instead rests atop and slides along with the lower pusher plate unless an outside force or object is encountered to overcome friction between the two plates 40 , 60 , as discussed elsewhere . operation of the apparatus is now discussed in reference to figs . fig4 a - 4e , which are sequential side views showing various stages of a complete operating cycle of a two - plate system , showing an upper pusher plate 40 , a lower pusher plate 60 , a lilypad 50 member being consumed , and a chipping drum 11 consuming the lilypad member 50 . operation of the apparatus is as follows . referencing first fig4 a , “ lilypad ” wood members such as 50 are dropped into the hopper onto the floor 32 from a conveyor or other suitable means . the wood members can be dropped in one by one , or in bulk as desired . the upper and lower pusher plates 40 , 60 , begin their cycle from their positions shown in fig4 a . a hydraulic cylinder ( not shown in fig4 a - 4e ) attached between the lower pusher plate and the frame of the overall apparatus is then energized , forcing the lower pusher plate 60 to be urged towards an extended position . the upper pusher plate 40 , which rests atop the lower pusher plate 60 , is pushed along with the lower pusher plate due to the influence of friction between the two plates 40 , 60 . during this “ infeed ” stroke , the upper pusher plate 40 extends beyond the lower pusher plate , causing a cavity 51 ( see fig4 e ) to be provided underneath the overhanging upper pusher plate 40 . this cavity 51 , which is eventually closed of and eliminated , is an important feature of the present invention and will be discussed in later detail . as the upper pusher plate 40 nears the end of its stroke , it approaches a stationary stop member ( not shown ). the upper pusher plate 40 contacts the stationary stop , and is itself stopped from further travel , to remain in the position shown in fig4 b . this is the fully “ extended ” position of the upper pusher plate 40 . however , as shown in fig4 a - c , the lower pusher plate 60 continues its travel , closing the cavity 51 provided by the upper pusher member until the lower pusher plate 60 travels to a desired position until it reaches a microswitch ( not shown ), which causes its travel to be reversed . at the instant of such travel reversal , the lower pusher plate 60 is at its fully “ extended ” position , which is shown in fig4 c . at the point shown in fig4 c at which the lower pusher plate 60 reverses its position from its “ extended ” position , it may be understood that both of the upper and lower pusher plate 40 , 60 are fully extended . at this time , their arcuate leading edges are in close proximity to the outer , circumferential , surface of a cutter drum , which in the preferred embodiment includes a plurality of cutting knives such as known in the art . after both have been completely extended , the upper and lower pusher plates 40 , 60 , reverse their direction and more together to the positions shown in fig4 d under the influence of the double - acting hydraulic cylinder . as before , the upper pusher plate 40 , which rests atop the lower pusher plate 60 , is drawn backward along with the lower pusher plate due to the influence of friction between the two plates 40 , 60 . as the two plates 40 , 60 , continue to be drawn backward , the upper plate 40 contacts a stationary stop 98 , which causes the upper pusher plate to stop at its fully retracted position shown in fig4 e . however , the bottom pusher member 60 is moved further rearwardly ( against the frictional force between the members 40 , 60 ) to its final position shown in fig4 e . upon complete retraction of the upper and lower pusher plates 40 , 60 , more wood members can fall upon the horizontal sliding floor surface of the hopper . the pusher plates 40 , 60 then again move from their retracted to their extended positions . the wood members 50 are then consumed by the cutting drum 11 , with the chips falling within the drum and removed as known in the art . reference is now made to fig5 a - 5b , which are side partial cross - section views of a portion of the apparatus according to the present invention . these figures show lilypad members 50 a , 50 b , sliding down an inclined hopper wall 34 of the apparatus 10 , with one lilypad member 50 b being “ tipped ” over by the upper pusher plate 40 , and lilypad member 50 b sliding off the inclined wall 34 and onto the top of the upper pusher plate 40 , although it will be knocked off later into the paths of the members 40 , 60 , later upon full retraction of the upper pusher plate 40 . as noted above , the upper pusher plate 40 “ leads ” the lower pusher plate 60 during the “ infeed ” stroke . it may be understood that the location of the stop 98 compared to the location of when the lower pusher plate 60 begins its forward motion results in the amount of overhang provided by the upper pusher member 40 . it should also be understood that the stroke paths of the two pusher members 40 , 60 , differ in the amount of the overhang . fig1 is a transverse cross section of the pusher plates with upper pusher plate 40 shown by way of example , although this cross sectional configuration is also provided in the lower pusher plate 60 ( not shown in fig1 ). this cross section is taken along a plane normal to the reciprocating travel axis of the upper pusher plate , and shows a platelike metal portion 44 , a platelike lower bearing portion 46 , and two striplike side bearing portions 48 . the upper pusher plate shown in fig1 fits as snugly as possible within available tolerates between the side walls of the hopper , such that the lower bearing plate portion 46 slides upon the upper surface of the lower pusher plate , and the outwardly - facing surfaces of the side bearing portions 48 slide against inwardly - facing surfaces of the hopper . the lower pusher plate 60 slides a similar matter between the walls of the hopper , but its lower surface slides against the floor of the hopper . as noted elsewhere in this application , molybdenum - impregnated nylon is used as the bearing material for elements 46 and 48 . in one particular embodiment , when the top pusher plate reaches ¾ inches of the drum it is stopped by stops welded or bolted to the sides of the hopper . at this time material less than 3 inches thick ( the thickness of the top plate ) is trapped below the top pusher ; the bottom pusher continues moving toward the chipper drum closing the 9 inch gap until it reaches ¾ inches of the drum . this gives the thin material , ( log ends , tie cut offs , etc . ), the stability necessary to make a good chip . in the method discussion above , the two pushers come forward accordingly one at a time until the spikes on both are ¾ inches from the drum , whereupon they all withdraw simultaneously . as discussed later , for higher production and utilizing more knives in the drum , a second set of pushers with a powered pusher could be mounted on top of the first set of pushers . fig9 a - 9b are side partial cross sectional views of a portion of a second embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention , showing a tipper plate 90 used in conjunction with an upper and lower pusher plates 40 , 60 . fig9 a shows the tipper plate 40 tipping a lilypad member 50 a over , and then retracting to the position shown in fig9 b . in fig9 b a second lilypad member 50 b slides from atop the inclined wall 34 to atop the upper pusher plate 40 , until is it later pushed off by the tipper plate 90 or by the stationary inclined wall 34 upon full retraction of the upper pusher plate 40 . the configuration of fig9 a - 9b operates as follows : the tipper plate 90 goes out and back , preferably tipping over lilypads such as the one shown in fig9 a . after the tipper plate &# 39 ; s retraction , the lower two plates operate as discussed in the design not including the tipper plate described earlier , although some dampening or speed reduction may be provided as discussed later with respect to controls and hydraulics . another alternative to the embodiment is the use of a 3 - level configuration , in which an upper pusher element is moved all the way in , and then a middle pusher element is moved all the way in , and then a lower pusher element is moved all the way in . all three can then be retracted . another embodiment includes the use of a “ pair ” of elements which interact similar to the two elements shown in fig1 a - d . in this case , the lower “ pair ” will conduct the action described above , and then , the upper pair will perform a similar action , with the upper surface of the upper pusher member of the lower pair performing the same service of the floor of the hopper . if for instance longer blocks are introduced , for example a dia . of 18 ″× 10 ′ long the top pusher will set higher on the block making it more stable . if there were resistance in the chipping process the bottom pusher would automatically be moving forward to assist in the feeding process . the pushers can be different thicknesses depending on average block size . the top pusher i described is depending on the bottom pusher for movement or power . the bottom pusher is moved by a hydraulic cylinder . the top pusher i will call the non - powered pusher . the non - powered pushers can be stacked several high depending on material length ( thickness ). the pushers would resemble inverted stair steps to better trap various size material . reference is now made to fig7 . which shows that the leading arcuate pushing edges of the upper and lower pusher members can include multiple gripping teeth or “ spikes ” 70 , which are attached to the metal portion of the pusher plates and tend to “ grip ” wood members as they are being engaged by the cutting knives of the drum . these teeth , if used , can be a variety of heights and at various spacing . however , they can be 3 - 4 inches apart , in two rows , and approximately ¼ - ½ inches high . fig6 a - 6b show the spikes as they are mounted and as they engage and retain the wood members . this retention feature , combined with the feed system used can have a significant impact on power consumption , as cradling and “ jamming ” of the wood material is discouraged . for comparison purposes , a prior art system which includes “ crading ” is shown in fig1 . this system , which includes a horizontal chipper and accepts to logs via gravity drop , encourages cradling , wedging , and , effectively , jamming . as may be understood , such systems do not include the capability of controlled feeding as provided by the present invention , in which feed can be stopped or slowed upon high loading of the chipper drum . the lilypad members 50 can be conveyed or dropped onto the sloping end of the hopper . this will assist the lilypads in falling flat on the floor of the hopper . the sloped end of the hopper could be made of stainless steel , fiberglass or plastic with a magnet attached to the back of the sloped end to capture tramp metal . screening holes in the floor of the hopper can be provided for sawdust and other small materials . if the pusher assembly is made of stainless steel , fiberglass , or plastic , an electro magnet could be installed under the top layer and capture tramp metal . when the pusher is fully retracted the electromagnet can be turned off and an overhead magnet would attract the metal . the pusher &# 39 ; s magnet would be turned on when it again enters the working area . in lieu of an overhead magnet , a flap type scraper could also be employed when the magnet is shut off on the return stroke . as may be seen in for example fig5 a - b , the shape of the chute tends to prevent wood lilypad members from falling atop the upper pusher member , while still providing efficient use of space . reference is now made to fig1 a - 12c , 13 , and 14 . fig1 a - 12c show side , leading end , and top views , respectively , of a cutting knife 12 according to the present invention . as may be seen , such a configuration includes a main cutting edge 13 m ( including three shown serrations ), a pair of cutting wings 13 w and three cutting faces 13 f . three serrations are shown which are each 0 . 010 inches deep and ⅛ inches wide . these serrations provide fiber - slitting edges . fig1 is an exploded view of a knife assembly including the knife 13 and upper and lower knife retaining elements 19 , 18 . the lower retaining element 18 is mounted to the cutting drum and the upper element 19 captures the knife 13 and is retained by an unshown bolt having a longitudinal axis along line l . fig1 shows the knife 13 in its mounted position . as may be seen , the sharpness angle of the main cutting edge is approximately 38 degrees , the clearance angle is approximately 5 degrees ( 5 . 315 degrees in one particular instance ), and the rake angle is approximately 46 degrees . these approximate angles should total to ninety degrees . as noted within this description , reciprocating movement of various plates is provided by the use of various hydraulic components , although other drive configurations are contemplated without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . however , it has been found advantageous to provide a system which moves more rapidly during its “ retraction ” stroke ( s ), as this is essentially machine downtime . assuming the system of fig9 a - 9b , reference is now made to the elements of fig1 . hydraulic cylinder 101 is connected to and is configured to move the lower pusher plate 60 . hydraulic cylinder 102 ( with cushions at both ends ) is connected to and is configured to move the tipper plate 90 . relief valve 103 is used to relieve excessive hydraulic oil pressure allowing the hydraulic cylinder 101 to retract if impact occurs to plate 60 . adjustable flow control 104 controls speed of the stroke of plate 60 when pushing “ lilypads ” or other material toward cutting drum 11 and will still give full flow of hydraulic oil to cylinder 102 allowing the tipper plate 90 to move forward at high speed . adjustable flow control 105 controls the retracting speed of plate 60 and tipper plate 90 . electric solenoid operated hydraulic valve 106 controls cylinders 101 and 102 . solenoid operated hydraulic valve to detour hydraulic oil to flow control valve 108 . an adjustable flow control valve 108 is provided . valves 108 and 107 , when activated , will restrict flow from the hydraulic pump and act as a decelerating valve for hydraulic cylinder 101 . valves 108 and 107 will be controlled by a limit switch mounted a distance from the end of the return stroke of pusher plate 60 . a variable displacement pressure compensated hydraulic pump 109 is provided the energize the overall system . reference is now made to fig1 , to describe controls used with the configuration of fig9 a - 9b . for controls one can use plc with limit switches , pressure switches and amperage sensors on the drive motors to control feed rates , all safety plugs and emergency stop buttons . reference is now made to fig1 . as may be seen , this electrical schematic allows switching between manual ( to cycle feed plates with a manual switch ) to automatic to energize an automatic feed system . when in the position shown in fig1 , line 1020 is hot . momentary contact of start switch will energize 1060 which will energize solenoid coil cr 3 and close cr 3 - 1 and cr 3 - 2 energizing line 1090 . power will then go through ls 1 and to the second level of the start switch . the initial engagement of the start will energize 1070 and energize cr 1 and will close cr 1 - 1 and cr 1 - 2 , energizing 1040 and t 1 . this will energize the valve to move the feed plates forward . when the feed plates are all the way forward , ls 1 will engage and energize line 1130 and cr 2 which will drop out cr 2 - 1 de - energizing cr 1 and will drop out cr 1 - 1 and cr 1 - 2 to 1040 and t 1 . cr 2 - 3 is now closed energizing 1050 and t 2 which will energize the 4 way valve to reverse the feed plates . ls 3 will energize the decelerating valve near the end of the reverse stroke . when the feed plates reach the reverse end of the stroke ls - 2 will close , energizing cr - 1 , closing cr 1 - 1 , opening cr 1 - 3 , which will de - energize cr - 2 , closing cr 2 - 1 closing cr 1 - 2 to 1040 and t 1 causing the feed plates to move forward and continue to cycle . therefore it may be seen that when the ls 1 switch is triggered , the pusher plates go into reverse . when hit ls 2 is triggered , they go forward . when they hit ls 3 , they slow down . as shown in fig1 , the pusher plates ( the lower pusher plate 60 is shown ) in one embodiment include a steel portion 44 , 2 inches thick , with a 1 inch solid “ wear plate ” 46 of nylon bearing material attached underneath , and two 1 inch by 2 inch side bearing strips 48 running the length of the lower pusher plate 60 . a ¾ inch steel floor is used . the system is a “ 3000 lb ” system capable of a 3000 lb pushing force and 52 ″ pushing stroke , used in conjunction with a cutting drum of 50 ″ diameter and driven at approximately 210 rpm by a 100 hp motor , although at the time of filing that was thought to be possibly too much hp . it should be understood that other alternate configurations having different sizes , rates , and power capabilities could also be used without departing from the spirit scope of the present invention . in the present invention , it has been noted that the weight of the upper pushing plate 40 tends to cause it to be frictionally engaged atop the lower pusher plate 60 to cause such friction to pull the upper member back simultaneously with the lower pusher plate 60 as the lower pusher plate 60 is retracted relative to the frame . however , a stop attached to the lower member which engages the upper member may also be used in case the upper member tends to bind along its sliding path . alternately , a hog may be used . if a hog is used , anvil members may also be provided along the wall where wood may be drawn . the 9 inch upper plate overhang of the embodiments show can be different depending on material diameters . the pushers can also be different thicknesses depending on the average material size . instead of a long tipper plate such as shown in fig5 a - b , a shorter tipper plate ( not shown ) could be used which would only extend out partly towards the cutting drum ( for example 1 - 2 feet from the edge of the infeed sloping member ), to “ kick ” over lilypads which may remain on edge . the feed rate is controllable by the speed of the pusher plate , and can be varied as desired for different material thicknesses . however , one configuration it has been found that for ¼ ″ thickness chips , with a “ dual - flight ” cutter confirmation ( two cuts per revolution ), a feed speed of ½ ′ per revolution is appropriate . it should be understood that some field adjustments as known in the wood chipping art are always possible ; if excessive power consumption or “ smoking ” is occurring , the feed rate or pressure may be reduced , or if the chips are too thin the feed rate or pressure may be increased . an additional hydraulic cylinder could also be used intermediate the upper and lower pusher plates if relative movement or a “ dampening ” effect is desired which is not provided by the frictional contact shown . instead of plastic bearing plates , wheels rollers or rails could also be used . instead of using hydraulics to push or pull the plates , chains , cable , or lead screws could also be used . the concept of a contained cavity noted above could also be used with a horizontal chipper . as shown in fig1 , a chipper disc 180 ( having a vertical face ) mounted to a horizontal drive shaft 181 ( rotating about a horizontal axis ) can be fed along the top of a supporting member 187 by a pair of pusher plates 182 , 183 , ( similar to those previously discussed but having “ square ” pushing faces ), such that a wood member 185 ( shown captured in a substantially closed cavity ) can be turned into wood chips 186 . the knifes on the disc 180 can be as known in the art or as shown previously , and oriented to provide an optimal chip . it has also been found that power requirements for cutting with present vertical axis chipper configuration is less than prior art configurations such as shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 , the prior art configurations include a horizontal chipper spout which includes a wedging action against the drum to keep the wood stable while being chipped . however , such as configuration causes friction , heat , and wear , and uses excessive power . in contrast , the pusher plates on the chipper of the present invention do not depend on wedging , and thus provide a more consistent wood chip . in contrast , the blocks are held by toothlike points and the pusher plate ( s ) are moved toward the drum at a controlled speed and no wedging is required . a further power saving feature could be the use of an amperage sensor on the motor which would slow or stop the pusher plate until the amperage decreases , followed by more of the pushing action . this “ stop and go ” feed motion is further facilitated by the design of the one apparatus according to the present invention , which does not depend on gravity for feeding purposes . if feed needs to be stopped , the pusher ( s ) are simply stopped and there are no wood members which are in a gravity - fed hopper which must still be consumed . the apparatus 10 according to the present invention is believed to have good possibilities for the medium to large production mills . the lower knives will likely do most of the work . for the larger , higher production mills , the lower pushers may be stacked . the bottom one would forward first , then the one above it moves forward until all pushers are forward . then all pushers retract at one time and start the cycle over again . this does two things , increases production and distributes wood over more of the working area of the drum , utilizing more knives . the basic idea is that the wood material can be dropped into the hopper from a conveyor and will tend to be oriented when hitting the top of the pusher or the bottom of the hopper . therefore it may be seen that the present invention overcomes deficiencies in the prior art by providing a method and apparatus for handling bulk quantities of lilypads , which will process the lilypad members in an efficient yet effective manner , providing wood chips having desirable characteristics . while this invention has been described in specific detail with reference to the disclosed embodiments , it will be understood that many variations and modifications may be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the appended claims .	1
the cell search synchronization system 10 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in fig1 . the system 10 comprises a step 1 module 12 , a step 2 module 14 , a step 3 module 16 , and a controller 18 to accomplish synchronization between a user equipment ( ue ) and a base station . in order to accomplish this synchronization , the ue , through the cell search synchronization system 10 , utilizes an initial cell search algorithm , to be disclosed hereinafter . the step 1 algorithm of the initial cell search algorithm is accomplished using the step 1 module 12 . referring to fig3 , the step 1 module 12 comprises two hierarchical golay correlators ( hgc ) 21 , 22 , two absolute value modifiers ( avm ) 23 , 24 , a decision circuit 25 , a normalizer circuit 26 , a look up table 27 , a multiplier 28 , a splitter 19 , and a step 1 comparator 29 . the root raised cosine filter ( rrcfir ) 1 shown is not a part of the step 1 module 12 , but are illustrated therein to provide a complete picture . the purpose of the step 1 module 12 is to find the strongest path over a frame worth of samples the ue has detected and determine the chip offset of the strongest path . the rrcfir 1 coupled to the splitter 19 is a pulse shaped filter that samples the downlink communication signal from the base station at twice the chip rate and forwards the sample signal to the splitter 19 . the splitter 19 splits the sampled signal into its even and odd samples and passes them to hgcs 21 , 22 . the hgcs 21 , 22 are coupled to the avms 23 , 24 , and the sample selector 34 of the step 2 module 14 ( illustrated in fig5 ), to be disclosed hereinafter . hgcs 21 , 22 correlate the psc of the input signal . as those skilled in the art know , the hgcs 21 , 22 output the complex values of the even and odd samples of the input signal , respectively . the hgc 21 , 22 outputs are forwarded to the avms 23 , 24 and the sample selector 34 . the avms 23 , 24 , coupled to the hgcs 21 , 22 and the decision circuit 25 , determine the magnitudes of the hgcs 21 , 22 , equation to generate the magnitudes is determined according to the following equation : the use of the approximated absolute value in accordance with equation 1 reduces the hardware required in this implementation and causes no significant performance degradation . once the approximated absolute values have been determined by the avms 23 , 24 , respectively , the modified even and odd samples are output to a decision circuit 25 . the decision circuit 25 , coupled to the avms 23 , 24 and the controller 18 , determine the chip offset . the modified even and odd samples output from the avms 23 , 24 are input into a mux 8 within the decision circuit 25 , and combined into a single stream . this stream is a representation of the strength of the signal transmitted in one of the samples of each slot of each frame . as illustrated in fig2 , there are two thousand five hundred and sixty ( 2560 ) chips in each slot and fifteen ( 15 ) slots in each frame . since the input signal is sampled at twice the chip rate , there are 5120 samples in each slot . therefore , the decision circuit 25 determines the location of the psc in the signal , chip offset , by sweeping through the 5120 accumulated samples at the end of each slot . the stream generated by the mux is forwarded to an accumulator ( not shown ) within the decision circuit 25 . this accumulator has a five thousand one hundred and twenty ( 5120 ) sample long register which stores the accumulated sample value for each slot of every frame , and operates on the slot rate . the strength of the signal for each sample in a slot is added to the strength of the signal of each sample in every subsequent slot . as an example , the samples of slot 1 comprise the following signal strength values { 1 , 5 , 3 , 7 }; the samples of slot 2 comprise the following signal strength values { 2 , 4 , 8 , 3 }. initially , the registers of the accumulator have the values { 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 }. as each sample value from slot 1 is added to the registers of the accumulator , the register values change accordingly . for instance , when the first sample value of slot 1 is added to the first register value , the accumulator has the values { 1 , 0 , 0 , 0 }; when the second sample value of slot 1 is added to the second register value , the accumulator has the values { 1 , 5 , 0 , 0 } and so on . once the last sample value of slot 1 is added to the accumulator , the first sample value of slot 2 is added to the first register of the accumulator , resulting in the accumulator having the values { 3 , 5 , 3 , 7 }; when the second sample value of slot 2 is added to the second register value , the accumulator has the values { 3 , 9 , 3 , 7 }. the preferred embodiment of the present invention , flushes the registers of the accumulator after five ( 5 ) frames have been accumulated , which is equivalent to seventy five ( 75 ) slots . the number of accumulated frames is counted by a step 1 counter ( not shown ) within the decision circuit 25 . a decision , determination of the chip offset , by the decision circuit 25 is generated at the end of each frame , fifteen ( 15 ) slots . the decision circuit 25 determines which register in the accumulator has the maximum accumulated sample value max and assigns an index to it . the index corresponds to the half chip location of the psc signal for the base station with the strongest signal . chip offset assignment is determined using the hgc offset value of 511 . as those skilled in the art know , the output of the hgc are delayed by 256 chips . therefore , when the decision circuit 25 assigns an index in the peak sample , the hgc offset value must be subtracted . since the psc is 256 chips long , 512 samples long , subtracting the hgc offset from the index equates to setting the chip offset to the beginning of the slot . if the index generated by the decision circuit 25 is greater than the hgc offset value of 511 then the chip offset is calculated in accordance with equation 2 below : if the index is less than the hgc offset value then the chip offset is calculated in accordance with equation 3 below : as illustrated in fig3 , the decision circuit 25 also comprises a mask generator 5 , which is used to exclude a window around a rejected chip offset from detection by the decision circuit 25 . this mask generator 5 , therefore , prohibits the decision circuit 25 from utilizing an index associated with a rejected chip offset . the details of the mask generator 5 will be disclosed hereinafter . the calculated chip offset and the frame count step 1 counter are output to a controller 18 , to be disclosed hereinafter . the decision circuit 25 also outputs the maximum accumulated chip value max and the accumulated chip value output for all registers . the accumulated chip value output for all registers is output to a normalizer circuit 26 , where it is sampled at 20 % the chip rate ( one out of five ), summed , and then normalized to 1024 . the frame count step 1 counter is output to the lookup table 27 to determine the proper gain factor based on the number of frames accumulated . the output of the normalizer circuit 26 and the lookup table 27 are then multiplied by the multiplier 28 . the output of the multiplier 28 is considered the noise threshold and is forwarded to a step 1 comparator circuit 29 , to be compared to the maximum accumulated sample value max . if the maximum accumulated sample value max is greater than the noise threshold , the differential amplifier 29 outputs a high step 1 firm signal to the controller , indicating a good decision for step 1 , otherwise a low signal is output . as stated earlier , the chip offset and other outputs are determined at the end of every frame . therefore , the reliability of the first decision is less than that of the second because the second decision is made over thirty slots instead of fifteen slots . the reliability increases as the number of slots accumulated increases . the highest reliable output is generated at the m1th frame , m1 being an integer greater than or equal to one ( 1 ). the controller 18 resets the frame count step 1 counter and the accumulator registers at the end of every m1th frame . the performance results under different channel impairment show that five - frame integration is good enough to detect psc . however , this integration can be changed to more or less frames . a flow diagram of the step 1 module is illustrated in fig4 . the ue detects the receipt of communications over the common downlink channel ( step 401 ) and samples the signal at twice the chip rate generating even and odd samples ( step 402 ). these even and odd samples are passed to the hierarchical golay correlators ( hgc ) 21 , 22 ( step 403 ). the hgcs 21 , 22 then forwards the outputs to the avms 23 , 24 and sample selector 34 ( step 404 ). the avms 23 , 24 approximate the magnitudes of the even and odd outputs received from the hgcs 21 , 22 ( step 405 ) and forwards them to the decision circuit 25 ( step 406 ). upon receipt of the output magnitudes the decision circuit 25 combines the magnitudes ( step 407 ), which represents the signal strength of the signal transmitted in one of the samples of each slot of each frame . the signal strength for each sample is accumulated for all slots within each frame ( step 408 ). the decision circuit 25 then determines which sample in the frame has the maximum accumulated sample value ( step 409 ) and assigns an index to it ( step 410 ). based on the index , a chip value is assigned to the index ( step 411 ), known as the chip offset , and output to the controller 18 ( step 412 ). a noise threshold value is then generated using the accumulated chip value for all samples and the frame count ( step 413 ) and then compared to the maximum accumulated sample value ( step 414 ), indicating a firm or tentative decision to the controller 18 ( step 415 ). referring back to fig1 , the outputs of the step 1 module 12 , the chip offset , step 1 firm , and step 1 counter , are forwarded to the controller 18 . the controller 18 forwards the chip offset to the step 2 module 14 . as stated above , the step 2 module 14 utilizes a step 2 algorithm which takes the chip offset output from step 1 and the hgc 21 , 22 outputs and detects the slot offset and the code group number . the step 2 module 14 illustrated in fig5 , comprises a step 2 comparator 30 , a delay 32 , a sample selector 34 , a conjugator 36 , a complex multiplier 38 , a fast hadamard transform ( fht ) 33 , an envelope remover 31 , an input matrix generator 35 , an rs encoder 37 , and a step 2 decision circuit 39 . the purpose of the step 2 algorithm is to provide the step 3 algorithm with the scrambling code group number and the slot offset . the chip offset from the step 1 module 12 is sent from the controller 18 to a delay 32 of the step 2 module 14 . the chip offset is delayed for a frame through the delay 32 in order to allow the step 1 module to make a first decision . the delayed chip offset is then forwarded to the sample selector 34 which is coupled to the delay 32 , a conjugator 36 and the hgcs 21 , 22 of the step 1 module 12 . using the index determined by the decision circuit 25 , the sample selector 34 extracts the peak hgc 21 , 22 outputs from the input signal , which are then conjugated by the conjugator 36 and output to the complex multiplier 38 . the same communication signal to the step 1 module 12 is input to an alignment circuit 15 , which aligns the input signal so that step 2 module 14 begins it search for the scrambling code group number and slot offset at the beginning of the slot . once the signal is aligned , the alignment circuit 15 forwards it to the step 2 module 14 . even though there are two thousand five hundred and sixty ( 2 , 560 ) chips in each slot , it should be apparent from fig2 that the psc is located within the first 256 chips of each slot . since the chip offset has been determined by the step 1 module , the step 2 module determines the ssc using the location of the strongest psc in the first 256 chips in each slot . as those skilled in the art know , when ssc codes are generated , an envelope sequence is applied to the rows of an hadamard matrix in order to have some orthogonality between psc and ssc codes . this envelope has to be removed before proceeding into the remaining portion of the step 2 algorithm . this envelope removal is accomplished by the envelope remover 31 . once the envelope has been removed from the input signal , the signal is output from the envelope remover 31 to the fht transform 33 coupled to the envelope remove 31 and multiplier 38 , which reduces the complexity of the pure hadamard correlation operation . fig6 is an illustration of the fht structure . the output of the fht transform 33 is multiplied by the conjugate of the peak hgc 21 , 22 by the complex multiplier 38 coupled to the conjugator 36 and the fht transform 33 . the use of the conjugate of the peak output from the hgcs 21 , 22 provides a phase correction to the fht output and transforms the one entry that corresponds to the transmitted ssc code onto the real axis . once the fht transform 33 output has been multiplied in the complex multiplier 38 , the real part of the fht outputs are forwarded to the input matrix generator 35 by the multiplier 38 , which puts the fht outputs into a real matrix of 15 × 16 , called the input matrix . in the input matrix , there are fifteen ( 15 ) slots and in each slot sixteen ( 16 ) elements for a frame . the input matrix is updated per frame . the input matrix is then forwarded to the decision circuit 39 where a determination of the slot offset and code group number are made . the structure of the input matrix is illustrated in fig7 . a correlation matrix is generated within the step 2 decision circuit 39 using the input matrix 35 and a known code group matrix , which results in a 64 × 15 matrix . the correlation matrix is reset when the frame counter for the step 2 module reaches m2 , similar to that disclosed in the step 1 module . in order to generate the correlation matrix , the decision circuit 39 steps through each of the elements of the code group matrix and the elements of the input matrix 35 in accordance with the equation 4 below : where j is an integer incremented from 0 to 14 by 1 , that represents cyclic shifts performed on the identity matrix with respect to columns ; i is an integer incremented from 0 to 63 by 1 ; and k is an integer incremented from 0 to 14 by 1 . the structure of the code group matrix and the resulting correlation matrix are illustrated in fig8 and 9 respectively . once the correlation matrix has been generated , the maximum entry is found by the decision circuit 39 . the corresponding row of the found maximum entry is the code group number and the column is the slot offset . similar to the step 1 module 12 , if the max correlation max 2 is greater than the threshold , the comparator circuit 30 will output a high step 2 firm signal to the controller 18 indicating a firm decision , otherwise a low signal is output indicating a tentative decision . the threshold value is calculated using the mean magnitude value of the correlation matrix : th = k ⁢ 1 960 ⁢ ( ∑ i = 0 63 ⁢ ∑ j = 0 14 ⁢ mag ⁡ ( c ij ) ) ⁢ ⁢ ⁢ k = 5 . 12 , p fa = 10 - 4 equation ⁢ ⁢ 5 where p fa is the probability of false alarm . the step 2 module 14 outputs to the controller 18 the code group number , slot offset , step 2 firm , and step 2 counter . the flow diagram for the step 2 algorithm is illustrated in fig1 . the step 2 module receives the communication signal from the base station over the downlink channel ( step 1001 ). an envelope sequence is removed from the communication signal ( step 1002 a ) and output to an fht transform 33 , ( step 1003 a ). at the same time , the chip offset from the step 1 module 12 is input to a delay 32 in the step 2 module 14 ( step 1002 b ) and forwarded to a sample selector 34 , which extracts the peak even or odd output generated by the hgcs 21 , 22 of the step 1 module 12 based on the chip offset ( step 1003 b ). the output of the fht transformer 33 is then multiplied by the conjugate of the peak even or odd sample output from the sample selector 34 ( step 1004 ) and transforms one entry of the fht output that corresponds to the ssc code onto the real axis ( step 1005 ). the real part of the fht outputs for each slot in a frame are forwarded to the input matrix generator 35 ( step 1006 ). the input matrix generator 35 then creates the input matrix ( step 1007 ). the input matrix is then forwarded to the decision circuit 39 to determine the slot offset and code group number ( step 1008 ). utilizing the input matrix and known code group matrix , the decision circuit 39 generates a correlation matrix ( step 1009 ). once the correlation matrix has been generated , the decision circuit 39 locates the maximum entry in the correlation matrix ( step 1010 ), for which the corresponding row of the found maximum entry is determined to be the code group number and the column is the slot offset . the code group number and the slot offset are then forwarded to the controller 18 ( step 1011 ). a threshold value is then calculated using the mean magnitude value of the correlation matrix ( step 1012 ) and compared to the max correlation ( step 1013 ), forwarding an indication of a firm or tentative decision to the controller 18 ( step 1014 ). the chip offset output from the step 1 module 12 and the slot offset and code group number output from the step 2 module , are forwarded by the controller 18 to the step 3 module 16 , which utilizes a step 3 algorithm for the purpose of determining which one of the primary scrambling codes is coming with the least probability of false alarm ( pfa ) when the code group number is given . there are eight primary scrambling codes in each code group . the block diagram of the step 3 module 16 is illustrated in fig1 . similar to the step 2 module 14 , the communication signal is input to a second alignment circuit 18 which aligns the output signal so that the step 3 module 16 begins its search for the scrambling code number at the beginning of the frame . once the input signal has been aligned , the alignment circuit 18 forwards the input signal to the step 3 module 16 . the step 3 module comprises eight ( 8 ) scrambling code generators 40 1 . . . 40 8 , eight ( 8 ) correlator circuits 41 1 . . . 41 8 , a noise estimator circuit 42 , a step 3 decision circuit 44 , a decision support circuit 45 , a gain circuit 46 , and a comparator circuit 47 . the code group number generated by the step 2 module 14 is input to the eight ( 8 ) scrambling code generators 40 1 . . . 40 8 and scrambling codes are generated therefrom . the output of the scrambling code generators 40 1 . . . 40 8 is forwarded to the scrambling code correlators 41 1 . . . 41 8 , respectively . along with the scrambling codes output from the scrambling code generators 40 1 . . . 40 8 , the communication signal , after processing by a realignment circuit 15 using the chip offset and slot offset output from the controller 18 , is input to the correlators 41 1 . . . 41 8 . the correlators 41 1 . . . 41 8 utilize non - coherent integration over a certain number of slots . integration can be over multiple frames . the correlation is made coherently for each symbol that corresponds to the 256 - chip data . the absolute value of the correlation results are accumulated over 10 * n symbols per frame , where n is the number of slots to be accumulated from the beginning of a frame . in a single slot there are ten 256 - chip long data parts ; therefore , ten 256 - chip coherent correlation and ten accumulations are made per slot . fig1 shows the details of a correlator 41 1 . after the correlators 41 1 . . . 41 8 generate the outputs , the maximum output and its index have to be found . the step 3 decision circuit 44 takes the outputs of the scrambled code correlators 41 1 . . . 41 8 , determines the correlator 41 1 . . . 41 8 with the maximum output , and generates an index thereof . the index is the scrambling code number . the scrambling code number is then forwarded to the decision support circuit 45 and the controller 18 . the decision support circuit 45 observes the last m3 decisions made by the decision circuit 44 . if a code repeats itself more than k repetitions out of m3 inputs , then the code that has been repeated is the scrambling code number that is output from the decision support circuit 45 to the controller 18 . however , the output of the decision support circuit 45 is only utilized when there is no firm decision over the consecutive m3 frames . even though the decision support circuit is only illustrated in the step 3 module 16 , a decision support circuit 45 as disclosed in the step 3 module 16 can be utilized for both the step 1 and step 2 modules 12 , 14 disclosed herein above . a firm decision is indicated when the determined maximum correlation value is greater than the calculated threshold value . the threshold value is calculated using the noise estimator circuit 42 , which is used for noise measurement , and a gain factor . the noise is determined by taking the magnitude of the difference between the successive common pilot symbols . this method of noise estimation eliminates any bias in the noise estimate due to orthogonal signal interference . the result of the noise estimator 42 is multiplied by the gain factor in the multiplier 46 , which is determined to be the threshold . when the determined maximum correlation is greater than the calculated threshold , the comparator 47 outputs a high step 3 firm signal indicating a firm decision , otherwise a low signal is generated indicating a tentative decision . the flow diagram of the step 3 algorithm is illustrated in fig1 . the code group number output from the step 2 module 14 is input to the step 3 module 16 scrambling code generators 40 1 . . . 40 8 ( step 1301 ), which then generate scrambling codes therefrom ( step 1302 ). the output of the scrambling code generators is then forwarded to the scrambling code correlators 41 1 . . . 41 8 ( step 1303 ). along with the scrambling codes output from the scrambling code generators 40 1 . . . 40 8 , the communication signal is correlated in the scrambling code correlators 41 1 . . . 41 8 ( step 1304 ), which then generate ten 256 chip coherent correlations and ten non - coherent accumulations per time slot ( step 1305 ). the accumulated results are forwarded to the step 3 decision circuit 44 ( step 1306 ). the decision circuit 44 determines the correlator with the maximum output and generates an index thereof , which is the scrambling code number ( step 1307 ). a threshold value is then calculated ( step 1308 ) and compared to the maximum correlation value ( step 1309 ). if the maximum correlation value is greater than the calculated threshold , the step 3 module 16 outputs a high step 3 firm signal ( step 1310 ), which results in the decision circuit 44 outputting the scrambling code number to the controller 18 ( step 1311 ). otherwise , a low signal is output to the controller 18 ( step 1312 ) and the scrambling code number is output to the decision support circuit 45 ( step 1313 ). since the decision support circuit 45 observes the last m3 decisions made by the decision circuit 44 , a scrambling code number is output to the controller 18 when a scrambling code repeats itself k times out of m3 inputs ( step 1311 ). referring back to fig1 , the controller 18 comprises a rejected chip offset buffer 9 , a rejected chip offset counter 11 , a rejected primary scrambling code vector buffer 13 , a rejected primary scrambling code counter 3 , a decision logic circuit 2 and a window exclusion logic circuit 6 . the controller 18 is used to make better decisions during the entire cell search algorithm in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention . the flow diagram of the decision logic used by the controller 18 to determine the primary scrambling code for synchronization with the transmitting base station is illustrated in fig1 . the controller 18 receives the chip offset , the step 1 firm signal and the step 1 counter signal from the step 1 module 12 ( step 1401 ). if the step 1 firm signal is high , the controller 18 forwards the firm chip offset to the step 2 module 14 ( step 1402 a ), otherwise a tentative chip offset is forwarded ( step 1402 b ). the step 2 module 14 generates the code group number , slot offset value , step 2 firm , and step 2 counter ( step 1403 ). if the step 2 firm signal is high , the controller forwards the firm code group to the step 3 module ( step 1404 a ). otherwise , the controller 18 forwards a tentative code group to the step 3 module 16 ( step 1404 b ) and if the step 2 counter is less than m2 , the step 2 module 14 continues to generate the code group number ( step 1403 ). if the step 2 counter is equal to m2 , then the step 2 module 14 is reset ( step 1407 ), which results in the step 2 module generating a code number and slot offset ( step 1403 ). the step 3 module 16 then generates a scrambling code number and step 3 firm signal ( step 1405 ) generated in step 1403 , receiving the slot offset and code group number . if the step 3 firm signal is high , then the decision logic circuit 2 determines that the scrambling code number is firm and ends the decision logic process . if the step 3 firm signal is low and the step 1 firm signal is high or the step 2 counter is less than m2 , the step 2 module continues to generate a code group number ( step 1403 ). otherwise , the step 2 module receives a reset signal from controller 18 and resets the step 2 counter to 0 ( step 1407 ). this procedure continues until the decision output by the step 3 module 16 is firm . due to a possible initial frequency error in the vco , excess loss of signal correlation may occur . therefore , the vco is frequency stepped in order to control the maximum possible frequency error between the ue and the cell . upon initialization of the ue , the controller 18 initializes the cell search frequency using the frequency synthesizer 20 . referring to fig1 , the frequency synthesizer 20 comprises an adaptive frequency circuit ( afc ) 4 and a voltage controlled oscillator ( vco ) 7 or numerically controlled oscillator ( nco ). the afc 4 , coupled to the controller 18 and the vco 7 , comprises a frequency allocation table ( fat ) and a frequency step table ( fst ). when the controller 18 is initialized , the afc 4 sets the frequency using the first frequency in the fat and the offset value from the fst . this initial frequency is the frequency used by the controller 18 to conduct the cell search . the fst is a table of step frequencies , or offset frequencies , for example { 0 , 2 , − 2 , 4 , − 4 , 6 , − 6 . . . n , − n } which are used to offset the frequency in use by the controller 18 . the fat includes a plurality of predetermined frequencies for which the controller 18 , or a level 1 controller ( not shown ) utilize to locate and synchronize the ue to the base station . for purposes of this disclosure , the plurality of frequencies listed are defined as f 0 , f 1 , f 2 . . . f n in the fat and the offset frequencies in the fst are defined as sf 0 , sf 1 , − sf 1 , sf 2 − sf 2 . . . sf n , − sf n . accordingly , when the controller is initialized , the offset frequency is sfo and the frequency & gt ; f 0 . the afc 4 combines the two values f 0 + sf 0 , and forwards the resulting frequency value to the vco or nco 7 , which maintains the ue frequency at this forwarded frequency . the controller 18 performs the decision logic disclosed above . if after x number of frames the output step 3 firm does not go high , the controller signals the afc 4 to step 2 the next offset in the fst , for example , sf 1 . the afc 4 then combines the new offset frequency with the frequency of the fat , f 0 + sf 1 , and outputs the resulting frequency to the vco or nco 7 to maintain the ue at this frequency . the controller 18 continues to step through the offset frequencies in the fst until a high signal is detected from the step 3 module 16 , indicating a firm detection or until all offset frequencies have been tried by the controller 18 . once all of the offset frequencies have been tried , the afc 4 resets the fst offset frequency to sf 0 , steps to the next frequency in the fat , f 1 and combines the two values , f 1 + sf 0 , for output to the vco or nco 7 . the vco or nco 7 then regulates the ue frequency to this new resulting frequency and the controller 18 then performs the decision logic until a high signal is detected from the step 3 module 16 . this process of stepping through the fst and then stepping to the next fat frequency is continued until a high signal is output by the step 3 module 16 . once this event occurs the detection of a scrambling code , the afc 4 locks the fst offset value at its current position , not to be readjusted until the controller 18 is initialized . as those skilled in the art know , most service providers in a communication system have a different public land mobile network ( plmn ). the ue utilizes the detected plmn to determine whether or not the service provider provides service in the ue &# 39 ; s location . the controller 18 utilizes a window exclusion logic within the window exclusion logic circuit 6 for overcoming a rejection due to the wrong plmn . since detecting the hgc 21 , 22 output at peak value always gives the same plmn , the controller 18 utilizes the window exclusion logic to overcome this deadlock . the window exclusion logic circuit is coupled to the decision logic circuit 2 , rejected chip offset vector buffer 9 , a rejected chip offset counter 11 , a rejected primary scrambling code vector buffer 13 , and a rejected primary scrambling code counter 3 . the window exclusion logic circuit 6 checks the primary scrambling code output from the step 3 module against the rejected primary scrambling codes stored in the rejected primary scrambling code vector buffer 13 . if the primary scrambling code output from the step 3 module is found in the buffer 13 , or the wrong plmn is detected , the window exclusion logic circuit 6 rejects the code and initializes the decision logic circuit again . each time a primary scrambling code is rejected , the chip offset that was generated by the step 1 module is stored in the rejected chip offset vector buffer 9 and used by the mask generator 5 . the mask generator 5 of the decision circuit 25 within the step 1 module 12 uses the values stored in the rejected chip offset vector buffer 9 and rejected chip offset counter 11 from the controller 18 to determine which chips in each slot to exclude in the window . the exclusion of the detected primary scrambling codes and chip offsets are made only within a single frequency band . the buffers and counters are reset when there is an acknowledgment by the base station or new frequency band is used by the level 1 controller . in order to adjust the frequency band used by the controller 18 during the window exclusion logic process , the layer 1 controller signals the afc 4 to step to the next frequency in the fat . since the offset frequency of the fst is set , the afc combines the new frequency with the set offset frequency . the vco or nco 7 is then adjusted to maintain this combined frequency . a flow diagram of the window exclusion logic utilized by the controller is illustrated in fig1 . the controller 18 runs the cell search decision logic and finds a primary scrambling code ( step 1501 ). the primary scrambling code is passed to the upper layers ( step 1502 ) which store the frequency and the primary scrambling code index ( step 1503 ). if the plmn is correct for the particular service provider , the ue is synchronized to the base station , and the process is terminated ( step 1504 ). if the plmn is incorrect and there is a frequency remaining in the fat of the agc 4 , the agc 4 steps to the next frequency in the fat and the controller 18 changes the frequency , stores the primary scrambling code in the vector buffer 13 , and resets the cell search algorithm ( step 1505 ). it should be noted that the failure condition monitors either the counter buffers 3 , 11 , or a timer to determine whether a failed condition occurs . a failed condition indicates that synchronization will not occur under the current conditions ( e . g . frequency ). if there is no frequency left within the fat , the controller 18 begins to the sweep the frequencies with the stored primary scrambling code ( step 1506 ). the controller 18 then sets the first frequency and passes the rejected primary scrambling code to the initial cell search with window exclusion method ( step 1507 ). the controller 18 resets the initial cell search with window exclusion method and also resets the failure condition ( step 1508 ). the rejected primary scrambling code is pushed into the rejected primary scrambling code vector buffer 13 and the rejected primary scrambling code counter is incremented ( step 1509 ). the cell search decision logic is run and a primary scrambling code and chip offset are found ( step 1510 ). if the primary scrambling code is stored in the rejected primary scrambling code vector buffer 13 , then the chip offset is pushed into the rejected chip offset vector buffer 9 and the rejected chip offset counter 11 is incremented ( step 1511 ). the cell search decision logic is again run excluding a window around the rejected chip offset ( step 1512 ). if the primary scrambling code generated by this cell search decision logic is again stored in the rejected primary scrambling code vector buffer , then the detected chip offset is pushed onto the rejected chip offset vector buffer and the rejected chip offset counter is incremented ( step 1511 ) and the cell search decision logic excluding a window of value rejected chip offset is run again ( step 1512 ). steps 1511 and 1512 continue until the detected primary code is not in the list at which point the primary scrambling code is forwarded to the upper layers to await an acknowledgment by the base station ( step 1513 ). if there is a failure condition and there is no frequency left , the controller 18 indicates that no service is available ( step 1517 ) and the process is terminated . if there was a failure and there was a frequency remaining in the bandwidth , the controller 18 sets a new frequency and passes the rejected primary scrambling code for that frequency ( step 1516 ). the controller 18 then resets the initial cell search with window excluding method and the failure condition monitor ( step 1508 ). the controller 18 then continues the initial cell search with window exclusion method as disclosed above . if there is no failed condition and the plmn is correct , the controller 18 indicates that the ue is synchronized to the base station upon receipt of the acknowledgment ( step 1518 ), and the process is terminated . if the plmn is incorrect , the rejected primary scrambling code is pushed into the rejected primary scrambling code vector buffer 13 and the rejected primary scrambling code counter 3 is incremented ( step 1515 ). the cell search decision logic is run again excluding a window around the previously rejected chip offset value ( step 1512 ). this procedure continues until the controller indicates that no service is available or an acknowledgment from a base station is received .	7
the fuel supply circuit shown diagrammatically in the drawing substantially comprises a fuel tank 10 to which is connected the inlet of a low - pressure pump 12 of which the outlet supplies a high - pressure gear pump 14 by the intermediary of heat exchangers 16 and filters 17 , the heat exchangers serving in particular for the cooling of the lubrication liquid of the turbine engine and for an idg ( integrated drive generator ) system . the outlet of the high - pressure pump 14 supplies a flow regulating valve 18 ( fmv or fuel metering valve ) which makes it possible to dose the quantity of fuel sent to the injectors 20 of the turbine engine according to the operating conditions . the difference in pressure between the inlet and the outlet of the pump 14 is also used to control a set 22 of auxiliary equipment with variable geometry , comprising in particular actuators of guiding vanes with variable setting . the excess fuel pumped is returned upstream of the high - pressure pump 14 by the intermediary of a by - pass valve 19 . a pressurising and shut - off valve 24 is mounted between the outlet of the flow regulating valve 18 and a supply duct 26 of the injectors 20 , with this valve 24 being sensitive to the pressure of the fuel at the outlet of the valve 18 and prohibiting the supply of the fuel of the injectors 20 as long as this pressure does not reach a certain value , i . e . as long as the pressurising of the fuel is less than a determined threshold , this pressurising corresponding to the difference in pressure between the outlet and the inlet of the pump 14 and being for example 19 bars . the pressurising and shut - off valve 24 is provided with a detector of opening 28 and with two electro - hydraulic control members 29 and 31 , of the servovalve or solenoid type , of which one is excited by the means for processing 32 and the other by an overspeed system 33 . these control members 29 and 31 are effective only if the pressure is sufficient . a temperature sensor 30 is mounted on the line 26 supplying the injectors 20 . the signals provided by the detectors 28 and 30 are applied to means for processing 32 , which also receive the outlet signal of a detector 34 measuring the rotational speed of the turbine engine . in the means for processing 32 , the signal of opening of the pressurising and shut - off valve 24 , which is supplied by the detector 28 , controls the recording of the value of the rotational speed supplied by the detector 34 , and of the value of the temperature of the fuel , supplied by the detector 30 . the recorded values of the rotational speed are compared to a predetermined threshold value , beyond which it would be difficult to restart the turbine engine in flight and which corresponds to maximum admissible wear and tear of the high - pressure pump 14 . when this threshold value is reached by the rotational speed , a signal 36 is generated by the means for processing 32 in order to report the necessity of replacing the high - pressure pump 14 . measuring the temperature of the fuel in the line 26 makes it possible to take into account the variations in the density of the fuel which result from the temperature variations and which have an influence on the flow of the high - pressure pump 14 . the variations detected in the temperature of the fuel make it possible to correct the measured values of the rotational speed and therefore to return in the case of a fuel supply to a substantially constant temperature . the opening of the pressurising and shut - off valve occurs during each starting phase of the turbine engine . monitoring of the high - pressure pump 14 can therefore be carried out at each starting of the turbine engine and makes it possible to regularly follow the wear and tear of the high - pressure pump 14 , in order to propose its replacement when this becomes necessary . the invention further makes it possible to render reliable the overspeed test of the turbine engine by associating this test in an original and automatic manner to the starting and monitoring phase of the high - pressure pump . an example of test logic is described hereinafter , with many alternatives able to be derived . when the engine is started , to a few speed percents , an electric order is generated by the means for processing 32 on the electro - hydraulic control 29 of the pressurising and shut - off valve 24 . the hydraulic circuit does not open because the speed is below the opening threshold of the pressurising and shut - off valve 24 . the speed increases due to the fact of the action of the starter and when the opening threshold ( acquired by the detector 28 ) is reached , the means for processing 32 record the value of the rotational speed which makes it possible to issue a judgement on the condition of the high - pressure pump 14 . the means for processing 32 thus provide a signal to the overspeed system 33 which triggers its test , i . e . the control of the closing of the pressurising and shut - off valve 24 by the intermediary of the electro - hydraulic control 31 . the means for processing 32 check by the intermediary of the detector of opening 28 that the overspeed system 33 has been effective and issues an end of test order to the overspeed system 33 so that the latter controls the closing of its electro - hydraulic member 31 . simultaneously , the means 32 issue a closing order to the electro - hydraulic control 29 . the pressurising and shut - off valve 24 closes . the rotation of the engine driven by the starter continues and , at the optimal starting speed , the means for processing 32 issue an opening order to the pressurising and shut - off valve 24 by the intermediary of the electro - hydraulic control 29 and send a command to the ignition exciter box which will energise the sparking plug ( s ) of the engine .	5
fig1 a shows a number of leds 10 , 20 arranged electrically in series forming a led string 1000 . the led string is equipped with a driver circuit 2000 . the driver circuit comprises a current source 30 which supplies a current 31 , electrical switches 11 , 21 and nodes 10 t , 10 b , 20 t and 20 b . the switches 11 , 21 are each arranged electrically parallel with a led 10 , 20 . the switch 11 connects between node 10 t and 10 b on either side of led 10 . likewise , the switch 21 connects between node 20 t and 20 b on either side of led 20 . when the switches 11 , 21 are open , the current 31 flows through the leds 10 , 20 , causing the leds to emit light , as shown in fig1 a . fig1 b shows the same arrangement , but with the top switch 11 closed . this gives a lower - resistive current path through the top switch 11 as through the top led 10 , causing the current to flow through the top switch 11 instead of the top led 10 , and thus causing the top led 10 to switch off . the current is thus bypassing the led 10 . in fig1 b , the lower switch 21 is still open , such that the lower led 20 is still on . by operating the switches 11 , 21 , the duty cycle at which the corresponding leds 10 , 20 are switched on is controlled . during this operation , the current source 30 is arranged to keep its output current 31 substantially constant at a fixed level . fig2 shows an alternative arrangement with a longer string of leds . the leds 101 , 102 , 103 are grouped in a led segment 100 , all leds being arranged in series . the bypass switch 11 is arranged electrically parallel to the whole led segment 100 , instead of to a single led , and connects between node 100 t and 100 b of led segment 100 . the led segment 100 is electrically in series with a second led segment 200 , of leds 201 , 202 , 203 in series , together forming the led string . the operation is similar as that of fig1 a and fig1 b . in the example shown , the led segment 100 consists of three leds 101 , 102 , 103 in series , but it can of course also have any other number of leds . it may , e . g ., also consist of a single led only . in describing fig3 to 10 , we will refer to a led segment of any number of leds as a led segment 10 or 20 , with nodes 10 t and 10 b or 20 t and 20 b respectively . fig3 a shows an embodiment of the schematic arrangement of fig2 . the switches 11 , 21 are implemented using mosfet transistors 12 , 22 . the bypass current through the top mosfet transistor 12 from node 10 t to node 10 b is referred to as current 50 , the bypass current through the lower mosfet transistor 22 from note 20 t to node 20 b is referred to as current 60 . the mosfet transistors are depicted as nmos transistors , but equally well be pmos transistors or any other type of switch . the switches 12 , 22 are controlled from a segment controller 36 , which drives the switches with control signals 70 , 71 . we will refer to these control signals with the same reference numbers 70 , 71 when we refer to their logical levels and when we refer to their electrical levels . the current source is implemented as a buck converter 2001 , which is built from a power switch 31 , shown as a mosfet transistor 31 , an inductive element 32 , a diode 34 , a resistor 33 and a buck controller 35 . the buck controller 35 drives the gate of the power transistor 31 , such that the inductor is charging and discharging at a high frequency . in an example , the arrangement has a total of 36 leds in series in the led string , arranged in two segments of 18 leds each ; the converter frequency is approximately 100 khz with a dc - input voltage vin of 150 v , and a value of the inductor of 5 mh . in the example , the gates of the bypass switches 12 , 22 are operated at a frequency of approximately 200 hz . it is to be noted that the segment controller 36 nor the switch mode controller 35 may not be shown in subsequent figures , but they are meant to be present for controlling the switches in the segment driver units and the power switches in the power supply respectively . fig3 b shows the electrical waveforms at various positions in the led arrangement of fig2 . the upper curve shows a coil current 40 . the middle curve shows the current 50 through the upper led segment 10 . the lower curve shows the current 60 through the lower led segment 20 . the periodic modulation of the currents 40 , 50 , 60 is due to the operation principle of the switch mode driver , which charges and discharges the inductor 32 while periodically opening and closing the power transistor 31 . the led current waveforms 50 , 60 show a very deep modulation depth , varying periodically between , in this example , 0 ma and approximately 100 ma , at an average current of about 50 ma , i . e ., with peak values that are twice the nominal value . this exemplary large modulation may be used to give power - efficiency and emi advantages because of zero - current and zero - voltage switching during switch - on of the power transistor 31 . fig3 c shows a similar arrangement , but with a switch 34 ″ instead of the diode 34 of fig3 b . by opening and closing the switch depending on the phase of the operation of the switch mode driver , the switch performs a similar function as the diode : it allows the coil current to discharge . fig4 a shows an embodiment of the circuit of fig2 , with an added filter capacitor 80 over the output of the buck converter . the filter capacitor 80 reduces the current modulation to a smaller modulation depth , also called ripple . in this example , the capacitor 80 has a capacitor value of 15 nf . fig4 b shows the electrical waveforms for this example at various positions in the led arrangement of fig2 . the upper curve shows a logical signal 71 controlling the gate of bypass transistor switch 22 . when the logical signal 71 is high , the switch 22 is closed , such that the current flows through the switch 22 and the lower led segment 22 is switched off . when the logical signal 71 is low , the switch 22 is open such that the current flows through the lower led segment 22 and the lower led segment 22 is switched on . the middle curve shows a current 51 through the upper led segment 10 . the lower curve shows a current 61 through the lower led segment 20 , which is being switched by the bypass transistor 22 . it is observed that in the example the currents 51 , 61 have a much smaller current modulation than the unfiltered currents 50 , 60 of fig3 b , with a current ripple 51 , 61 of only about 10 % at a nominal led current of about 50 ma , due to the filter capacitor 80 . the maximum led current is thus reduced with approximately 50 %, resulting in a better lifetime of the leds compared to the unfiltered situation of fig3 a and fig3 b . however , around the switching moments , an unacceptable overshoot of about 300 ma and an undershoot of 0 ma is also observed in the led current 51 through the upper led 10 , i . e ., the led that is not switched but continues to stay on . these high transients can damage the leds . fig5 a shows an led arrangement according to the present invention , with two led segments 10 , 20 . each led segment 10 , 20 is driven from a led segment driver 110 , 210 which consists of not just a switch 12 , 22 , but also a capacitor 13 , 23 for each individual segment . the capacitors 13 , 23 are connected electrically in parallel to the corresponding led segment 10 , 20 , as are the switches 12 , 22 . i . e ., the switch 12 and the capacitor 13 each connect between node 10 t and 10 b on either side of led segment 10 , and the switch 22 and the capacitor 23 each connect between node 20 t and 20 b on either side of led segment 20 . we also refer to the capacitors 13 , 23 as segment capacitors . the segment capacitors 13 , 23 are dimensioned such that the buck output filter capacitor 80 is obsolete , and have a value of 30 nf each in this example , such that the same total capacitance is obtained from the series arrangement of capacitors 13 and 23 as the capacitance of capacitor 80 , resulting in the same current ripple . fig5 b shows the electrical waveforms for this circuit . the upper curve shows a logical signal 72 controlling the gate of bypass transistor switch 22 . the middle curve shows a current 52 through the upper led segment 10 . the lower curve shows a current 62 through the lower led segment 20 , which is being switched by the bypass transistor 22 . comparing currents 52 , 62 of fig5 b to currents 51 , 61 of fig4 b , it is clearly observed that the current over - and undershoots are removed with the segmented capacitor . also the ripple of the current is reduced . it is also observed in the lower curve showing current 62 that the switch - on of the dimmed segment takes longer compared to the current 61 in fig4 b . this is because its segment capacitor 23 needs to charge from basically zero volt . this switch - on delay may be acceptable , as it is small compared to the drive period : in the example , the delay is about 40 μs vs . a drive period of 5 ms . when it is acceptable , the effect on the light output of the led segment 20 can be ignored . in an alternative embodiment , the switch - on delay may be compensated for in the duty cycle of the signals 72 driving the bypass switches 12 , 22 . the dead time may be calibrated for the led arrangement , or monitored and automatically compensated for . active monitoring and correction has the advantage that temperature and ageing effects are automatically taken into account , at the cost of some additional circuitry to measure the switching time and comparing the measured time with the required duty cycle . a further embodiment with a hardware solution will be described further below . we now turn to alternative embodiments with a buck - boost converter employed in the driver arrangement . compared to the previously described buck converter , the ratio of peak led current to average led current can be even larger than 2 because of the discontinuous output current of a single - coil buck - boost converter , that typically a filter capacitor is required to meet reliability and lifetime requirements of the led . the buck - boost topology is very well suited for the bypass driving of leds , as it will also continue to work well when the output voltage at any moment in time becomes smaller than the input voltage , which is the case when all bypass switches are closed and all leds are switched off . an example of such a topology is disclosed and its operation is described in detail in us patent application us 2004 / 0145320 a1 . the description uses a single - coil buck - boost converter , but is equally applicable for other topologies such as , e . g ., a 4 - switch auto - up - down , a cuk , a sepic or a zeta converter , as well as isolated implementations like flyback , forward or resonant converters . fig6 a shows a led arrangement with a buck - boost converter according to the prior art . the buck - boost controller has a buck - boost controller 35 ′, controlling the gate of a power transistor 31 ′, an inductive element 32 ′, a diode 34 ′ and a resistor 33 ′. fig6 b shows a simulation of the electrical behaviour for an example with a converter frequency of again approximately 100 khz , vin = 24 v and a total of 22 leds is placed in series in the led string , arranged in two segments of 11 leds each . in the example , the inductive element 32 ′ with an inductor value of 500 μh . the coil current 43 shows a continuous triangular behavior . the led currents 53 , 54 however show a discontinuous saw - tooth behavior in which the leds carry a current during the secondary stroke of each supply conversion period when the inductive element 32 ′ is discharging over the diode 34 ′ and delivering a current to the led string . in this example , for an average led current of about 50 ma , the peak led current is about 200 ma . fig7 a shows a led arrangement with a buck - boost converter with an output filetr capacitor according to the prior art . the buck - boost controller has a buck - boost controller 35 ′, controlling the gate of a power transistor 31 ′, an inductive element 32 ′, a diode 34 ′ and a resistor 33 ′, as in fig6 a . a capacitor 80 ′ is placed over the converter in parallel to the led string . this capacitor filters the discontinuous current with the large amplitude shown in fig6 b to a current with a reduced ripple . in this example , the resulting ripple is about 10 %. in this example , the inductive element 32 ′ has an inductor value of 500 μh , the converter output filter capacitor 80 ′ has a capacitor value of 150 nf , the converter frequency is again approximately 100 khz , vin = 24 v and a total of 22 leds is placed in series in the led string , arranged in two segments of 11 leds each . fig7 b shows a simulation of the electrical behavior . the upper curve shows a logical signal 74 controlling the gate of bypass transistor switch 22 . the middle curve shows a current 54 through the right led segment 10 . the lower curve shows a current 64 through the left led segment 20 , which is being switched by the bypass transistor 22 . again , severe over - and undershooting led currents are observed of approximately 300 ma and 0 ma at a nominal led current of 50 ma in this example . the electrical components are dimensioned to get a current ripple of approximately 10 %, as in the buck - converter case . the discontinuous output of the buck - boost converter required an increased amount of filtering , resulting in a somewhat longer rise time of current 64 , compared to the rise time of current 61 of the buck converter of fig5 b . fig8 a shows a led arrangement with a buck - boost converter according to the invention . comparing fig8 a to fig7 a , the buck - boost converter output filter capacitor 80 ′ of fig7 a is omitted and a first capacitor 13 , 23 is applied for each of the led segments . the first capacitors 13 , 23 are connected electrically in parallel to the corresponding led segment 10 , 20 , as are the switches 12 , 22 . i . e ., the switch 12 and the capacitor 13 each connect between node 10 t and 10 b on either side of led segment 10 , and the switch 13 and the capacitor 23 each connect between node 20 t and 20 b on either side of led segment 20 . as an example , fig8 b shows a simulation of the currents through the leds for a value of each of the first capacitors , of 300 nf , the filter capacitor is functionally replaced by serially connected first capacitors of the segments . the upper curve shows a logical signal 75 controlling the gate of bypass transistor switch 22 . the middle curve shows a current 55 through the right led segment 10 . the lower curve shows a current 65 through the left led segment 20 , which is being switched by the bypass transistor 22 . a larger switch - on delay for current 65 is observed , compared to the switch - on delay for the current 62 of the buck converter of fig5 b , due to the increased amount of filtering for the same current ripple of about 10 %. this switch - on delay can be compensated for in the timing of the bypass switches , as described above in the discussion of fig5 . an alternative solution to prevent switch - on delay and to prevent the slow rise time is described next . fig9 a shows two led segment drivers 110 ″, 210 ″ for two led segments 10 , 20 according to a further embodiment of the invention . the segment driver comprises a bypass switch 12 , 22 and a segmented capacitor 13 , 23 , and is also equipped with a second switch 14 , 24 in series with the segmented capacitor 13 , 23 . the series arrangement of the capacitor 13 , 23 and corresponding second switch 14 , 24 is connected electrically in parallel to the corresponding led segment 10 , 20 , as is the bypass switches 12 , 22 . i . e ., the series arrangement of the second switch 14 and the capacitor 13 connects between node 10 t and 10 b on either side of led segment 10 , as does the bypass switch 12 . likewise , the series arrangement of the second switch 24 and the capacitor 23 connects between node 20 t and 20 b on either side of led segment 20 , as does the bypass switch 22 . the second switch and the segmented capacitor are operated to hold the voltage across the led for the next switch - on phase after the led is switched off . we thus also refer to the second switch and segmented capacitor as sample - and - hold switch and hold capacitor . fig9 b shows the electrical behavior of a logical signal 76 controlling the gate of bypass transistor switch 22 , a logical signal 86 controlling the gate of sample - and - hold transistor switch 23 , a current 56 through the upper led segment 10 and a current 66 through the lower led segment 20 , when the circuit of fig9 a is implemented with the buck - boost supply topology of fig8 a . the simulation is done without any compensation in the control signals of the bypass switches 12 , 22 . a fast and instantaneous switch - on of the current 66 is observed . to prevent short - circuiting of the segmented capacitor 13 , 23 and sample - and - hold switch 14 , 24 with the bypass switch 12 , 22 , a non - overlapping clocking scheme is used , in which in a first phase a 1 , the voltage across leds is sampled by opening ( i . e ., put in a non - conducting state ) the sample - and - hold switch 14 , 24 and hold the voltage on the capacitor 13 , 23 ; secondly , in a second phase p 1 bypass switch 12 , 22 is closed ( i . e ., put in conducting state ) to switch off the corresponding led segment 10 , 20 ; in a third phase p 2 , the bypass switch 12 , 22 is kept closed for a certain pwm period ; in a fourth phase p 3 , the bypass switch 12 , 22 is opened ( i . e ., put in a non - conducting state ) to switch on the corresponding led segment 10 , 20 ; and in a fifth phase a 2 , the filter and sample capacitor is connected again across corresponding led segment 10 , 20 by closing the sample - and - hold switch 14 , 24 . fig9 c shows an alternative embodiment , with a pmos transistor 14 ′, 24 ′ at the upper side of the segmented capacitor 13 , 23 . this alternative embodiment is operated in a similar to that shown in fig9 a , as a person skilled in the art will understand . during the small disconnect time of the segment capacitor the led current gets filtered only by the parasitic capacitors of the led itself . this disconnect time largely depends on the speed of the available devices in the ic process that is used to implement the drivers for the switches and consequently — it may be beneficial to add an additional ( second ) capacitor which is not sampled to the segment driver units of fig9 a or 9 c . this is depicted in fig1 with capacitors 15 , 25 . as an example , the capacitors 15 , 25 may each have a value of 1 nf , an order of magnitude smaller than the first capacitor . the capacitor 15 , 25 is connected electrically in parallel to the corresponding led segment 10 , 20 . i . e ., also capacitor 15 connects between node 10 t and 10 b on either side of led segment 10 , and also capacitor 25 connects between node 20 t and 20 b on either side of led segment 20 . in the description of the invention and its embodiments above , the physical arrangement of all components was not explicitly discussed . the arrangement may be built from discrete components on a single or on a plurality of carriers , e . g ., printed circuit boards . the invention and its embodiments can be advantageously applied when the arrangement can be built from modular components with one or more of its specific components integrated in an assembly for each individual led segment , or alternatively in an assembly for several led segments together . in some embodiments , the assemblies are constructed on small printed circuit boards ( pcbs ) as small led modules , each carrying all the leds for a single led segment and one or more of the specific components needed in an arrangement according to the invention . depending on the required size of the assembly for a specific application , the number of modules is then easily adapted . in some embodiments , the assembly is constructed on a submount , e . g ., a silicon or ceramic carrier , and the assembly thus forms an active led package . a led assembly according to one embodiment of the invention comprises a led 10 and a capacitor 13 . the capacitor 13 is arranged electrically in parallel to the led 10 . a plurality of these assemblies can be easily put together with external switches and an external power supply to create the led arrangement of e . g ., fig7 . alternatively , a plurality of these assemblies can be put together to form a ladder network of leds and capacitors . this ladder network may then be connected to a plurality of external switches and an external power supply to create the led arrangement of e . g ., fig7 . fig1 a shows such a led assembly , where the led 10 and the capacitor 13 are mounted on a carrier 19 . fig1 b shows an alternative led assembly where three leds 101 , 102 , 103 are mounted in a series arrangement as one led segment 100 , together with a capacitor 13 , on a carrier . fig1 c shows another alternative led assembly where a led 10 ( or a series arrangement 100 of leds 101 , 102 , 103 as in fig1 b ), a first capacitor 13 and a bypass switch 12 are mounted on a carrier 19 . the bypass switch 12 is connected electrically parallel to the led 10 or led segment 100 of several leds in series 101 , 102 , 103 . fig1 d shows again another alternative led assembly where a led 10 ( or a series arrangement 100 of leds 101 , 102 , 103 as in fig1 b ), a first capacitor 13 and a sample - and - hold switch 14 are mounted on a carrier 19 . the sample - and - hold switch 14 is connected electrically in series with the first capacitor 13 , and together these are arranged electrically parallel to the led 10 or led segment 100 of several leds in series 101 , 102 , 103 . fig1 e shows again another alternative led assembly where a led 10 , a first capacitor 13 , a sample - and - hold switch 14 and a bypass switch 12 are mounted on a carrier 19 . the sample - and - hold switch 14 is connected electrically in series with the first capacitor 13 , and together these are arranged electrically parallel to the led 10 and to the bypass switch 12 . fig1 f shows again another alternative led assembly where a led 10 ( or a series arrangement 100 of leds 101 , 102 , 103 as in fig1 b ), a first capacitor 13 , a sample - and - hold switch 14 and a second capacitor 15 are mounted on a carrier 19 . the sample - and - hold switch 14 is connected electrically in series with the first capacitor 13 , and together these are arranged electrically parallel to the led 10 and the second capacitor 15 . fig1 g shows again another alternative led assembly where a led 10 ( or a series arrangement 100 of leds 101 , 102 , 103 as in fig1 b ), a first capacitor 13 , a sample - and - hold switch 14 , a bypass switch 12 and a second capacitor 15 are mounted on a carrier 19 . the sample - and - hold switch 14 is connected electrically in series with the first capacitor 13 , and together these are arranged electrically parallel to the led 10 , to the bypass switch 12 , and to the second capacitor 15 . the switches 12 and 15 may be discrete switches , or integrated as part of an ic that also contains the driving electronics for the switch . fig1 h shows again another alternative led assembly where a led 10 ( or a series arrangement 100 of leds 101 , 102 , 103 as in fig1 b ) and the second capacitor 15 are mounted on a carrier 19 . the second capacitor 15 is arranged electrically parallel to the led 10 . fig1 i shows a led assembly , where one led 10 ( or a series arrangement 100 of leds 101 , 102 , 103 as in fig1 b ) and one capacitor 13 are carried by a silicon submount carrier 19 . more specifically , the capacitor is implemented in the silicon submount itself instead of mounted as a separate electrical component on its surface . a plurality of these assemblies can be easily put together with external switches , external capacitors and an external power supply to create the led assembly of , e . g ., fig7 . also , additional electrical components , such as the sample - and - hold switches or capacitors may be integrated in the submount . fig1 shows a light source 5000 with a led assembly 1 in a housing 5001 . the housing 5001 is a metal box with reflective inner walls . the light generated by the led assembly is reflected towards the front of the housing , which is covered with a diffusive transparent plate 5002 . the light source 5000 carries a power adapter 5010 , which supplies the led assembly 1 with an input voltage vin from an ac / dc converter , connected to the mains via a power cord 5011 with a power connecter 5012 , to fit a wall contact ( not shown ) with mains supply . fig1 shows a method according to the invention to operate a led arrangement according to the invention , e . g ., the led arrangement shown in fig5 a . the method comprises periodically executing a period comprising at least three subsequent phases p 1 , p 2 , p 3 . the first phase pl , comprises closing the first switching element 12 , 22 such that the current through the led segment 10 , 20 stops and the led segment 10 , 20 is switched off the subsequent second phase p 2 comprises keeping the first switching element 12 , 22 closed for a specific duration of time for each individual drive period . the subsequent third phase p 3 comprises opening the first switching element 12 , 22 such that the current flows through the led segment 10 , 20 and the led segment 10 , 20 is switched on . in an example , the period has a duration of 5 ms , corresponding to a frequency of 200 hz . a current of 100 ma runs through the led string and is routed by the first switching element 12 through the led segment 10 such that the led segment 10 emits light . at phase p 1 at the beginning of the period , the first switching element 12 closes and the current is routed through the first switching element 12 , bypassing the led segment 10 , such that the led segment 10 switches off the first switching element 12 remains closed during second phase p 2 , with a specific duration of time of , e . g ., 2 ms . after this specific duration , during the third phase p 3 of the method the first switching element 12 opens again and the led segment 10 is switched on for the remainder of the period and until the first phase p 1 of the next period starts . by varying the specific duration of time in each individual drive period , the time that the led segment 10 emits light is varied and the amount of light emitted ( averaged ) over the drive period is varied . when the specific duration has the same duration as the drive period , the led segment remains off . second phase p 2 may comprise applying a compensation to the specific time for each individual drive period , the compensation compensating for the switching delay of the corresponding segment driver unit 110 , 210 . as shown in , e . g ., fig5 b and fig8 b , a switching delay can occur when switching on a led segment 10 , 20 . in the examples shown in fig5 b and fig8 b , these delays are about 40 resp . 150 μs . this delay can be compensated for in the specific duration of time that the first switching element remains closed in p 3 . fig1 shows a further method according to the invention , to operate a led arrangement according to the invention , e . g ., the led arrangement with the segment driver units 110 ″, 210 ″ shown in fig9 a . in the led arrangement to which this method applies , each segment driver unit 110 ″, 210 ″ comprises also a second switching element 14 , 24 , arranged electrically in series with the first capacitor 13 , 23 . the method comprises periodically executing a period comprising the at least three subsequent phases p 1 , p 2 , p 3 , and a first auxiliary phase a 1 prior to the first phase and a second auxiliary phase a 2 after the third phase . the first auxiliary phase a 1 comprises opening the second switching element 14 , 24 such that the voltage over the corresponding led segment 10 , 20 is held by the first capacitor 13 , 23 . the subsequent first phase p 1 comprises closing the first switching element 14 , 24 such that the current through the led segment 10 , 20 stops and the led segment 10 , 20 is switched off . the subsequent second phase p 2 comprises keeping the first switching element 12 , 22 closed for a specific duration of time . the subsequent third phase p 3 comprises opening the first switching element 12 , 22 such that the current flows through the led segment 10 , 20 and the led segment 10 , 20 is switched on again . last , the second auxiliary phase a 2 comprises closing the second switching element 14 , 24 . it should be noted that the above - mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention , and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims . e . g ., other topologies can be used for the switched - mode power supply , the diode 34 , 34 ′ can be replaced by a switch 34 ″, p - type as well as n - type switches can be used , and other types of switches can be used , such as an igbt instead of a mosfet , without departing from the scope of the invention and the appended claims . in the claims , any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim .	7
referring now to particularly to fig1 of the drawings , the present invention will be seen to relate to an aircraft ground transporter 10 providing for the lifting and transport of an aircraft equipped with landing skids ( e . g ., helicopter ). the landing skids of such aircraft are universally arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft , and spaced apart to each side by cross tubes connecting the two skids to the aircraft fuselage and to one another . while it is well known to equip such aircraft with wheels , it is by no means universal , particularly with lighter helicopters . the reduction in weight , and to a certain extent drag , permitted by removal of wheels , provides a significant performance advantage in such aircraft , and the penalty of less convenient ground movement is accepted by many operators of lighter helicopters in return for the performance improvement . accordingly , the present invention provides a convenient and easy to operate device for moving such skid equipped aircraft ( whether equipped with wheels or not ) about on the ground . even if such a landing skid equipped aircraft is also equipped with wheels , use of the present invention for movement may still be desirable , in order to move the aircraft laterally for placement in the corner of a hangar , etc . the present transporter 10 includes a generally h - shaped frame having a left longitudinal arm 12 , an opposite right longitudinal arm 14 spaced apart therefrom , and a lateral crossmember 16 permanently and immovably connecting the two arms 12 and 14 ; the crossmember 16 is more clearly shown in fig2 . this configuration provides a fixed , permanent relationship between the two arms 12 and 14 . each of the arms 12 and 14 has a forward end , respectively 18 and 20 , and an opposite rearward end , respectively 22 and 24 ( shown in fig2 ). the crossmember 16 is positioned closer to the rear of the transporter than to the front , but is located somewhat forward of the rearward ends 22 and 24 of the left and right arms 12 and 14 . thus , the majority of the length of the transporter 10 is adapted for the aircraft lifting means , while the portion behind the crossmember 16 is used for the various hydraulic and other components and controls used to provide motive and lifting power for the present transporter 10 . each of the arms 12 / 14 includes a lifting bar , respectively 26 and 28 , articulately attached and generally parallel thereto . each of the arms 26 / 28 has a forward end , respectively 30 / 32 , and an opposite rearward end , respectively 34 / 36 . the lifting bar forward ends 30 / 32 are secured to their respective left and right arms 12 / 14 at points near their forward ends 18 / 20 respectively by links 38 / 40 , while their opposite rearward ends 34 / 36 are secured to a torque tube 42 extending laterally across the frame and forward of the crossmember 16 , by another pair of links 44 / 46 ; this linkage arrangement is shown more clearly in fig2 . each of the links 38 , 40 , 44 , and 46 are the same length , and the distances between their pivotal attachment points at the forward and rearward ends of the lifting bars 26 / 28 and arm forward ends 18 / 20 and the torque tube 42 are equal , to form a parallelogram configuration . thus , when the bars 26 / 28 are articulated upward , they remain generally parallel to the arms 12 / 14 at any given height to which the bars 26 and 28 may be raised . the bars are particularly adapted for the lifting and support of a landing skid equipped aircraft , such as a helicopter or the like , either wheelless or having wheels on the skids . such aircraft are nearly universally provided with cross tubes between the skids , and the two lifting bars 26 / 28 are adapted to contact these cross tubes from below and to lift the aircraft by the cross tubes resting atop the bars 26 / 28 . accordingly , the bar ends 30 , 32 , 34 , and 36 include padding 48 ( e . g ., a relatively firm , 60 durometer neoprene sleeve or the like ) to protect the cross tubes . also , the bars 26 / 28 may have inward and downward offsets 50 / 52 , providing clearance for any aircraft structure ( cabin steps , etc . which may extend outwardly and downwardly from the fuselage . operation of the above described lifting bars 26 / 28 is accomplished by rotating the torque tube 42 , which in turn causes the two rear lifting bar links 44 / 46 to which the torque tube 42 is immovably attached , to rotate and raise the ends of the links 44 / 46 which are pivotally connected to the rear portions 34 / 36 of the lifting bars 26 / 28 . as the rear portions 34 / 36 of the lifting bars 26 / 28 are drawn upward , the front portions 30 / 32 of the lifting bars 26 / 28 follow , causing the pivotally attached forward links 38 / 40 to follow also . this operation is shown in fig2 . rotation of the torque tube 42 is by means of a single hydraulic strut or cylinder 54 , which is pivotally connected to the frame crossmember 16 by a bracket , and also to a lever arm 56 extending radially from the torque tube 42 . when the lift bar cylinder 54 is actuated , it draws the lever arm 56 rearward , causing the torque tube 42 to rotate and raise the lift bars 26 / 28 as described above . release of pressure allows the bars 26 / 28 to drop to their lowered position due to gravity ; otherwise , reversal of pressure in the double acting lifting cylinder 54 causes the bars 26 / 28 to lower . stops ( not shown ) may be provided to limit movement in either direction . hydraulic pressure for the above lifting operation ( as well as other operations of the transporter 10 ) is provided by a power source 58 ( e . g ., a relatively small internal combustion industrial engine ), which provides power to a hydraulic pump 60 ; these components are shown in the more detailed view of fig1 as opposed to the view of fig2 which has been simplified for clarity in the drawing figure . the pump 60 provides pressure to the cylinder 54 via a lift control valve 62 at the operators console 64 ; the schematic of fig4 discloses the system . motive power for the transporter 10 is also provided by hydraulic means . the above discussed power source 58 and hydraulic pump 60 provide hydraulic power to a hydraulic drive motor 66 , which is secured to the front of a conventional straight axle and differential assembly 68 . the drive motor 66 is controlled by a drive control valve 70 , which is actuated for either forward or reverse motion as desired to reverse the hydraulic flow through the hydraulic drive motor 66 . the drive axle and differential 68 uses conventional left and right wheel and tire assemblies 72 and 74 to transfer the power to the underlying surface and to support the rear of the transporter 10 . again , the various hydraulic components and their relationships are shown in the schematic of fig4 . a hydraulic fluid reservoir 76 may also be provided as an additional fluid supply , as desired . the front wheel and tire assemblies 78 / 80 provide steering for the transporter 10 . each of the arms 12 / 14 respectively includes a steerable left front wheel assembly 78 and right front wheel assembly 80 extending forwardly from the forward ends 18 / 20 thereof ; fig3 provides a detail view of the left hydraulic steering mechanism of the transporter 10 , with the right side being a mirror image . while fig3 discloses only a single wheel and tire , it will be understood that due to the need to keep the front wheel and tire diameters to a minimum in order to provide a relatively low height for the front structure of the transporter 10 so that it may fit easily beneath the low underside of the fuselage and skid cross tubes of an aircraft , preferably dual tires having a diameter considerably smaller than that of the rear drive wheels 72 and 74 are used at the front of the transporter 10 . however , other wheel and tire combinations may be used as desired . the forward end 18 of the left arm 12 includes a left steering cylinder 82 therein , which drives the rack portion 84 of a conventional rack and pinion assembly 86 ; the pinion gear is concentric with the vertical spindle 88 ( fig1 and 2 ). a right steering cylinder 90 is provided for the right side , and is shown schematically in fig4 . control of the two steering cylinders 82 and 90 is by means of a steering valve 92 , controlled by a conventional steering wheel 94 ( fig1 and 2 ) from the operators position . as an example of the operation of the above system , when a left turn is desired , the operator turns the steering wheel conventionally counterclockwise . the steering valve 92 supplies hydraulic pressure to the forward port 96 of the double acting cylinder 82 via a first hydraulic steering line 98 , causing the piston to move rearwardly in the cylinder 82 . this draws the rack portion 84 rearward , rotating the pinion counterclockwise , thus turning the wheel assembly 78 to the left . ( obviously , the inlet and outlet positions of the hydraulic lines , and the relative left / right positions of the rack and pinion , could be reversed and the same effect would be achieved .) due to the rearward movement of the piston in the cylinder 82 , hydraulic fluid is forced from the rear portion of the cylinder 82 , out the rear port 100 , and into the interconnecting hydraulic steering line 102 . this line 102 is connected to the rear port 104 of the opposite right side steering cylinder 90 , which causes the piston to advance in the cylinder 90 , causing the rack ( on the opposite side of the pinion from the left wheel assembly 78 ) to rotate counterclockwise to also turn the right wheel assembly 80 to the left , in concert with the left wheel assembly 78 . from this point , fluid forced from the front port 106 of the right cylinder 90 is returned to the reservoir 76 for recirculation as required , via a return line 108 . the above assumes a power steering system , with the hydraulic pressure boosted by the hydraulic pump 60 . however , it will be seen that non - powered steering may make use of such a hydraulic system , independently of the hydraulic pump 60 , if desired . the steering valve 92 need only be connected directly to the reservoir 76 to draw unpressurized fluid therefrom , if non - powered steering is acceptable . the above described transporter 10 enables a single operator to move an aircraft equipped with landing gear skids , quickly and easily . the transporter 10 is positioned with the two lifting bars 26 / 28 beneath the aircraft , and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and equally spaced to each side thereof . the operator then raises the lift bars 26 / 28 , using the lift control valve 62 , to contact the aircraft skid cross tubes and raise the aircraft skids clear of the underlying surface by a small amount ( i . e ., a couple of inches or so ). the high friction coefficient between the lift bars 26 / 28 and the aircraft skid cross tubes provided by the lift bar padding 48 , substantially reduces any likelihood of the aircraft slipping on the transporter 10 . however , by carrying the aircraft so the skids are just clear of the underlying surface , no damage will occur if the aircraft slips . the speed of the transporter 10 is also limited by the relatively small engine 58 and hydraulic drive motor 66 , providing further safety ; it is intended that the transporter be operated no faster than a brisk walking speed . when the aircraft is positioned as desired , the operator merely lowers the lift bars 26 / 28 to place the aircraft on the surface , and backs the transporter 10 clear . additional utility is provided in the present transporter 10 by the tow bar accessory 110 of fig5 a and 5b . the tow bar 110 provides towing ( pushing / pulling ) of a wheeled aircraft , using the transporter 10 . landing wheel equipped aircraft are virtually universally equipped with a left and a right non - steerable main landing gear strut , and a steerable nose wheel or tail wheel strut assembly . accordingly , various devices have been developed which attach to the steerable nose wheel or tail wheel of such aircraft , for the ground handling thereof . however , oftentimes the nose wheel assembly of such aircraft has a restricted degree of arcuate motion , limiting the turning radius of the aircraft ( and the corresponding turning radius of the attached towing device ). the present tow bar 110 is not so limited , as it lifts the entire nose wheel assembly ( or tail wheel assembly , for such aircraft ) clear of the surface during towing operations . thus , the only consideration required is the steering angle of the aircraft wheel assembly ; the assembly itself may be moved laterally across the surface , as it is not in contact therewith . thus , an aircraft may be maneuvered in a much more confined area with the present transporter and tow bar . the tow bar 110 comprises an elongate bar 112 or other suitable structure , with a rearward end 114 providing for attachment to the lifting bar forward end 30 , and an opposite forward end 116 having an aircraft wheel axle attachment clamp thereon . the rearward end 114 of the bar 112 is preferably sized to fit within the hollow tubular forward end 30 of the lift bar 26 , to provide for coaxial attachment . the tow bar 110 is removably attached to the lift bar 26 by means of a transverse bolt or pin 118 passed therethrough , the pin 118 may be withdrawn and the tow bar 110 removed when it is not needed . it will be noted that the bar 112 includes an intermediate downwardly offset portion 120 therein . this allows the clamp end 116 of the tow bar 110 to be sufficiently low to be inserted beneath the axle a of the aircraft wheel assembly w , as shown in fig5 b . the forward portion 116 may comprise a flat plate secured to the bottom of the bar 112 , if necessary to lower the clamp as much as possible , or may be an extension of the bar 112 . in any event , the upper surface of the tow bar forward end 116 includes two longitudinally spaced apart pivot points 122 and 124 , each of which has a semicylindrical clamp portion , respectively 126 and 128 , pivotally attached thereto . the spacing between the pivot points 122 / 124 is predetermined to cause the two clamp portions 126 / 128 to close when an object is placed downwardly therein ( or the clamps are raised upwardly beneath an object , e . g ., axle a ) to cause the lower edges 130 / 132 of the clamps to be pushed downward and the opposite upper clamp edges 134 / 135 to close together , as shown in fig5 b . normally , the two clamp portions 126 / 128 are resiliently held open respectively by tension springs 138 / 140 , until urged to a closed position as shown in fig5 b . the present transporter 10 may be used to move and maneuver a wheeled aircraft by temporarily installing the tow bar attachment 110 as described above . the operator of the transporter 10 then maneuvers the transporter 10 as required to position the two clamp portions 126 and 128 beneath the axle a of the steered wheel w ( nose wheel or tail wheel ) of the aircraft . the lift control valve 62 is then actuated to raise the lift bars 26 and 28 , and thus the tow bar attachment 110 and its two clamp portions 126 and 128 . the lower edges 130 / 132 of the clamp portions 126 / 128 are deflected downwardly by contact with the aircraft axle a , with the opposite upper edges 134 / 136 closing about the aircraft axle a , as shown in fig5 b . the lift bars 26 / 28 are raised slightly above this point , in order to raise the aircraft wheel w clear of the surface . the transporter 10 may then be driven to maneuver the aircraft as desired , with the lift bars 26 / 28 merely being lowered to cause the clamp portions 126 / 128 to release automatically due to the tension springs 138 / 140 urging the clamp portions 126 / 128 open when downward pressure is released in the clamp portions , when the aircraft is finally positioned as desired . preferably , tow bar attachment 110 is secured to the left side lifting bar 26 , so the operating controls ( steering wheel 94 , lift and movement valves 62 and 70 , etc .) and the forwardly facing operators seat 142 , which are offset to the left and preferably substantially aligned with the left side lifting bar 26 , are substantially aligned with the tow bar 110 coaxially installed in the forward end 30 of the left side lift bar 26 . however , it will be noted that the tow bar 110 may be installed in either the left or right lift bars 26 / 28 , as desired . this offset placement of the operators controls and seat provides the operator with more readily observable alignment of the tow bar 110 with the aircraft axle a to facilitate the attachment thereto , and also provides a clearer view for an operator transporting an entire aircraft substantially centered on the lift bars 26 / 28 . in such situation , the operator will have a reasonably good view along the side of the aircraft , rather than being seated directly behind the aircraft and having his / her direct forward view obscured . the laterally offset operators seat 142 and controls also provide clearance from the tail boom or other aircraft structure which may extend over the rear structure of the transporter during transport of the aircraft . further utility is provided by the lighting means 144 disposed to each side of the rear of transporter 10 , as shown in fig1 . it will be noted that the lights 144 are substantially aligned with the left and right arms 12 / 14 , thus providing the greatest lighting power to the sides of an aircraft being carried on the transporter 10 to project past the aircraft , and with the left light being substantially aligned with the line of sight of the operator in the leftwardly offset operators seat 142 for optimum efficiency . in summary , the above described aircraft transporter 10 provides excellent versatility and ease of movement of various types of aircraft about an aircraft parking ramp , hangar , or the like . a single operator may easily maneuver the present transporter 10 to position it with the lift bars beneath a landing skid equipped aircraft ( either wheelless or having supplementary wheels ), lift the aircraft clear of the underlying surface by means of a single control valve , and transport the aircraft as required . the present transporter 10 is particularly suitable for use with a wide variety of small to medium size helicopters ( e . g ., bell jet ranger , or other helicopters having similarly sized and configured landing skids ), but may be readily modified by widening or narrowing the spacing between the left and right arms 12 and 14 . additional versatility is provided by the tow bar attachment 110 , providing for the towing of wheeled aircraft as required . the automatic connection of the tow bar to an aircraft wheel axle , provided by merely lifting the tow bar using the lift control lever , enables a single operator to position the transporter , connect the tow bar to the aircraft to raise the clamped wheel axle slightly clear of the underlying surface , and move and reposition the aircraft as required . it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment described above , but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims .	1
off - road racing vehicles include those in a truck - race , buggy - race , lifted truck recreational , sand car - recreational , monster truck and military specialty vehicles . the function of the shock absorber 20 ( fig1 ) of the invention is to permit such off road racing vehicles to pass over extremely rough terrain at high speeds with improved control and stability . the shock absorber 20 includes a radial bypass damper housing 22 having a chamber in which moves a working piston and shaft 24 to effect compression and rebound strokes . a hose 26 connects the opposite end of the chamber with an oil gas reservoir 28 . turning to fig2 , the radial bypass damper housing 22 is made of aluminum alloy and formed without welds . the housing of the radial bypass damper housing 22 may be formed from extruded 6061 - t6 aluminum alloy that is manufactured in solid profile in fixed lengths . the profile of the radial bypass damper housing 22 incorporates cooling fins , which in turn offer substantially more surface area and material to disperse the heat during operation and direct airflow than smooth , un - finned surfaces . when the invention was tested in operation , temperature indicators showed that the operating temperatures that are experienced are lower than when steel dampers are used . also , higher vehicle speeds were attained than for other damper types installed on test vehicles on the same course . inspection of components that are susceptible to wear showed improvement in reduced wear and reduced failure in long - term service over conventional dampers tested . such performance gains signify the realization of serviceability and cost savings in operation during the life of the damper . the fixed lengths are cut to suit installation for an off - road vehicle . the different lengths for longitudinal auxiliary holes ( bypass passageways ) 30 are cut to the appropriate dimensions . the longitudinal auxiliary holes 30 are machined into the solid parts by a gun - drilling procedure . the main hole ( cylinder ) 32 is precision bored . fig3 and 4 show respectively the compression strokes of the working piston 24 within the main hole 32 of the radial bypass damper housing 22 . as best seen in fig5 - 10 , there are two longitudinal auxiliary holes ( bypass passageways ) 30 that allow the oil to bypass through the two longitudinal auxiliary holes depending upon the position of the working piston during the compression stroke with respect to the intersecting ports 34 . there is no bypass function performed by these two longitudinal auxiliary holes ( bypass passageways ) 30 during the rebound stroke . however , there are two other longitudinal auxiliary holes ( bypass passageways ) that provide bypass function during the rebound stroke depending upon the position of the working piston 24 during the rebound stroke with respect to the intersecting ports 34 . the longitudinal auxiliary holes 30 widen into a cavity 36 at an end and into which is to be inserted an ifmv . as the working piston 24 travels towards the open intersecting ports 34 , the oil flows in the opposite direction , deflecting the piston of the ifmv 38 . the oil then flows through the ifmv 38 at a preset position and to the backside of the working piston 24 . this is the bypass function of the radial bypass damper housing 22 during the compression stroke . the location of the open intersecting ports varies and is reliant on the total stroke length of the working piston 24 within the radial bypass damper housing 22 . when the working piston 24 covers the open intersecting bypass port 34 , the bypass function becomes disengaged entirely . this is also true as the working piston 24 travels beyond the bypass port 34 . this same dynamic function is observed during the rebound stroke of the working piston 24 with the incremental metering flow valve 38 located at the opposite end of the bypass port , thereby governing the flow in the opposite direction from what is viewed in fig4 . during the rebound stroke , the incremental metering flow valve 38 sees equal pressure on both sides of its piston and will remain closed , or inactive . when the working piston 24 is beyond the bypass ports in its compression stroke , the valving found in the working piston 24 and the acv 40 is governing flow / resistance in its entirety , thus no additional bypass is in use . the radial bypass damper housing 22 of the invention preferably has no welds and the longitudinal auxiliary holes 30 and main hole 32 are manufactured precisely straight and true to provide longer wear band service life , less frictional resistance and reduced heat build up as compared to having external bypass tubes welded onto the housing . such welding gives rise to unwanted distortions that create adverse wear characteristics on piston wear bands . after machining , the housing of the damper is preferably hard anodized to specification mil - a - 8625f class 1 , type iii for corrosion and wear resistance . the radial bypass damper housing 22 acts as a heat sink . it dissipates the heat built up from damping energy by transferring it outward through the surface area of the profile provided by the cooling fins 42 and external profile . analogous to a radiator , airflow over the damper housing improves the cooling performance and stabilizes the temperature at a lower level for the duration of a race with the off - road vehicle . the rate of cooling has been tested and found to reduce peak temperatures by as much as 100 degrees f ., which constitutes as much as a 33 % reduction in temperature . steel shock tubes under the same test conditions often reach peak temperatures of 325 degrees f . and above . fig1 and 12 illustrate the steps in the manufacturing procedure for the radial bypass damper housing 22 . an aluminum alloy extrusion process is used , the steps of which are conventional for extruding aluminum alloy housings , albeit unique as it applied to the damper housing of the invention . a tool - die is made with the parts cross - sectional profile machined in its center . the outer features of the damper housing are incorporated in to the tool - die . the die is placed in a conventional extrusion apparatus and semi - molten aluminum alloy is forced through the die at high pressure and cooled upon exit to maintain the shape with minimal distortion over a 12 ′ length . the steps of manufacture are : 1 . initially solid profile of aluminum alloy is extruded , such as in 12 foot lengths . 2 . the solid profile is cut to desired lengths , e . g ., four different lengths . 3 . the main hole ( cylinder ) is located , e . g ., 3 inch diameter . 4 . radial bypass bosses are milled to length . 5 . the longitudinal auxiliary hole centers are located . 6 . the longitudinal auxiliary holes are gun drilled . 7 . the main hole is precision bored and honed to specification . 8 . bypass counter bores and threading is made . 9 . main hole counter bores and threading is made . 10 . intersecting bypass ports are drilled . 11 . surface finish and cleanup are performed . 12 . hard anodized clear , mil - a - 86256 , class 1 - type iii is conducted . 13 . logo is milled onto housing . a drilling process ( fig1 ) is performed from the inside of the radial bypass damper housing 22 outward through intervening walls 44 ( fig7 - 10 ). fig1 indicates the minimum bore size ( mbs ), the maximum shank diameter ( msd ) and the maximum tool clearance ( mtc ). an appropriate drilling tool 52 ( fig1 ) is used to perform a drilling process for forming intersecting ports 34 between the main hole 32 and respective ones of the longitudinal auxiliary holes 30 . this drilling process is not from the outside inward through the exterior of the longitudinal auxiliary holes and thus eliminates the need for external plugs and potential seal failures that otherwise are present conventionally with steel tubes where the exterior of the longitudinal auxiliary holes are drilled into from the outside . counter bores are made at the ends of the auxiliary holes and main hole to accommodate the insertion of further components , such as ifmvs . turning to fig1 and 16 , compression and rebound strokes of the working piston 24 and their effect on flow through valving shims of the acv 40 ( fig1 ) are depicted . deflective disks ( or valving shims ) ( fig1 , 18 ) that form a valve stack are used to tune the amount of flow / resistance in both compression and rebound strokes of a mono - tube damper . the shims are found primarily on the active / working piston 24 within the damper housing 22 ( fig2 ), but may also be used in conjunction with a base valve / acv ( fig1 , 17 ). the greatest diameter shim found directly on the surface of the piston / base valve is called a cover disc and jointly acts as a check valve , governing oil flow in the opposite direction during the rebound or compression stroke of the damper . referring to fig1 and 18 , the acv 40 is a tuning tool that permits far less gas pressure to achieve the task of preventing oil cavitation ( foaming ). an acv 40 is more commonly associated with twin - tube shock design because it is fixed toward the base of the internal shock tube and generally is without a gas chamber . in mono - tube shock design , the location is much the same but with the option of moving it into a remote reservoir with the gas chamber and dividing piston . the acv 40 is stationary and located in the reservoir end cap between the floating piston , which separates a nitrogen gas chamber from the oil , and the working piston . its function is not affected by either of the aforementioned locations . the base valve 40 enhances the effects of a damper &# 39 ; s nitrogen chamber . the nitrogen gas chamber provides a reactive force on the hydraulic oil , and prevents cavitation of the oil . this is an inherent byproduct of flowing fluid past solid objects at high velocity , i . e . the working piston and valve shims . cavitation is the sudden formation and collapse of low - pressure bubbles in liquids by means of mechanical forces , such as those resulting from propeller rotation . the dividing piston will move relative to oil displacement caused by the piston rod plunging in or out of the damper , while maintaining force on the oil due to the nitrogen chambers ability to compress and expand . the side effect is that the gas pressure rises significantly as the chamber is reduced in size . this creates force on the piston rod effectively adding “ spring rate ”. in other words , the gas force wants to push the piston rod back out of the damper . this force is like a spring on a vehicle and can increase the resistance put upon the vehicles “ sprung weight ” and change the dynamics of the vehicles handling and feel . a sudden ramp - up of gas force when the piston rod displaces the oil can make a vehicle feel very harsh over rough terrain , effectively losing traction and “ detaching ” the driver from feedback through vehicle . the acv 40 is tuned to maintain pressure between the working piston and reservoir when the shock is in transition from compression to rebound strokes . it works with the nitrogen chamber to reduce the chance of cavitation during sudden changes of directional travel of the piston but with upwards of 175 % less psi . without the acv 40 , the gas pressure must be set to 200 - 250 psi static to help the piston respond quickly to the rebound stroke . however , the inherent lag in transient response , or hysteresis , can cause an air pocket to form at the head of the working piston . hysteresis is the lagging of a physical effect on a body behind its cause ( as behind changed forces and conditions ). when the working piston 24 goes into its rebound stroke , the dividing piston must respond by changing direction as well . in other words , the gas pressure expands when the force changes from compression to extension . this is the dynamic point of action that can induce cavitation at the working piston . without a quick response , an air pocket can form in the main damper cylinder , directly affecting the performance of the damper throughout the duration of a race or hard use . this air pocket is found in between the hose inlet and the working piston . with each stroke , the air pocket would continue to disperse to both sides of the working piston and bypass ports , causing what is called “ fade ”. the working piston 24 will lose its ability to generate the needed resistance to the dynamic motions of the vehicle and its suspension , allowing the tires to lose contact or allow the vehicle to bottom out it &# 39 ; s suspension travel . the acv 40 is fixed in place by an internal retaining ring and permits easy servicing and tuning . the remote reservoir housing contains the gas chamber , which is separated from the hydraulic oil with a floating dividing piston . the acv 40 reduces the required gas pressure by as much as 130 - 175 % as compared to conventional products . as in the working piston 24 of the shock absorber , the acv 40 uses valving shims to govern the flow of oil and maintain positive pressure at the working piston . charge pressures are reduced from as much as 250 psi to a minimum of 50 psi , effectively reducing the gas spring force on the piston rod and therefore reducing measurable spring rate . the rod force of a shock absorber not equipped with the acv 40 , charged to 200 psi , was measured at 338 . 32 lbf ( 1504 . 83 n ) when compressed . the rod force of the same shock absorber equipped with the acv 40 and charged to 60 psi was measured at 101 . 49 lbf ( 451 . 45 n ). no performance lag ( indicating cavitation ) was observed when tested on a dynamometer . turning to fig1 , an anti - cavitation valve body 58 has three compression ports 54 that are angled into a tuned valve stack , which is located on opposite side , as viewed . the anti - cavitation valve body 58 has six rebound ports 56 that allow the reverse flow through the acv 40 to occur , only having to actuate a single lightly rated deflective shim . this anti - cavitation valve body 58 acts as a directional valve with minimal resistance to the flow of oil on rebound . referring now also to fig1 , the acv 40 uses valving shims to govern the flow of oil and maintain positive pressure at the working piston . the valving shims include a plurality of stacked plates of different dimensions stacked in succession from a cover plate 59 and sharing a common axis with the cover plate 59 . a second cover plate is not depicted in fig1 . the heavy washer 60 is shimmed a particular distance away from the cover plate 59 and acts as a stop plate . a fastener 62 through the center of the valving shims keeps the valving shim assembly together . only the required amount of deflection to allow maximum flow is needed and limiting the cover shim at that point reduces cycle fatigue . opposite from that of the working piston , the greater number of ports in the acv 40 are utilized for the rebound stroke , and the lesser for compression . the acv 40 must permit the dividing piston to react as quickly as possible during its rebound travel and therefore rebound force must be relieved effectively . in contrast , the compression ports of the acv 40 are fewer and are restricted with a tuned valving stack , much like the working piston within the radial bypass damper . the intent being to prolong a built up force under compression stroke between the working piston and the acv 40 . conventionally bypass dampers that are position sensitive include variable flow metering check valve assemblies . the off - road industry has used several variations of bullet style check valve pistons with contoured valve seat that are adjusted by a threaded stop - pin that limits the distance the piston can travel . the amount of flow is governed at this piston and its mating / sealing surface . fig2 shows some exemplary components of the working piston 24 , such as a nut 64 , washer 66 , valving shims 68 , wear band 70 , o - ring 72 , piston 74 , washer 76 , piston rod 78 , bearing spacer 80 , bearing cup seal 82 , internal retaining ring 84 , spherical bearing 86 and rod end 88 . the valving shims 68 may include the cover plate 59 of fig1 - 19 , except arranged in a reverse orientation in that more flow is needed during the compression stroke for regulation but flow may be restricted during the rebound stroke . turning to fig2 , 23 - 26 , the present invention encompasses an ifmv 38 for whose piston travel is not limited until maximum flow through the valve occurs . that is , its piston does not limit the regulation of flow at all . instead , a flow regulating mechanism 90 is provided that includes a triangular port assembly located at one end of the bypass port to govern the flow bypass adjustments . the ifmv 38 is positioned within the cavity 36 ( fig2 ) at an end of each of the longitudinal auxiliary holes 30 . the triangular port assembly includes an opening 92 that is shaped like an isosceles triangle to allow for precise monitoring of the bypass . two opposed triangular ports are machined into the valve housing , position diametrically across from each other . the flow regulating mechanism includes a flow regulator 94 that is rectangular in shape to sweep past the triangular shaped ports to create a linear change in the rate of flow , i . e . increase or decrease as applicable depending upon the unobstructed dimension through the triangular ports . the actuation of the ifmv 38 is adjusted externally and has sure - indexing features 96 . the valve is a one - piece unit sealed with buna o - rings that prevent oil from escaping and prevent dirt and water from entering . a spring - loaded detent ball 98 is arranged to provide and audible click and feel as it is moved along each of the selectable settings . the valve cannot be rotated beyond a ninety - two degree range due to internal features and each selectable setting is marked on the valve housing . the valve has a hex head 100 that may be readily accessed with a wrench or socket to turn as desired . the regulator 92 moves in unison with the turning of the hex head 100 . likewise , either the spring - loaded detent ball 98 or the selectable settings 96 move in unison with the turning of the hex head 100 as well . thus , turning of the hex head 100 is accomplished with a single tool , even when the valve is not easily visible . preferably , the valves are color coded for both bump ( compression ) and rebound ( extension ). the check valve piston 102 has a contoured face that seats against a machined tapered surface and provides smooth , uninhibited flow of the hydraulic oil . all of the edges of the piston are rounded , thereby reducing cavitation as the oil flows past them . a linear coil spring 104 assists in returning the piston to its position against the sealing surface when flow changes direction . the pressure generated by the working piston governs how far the ifmv must travel to permit the flow of oil to bypass it without restriction . bleed ports 106 are provided in the piston head to allow oil to flow out of the cavity between the internal bore of the ifmv piston 108 and the guide pin 110 , preventing hydraulic lock . this in turn allows the piston to reciprocate quickly and without delay . also shown in fig2 and 26 are o - rings 112 , the valve housing 114 , and the socket head cap screw 118 used to secure the ifmv into a pair of receiving screw holes 116 at the end of the longitudinal auxiliary holes 30 ( fig5 ), and a ring 119 . each radial bypass damper has four ifmv assemblies , two for bump ( compression ) and two for rebound ( extension ). the position of the assembly is dependent on the travel length of the radial bypass damper . each setting of the ifmv 38 changes the force / velocity , either positively or negatively , in a linear fashion . fig2 shows a graph of the force / velocity change , which is indicative of the separation achieved with each setting on the rebound / bump stroke of the shock absorber . while the foregoing description and drawings represent the preferred embodiments of the present invention , it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention .	5
non - limiting , exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . in the drawings , the same or corresponding reference symbols are given to the same or corresponding members or components . it is to be noted that the drawings are illustrative of the invention , and there is no intention to indicate scale or relative proportions among the members or components , or between thicknesses of various layers . therefore , the specific thickness or size should be determined by a person having ordinary skill in the art in view of the following non - limiting embodiments . fig1 is a cross - sectional elevation view of schematically illustrating an atomic layer deposition ( ald ) apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention , and fig2 is a cross - sectional plan view of schematically illustrating the ald apparatus . referring to fig1 , an ald apparatus 80 includes a process tube 1 that has a shape of a cylinder with a closed top and a bottom opening and is made of , for example , quartz glass . the process tube 1 is provided in its upper inside part with a top plate 2 made of , for example , quartz glass . in addition , a manifold 3 that has a cylindrical shape and is made of , for example , stainless steel is connected to the bottom opening of the process tube 1 via a sealing member 4 such as an o - ring . the manifold 3 allows predetermined gases to be introduced into the process tube 1 , while serving as a supporting member that supports a bottom end of the process tube 1 . namely , plural through holes ( not shown ) are formed on a side wall of the manifold 3 and plural gas pipes ( described later ) are connected to the corresponding through holes . the manifold 3 has a bottom opening , and a lid member 9 is coupled to the bottom end of the manifold 3 via a sealing member 12 such as an o - ring , in order to open or close the bottom opening of the manifold 3 . the lid member 9 has a center opening through which a rotational shaft passes in an airtight manner . a table 8 is placed on an upper end of a rotational shaft 10 ; a heat retention cylinder 7 , which is made of , for example , quartz glass is placed on the table 8 ; and a wafer boat 5 is placed on the heat retention cylinder 7 . as shown in fig2 , the wafer boat 5 has three pillars 6 . the three pillars 6 have plural grooves , so that plural wafers w are supported by the grooves . the rotational shaft 10 may be rotated by a rotation mechanism ( not shown ), so that the rotational shaft 10 and thus the wafer boat 5 are rotated around a vertical axis . a bottom end of the rotational shaft 10 is attached to an arm 13 that is elevatably supported by an elevation mechanism ( not shown ). by moving the arm 13 upward and downward , the wafer boat 5 is transferred into and out from the process tube 1 by the arm 13 . incidentally , a magnetic fluid seal 11 is provided between the rotational shaft 10 and the lid member 9 , so that the process tube 1 can be sealed in an airtight manner . in addition , the ald apparatus 80 is provided with a nitrogen - containing gas supplying mechanism 14 that supplies a nitrogen - containing gas to the process tube 1 , a silicon - containing gas supplying mechanism 15 that supplies a silicon - containing gas to the process tube 1 , and an inert gas supplying mechanism 16 that supplies an inert gas to the process tube 1 . the nitrogen - containing gas supplying mechanism 14 includes a nitrogen - containing gas supplying source 17 , a nitrogen - containing gas supplying pipe 17 l that guides the nitrogen - containing gas from the nitrogen - containing gas supplying source 17 , and a nitrogen - containing gas distribution nozzle 19 . the nitrogen - containing gas distribution nozzle 19 is connected to the nitrogen - containing gas supplying pipe 17 l , passes through the manifold 3 , and is bent upward within the process tube 1 . the nitrogen - containing gas distribution nozzle 19 is made of , for example , quartz glass . plural gas ejection holes 19 a are formed at predetermined intervals in a vertically extending part of the nitrogen - containing gas distribution nozzle 19 , so that the nitrogen - containing gas is uniformly ejected in a horizontal direction from each of the plural gas ejection holes 19 a . in addition , the nitrogen - containing gas supplying pipe 17 l is provided with an open / close valve 17 a and a flow rate controller 17 b that controls a flow rate of the nitrogen - containing gas . with these , the start / stop of supplying the nitrogen - containing gas and the flow rate of the nitrogen - containing gas are controlled . the silicon - containing gas supplying mechanism 15 includes a silicon - containing gas source 20 , a silicon - containing gas supplying pipe 20 l that guides the silicon - containing gas from the silicon - containing gas supplying source 20 , and a silicon - containing gas distribution nozzle 22 . the silicon - containing gas distribution nozzle 22 is connected to the silicon - containing gas supplying pipe 20 l , passes through the manifold 3 , and is bent upward within the process tube 1 to extend in a vertical direction . the silicon - containing gas distribution nozzle 22 is made of , for example , quartz glass . referring to fig2 , two silicon - containing gas distribution nozzles 22 are provided in this embodiment . plural gas ejection holes 22 a are formed at predetermined intervals in a vertically extending part of each of the silicon - containing gas distribution nozzles 22 , so that the silicon - containing gas is uniformly ejected in a horizontal direction from each of the plural gas ejection holes 22 a . incidentally , the number of the silicon - containing gas distribution nozzles 22 is not limited to two , but may be only one , or three or more . in addition , the silicon - containing gas supplying pipe 20 l is provided with an open / close valve 20 a , a flow rate controller 20 b , a buffer tank 180 , and an open / close valve 20 c . for example , when the open / close valve 20 a is opened while the open / close valve 20 c is closed and the silicon - containing gas is supplied from the silicon - containing gas supplying source 20 , the silicon - containing gas is temporarily retained in the buffer tank 180 . then , when the open / close valve 20 a is closed and the open / close valve 20 c is opened , a predetermined amount of the silicon - containing gas retained in the buffer tank can be supplied to the process tube 1 . the inert gas supplying mechanism 16 includes an inert gas source 41 , an inert gas supplying pipe 41 l that guides the inert gas from the inert gas supplying source 41 and is merged into the silicon - containing gas supplying pipe 20 l . because the inert gas supplying pipe 41 l is merged into the silicon - containing gas pipe 41 l , the inert gas is ejected from the silicon - containing gas distribution nozzle 22 into the process tube 1 . in addition , the inert gas supplying pipe 41 l is provided with an open / close valve 41 a and a flow rate controller 41 b that controls a flow rate of the inert gas . with these , the start / stop of supplying the inert gas and the flow rate of the inert gas are controlled . a plasma generation mechanism 30 is formed in a part of the circumferential wall of the process tube 1 . the plasma generation mechanism 30 includes an opening 31 that is made in the circumferential wall of the process tube 1 and has the shape of a vertically oblong rectangle , and a plasma partitioning wall 32 that is welded to cover the opening 31 from the outside . specifically , the plasma partitioning wall 32 has a box shape that has a vertical length sufficient to cover the opening 31 , and is made of , for example , quartz glass . because of the plasma partitioning wall 32 , it appears that a part of the circumferential wall of the process tube 1 is indented outward . an inner space of the plasma partitioning wall 32 communicates with an inner space of the process tube 1 . in addition , the opening 31 is long enough in a vertical direction to span from the lowest wafer w to the highest wafer w loaded in the wafer boat 5 . in addition , the plasma generation mechanism 30 includes a pair of plasma electrodes 33 , 33 and a high frequency power source 35 that supplies high frequency power to the plasma electrodes 33 , 33 via a feed line 34 . one of the plasma electrodes 33 , 33 extends in a vertical direction near one of outer side surfaces of the plasma partitioning wall 32 , and the other one of the plasma electrodes 33 , 33 extends in a vertical direction near the other one of the outer side surfaces of the plasma partitioning wall 32 , so that the plasma electrodes 33 , 33 oppose each other across the plasma portioning wall 32 . when electric power at a frequency of 13 . 56 mhz is applied from the high frequency power source 35 to the plasma electrodes 33 , 33 , plasma is generated within the plasma partitioning wall 32 . incidentally , the frequency of the electric power is not limited to 13 . 56 mhz , but may be 400 khz , for example . incidentally , as shown in fig1 , the nitrogen - containing gas distribution nozzle 19 is bent in an outward direction and then bent again upward near the inner surface of the plasma partitioning wall 32 , thereby to extend upward along the inner surface of the plasma partitioning wall 32 . therefore , the nitrogen - containing gas ejected from the nitrogen - containing gas distribution nozzle 19 flows through the inner space of the plasma partitioning wall 32 , and is electromagnetically excited by the electric power supplied to the plasma electrodes 33 , 33 , thereby generating the plasma . in other words , the nitrogen - containing gas is excited sufficiently to be transformed into plasma and flows toward the center of the process tube 1 . an insulating protection cover 36 is attached on the outer surface of the plasma partitioning wall 32 , so that the plasma partitioning wall 32 and the plasma electrodes 33 , 33 are covered by the insulating protection cover 36 . in addition , a cooling fluid conduit ( not shown ) is formed inside of the insulating protection cover 36 . when cooled nitrogen gas is supplied to the cooling fluid conduit , the plasma electrodes 33 , 33 can be cooled . the two silicon - containing gas distribution nozzles 22 stand one on one side of the opening 31 and the other on the other side of the opening 31 of the process tube 1 . the two silicon - containing gas distribution nozzles 22 eject the silicon - containing gas toward a center part of the process tube 1 from the plural ejection holes 22 a of the corresponding silicon - containing gas distribution nozzles 22 . incidentally , as the silicon - containing gas , dichlorosilane ( dcs ), hexachlorodisilane ( hcd ), monosilane ( sih 4 ), disilane ( si 2 h 6 ), hexamethyldisilazane ( hmds ), tetrachlorosilane ( tcs ), disilylamine ( dsa ), trisilylamine ( tsa ), bis ( tertiary - butylamino ) silane ( btbas , sih 2 ( nh ( c 4 h 9 )) 2 ), or the like may be used . in addition , as the nitrogen - containing gas , ammonia ( nh 3 ) gas , hydrazine ( n 2 h 2 ), or the like may be used . an evacuation opening 37 for evacuating the process tube 1 is provided on the other side of the opening 31 in the process tube 1 . the evacuation opening 37 has a vertically oblong rectangular shape in this embodiment , and is formed by removing a part of the circumferential wall of the process tube 1 . as shown in fig2 , an evacuation opening cover member 38 , which has a substantially u - shaped cross - section , is welded onto the outer circumferential surface of the process tube 1 in order to cover the evacuation opening 37 . the evacuation opening cover member 38 extends upward along the outer circumferential wall of the process tube 1 , and defines a gas outlet port 39 in an upper part of the process tube 1 . the gas outlet port 39 is connected to a vacuum pump vp via a main valve mv and a pressure controller pc , so that the process tube 1 is evacuated at a controlled pressure by the vacuum pump vp . the vacuum pump vp may include a mechanical booster pump and a turbo molecular pump . in addition , a heating unit 40 having a cylindrical shape is provided in order to surround the process tube 1 , so that the wafers w in the process tube 1 are heated , as shown in fig1 . incidentally , the heating unit 40 is omitted in fig2 . the ald apparatus 80 is provided with a controller 50 including a microprocessor ( or computer ) that controls operations of the ald apparatus 80 . for example , the controller 50 controls on / off operations of the open / close valves 17 a , 20 a to 20 c , and 41 a , thereby controlling starting / stopping the gases , and controls the flow rate controllers 17 b , 20 b , 41 b , thereby adjusting flow rates of the gases . in addition , the controller 50 controls the heating unit 40 , thereby heating the wafers w at a predetermined temperature . the controller 50 is connected to a user interface 51 composed of a keyboard ( not shown ) through which an operator can input process parameters or commands and a display ( not shown ) that may illustrate process situations . in addition , the controller 50 is connected to a memory part 52 that stores programs or recipes for the controller 50 to cause the ald apparatus to carry out various treatments with respect to the wafers w . the programs include a film deposition program by which a film deposition method ( described later ) is carried out by the ald apparatus 80 under control of the controller 50 . in addition , the programs are stored in a computer readable storage medium 52 a and downloaded to the memory part 52 . the computer readable storage medium 52 a may be a hard disk , a semiconductor memory , a compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), a digital versatile disk ( dvd ), a flash memory or the like . in addition , the programs may be downloaded to the memory part 52 from another apparatus through , for example , a dedicated network . when needed , an arbitrary program is read out from the memory part 52 in response to instructions from the user interface 51 , and is executed by the controller 50 , so that a corresponding treatment is carried out under control of the controller 50 . when the film deposition program is carried out , the controller 50 serves as a controlling unit that controls the components and parts of the ald apparatus 80 , thereby carrying out the film deposition method . next , referring to fig3 and 4 in addition to fig1 and 2 , a film deposition method according to an embodiment of the present invention is explained , taking an example where the film deposition method is carried out in the ald apparatus 80 . in addition , the nh 3 gas is used as the nitrogen - containing gas and the dcs gas is used as the silicon - containing gas . first , the wafers w are loaded into the wafer boat 5 , and the wafer boat 5 is transferred into the process tube 1 by the arm 13 . the wafer boat 5 is rotated around a vertical axis . then , the main valve mv is opened while no gas is supplied to the process tube 1 ( or while the open / close valves 17 a , 20 c , and 41 a are closed ), and a pressure controlling valve of the pressure controller pc is fully opened , so that the process tube 1 is evacuated to the lowest reachable pressure by the vacuum pump vp ( step s 31 of fig3 ). after the process tube 1 is evacuated for a predetermined time period , the main valve mv is closed , and a nitrogen gas as the inert gas is supplied with its flow rate controlled by the flow rate controller 41 b to the process tube 1 through the inert gas supplying pipe 41 l , the silicon - containing gas supplying pipe 20 l , and the silicon - containing gas distribution nozzle 22 , at step s 32 ( fig3 ). with this , a pressure within the process tube 1 is increased to , for example , 3 , 4 , or 5 torr ( 400 , 533 , 667 pa , respectively ) depending on a flow rate of the nitrogen gas ( or an amount of the nitrogen gas ) supplied to the process tube 1 , as shown in fig4 . the pressure within the process tube 1 may be , for example , 0 . 05 torr ( 6 . 67 pa ) or more . when the nitrogen gas is supplied to the process tube 1 with the main valve mv is closed , the open / close valve 20 a is opened while the open / close valve 20 c is closed in the silicon - containing gas supplying pipe 20 l . in addition , the dcs gas is supplied with its flow rate controlled by the flow rate controller 20 b from the silicon - containing gas source 20 to the buffer tank 180 , and thus the buffer tank 180 is filled with the dcs gas . in this case , an amount of the dcs gas filling the buffer tank 180 ( or the number of dcs gas molecules ) may be determined so that upper surfaces of the wafers w supported by the wafer boat 5 are covered with the dcs gas molecules , and specifically , may be determined by carrying out a preliminary experiment . next , while keeping the main valve mv closed , the open / close valve 41 a of the inert gas supplying pipe 41 l is closed thereby stopping supplying the n 2 gas , and then , the dcs gas filling the buffer tank 180 is supplied to the process tube 1 by opening the open / close valve 20 c at step s 33 ( fig3 ). with this , an inner space of the process tube 1 is under environment of a mixed gas of the n 2 gas and the dcs gas , and the pressure within the process tube 1 is increased depending on the amount of the dcs gas in the buffer tank 180 ( see fig4 ). the dcs gas is adsorbed on the upper surfaces of the wafers w . after the dos gas is supplied to the process tube 1 , the open / close valve 20 c is closed and the main valve mv is opened , thereby evacuating the process tube 1 to the lowest reachable pressure at step s 34 ( fig3 ). with this , the dcs gas within the process tube 1 is evacuated and the pressure within the process tube 1 is decreased as shown in fig4 . next , the open / close valve 17 a is opened thereby supplying the nh 3 gas from the nitrogen - containing gas source 17 to the process tube 1 , and the high frequency electric power of 13 . 56 mhz is supplied from the high frequency power source 35 to the plasma electrodes 33 , 33 at step s 35 . with this , the pressure within the process tube 1 is maintained at a certain pressure depending on a flow rate of the nh 3 gas supplied to the process tube 1 , as shown in fig4 . in addition , plasma is generated from the nh 3 gas between the plasma electrodes 33 , 33 , and thus the nh 3 gas is excited thereby generating an active species such as ions and radicals . the active species flow toward the wafers w supported by the wafer boat 3 , and react with the dcs gas adsorbed on the upper surfaces of the wafers w , thereby producing silicon nitride on the upper surfaces of the wafers w . after a time period that allows the active species originating from the nh 3 gas to fully react with the dcs gas has passed , supplying the nh 3 gas is terminated , and the main valve mv of the process tube 1 is opened , thereby evacuating the process tube 1 to the lowest reachable pressure at step s 36 ( fig3 ). subsequently , the steps s 31 through s 36 described above are repeated when the expected number of repetitions is not reached ( step s 37 : no ). on the other hand , the deposition of the silicon nitride film is terminated when the expected number of repetitions is reached ( step s 37 : yes ). specifically , after the main valve mv has been opened once thereby evacuating the process tube 1 to the lowest reachable pressure , the main valve mv is closed and the n 2 gas is supplied into the process tube 1 until the pressure within the process tube 1 is increased to the atmospheric pressure . next , the wafer boat 5 is transferred out from the process tube 1 by the arm 13 , and the wafers w are taken out from the wafer boat 5 by a loader / unloader ( not shown ), and thus the film deposition process is completed . next , an experiment was carried out to deposit a silicon nitride film on a silicon wafer in accordance with the film deposition method and the results are explained with reference to fig5 and 6 . in this experiment , the silicon nitride films were deposited on the wafers while the pressure within the process tube 1 at step 32 ( fig3 ) where the n 2 gas was supplied to the process tube 1 ( or before the dcs gas was supplied to the process tube 1 ) was set to be 0 . 08 , 2 . 67 , 3 . 24 , and 3 . 91 torr ( 10 . 7 , 356 , 432 , and 521 pa , respectively ). the thicknesses and thickness distributions of the silicon nitride films across the wafers were measured . fig5 is a graph illustrating the results of the experiment , where a horizontal axis represents a position along a diameter of the wafer in the units of mm , and a vertical axis represents a film thickness in the units of nm . as shown , when the pressure within the process tube 1 is 0 . 08 torr ( 10 . 7 pa ) at step s 32 , the silicon nitride film has a concave thickness distribution . namely , the silicon nitride film is thinner in a center part thereof and thicker in a circumferential area . on the other hand , when the pressure within the process tube 1 at step s 32 is 2 . 67 , 3 . 24 , and 3 . 91 torr , the silicon nitride film has a convex thickness distribution . namely , the silicon nitride film is thicker in the center part and thinner in the circumferential area . namely , when the pressure within the process tube 1 is increased from 0 . 08 torr to 2 . 67 torr , the film thickness distribution is changed from a concave pattern to a convex pattern . therefore , it has been confirmed that the film thickness distribution can be controlled by adjusting the pressure within the process tube 1 before supplying the dcs gas into the process tube 1 . in addition , fig6 is a graph illustrating a film thickness uniformity of the silicon nitride film obtained in the experiment . as shown in fig6 , the film thickness uniformity becomes degraded as the pressure within the process tube 1 is increased from 2 . 67 torr to 3 . 24 torr and then to 3 . 91 torr . it may be thought that this result indicates that the film thickness becomes more convexly distributed as the pressure within the process tube 1 is increased from 2 . 67 torr . in addition , it may be thought from fig6 that the concave distribution is changed to the convex distribution at a pressure of about 0 . 5 torr ( 66 . 7 pa ) within the process tube 1 at step s 32 . in other words , when the pressure within the process tube 1 is in a range from 0 . 08 torr to 0 . 5 torr the silicon nitride film thickness is concavely distributed , and when the pressure within the process tube 1 exceeds 0 . 5 torr the silicon nitride film thickness is convexly distributed . an arrangement by which film thickness distribution can be controlled by the pressure within the process tube 1 before supplying the dcs gas into the process tube 1 may be understood in the following manner . first , when the pressure within the process tube 1 is relatively low , the dcs gas supplied into the process tube 1 can reach a point that is relatively far away from the gas ejection holes of the silicon - containing gas distribution nozzle 22 , as shown by arrows a in an upper section of section ( a ) of fig7 . this is because a mean free path of gas molecules becomes longer when the pressure within the process tube 1 is lower . in this case , if the dcs gas and the nh 3 gas are alternately supplied to the process tube 1 in the aforementioned manner without rotating the wafer boat 5 , the silicon nitride film becomes gradually thinner in a direction from a front edge near the gas ejection holes 22 a to a distal edge of the wafer w ( or along a gas flowing direction ), as shown in a middle section of section ( a ) of fig7 . in this situation , when the wafer boat 5 is rotated , the film thickness in a front edge area and the film thickness in a distal edge area can be offset , so that the film thicknesses in the front and the distal edge areas become substantially ( the film thickness in the front edge area + the film thickness in the distal edge area )/ 2 , which is still greater than the film thickness of the silicon nitride film in a center area of the wafer w . therefore , the silicon nitride film thickness becomes concavely distributed , as shown in a lower section of section ( a ) of fig7 . on the other hand , when the pressure within the process tube 1 before the dcs gas is supplied to the process tube 1 is relatively high with the n 2 gas , the dcs gas is impeded by the nitrogen gas molecules and thus can only reach substantially halfway along the diameter of the wafer w , as shown by arrows b in an upper section of section ( b ) of fig7 . in this case , if the dcs gas and the nh 3 gas are alternately supplied to the process tube 1 in the aforementioned manner without rotating the wafer boat 5 , the silicon nitride film becomes gradually thinner in the direction from the front edge to the center area of the wafer w ( or along the gas flowing direction ) and suddenly thinner in an area slightly beyond the center area of the wafer w , as shown in a middle section of section ( b ) of fig7 . in this situation , when the wafer boat 5 is rotated , the film thickness in the front edge area and the film thickness in the distal edge area can be offset , so that the film thicknesses in the front and the distal edge areas become substantially ( the film thickness in the front edge area + the film thickness in the distal edge area )/ 2 . here , the film thickness in the distal edge area is substantially zero ; the average thickness becomes less than the film thickness of the silicon nitride film in the center area of the wafer w . therefore , the silicon nitride film thickness becomes convexly distributed , as shown in a lower section of section ( b ) of fig7 . as explained above , according to the embodiment of the present invention , a thin film having a desired film thickness distribution can be obtained by the ald method . while the present invention has been described in reference to the foregoing embodiments , the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments , but may be modified or altered within the scope of the accompanying claims . for example , when the nh 3 gas is supplied to the process tube 1 at step s 35 , high frequency electric power is supplied to the plasma electrodes 33 , 33 , thereby activating the nh 3 gas to be plasma , in the above embodiment . however , the nh 3 gas may be supplied to the wafers w in the process tube 1 without utilizing the plasma in other embodiments . in this case , the nh 3 gas may be thermally decomposed by the heat of the wafers w thereby nitriding the dcs gas adsorbed on the upper surfaces of the wafers w . even in this case , the film thickness distribution of the silicon nitride film can be controlled by the pressure within the process tube 1 before supplying the dcs gas into the process tube 1 . after the main valve mv is closed , the nitrogen gas is supplied to the process tube 1 at step s 32 in the above embodiment . in other embodiments , the nitrogen gas may be supplied to the process tube 1 while the main valve mv is kept open . in this case , when the pressure within the process tube 1 becomes a predetermined value with the nitrogen gas , supplying the nitrogen gas may be terminated and the main valve mv may be closed , and then the dcs gas is supplied to the process tube 1 . namely , the main valve mv may be closed when the dcs gas is supplied to the process tube 1 . in addition , when the nitrogen gas is supplied to the process tube 1 while the main valve mv is kept open , the pressure within the process tube 1 may be controlled by the pressure controller pc . in addition , when the nitrogen gas is supplied to the process tube 1 at step s 32 , the buffer tank 180 may be used in the same manner as the buffer tank 180 is used for the silicon - containing gas . namely , the nitrogen gas is supplied to the buffer tank 180 in advance and the nitrogen gas may be supplied in a single burst to the process tube 1 from the buffer tank 180 at step s 32 . with this , the pressure within the process tube 1 rapidly becomes a predetermined value , thereby reducing a process time . in addition , the dcs gas filling the buffer tank 180 is supplied to the process tube 1 at step s 33 in the above embodiment . however , in other embodiments , the dcs gas may be supplied at a flow rate controlled by the flow rate controller 17 b from the nitrogen - containing gas source 17 to the process tube 1 without using the buffer tank 180 . moreover , the nitrogen gas is supplied to the process tube 1 at step s 32 in the above embodiment ; a noble gas such as helium ( he ) gas , argon ( ar ) gas or the like may be used instead of the nitrogen gas . furthermore , the present invention is applicable to a silicon oxide film deposition carried out by employing the silicon - containing gas and an oxygen - containing gas . as the oxygen - containing gas , ozone ( o3 ) gas may be used . in addition , oxygen gas plasma may be used . the pressure within the process tube 1 before supplying the silicon - containing gas is adjusted by supplying an inert gas to the process tube 1 in an embodiment of the present invention . the pressure may be determined taking into consideration a size of the process tube 1 , a kind of inert gas , source gases to be used , or the like . in addition , the pressure may be determined taking into consideration a film thickness distribution suitable for the subsequent process . a preliminary experiment or a computer simulation is preferably carried out in order to determine the pressure . in addition , the ald apparatus 80 may be provided with and a purge gas supplying nozzle that goes through the manifold 3 , and a purge gas supplying source that is connected to the purge gas supplying nozzle , in order to supply a purge gas to the process tube 1 . with such a configuration , the purge gas may be supplied to the process tube 1 after the wafer boat 5 is transferred into the process tube 1 , so that remaining air can be easily purged out from the process tube 1 with the purge gas . in addition , the dcs gas ( or the nh 3 gas ) supplied to the process tube 1 may be purged with the purge gas , before the nh 3 gas ( or the dcs gas ) is supplied to the process tube 1 . with this , the dcs gas and the nh 3 gas are efficiently impeded from being intermixed with each other within the process tube 1 , thereby assuredly realizing the ald of the silicon nitride film . incidentally , it is preferable that the inert gas is supplied to the process tube 1 at step s 32 ( fig3 ), namely before supplying the dcs gas , through the silicon - containing gas supplying pipe 20 l and the silicon - containing gas distribution nozzle 22 . this is because a flow pattern of the inert gas in the process tube 1 is substantially the same as a flow pattern of the silicon - containing gas that is supplied to the process tube 1 after the inert gas , and thus the silicon - containing gas can reach the upper surfaces of the wafers w in the wafer boat 5 without being disturbed . if the inert gas is supplied to the process tube 1 through the purge gas supplying nozzle described above , the inert gas may excessively perturb the flow pattern of the silicon - containing gas , so that the silicon - containing gas cannot be uniformly adsorbed on the upper surfaces of the wafers w . however , the silicon - containing gas may be supplied to the process tube 1 without being disturbed after the inert gas supplied through the purge gas supplying nozzle calms down and is distributed uniformly in the process tube 1 .	2
the nutrified food of the invention is based on the addition of amino acids in specific relative amounts which provide an increased net nitrogen utilization ( nnu ). using this parameter of evaluation , it is possible using the compositions and methods of the present invention to obtain a higher nnu . the higher nnu is believed to be obtained because of the extremely high absorption rates that are possible because of the particular compositions devised by the applicant . the nutrified food compositions of the invention comprise those having the following proportions of amino acids in grams per 10 grams of amino acid content which are provided from the amino acid content of the food base and exogenously added amino acids : ______________________________________ ( i ) isoleucine 0 . 730 - 2 . 470leucine 1 . 096 - 4 . 102lysine 0 . 756 - 3 . 538methionine 0 . 139 - 1 . 167phenylalanine 0 . 506 - 1 . 971threonine 0 . 582 - 1 . 930tryptophan 0 . 125 - 0 . 700valine 0 . 756 - 2 . 850 ( ii ) isoleucine 0 . 730 - 2 . 306leucine 1 . 096 - 3 . 829lysine 0 . 756 - 3 . 303methionine 0 . 139 - 1 . 089phenylalanine 0 . 506 - 1 . 840threonine 0 . 582 - 1 . 802tryptophan 0 . 125 - 0 . 654valine 0 . 756 - 2 . 660 ( iii ) isoleucine 0 . 852 - 2 . 306leucine 1 . 279 - 3 . 829lysine 0 . 882 - 3 . 303methionine 0 . 162 - 1 . 089phenylalanine 0 . 590 - 1 . 840threonine 0 . 679 - 1 . 802tryptophan 0 . 146 - 0 . 654valine 0 . 882 - 2 . 660 ( iv ) isoleucine 0 . 852 - 2 . 141leucine 1 . 279 - 3 . 555lysine 0 . 882 - 3 . 067methionine 0 . 162 - 1 . 011phenylalanine 0 . 590 - 1 . 708threonine 0 . 679 - 1 . 673tryptophan 0 . 146 - 0 . 607valine 0 . 882 - 2 . 470 ( v ) isoleucine 0 . 974 - 2 . 141leucine 1 . 462 - 3 . 555lysine 1 . 008 - 3 . 067methionine 0 . 186 - 1 . 011phenylalanine 0 . 674 - 1 . 708threonine 0 . 776 - 1 . 673tryptophan 0 . 166 - 0 . 607valine 1 . 008 - 2 . 470 ( vi ) isoleucine 0 . 974 - 1 . 976leucine 1 . 462 - 3 . 282lysine 1 . 008 - 2 . 831methionine 0 . 186 - 0 . 934phenylalanine 0 . 674 - 1 . 577threonine 0 . 776 - 1 . 544tryptophan 0 . 166 - 0 . 560valine 1 . 008 - 2 . 280 ( vii ) isoleucine 1 . 095 - 1 . 976leucine 1 . 644 - 3 . 282lysine 1 . 134 - 2 . 831methionine 0 . 209 - 0 . 934phenylalanine 0 . 759 - 1 . 577threonine 0 . 873 - 1 . 544tryptophan 0 . 187 - 0 . 560valine 1 . 134 - 2 . 280 ( viii ) isoleucine 1 . 095 - 1 . 812leucine 1 . 644 - 3 . 008lysine 1 . 134 - 2 . 595methionine 0 . 209 - 0 . 856phenylalanine 0 . 759 - 1 . 445threonine 0 . 873 - 1 . 416tryptophan 0 . 187 - 0 . 514valine 1 . 134 - 2 . 090 ( ix ) isoleucine 1 . 217 - 1 . 812leucine 1 . 827 - 3 . 008lysine 1 . 260 - 2 . 595methionine 0 . 232 - 0 . 856phenylalanine 0 . 843 - 1 . 445threonine 0 . 970 - 1 . 416tryptophan 0 . 208 - 0 . 514valine 1 . 260 - 2 . 090 ( x ) isoleucine 1 . 217 - 1 . 647leucine 1 . 827 - 2 . 735lysine 1 . 260 - 2 . 359methionine 0 . 232 - 0 . 778phenylalanine 0 . 843 - 1 . 314threonine 0 . 970 - 1 . 287tryptophan 0 . 208 - 0 . 467valine 1 . 260 - 1 . 900 ( xi ) isoleucine 1 . 217 - 1 . 530leucine 1 . 827 - 2 . 735lysine 1 . 260 - 2 . 078methionine 0 . 232 - 0 . 778phenylalanine 0 . 934 - 1 . 314threonine 0 . 970 - 1 . 287tryptophan 0 . 208 - 0 . 467valine 1 . 391 - 1 . 900 ( xii ) isoleucine 1 . 251 - 1 . 647leucine 1 . 846 - 2 . 130lysine 2 . 023 - 2 . 359methionine 0 . 490 - 0 . 778phenylalanine 0 . 843 - 1 . 144threonine 1 . 053 - 1 . 287tryptophan 0 . 238 - 0 . 401valine 1 . 260 - 1 . 426 ( xiii ) isoleucine 1 . 289 - 1 . 647leucine 1 . 917 - 2 . 130lysine 2 . 023 - 2 . 359methionine 0 . 490 - 0 . 778phenylalanine 0 . 843 - 1 . 144threonine 1 . 053 - 1 . 217tryptophan 0 . 238 - 0 . 319valine 1 . 342 - 1 . 426 ( xiv ) isoleucine 1 . 251 - 1 . 408leucine 1 . 846 - 2 . 054lysine 2 . 086 - 2 . 359methionine 0 . 621 - 0 . 778phenylalanine 0 . 969 - 1 . 144threonine 1 . 106 - 1 . 287tryptophan 0 . 293 - 0 . 401valine 1 . 260 - 1 . 422 ( xv ) isoleucine 1 . 372 - 1 . 530leucine 1 . 827 - 2 . 539lysine 1 . 550 - 2 . 078methionine 0 . 490 - 0 . 708phenylalanine 0 . 969 - 1 . 177threonine 0 . 970 - 1 . 157tryptophan 0 . 208 - 0 . 373valine 1 . 422 - 1 . 600 ( xvi ) isoleucine 1 . 217 - 1 . 530leucine 1 . 952 - 2 . 735lysine 1 . 260 - 1 . 999methionine 0 . 232 - 0 . 778phenylalanine 0 . 934 - 1 . 314threonine 1 . 043 - 1 . 287tryptophan 0 . 266 - 0 . 467valine 1 . 391 - 1 . 900 ( xvii ) isoleucine 1 . 372 - 1 . 445leucine 2 . 192 - 2 . 539lysine 1 . 550 - 1 . 770methionine 0 . 490 - 0 . 642phenylalanine 0 . 969 - 1 . 155threonine 0 . 970 - 1 . 052tryptophan 0 . 282 - 0 . 319valine 1 . 486 - 1 . 571 ( xviii ) isoleucine 1 . 451 - 1 . 530leucine 1 . 827 - 1 . 846lysine 2 . 020 - 2 . 078methionine 0 . 490 - 0 . 642phenylalanine 0 . 969 - 1 . 144threonine 1 . 115 - 1 . 157tryptophan 0 . 368 - 0 . 373valine 1 . 422 - 1 . 483 ( xix ) isoleucine 1 . 328 - 1 . 357leucine 1 . 917 - 1 . 951lysine 2 . 086 - 2 . 250methionine 0 . 642 - 0 . 673phenylalanine 0 . 969 - 1 . 144threonine 1 . 196 - 1 . 287tryptophan 0 . 333 - 0 . 340valine 1 . 342 - 1 . 422 ( xx ) isoleucine 1 . 366 - 1 . 408leucine 1 . 846 - 1 . 917lysine 2 . 267 - 2 . 359methionine 0 . 674 - 0 . 778phenylalanine 0 . 969 - 1 . 144threonine 1 . 106 - 1 . 157tryptophan 0 . 311 - 0 . 333valine 1 . 260 - 1 . 313 ( xxi ) isoleucine 1 . 289 - 1 . 647leucine 1 . 917 - 2 . 130lysine 2 . 023 - 2 . 359methionine 0 . 622 - 0 . 778phenylalanine 0 . 843 - 0 . 988threonine 1 . 053 - 1 . 271tryptophan 0 . 238 - 0 . 298valine 1 . 342 - 1 . 426 ( xxii ) isoleucine 1 . 251 - 1 . 328leucine 1 . 950 - 2 . 067lysine 2 . 078 - 2 . 315methionine 0 . 490 - 0 . 689phenylalanine 0 . 969 - 1 . 144threonine 1 . 106 - 1 . 152tryptophan 0 . 282 - 0 . 401valine 1 . 306 - 1 . 422______________________________________ preferred compositions include the following proportions by weight of the amino acids : ______________________________________ ( xxiiii ) isoleucine 1 . 217 - 1 . 477leucine 2 . 281 - 2 . 735 . lysine 1 . 332 - 1 . 999methionine 0 . 232 - 0 . 608phenylalanine 0 . 934 - 1 . 136threonine 1 . 043 - 1 . 287tryptophan 0 . 304 - 0 . 467valine 1 . 391 - 1 . 900 ( xxiv ) isoleucine 1 . 408 - 1 . 530leucine 1 . 952 - 2 . 077lysine 1 . 260 - 1 . 521methionine 0 . 674 - 0 . 778phenylalanine 1 . 257 - 1 . 314threonine 1 . 106 - 1 . 146tryptophan 0 . 266 - 0 . 373valine 1 . 581 - 1 . 700______________________________________ the especially preferred compositions include those having the following proportions by weight : ______________________________________ ( i ) ( ii ) ( iii ) ( iv ) ( v ) ( vi ) ( vii ) ( viii ) ______________________________________isoleucine 1 . 438 1 . 482 1 . 310 1 . 341 1 . 381 1 . 311 1 . 443 1 . 484leucine 2 . 287 1 . 963 2 . 053 1 . 922 1 . 891 1 . 951 2 . 226 1 . 832lysine 1 . 650 1 . 428 2 . 189 2 . 144 2 . 297 2 . 266 1 . 760 2 . 064methionine 0 . 283 0 . 699 0 . 621 0 . 651 0 . 682 0 . 752 0 . 556 0 . 580phenylalanine 0 . 943 1 . 288 1 . 029 1 . 027 1 . 029 0 . 959 1 . 100 1 . 067threonine 1 . 226 1 . 111 1 . 107 1 . 211 1 . 113 1 . 119 1 . 041 1 . 136tryptophan 0 . 448 0 . 368 0 . 293 0 . 338 0 . 318 0 . 256 0 . 317 0 . 371valine 1 . 721 1 . 656 1 . 390 1 . 358 1 . 284 1 . 376 1 . 553 1 . 461______________________________________ it is possible to substitute cysteine for part of the methionine component ; and to substitute tyrosine for part of the phenylalanine component . the nutrified foods may be used in all patients where it is desirable or necessary to avoid increasing the blood urea nitrogen ( bun ). the nutrified foods of the invention have particular use during pregnancy because the proper requirement of protein is supplied without increasing blood urea nitrogen ( bun ) or other nitrogen metabolic residuals ; in addition , its use prevents nutritional and metabolic disorders and their consequences during pregnancy and lactation . the amount of the nutrified compositions to be used in each particular condition may generally be determined by titration of individual patients to obtain the desired nutritional response or by use of the nutrified foodstuffs in the usual amounts consumed by humans . the preferred route of administration is orally via normal feeding . the nutrified food may be administered dry as a powder , in capsules or tablets , as a solution or dispersion in a suitable liquid , or in a semi - solid medium . it is to be understood that one or more of the mineral - free , protein - free carbohydrates may be used with one or more of the highly polyunsaturated vegetable fats as an additive to the food composition to provide the desired flavor and calorie content . distilled water or any other suitable diluent may be added , as desired . if desired , the invention may be used to prepare a supplement / replacement compositions for use in providing and / or enhancing a basic source of nutrition for infants , children and adults . it is of particular utility in geriatric patients and may be used as an additive for soups , gravies and the like for the prevention and treatment of protein - calorie - malnutrition ( pcm ) while avoiding hyperuricemia , hypercholesterolemia , and elevated bun levels . the amount of the composition to be used in each particular condition may generally be determinated in accordance of the energetic need of individual patients to obtain that desired nutritional response . the preferred route is the oral route , but a tube may be used for direct infusion into the alimentary tract . the natural food which may be nutrified according to the present invention include liquid bovine milk and dried bovine milk products , flours derived from wheat , soybeans , rice , corn , amaranth , cous - cous , oats , rye , barely , potatoes , millet , legumes and mixtures thereof . the legumes include the edible beans , peas , chick peas , lentils and the like . bovine sources of milk include ruminants such as domestic cattle , sheep , oxen , goats and the like . the liquid or dried milk products may be treated to remove all or a portion of the fat or lactose content in accordance with standard techniques . the study population comprised thirty healthy subjects , fifteen men and fifteen women , with a mean age of 27 years ( sd = 5 ; range : 22 - 38 ), a mean height of 163 cm ( sd = 8 ; range : 148 - 174 ), and a mean weight of 54 . 1 kg ( sd = 9 . 7 ; range : 39 - 66 . 5 ). the subjects were selected if they satisfied all the inclusion criteria and none of the exclusion criteria . the inclusion criteria were : ( a ) good health ; ( b ) age between 21 and 40 years ; ( c ) either male or female subjects . the exclusion criterias were : ( a ) being under - weight ; ( b ) pregnancy or lactation ; ( c ) current disease which could alter the n balance ; ( d ) phenylketonuria . the fifteen men and fifteen women selected were randomly integrated , according to sex and number , into five matched groups of three men and three women , identified as groups 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 and 5 . the ages , heights and ideal weights of the subjects by groups are shown in table i . the study was carried out during a 100 - day period , in double - blind conditions , using a quintuple cross - over technique . this technique was performed based on the known fact that n retention efficiency is increased by prior lower protein intake . this technique allowed each subject to receive the same five n source diets in different sequences . the study was divided into the following two phases : ( a ) the preliminary phase was conducted during a 30 - day period to equalize and stabilize the subjects &# 39 ; protein and energy metabolism , thus avoiding different metabolism degrees which could affect the n balances during the main phase of the study . to achieve this , the thirty subjects were fed with a composition of table a in accordance with the &# 34 ; metabolism equalizing & amp ; stabilizing diet &# 34 ; ( mesd ), according to the obligatory diet sequence ( table ii ). the composition of the formula in grams per 10 grams of amino acids was : table a______________________________________ ile 1 . 438 leu 2 . 281 lys 1 . 650 met 0 . 283 phe 0 . 943 thr 1 . 226 trp 0 . 448 val 1 . 721______________________________________ ( b ) the main phase was conducted during five consecutive 2 week periods ( 70 days ), at which time the subjects &# 39 ; n balances were assessed to determine their nnu of consumed protein or amino acid formula during the periods of diets g , h , i , j and k . groups 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 and 5 were fed with diets g , h , i , j and k following the obligatory sequence ( table ii ). the diets consisted of an identical composition of equal amounts of protein or amino acids , carbohydrate ( s ), fat ( s ), vitamins and minerals , and had the following characteristics : diet &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; provided each subject with a protein intake of 0 . 4 g / kg / day ( equivalent to 64 mg / kg / day of nitrogen ) through dried bovine milk ( table b - 1 ), plus an energy intake of 50 kcal / kg / day through essentially protein - free carbohydrate ( s ) and fat ( s ) ( table iii ). diet &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; provided each subject with a protein intake of 0 . 4 g / kg / day ( equivalent to 64 mg / kg / day of nitrogen ) through a nutrified dried bovine milk , ( table b - 2 ) plus an energy intake of 50 kcal / kg / day through essentially protein - free carbohydrate ( s ) and fat ( s ) ( table iii ). table b______________________________________ 1 2 essential amino added amino acid composition of acid complement dried bovine milk * ( g added / 10 g of ( g / 10 g of essential essential amino amino acid content ) acid content ) ______________________________________isoleucine 1 . 443 0leucine 2 . 226 0 . 061lysine 1 . 760 0methionine 0 . 556 0phenylalanine 1 . 100 0threonine 1 . 041 0 . 185tryptophan 0 . 317 0 . 131valine 1 . 553 0 . 168______________________________________ * based on the data presented in orr , m . l ., and watt , b . k ., &# 34 ; amino acid content of foods &# 34 ;, u . s . dept . agr ., 1957 . diet &# 34 ; i &# 34 ; provided each subject with a protein intake of 0 . 4 g / kg / day ( equivalent to 64 mg / kg / day of nitrogen ) through soybean flour ( table c - 1 ), plus an energy intake of 50 kcal / kg / day through essentially protein - free carbohydrate ( s ) and fat ( s ) ( table iii ). diet &# 34 ; j &# 34 ; provided each subject with a protein intake of 0 . 4 g / kg / day ( equivalent to 64 mg / kg / day of nitrogen ) through a nutrified soybean flour , ( table c - 2 ) plus an energy intake of 50 kcal / kg / day through essentially protein - free carbohydrate ( s ) and fat ( s ) ( table iii ). table c______________________________________ 1 2 essential amino added amino acid composition of acid complement soybean flour ( g added / 10 g of ( g / 10 g of essential essential amino amino acid content ) acid content ) ______________________________________isoleucine 1 . 548 0leucine 2 . 220 0 . 067lysine 1 . 819 0methionine 0 . 386 0phenylalanine 1 . 423 0threonine 0 . 691 0 . 535tryptophan 0 . 396 0 . 052valine 1 . 511 0 . 210______________________________________ based on the data presented in orr , m . l ., and watt , b . k ., &# 34 ; amino acid content of foods &# 34 ;, u . s . dept . agr ., 1957 . diet &# 34 ; k &# 34 ; provided each subject with a protein intake of 0 . 4 g / kg / day ( equivalent to 64 mg / kg / day of nitrogen ) through the essential amino acid formula of table a plus an energy intake of 50 kcal / kg / day through essentially protein - free carbohydrate ( s ) and fat ( s ) ( table iii ). the mesd , g , h , i , j and k diets were supplemented with vitamins and minerals , in accordance with the u . s . recommended daily allowance . it is well known that the nitrogen ( n ) balance detects small gains or losses of body protein in the whole organism . the n balance has been in use for about 150 years and is one of the mainstays of starvation studies . the n balance , however , only has value when meticulously carried out . therefore , the following precautions were taken : ( a ) to avoid or minimize possible differences in the efficiency of n retention caused by a particular diet sequence , a quintuple cross - over technique was used . this allowed each subject to receive the same five n source diets in different sequences . it was taken into consideration that n retention efficiency is increased by prior lower protein intake ; ( b ) to avoid common errors in energy intake that could affect the n balance , and to take into consideration the protein sparing effect of carbohydrate , the mesd , g , h , i , j and k diets were supplied a constant energy intake per subject equivalent to 50 kcal / kg / day during the study period ; ( c ) to avoid common errors in n intake that could affect the n balance , the carbohydrate ( s ) and fats ) of the mesd , g , h , i , j and k diets were selected from the essentially protein - free foods of table iii ; ( d ) to avoid the subjects &# 39 ; n over - intake per mg / kg / day , which could affect the n balance , the protein requirement was calculated in accordance with the subject &# 39 ; s ideal weight ; and ( e ) to avoid over - estimating n intake , caused by unconsumed dietary protein during the mesd , g , h , i , j and k diets , the total consumption of each allotted diet was achieved . all the subject were fed three times per day ( 8am - 2pm - 8pm ). in addition , to preserve the double - blind condition of the study , dried bovine milk ( diet g ), nutrified dried bovine milk ( diet h ), soybean flour ( diet i ), and nutrified soybean flour ( diet j ) and the essential amino acid formula of table a ( diet k ) were mixed with an identical fruit shake . the fruit used in the shake was chosen from table iii , and provided each subject with the same energy intake . the subject &# 39 ; s ideal weight ( in kg ) was determined by subtracting factor 100 from the subject &# 39 ; s height ( in cm ), then multiplying the result by either factor 0 . 9 ( man ) or 0 . 8 ( woman ), in accordance with the subject &# 39 ; s sex . the result was rounded off to the nearest 0 . 500 kg . the following formula was applied : the subject &# 39 ; s weight ( in kg ) was determined in the early morning before breakfast after the subject &# 39 ; s urination and evacuation . the result was rounded off to the nearest 0 . 100 kg . the n balance represents the difference between n intake ( i ), and n output ( u + f + s ); the difference being either positive ( n retention , as in active growth ), negative ( n loss ), or zero ( n equilibrium ). to avoid possible misinterpretation of the subject &# 39 ; s daily n balance , which is not commonly linear , the subject &# 39 ; s dietary n intake and output were determined during each 2 week period . to determine the subject &# 39 ; s n intake ( i ), the following formula was applied : dietary protein amount = dietary n × 6 . 25 ; where use of factor 6 . 25 implies that the average protein has a 16 % n content . the subject &# 39 ; s urine ( u ) and feces ( f ) were collected throughout each 24 - hour day of each consecutive 2 week period and the total n was determined by micro - kjeldahl techniques . to avoid errors in n output , each subject received an enema before starting diet mesd and at the end of diets mesd , g , h , i , j and k . to determine the subject &# 39 ; s dermal and minor route losses ( s ) of n , calculations were made by accepting a constant , it being unusual to make direct measurements of these losses . the following formula was applied : to avoid errors , this calculation was made by applying the subject &# 39 ; s real weight . the subject &# 39 ; s lean tissue loss was determined by multiplying the subject &# 39 ; s protein loss by factor 5 . the following formula was applied : the n content of the mixed proteins of the body is 16 %. thus , 1 g of n excreted represents a loss from the body of 6 . 25 g of mixed proteins . intracellular protein exists in approximately a 20 to 25 % aqueous solution in the lean tissue of the body ( the fat - free , connective tissue - free , and bone - free &# 34 ; wet &# 34 ; tissue ). assuming that 1 g of protein is associated with 5 g of hydrated lean tissue , then 1 g of excreted n represents a loss of 1 × 6 . 25 × 5 = 31 . 25 g of lean tissue . the data were analyzed using the analysis of variance ( anova ) followed by the student - newman - keuls test . table iv summarizes the n balance results of groups 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 and 5 while receiving 64 mg / kg / day of nitrogen intake during diets g , h , i , j and k . table v summarizes the n balance results of all thirty subjects while receiving diets g , h , i , j and k . the comparison of the mean n output differences within groups 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 and 5 between diets g , h , i , j and k , was statistically significant ( p ← 0 , 001 ) in each case . the comparison of the mean n output differences by each diet ( g , h , i , j and k ), between groups , was not statistically significant in each case . all five groups , while receiving diet k , regardless of the sequence order , showed the lowest n output with a resulting significantly higher net nitrogen utilization ( nnu ) the variance related to the mean n output of the subjects receiving diet k points out extremely low and constant values ( sd = 0 , 001 ). this indicates the formula of table a has a higher nnu in comparison with the other diets . while receiving diet k none of the thirty subjects reported any side effects , and none showed adverse effects on blood parameters . during this study , all thirty subjects achieved zero ( equilibrium ) n balance while receiving diet k in the amount of 0 . 4 g / kg / day , equivalent to 64 mg / kg / day of n per subject . since zero n balance could be achieved at the expense of a slowing of body protein turnover , the attainment of zero n balance does not , in itself , permit the conclusion that the intake of 0 . 4 g / kg / day of the formula of table a , equivalent to 64 mg / kg / day of n per subject , was nutritionally adequate . despite the fact that the subjects received diets consisting of an identical composition of equal amounts of protein or amino acids , carbohydrate ( s ), fat ( s ), vitamins and minerals , all thirty subjects showed : ( a ) the highest mean nnu while receiving diet k , achieving zero n balance ( tables v and vi ); ( b ) a lower mean nnu while receiving the nutrified dried bovine milk ( diet h ), achieving negative n balance , with a mean n loss of 14 . 0 mg / kg / day ( sd = 0 . 2 ) ( table v ), which is 22 % lower nnu than while receiving the formula of table a ( table vi ). this mean n loss is equivalent to a lean tissue loss of 437 . 5 mg / kg / day ; ( c ) a lower mean nnu while receiving a nutrified soybean flour ( diet j ), achieving negative n balance , with a mean n loss of 16 . 5 mg / kg / day ( sd = 0 . 2 ) ( table v ), which is 26 % lower nnu than while receiving the formula of table a ( table vi ). this mean n loss is equivalent to a lean tissue loss of 515 . 6 mg / kg / day ; ( d ) a lower mean nnu while receiving dried bovine milk ( diet g ), achieving negative n balance , with a mean n loss of 35 . 3 mg / kg / day ( sd = 0 . 2 ) ( table v ), which is 55 % lower nnu than while receiving the formula of table a ( table vi ). this mean n loss is equivalent to a lean tissue loss of 1 , 103 . 1 mg / kg / day ; and ( e ) the lowest mean nnu while receiving soybean flour ( diet i ), achieving negative n balance , with a mean n loss of 43 . 5 mg / kg / day ( sd = 0 . 3 ) ( table v ), which is 68 % lower nnu than while receiving the formula of table a ( table vi ). this mean n loss is equivalent to a lean tissue loss of 1 , 359 . 3 mg / kg / day . ( a ) 73 % higher mean nnu while receiving a nutrified bovine milk ( diet h ) than while receiving bovine milk ( diet g ) ( tables v and vi ); and ( b ) 131 % higher mean nnu while receiving a nutrified soybean flour ( diet j ) than while receiving soybean flour ( diet i ) ( tables v and vi ). the significantly higher mean nnu achieved while receiving a nutrified bovine milk , and / or a nutrified soybean flour , confirm the efficacy of nutrification of food proteins by the appropriate nutrificators to improve the proteins &# 39 ; nutritional value . it can , therefore , be concluded that the high efficacy and safety of the present invention makes it unique for unlimited applications in the nutrification of food proteins . table i______________________________________subjects &# 39 ; characteristicsgroup characteristics mean s . d . range______________________________________1 age ( years ) 26 5 24 - 36 height ( cm ) 163 7 154 - 170 ideal weight ( kg ) 54 . 0 8 . 8 43 . 0 - 63 . 02 age ( years ) 29 4 24 - 35 height ( cm ) 163 10 149 - 174 ideal weight ( kg ) 53 . 7 11 . 8 39 . 0 - 66 . 53 age ( years ) 27 6 22 - 38 height ( cm ) 164 8 149 - 170 ideal weight ( kg ) 54 . 3 9 . 6 39 . 0 - 63 . 04 age ( years ) 26 5 23 - 36 height ( cm ) 162 8 148 - 171 ideal weight ( kg ) 53 . 3 9 . 8 38 . 5 - 64 . 05 age ( years ) 26 4 22 - 34 height ( cm ) 164 11 149 - 174 ideal weight ( kg ) 55 . 0 12 39 . 0 - 66 . 5______________________________________ table ii__________________________________________________________________________sequence of the diets by group and perioddiet period group 1 group 2 group 3 group 4 group 5__________________________________________________________________________preliminary 30 days mesd mesd mesd mesd mesddietfirst 14 days g h i j kdietsecond 14 days h i j k gdietthird 14 days i j k g hdietfourth 14 days j k g h idietfifth 14 days k g h i jdiet__________________________________________________________________________ table iii______________________________________essentially protein - free carbohydrate and fat foodsfood ( 100 g ) protein energy______________________________________sugar 0 . 0 384corn oil 0 . 0 884apricot 0 . 8 57pineapple 0 . 4 52peach 0 . 8 52strawberry 0 . 8 36pondapple 0 . 4 52tangerine 0 . 7 43mango 0 . 5 59apple 0 . 3 58muskmelon 0 . 5 25orange 0 . 7 50loquat 0 . 2 44papaya 0 . 5 32pear 0 . 3 56watermelon 0 . 5 22celery 0 . 8 19eggplant 1 . 0 27waxgourd 0 . 5 14chayote 0 . 9 31lettuce 1 . 0 13cucumber 0 . 7 15ripe tomato 0 . 8 21sweet cassava 1 . 0 132carrot 0 . 8 41______________________________________ table iv______________________________________nitrogen balance ( mg / kg / day ) results by group and diet n output n balance () group diet mean s . d . mean s . d . ______________________________________1 g 99 . 2 0 . 2 - 35 . 2 0 . 2 h 78 . 1 0 . 2 - 14 . 1 0 . 2 i 107 . 6 0 . 3 - 43 . 6 0 . 3 j 80 . 6 0 . 2 - 16 . 6 0 . 2 k 63 . 998 0 . 001 0 . 002 0 . 0012 h 78 . 0 0 . 2 - 14 . 0 0 . 2 i 107 . 3 0 . 2 - 43 . 3 0 . 2 j 80 . 4 0 . 1 - 16 . 4 0 . 1 k 63 . 998 0 . 001 0 . 002 0 . 001 g 99 . 2 0 . 1 - 35 . 2 0 . 13 i 107 . 6 0 . 1 - 43 . 6 0 . 1 j 80 . 5 0 . 2 - 16 . 5 0 . 2 k 63 . 997 0 . 001 0 . 003 0 . 001 g 99 . 3 0 . 2 - 35 . 3 0 . 2 h 77 . 9 0 . 2 - 13 . 9 0 . 24 j 80 . 6 0 . 4 - 16 . 6 0 . 4 k 63 . 997 0 . 001 0 . 003 0 . 001 g 99 . 4 0 . 2 - 35 . 4 0 . 2 h 78 . 0 0 . 2 - 14 . 0 0 . 2 i 107 . 7 0 . 2 - 43 . 7 0 . 25 k 63 . 998 0 . 001 0 . 002 0 . 001 g 99 . 3 0 . 2 - 35 . 3 0 . 2 h 78 . 0 0 . 4 - 14 . 0 0 . 4 i 107 . 4 0 . 2 - 43 . 4 0 . 2 j 80 . 6 0 . 2 - 16 . 6 0 . 2______________________________________ () n balance = n intake ( 64 mg / kg / day ) - n output table v______________________________________nitrogen balance ( mg / kg / day ) ( all 30 subjects ) diet n mean s . d . ______________________________________g i 64 o 99 . 3 0 . 2 b - 35 . 3 0 . 2h i 64 o 78 . 0 0 . 2 b - 14 . 0 0 . 2i i 64 o 107 . 5 0 . 3 b - 43 . 5 0 . 3j i 64 o 80 . 5 0 . 2 b - 16 . 5 0 . 2k i 64 o 63 . 997 0 . 001 b 0 . 003 0 . 001______________________________________ i = n intake ; o = n output ; b = n balance table vi______________________________________net nitrogen utilization ( nnu ) by dietdiet nnu n / loss______________________________________g 45 % 55 % h 78 % 22 % i 32 % 68 % j 74 % 26 % k 100 % 0 % ______________________________________	0
an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like elements are referenced by like numerals . referring first to fig1 to 6 , a camera stand or support generally designated at 1 is fitted to a case 101 of a display 100 . the camera stand 1 comprises an elongated rail member 2 . the rail member 2 has a couple of shoulders 2a and 2b formed on its back along edges thereof and longitudinally extending in parallel with each other . the back of the rail member 2 is provided with an adhesive layer 3 adhered on the side of the display case 101 to be adhered . it will be appreciated that the adhesive layer 3 is protected by a released paper previous to adhesion . a slide rod fixing clamp 4 has at its base an engagement groove 5 and is slidably mounted on the rail member 2 with the engagement groove 5 engaged with the shoulders 2a and 2b of the rail member 2 . a resistance means not shown is provided within the engagement groove 5 in order to retain the slide rod fixing clamp 4 at an appropriate position on the rail member 2 . the resistance means may be formed of , for example , a metallic leaf spring which presses the rail member 2 with a predetermined pressing force to provide a predetermined frictional resistance , thereby retaining the slide rod fixing clamp 4 on the rail member 2 . the slide rod fixing clamp 4 is displaceable by manually applying thereto a force exceeding the frictional resistance of the resistance means , thus ensuring alterations in the retaining position of the slide rod fixing clamp 4 . the slide rod fixing clamp 4 includes a pair of clamping sections 7a and 7b defining in the middle thereof a transversely extending through - hole 6 for receiving a slide rod 11 . the clamping sections 7a and 7b have at their ends a clamp screw 8 . to unclamp or clamp the slide rod 11 , the clamp screw 8 is turned to alter the diameter of the through - hole 6 . the through - hole 6 of the slide rod fixing clamp 4 is provided with a pair of retaining protrusions 10a and 10b intended to be fitted into a pair of given - angle compensation grooves 12a and 12b , respectively , which will be described later , of the slide rod 11 . the slide rod 11 is a round bar having the pair of axially extending given - angle compensation grooves 12a and 12b . the slide rod 11 is inserted into the through - hole 6 formed in the slide rod fixing clamp 4 while bringing the given - angle compensation grooves 12a and 12b into engagement with the retaining protrusions 10a and 10b , respectively . this will prevent the slide rod 11 from being rotated . an orthogonal rod 13 is secured to the slide rod 11 at right angles therewith . the outer periphery of the orthogonal rod 13 is provided with axially extending knurls 14 and also axially extending level confirmation lines 15a and 15b . the knurls 14 ensure a moderate rotation of a camera mounting clamp 16 described later as well as a positive locking thereof . the level confirmation lines 15a and 15b provide not only a confirmation that the orthogonal rod 13 is brought to a level with the rail member 2 upright positioned along the sidewall of the display 100 but also a measure for visually checking a setting angle of the camera mounting clamp 16 . the camera mounting clamp 16 includes a pair of clamping sections 18a and 18b defining in the middle thereof a throughhole 17 for receiving the orthogonal rod 13 . the clamping sections 18a and 18b have a clamp screw 19 to alter the diameter of the through - hole 17 . by tightening up the clamp screw 19 , the camera mounting clamp is rigidly fixed to the orthogonal rod 13 . the camera mounting clamp 16 further includes on its top a mounting screw 21 for mounting a camera 24 thereon , and a tilt device 22 allowing both full - rotations around the mounting screw 21 and vertical swings within a predetermined range of angles ( capable of being arbitrary directed or angled to predetermined directions or angles ). the tilt device 22 has been already filed as japanese patent application no . 294187 / 93 . the clamping sections 18a and 18b of the camera mounting clamp 16 are provided with lines 23a and 23b , respectively , allowing visual observations of angles with the level confirmation lines 15a and 15b , respectively . description will now be given of a manner of mounting the camera stand 1 onto the display case 101 to be mounted in the above - described construction . the rail member 2 is first attached vertically to the sidewall of the display case 101 by means of the adhesive layer 3 . then , the slide rod fixing clamp 4 is mounted on the rail member 2 by fitting the shoulders 2a and 2b of the rail member 2 into the engagement groove 5 of the slide rod fixing clamp 4 . the slide rod fixing clamp 4 is vertically displaced and retained in position . thereafter , the slide rod 11 is inserted into the through - hole 6 of the slide rod fixing clamp 4 . the camera - mounting clamp 16 is then mounted on the orthogonal rod 13 secured to the slide rod 11 . afterwards , the camera 24 is mounted on the camera mounting clamp 16 by means of the mounting screw 21 . subsequently , in order to direct the camera 24 toward an optimum direction , the camera stand 1 undergoes vertical adjustments of the slide fixing clamp 4 , transverse adjustments of the slide rod 11 , adjustments of the camera mounting clamp 16 , and final adjustments through the tilt device . it is to be appreciated that the camera mounting clamp 16 is visually adjusted through angles of the lines 23a and 23b with the level confirmation lines 15a and 15b formed on the orthogonal rod 13 . in this manner , the camera 24 is so adjusted in direction that it is positioned in front of and confronts the user so as to look up at him or her , thereby producing preferable images of the face of the user as compared with the images viewed from above in the prior art . also , the camera stand 1 may be applied to a camera for imaging documents . in this case , the mounting screw 19 is loosened to rotate the camera mounting clamp 16 by 90 degrees around the orthogonal rod 13 from the state shown in fig1 . this results in the state of the camera 24 shown in fig7 enabling its lens to be directed downward . in order to allow the lens to directly confront the documents , the slide rod fixing clamp 4 may be possibly loosened to transversely displace the slide rod 11 for positional adjustments of the camera 24 . this may be also attended with micro - adjustments by the tilt device 22 . thus , the documents lying on the desk can appear on the display 100 . referring to fig8 and 9 , there is depicted another embodiment . although the above embodiment is disclosed including the slide rod 11 provided with the given angle compensation grooves 12a and 12b , this embodiment employs a slide rod 11 of a simple cylinder free from the given angle compensation grooves 12a and 12b . correspondingly , the slide rod fixing clamp 4 has no engagement protrusions 10a and 10b . this means that the slide rod 11 is retained only with a clamping force of the clamping sections 7a and 7b . nevertheless , the camera 24 is fixed in position since the clamping force of the clamping sections 7a and 7b overcomes a rotational moment exerted on the slide rod 11 by the weight of the camera 24 . this may result in a less reliability on the rotational moment exerted on the slide rod 11 by the weight of the camera 24 as compared with the above embodiment , but will ensure an increased degree of freedom in setting the position and direction of the camera 24 due to free setting of angles of the orthogonal rod 13 and the tilt device 22 around the slide rod 11 . the other elements are substantially the same as the above embodiment , and hence are designated by the common reference numerals to omit the description thereof . according to the present invention , as described above , the slide rod fixing clamp is displaced along the rail member to vertically shift the camera mounting clamp bearing the camera thereon , while the slide rod fixing clamp is loosened to transversely shift the slide rod , whereby the camera mounting clamp bearing the camera thereon can be freely displaced in vertical and transverse directions . in addition , the camera mounting clamp is capable of being rotated around the orthogonal rod , allowing a production of images of not only the user &# 39 ; s face but also the documents lying on the desk . for the images of the user &# 39 ; s face , the camera is allowed to be positioned in front of and confront the user so as to look up at him or her , thereby providing preferable images . further , the rail member can be readily attached to the sidewall of the display case with the aid of the adhesive layer , and the retaining protrusions of the slide rod fixing clamp to be engaged with the given angle compensation grooves formed in the slide rod serve to keep at all times the slide rod and the orthogonal rod at a predetermined angle with the rail member . moreover , the level confirmation lines provided in the orthogonal rod enable the state of level to be visually observed . the lines of the camera mounting clamp provide visual observations of angles thereof with respect to the orthogonal rod . also , the knurls formed on the orthogonal rod ensure moderate rotations and positive locking of the camera mounting clamp , and the tilt device provided on the camera mounting clamp allows the camera to swing and rotate around the mounting screw . furthermore , the cylindrical shape of the slide rod allows rotations of the tilt means around the slide rod , with the result that the camera can be retained at an angle . it will be understood by those skilled in the art that a number of variations and modifications may be made in the present invention without departing from its spirit and scope . accordingly , the foregoing description is to be construed as illustrative only rather than limiting . the present invention should only be taken as limited by the following claims .	8
the present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown . the present invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein . in the drawings , the thickness of layers , films and regions are exaggerated for clarity . like numerals refer to like elements throughout . it will be understood that when an element such as a layer , film , region or substrate is referred to as being “ on ” another element , it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present . in contrast , when an element is referred to as being “ directly on ” another element , there are no intervening elements present . now , liquid crystal displays and thin film transistor ( tft ) array panels for lcds according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . an lcd according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to fig1 - 5 . fig1 is a layout view of a tft array panel of an lcd according to an embodiment of the present invention , fig2 is a sectional view of the tft array panel shown in fig1 taken along the lines ii - ii ′- ii ″- iii ′″, fig3 is a layout view of a common electrode panel of an lcd according to an embodiment of the present invention , fig4 is a layout view of an lcd including the tft array panel shown in fig1 and 2 and the common electrode panel shown in fig3 , and fig5 is a sectional view of the lcd shown in fig4 taken along the line v - v ′. an lcd according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a tft array panel 100 , a common electrode panel 200 , and a lc layer 3 interposed between the panels 100 and 200 and containing a plurality of lc molecules 31 aligned substantially vertical to surfaces of the panels 100 and 200 . the tft array panel 100 is now described in detail with reference fig1 , 4 and 5 . a plurality of gate lines 121 and a plurality of storage electrode lines 131 are formed on an insulating substrate 110 such as transparent glass . the gate lines 121 extend substantially in a transverse direction and are separated from each other and transmit gate signals . each gate line 121 includes a plurality of projections forming a plurality of gate electrodes 124 and an end portion 129 having a large area for connection with an external driving circuit . each storage electrode line 131 extends substantially in the transverse direction and includes a plurality of sets of branches . each branch set includes a pair of longitudinal branches forming first and second storage electrodes 133 a and 133 b . each of the first storage electrodes 133 a has a free end portion and a fixed end portion connected to the storage electrode line 131 , and the fixed end portion has a projection . the storage electrode lines 131 are supplied with a predetermined voltage such as a common voltage , which is applied to a common electrode 270 on the common electrode panel 200 of the lcd . each storage electrode line 131 may include a pair of stems extending in the transverse direction and it may further include a plurality of connections ( not shown ) connected between the first storage electrodes 133 a and the second storage electrodes 133 b respectively in adjacent sets of the storage electrodes 133 a and 133 b . the gate lines 121 and the storage electrode lines 131 is preferably made of al containing metal such as al and al alloy , ag containing metal such as ag and ag alloy , cu containing metal such as cu and cu alloy , mo containing metal such as mo and mo alloy , cr , ti or ta . the gate lines 121 and the storage electrode lines 131 may have a multi - layered structure including two films having different physical characteristics , a lower film ( not shown ) and an upper film ( not shown ). the upper film is preferably made of low resistivity metal including al containing metal such as al and al alloy for reducing signal delay or voltage drop in the gate lines 121 and the storage electrode lines 131 . on the other hand , the lower film is preferably made of material such as cr , mo and mo alloy , which has good contact characteristics with other materials such as indium tin oxide ( ito ) or indium zinc oxide ( izo ). a good exemplary combination of the lower film material and the upper film material is cr and al — nd alloy . in addition , the lateral sides of the gate lines 121 and the storage electrode lines 131 are inclined relative to a surface of the substrate , and the inclination angle thereof ranges about 20 - 80 degrees . a gate insulating layer 140 preferably made of silicon nitride ( sinx ) is formed on the gate lines 121 and the storage electrode lines 131 . a plurality of semiconductor stripes 151 preferably made of hydrogenated amorphous silicon ( abbreviated to “ a - si ”) or polysilicon are formed on the gate insulating layer 140 . each semiconductor stripe 151 extends substantially in the longitudinal direction and has a plurality of projections 154 branched out toward the gate electrodes 124 . a plurality of ohmic contact stripes and islands 161 and 165 preferably made of silicide or n + hydrogenated a - si heavily doped with n type impurity such as phosphorous are formed on the semiconductor stripes 151 . each ohmic contact stripe 161 has a plurality of projections 163 , and the projections 163 and the ohmic contact islands 165 are located in pairs on the projections 154 of the semiconductor stripes 151 . the lateral sides of the semiconductor stripes 151 and the ohmic contacts 161 and 165 are inclined relative to a surface of the substrate , and the inclination angles thereof are preferably in a range between about 30 - 80 degrees . a plurality of data lines 171 , a plurality of drain electrodes 175 separated from the data lines 171 , and a plurality of isolated metal pieces 172 are formed on the ohmic contacts 161 and 165 and the gate insulating layer 140 . the data lines 171 for transmitting data voltages extend substantially in the longitudinal direction and intersect the gate lines 121 and the storage electrode lines 131 . each data line 171 is disposed between the first and the second storage electrodes 133 a and 133 b in adjacent sets of the branches 133 a and 133 b of the storage electrode lines 131 and it includes an end portion 179 having a large area for contact with another layer or an external device . a plurality of branches of each data line 171 , which project toward the drain electrodes 175 , form a plurality of source electrodes 173 . each drain electrode 175 includes an end portion having a large area for contact with another layer and each source electrode 173 is curved to partly enclose another end portion of the drain electrode 175 . a gate electrode 124 , a source electrode 173 , and a drain electrode 175 along with a projection 154 of a semiconductor stripe 151 form a tft having a channel formed in the projection 154 disposed between the source electrode 173 and the drain electrode 175 . the metal pieces 172 are disposed on the gate lines 121 near the end portions of the storage electrodes 133 a . the data lines 171 , the drain electrodes 175 , and the metal pieces 172 are preferably made of refractory metal such as cr , mo containing metal , ti and ti , or al containing metal and they may also have a multilayered structure including a lower film ( not shown ) preferably made of refractory metal and an upper film ( not shown ) located thereon and preferably made of low resistivity material . like the gate lines 121 and the storage electrode lines 131 , the data lines 171 , the drain electrodes 175 , and the metal pieces 172 have tapered lateral sides , and the inclination angles thereof range about 30 - 80 degrees . the ohmic contacts 161 and 165 are interposed only between the underlying semiconductor stripes 151 and the overlying data lines 171 and the overlying drain electrodes 175 thereon and reduce the contact resistance therebetween . the semiconductor stripes 151 include a plurality of exposed portions , which are not covered with the data lines 171 and the drain electrodes 175 , such as portions located between the source electrodes 173 and the drain electrodes 175 . a passivation layer 180 is formed on the data lines 171 , the drain electrodes 175 , and the exposed portions of the semiconductor stripes 151 . the passivation layer 180 is preferably made of photosensitive organic material having a good flatness characteristic , low dielectric insulating material having dielectric constant lower than 4 . 0 such as a - si : c : o and a - si : o : f formed by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition ( pecvd ), or inorganic material such as silicon nitride . the passivation layer 180 may include a lower film of inorganic insulator and an upper film of organic insulator . the passivation layer 180 has a plurality of contact holes 182 and 185 exposing the end portions 179 of the data lines 171 and the end portions of the drain electrodes 175 , respectively . the passivation layer 180 and the gate insulating layer 140 have a plurality of contact holes 181 , 183 and 184 exposing the end portions 129 of the gate lines 121 , the projections of the free end portions of the first storage electrodes 133 a , and portions of the storage electrode lines 131 near the fixed end portions of the first storage electrodes 133 a , respectively . in addition , the passivation layer 180 and the gate insulating layer have a number of rectilinear trenches 186 . a plurality of pixel electrodes 190 , a plurality of contact assistants 81 and 82 , and a plurality of storage connections 84 , which are preferably made of a transparent conductor such as ito and izo or a reflective conductor such as al , are formed on the passivation layer 180 . the pixel electrodes 190 are physically and electrically connected to the drain electrodes 175 through the contact holes 185 such that the pixel electrodes 190 receive the data voltages from the drain electrodes 175 . the pixel electrodes 190 supplied with the data voltages generate electric fields in cooperation with the common electrode 270 , which reorient liquid crystal molecules 31 in the liquid crystal layer 3 . a pixel electrode 190 and the common electrode 270 form a liquid crystal capacitor , which stores applied voltages after turn - off of the tft . an additional capacitor called a “ storage capacitor ,” which is connected in parallel to the liquid crystal capacitor , is provided for enhancing the voltage storing capacity . the storage capacitors are implemented by overlapping the pixel electrodes 190 with the storage electrode lines 131 including the storage electrodes 133 a and 133 b . each pixel electrode 190 is chamfered at its left corners and the chamfered edges of the pixel electrode 190 make an angle of about 45 degrees with the gate lines 121 . each pixel electrode 190 has a plurality of upper cutouts 91 and 92 , lower cutouts 95 and 96 , and center cutouts 93 and 94 , which partition the pixel electrode 190 into a plurality of partitions . the upper and the lower cutouts 91 , 92 , 95 and 96 are disposed at upper and lower halves of the pixel electrode 190 , respectively , and the center cutouts 93 and 94 are located between the upper cutouts 91 and 92 and the lower cutouts 95 and 96 . the cutouts 91 - 96 substantially have inversion symmetry with respect to an imaginary transverse center line bisecting the upper and the lower halves of the pixel electrode 190 . the upper and the lower cutouts 91 , 92 , 95 and 96 make an angle of about 45 degrees to the gate lines 121 , and the upper cutouts 91 and 92 , which extend substantially parallel to each other and to the chamfered upper left edge of the pixel electrode 190 , extend substantially perpendicular to the lower cutouts 95 and 96 , which extend substantially parallel to each other and to the chamfered lower left edge of the pixel electrode 190 . the cutouts 91 and 96 extend approximately from a left longitudinal edge of the pixel electrode 190 approximately to transverse edges of the pixel electrode 190 . the cutouts 92 and 95 extend approximately from the left edge of the pixel electrode 190 approximately to a right longitudinal edge of the pixel electrode 190 . the center cutout 93 includes a transverse portion extending approximately from the left edge of the pixel electrode 190 along the transverse center line of the pixel electrode 190 and a pair of oblique portions extending from the transverse portion to the right edge of the pixel electrode 190 and extending substantially parallel to the upper cutouts 91 and 92 and the lower cutouts 95 and 96 , respectively . the center cutout 94 extends along the transverse center line of the pixel electrode 190 and has an inlet from the right edge of the pixel electrode 190 , which has a pair of inclined edges substantially parallel to the upper cutouts 91 and 92 and the lower cutouts 95 and 96 , respectively . accordingly , the upper half of the pixel electrode 190 is also partitioned into four upper partitions by the upper cutouts 91 and 92 and the center cutout 93 , and the lower half of the pixel electrode 190 is partitioned into four lower partitions by the lower cutouts 95 and 96 and the center cutout 93 . the number of partitions or the number of the cutouts is varied depending on the design factors such as the size of pixels , the ratio of the transverse edges and the longitudinal edges of the pixel electrodes , the type and characteristics of the liquid crystal layer 3 , and so on . in addition , each pixel electrode 190 has a number of depressions forming along the trenches 186 of the passivation layer 180 and the gate insulating layer 140 and contacting the substrate 110 . in the meantime , the storage electrode lines 131 may further include a plurality of branches ( not shown ) overlapping the cutouts 91 - 96 and lower edges of the pixel electrodes 190 . the contact assistants 81 and 82 are connected to the end portions 129 of the gate lines 121 and the end portions 179 of the data lines 171 through the contact holes 181 and 182 , respectively . the contact assistants 81 and 82 are not requisites but preferred to protect the end portions 129 and 179 and to complement the adhesiveness of the end portions 129 and 179 and external devices . the storage connections 84 cross over the gate lines 121 and they are connected to the exposed projection of the fixed end portions of the first storage electrodes 133 a and the exposed portions of the storage electrode lines 131 respectively through the contact holes 183 and 184 opposite each other with respect to the gate lines 121 . the storage connections 84 overlaps the metal pieces 172 and they may be electrically connected to the metal pieces 172 . the storage electrode lines 131 including the storage electrodes 133 a and 133 b along with the storage connections 84 and the metal pieces 172 are used for repairing defects in the gate lines 121 , the data lines 171 , or the tfts . the electrical connection between the gate lines 121 and the storage electrode lines 131 for repairing the gate lines 121 is obtained by illuminating the cross points of the gate lines 121 and the storage connections 84 by a laser beam to electrically connect the gate lines 121 to the storage connections 84 . in this case , the metal pieces 172 enhance the electrical connection between the gate lines 121 and the storage connections 84 . the description of the common electrode panel 200 follows with reference to fig3 - 5 . a light blocking member 220 called a black matrix for preventing light leakage is formed on an insulating substrate 210 such as transparent glass . the light blocking member 220 may include a plurality of openings that face the pixel electrodes 190 and it may have substantially the same shape as the pixel electrodes 190 . the light blocking member 220 is preferably made of a single cr layer , double layers of cr and cr oxide , or an organic layer containing black die . a plurality of color filters 230 are formed on the substrate 210 and they are disposed substantially in the areas enclosed by the light blocking member 220 . the color filters 230 may extend substantially along the longitudinal direction along the pixel electrodes 190 . the color filters 230 may represent one of the primary colors such as red , green and blue colors . an overcoat 250 for preventing the color filters 230 from being exposed and for providing a flat surface is formed on the color filters 230 and the light blocking member 220 . a common electrode 270 preferably made of transparent conductive material such as ito and izo is formed on the overcoat 250 . the common electrode 270 has a plurality of sets of cutouts 271 - 276 . a set of cutouts 271 - 276 face a pixel electrode 190 and include a plurality of upper and lower cutouts 271 and 272 and 275 and 276 and center cutouts 273 and 274 . each of the cutouts 271 - 276 is disposed between adjacent cutouts 91 - 96 of the pixel electrode 190 or between a cutout 91 or 96 and a chamfered edge of the pixel electrode 190 . in addition , each of the cutouts 271 - 276 has at least an oblique portion extending parallel to the upper cutouts 91 and 92 or the lower cutouts 95 and 96 of the pixel electrode 190 , and the distances between adjacent two of the cutouts 271 - 276 and 91 - 96 , the oblique portions thereof , the oblique edges thereof , and the chamfered edges of the pixel electrode 190 , which are parallel to each other , are substantially the same . the cutouts 271 - 276 substantially have inversion symmetry with respect to an imaginary transverse center line of the pixel electrode 190 . each of the cutouts 271 and 276 has an oblique portion extending approximately from a left edge of the pixel electrode 190 approximately to an upper or lower edge of the pixel electrode 190 and transverse and longitudinal portions extending from respective ends of the oblique portion along edges of the pixel electrode 190 , overlapping the edges of the pixel electrode 190 , and making obtuse angles with the oblique portion . each of the cutouts 272 and 275 has an oblique portion , a longitudinal portion connected to an end of the oblique portion , and an expansion connected to the other end of the oblique portion . the oblique portion extends approximately from the left edge of the pixel electrode 190 approximately to upper right or lower right corner of the pixel electrode 190 . the longitudinal portion extends from the end of the oblique portion along the left edge of the pixel electrode 190 , overlaps the left edge of the pixel electrode 190 , and makes an obtuse angle with the oblique portion . the expansion covers the respective corner of the pixel electrode 190 . the cutout 273 has a pair of oblique portions extending approximately from the center of the left edge of the pixel electrode 190 to the right edge of the pixel electrode 190 , a transverse portion extending from a meeting point of the oblique portions to the left , and a pair of longitudinal portions extending from the respective oblique portions along the right edge of the pixel electrode 190 , overlapping the right edge of the pixel electrode 190 , and making an obtuse angle with the respective oblique portions . the cutout 274 has a transverse portion extending along the transverse center line of the pixel electrode 190 , a pair of oblique portions extending from the transverse portion approximately to the right edge of the pixel electrode 190 and making obtuse angles with the transverse portion , and a pair of longitudinal portions extending from the respective oblique portions along the right edge of the pixel electrode 190 , overlapping the right edge of the pixel electrode 190 , and making an obtuse angle with the respective oblique portions . the number of the cutouts 271 - 276 may be varied depending on the design factors , and the light blocking member 220 may also overlap the cutouts 271 - 276 to block the light leakage through the cutouts 271 - 276 . in the meantime , the cutouts 271 - 276 may expose portions of the color filters 230 if there is no overcoat 250 , and the exposed portions of the color filters 230 may contaminate the lc layer 3 . retardation films 13 and 23 for compensating the retardation of the lc layer 3 are disposed on outer surfaces of the panels 100 and 200 , and crossed polarizers 12 and 22 are provided on the retardation films 13 and 23 , respectively , such that a transmissive axis of the polarizer 12 is parallel to the transverse direction . however , the transmissive axis of the polarizer 12 may be parallel to the longitudinal axis . one of the polarizers may be omitted when the lcd is a reflective lcd . the lcd may further include homeotropic alignment films ( not shown ) and these films have depressions forming along the trenches 186 and the depressions of the pixel electrodes 190 . the lc layer 3 has negative dielectric anisotropy and the lc molecules 310 in the lc layer 3 are aligned such that their long axes are substantially vertical to the surfaces of the panels in absence of electric field . as shown in fig4 , a set of the cutouts 91 - 96 and 271 - 276 divides a pixel electrode 190 into a plurality of subareas and each subarea has two major edges and is full of the trenches 186 . the trenches 186 make an oblique angle , preferably of about 45 degrees , with oblique edges of the cutouts 91 - 96 and 271 - 276 . it is preferable that the trenches 186 extend parallel to a transmissive ( or absorptive ) axis of the polarizers 12 and 22 and they are aligned substantially perpendicular to transverse and longitudinal edges of the cutouts 91 - 96 and 271 - 276 and of the pixel electrodes 190 . in detail , the trenches 186 in each of four parallelogrammic subareas , which has substantially two oblique edges and two longitudinal edges , are aligned in the transverse direction . on the other hand , the trenches 186 in each of twelve trapezoidal subareas , which has substantially two oblique edges , a transverse edge , and a longitudinal edge , have two extending directions depending on the relative distances from the transverse edge and the longitudinal edge . the trenches 186 closer to transverse edge than the longitudinal edge are aligned perpendicular to the transverse edge , while those closer to the longitudinal edge are aligned perpendicular to the longitudinal edge . the cutouts 91 - 96 and 271 - 276 as well as the trenches 186 control the tilt directions of the lc molecules 31 in the lc layer 3 . this will be described in detail . upon application of the common voltage to the common electrode 270 and a data voltage to the pixel electrodes 190 , an electric field substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the panels 100 and 200 is generated . the lc molecules 31 tend to change their orientations in response to the electric field such that their long axes are perpendicular to the field direction . in addition , the lc molecules 31 near the depressions of the alignment layers generated by the trenches 186 tend to align themselves to the length directions of the depressions . the cutouts 91 - 96 and 271 - 276 of the electrodes 190 and 270 and the edges of the pixel electrodes 190 distort the electric field to have a first horizontal component . the first horizontal component of the electric field is perpendicular to the edges of the cutouts 91 - 96 and 271 - 276 and the edges of the pixel electrodes 190 . like the cutouts 91 - 96 and 271 - 276 , the depressions of the pixel electrodes 190 generated by the trenches 186 also distort the electric field to have second horizontal components . since the depressions make angles of about 45 degrees with the cutouts 91 - 96 and 272 - 276 , the second horizontal components of the electric field make an angle of about 45 degrees with the first component . accordingly , the orientations of the lc molecules 31 on each subarea have an azimuthal distribution determined by balancing the aligning forces caused by the geometry of the trenches 186 and caused by the cutouts 91 - 96 and 271 - 276 , and the azimuthal distribution improves lateral visibility as well as front visibility . in addition , the trenches 186 themselves contribute to the improvement of the lateral visibility since they scatter the light , which is expected to go to the front side , to go to the lateral side . in the meantime , the parallelism between the trenches 186 and the transmission ( or the absorption ) axis is required for maintaining the luminance in a black state where there is no electric field and the perpendicularity between the trenches 186 and the transverse and the longitudinal edges of each subarea is required for preventing textures due to the conflict of the tilt directions given by the trenches 186 and the edges . at lease one of the cutouts 91 - 96 and 271 - 276 can be substituted with protrusions or depressions . the shapes and the arrangements of the cutouts 91 - 96 and 271 - 276 may be modified . a method of manufacturing the tft array panel shown in fig1 - 5 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be now described in detail with reference to fig6 - 9 as well as fig1 - 5 . fig6 - 9 are sectional views of the tft array panel shown in fig1 - 5 in intermediate steps of a manufacturing method thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig6 , a conductive layer preferably made of al containing metal , ag containing metal , cu containing metal , mo containing metal , cr , ti or ta are sputtered and wet or dry etched by photolithography to form a plurality of gate lines 121 including a plurality of gate electrodes 124 and end portions 129 and a plurality of storage electrode lines 131 including a plurality of storage electrodes 133 a and 133 b . the conductive layer may include a mo alloy lower film and an ag alloy upper film . both the upper and lower films can be simultaneously etched by an al etchant containing phosphoric acid , nitric acid , acetic acid and deionized water . in addition , the conductive layer can have an inclined lateral surface making an angle of about 30 degrees since the etching rate of the above - described al etchant is faster for al alloy than for mo alloy . referring to fig7 , after sequential cvd of a gate insulating layer 140 preferably made of silicon nitride or silicon oxide , an intrinsic a - si layer , and an extrinsic a - si layer , the extrinsic a - si layer and the intrinsic a - si layer are photo - etched to form a plurality of extrinsic semiconductor stripes 164 and a plurality of intrinsic semiconductor stripes 151 including a plurality of projections 154 on the gate insulating layer 140 . referring to fig8 , a conductive layer preferably made of refractory metal is sputtered and photo - etched to form a plurality of date lines 171 including a plurality of source electrodes 173 and end portions 179 , a plurality of drain electrodes 175 , and a plurality of metal pieces 172 . thereafter , portions of the extrinsic semiconductor stripes 164 , which are not covered with the data lines 171 and the drain electrodes 175 , are removed to complete a plurality of ohmic contact stripes 161 including a plurality of projections 163 and a plurality of ohmic contact islands 165 and to expose portions of the intrinsic semiconductor stripes 151 . oxygen plasma treatment preferably follows in order to stabilize the exposed surfaces of the semiconductor stripes 151 . referring to fig9 , a passivation layer 180 is formed by chemical vapor deposition of a - si : c : q or a - si : o : f , by deposition of an inorganic insulator such as silicon nitride , or by coating of an organic insulator such as acrylic material . the passivation layer 180 and the gate insulating layer 140 are photo - etched to form a plurality of trenches 186 exposing the substrate 110 and a plurality of contact holes 181 - 185 exposing the end portions 129 of the gate lines 121 , the end portions 179 of the data lines 171 , the storage electrodes 133 a , and the storage electrode lines 131 , and the drain electrodes 175 . finally , a plurality of pixel electrodes 190 having a plurality cutouts 91 - 96 , a plurality of contact assistants 81 and 82 , and a plurality of storage connections 84 are formed on the passivation layer 180 and on the exposed portions of the substrate 110 , the drain electrodes 175 , the end portions 129 and 179 , the storage electrodes 133 a , the storage electrode lines 131 by sputtering and photo - etching an izo or ito layer . a tft array panel for an lcd according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to fig1 a - 10c . fig1 a is a layout view of a tft array panel for an lcd according to another embodiment of the present invention , fig1 b is a sectional view of the tft array panel shown in fig1 a taken along the line xb - xb ′, and fig1 c is a sectional view of the lcd shown in fig1 a taken along the lines xc - xc ′ and xc ′- xc ″. referring to fig1 a - 10c , a layered structure of the tft array panel according to this embodiment is almost the same as that shown in fig1 - 5 . in detail , a plurality of gate lines 121 including a plurality of gate electrodes 124 and end portions 129 and a plurality of storage electrode lines 131 including a plurality of storage electrodes 133 a and 133 b are formed on a substrate 110 , and a gate insulating layer 140 , a plurality of semiconductor stripes 151 including a plurality of projections 154 , and a plurality of ohmic contact stripes 161 including a plurality of projections 163 and a plurality of ohmic contact islands 165 are sequentially formed thereon . a plurality of data lines 171 including a plurality of source electrodes 173 and end portions 179 , a plurality of drain electrodes 175 , and a plurality of isolated metal pieces 172 are formed on the ohmic contacts 161 and 165 , and a passivation layer 180 is formed thereon . a plurality of contact holes 181 - 185 and a plurality of trenches 186 are provided at the passivation layer 180 and the gate insulating layer 140 . a plurality of pixel electrodes 190 having a plurality of cutouts 91 - 96 , a plurality of contact assistants 81 and 82 , and a plurality of storage connections 84 are formed on the passivation layer 180 . different from the tft array panel shown in fig1 - 5 , the tft array panel according to this embodiment further provides a plurality of semiconductor islands ( not shown ) and a plurality of ohmic contact islands ( not shown ) disposed under the metal pieces 172 and having substantially the same planar shape as the metal pieces 172 . in addition , the semiconductor stripes 151 have almost the same planar shapes as the data lines 171 and the drain electrodes 175 as well as the underlying ohmic contacts 161 and 165 . however , the projections 154 of the semiconductor stripes 151 include some exposed portions , which are not covered with the data lines 171 and the drain electrodes 175 , such as portions located between the source electrodes 173 and the drain electrodes 175 . many of the above - described features of the tft array panel shown in fig1 - 5 may be appropriate to the lcd shown in fig1 a - 10c . now , a method of manufacturing the tft array panel shown in fig1 a - 10c according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail . fig1 a and 11b are sectional views of the tft array panel shown in fig1 a - 10c taken along the line xb - xb ′ and the lines xc - xc ′ and xc ′- xc ″, respectively , in a first step of a manufacturing method thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention ; fig1 a and 12b are sectional views of the tft array panel shown in fig1 a - 10c taken along the line xb - xb ′ and the lines xc - xc ′ and xc ′- xc ″, respectively , in the step of the manufacturing method following the step shown in fig1 a and 11b ; fig1 a and 13b are sectional views of the tft array panel shown in fig1 a - 10c taken along the line xb - xb ′ and the lines xc - xc ′ and xc ′- xc ″, respectively , in the step of the manufacturing method following the step shown in fig1 a and 12b ; fig1 a and 14b are sectional views of the tft array panel shown in fig1 a - 10c taken along the line xb - xb ′ and the lines xc - xc ′ and xc ′- xc ″, respectively , in the step of the manufacturing method following the step shown in fig1 a and 13b ; and fig1 a and 15b are sectional views of the tft array panel shown in fig1 a - 10c taken along the line xb - xb ′ and the lines xc - xc ′ and xc ′- xc ″, respectively , in the step of the manufacturing method following the step shown in fig1 a and 14b . referring to fig1 a and 11b , a conductive layer is sputtered on an insulating substrate 110 and they are wet or dry etched in sequence to form a plurality of gate lines 121 , each including a plurality of gate electrodes 124 and an expansion 129 , and a plurality of storage electrode lines 131 including a plurality of storage electrodes 133 a and 133 b . referring to fig1 a and 12b , a gate insulating layer 140 , an intrinsic a - si layer 150 , and an extrinsic a - si layer 160 are sequentially deposited by cvd and a conductive layer 170 is deposited by sputtering , and a photoresist film pr with the thickness of about 1 - 2 microns is coated on the conductive layer 170 . referring to fig1 a and 13b , the photoresist film pr is exposed to light through a slit photo - mask ( not shown ) including slit areas ( not shown ), and developed such that the developed photoresist pr has a position dependent thickness . the photoresist shown in fig1 a and 13b includes a plurality of first to third portions with decreased thickness . the first portions are located on first areas b ( referred to as “ wire areas ” hereinafter ) and the second portions are located on second areas a ( referred to as “ channel areas ” hereinafter ), respectively , while the third portions located on remaining third areas c are not illustrated in the figures since they have substantially zero thickness to expose underlying portions of the conductive layer 170 . the thickness of the second portions on the channel areas a is preferably smaller than half of that of the first portions on the wire areas b , and more preferably , it is smaller than about 4 , 000 å . the different thickness of the photoresist pr enables to selectively etch the underlying layers when using suitable process conditions . therefore , a plurality of data lines 171 including a plurality of source electrodes 173 , a plurality of drain electrodes 175 , and a plurality of isolated metal pieces 172 as well as a plurality of ohmic contact stripes 161 including a plurality of projections 163 , a plurality of ohmic contact islands 165 , a plurality of semiconductor stripes 151 including a plurality of projections 154 , and a plurality of semiconductor and ohmic contact islands ( not shown ) disposed under the metal pieces 172 are obtained by a series of etching steps as shown in fig1 a and 14b . for descriptive purpose , portions of the conductive layer 170 , the extrinsic a - si layer 160 , and the intrinsic a - si layer 150 on the wire areas b are called first portions , portions of the conductive layer 170 , the extrinsic a - si layer 160 , and the intrinsic a - si layer 150 on the channel areas a are called second portions , and portions of the conductive layer 170 , the extrinsic a - si layer 160 , and the intrinsic a - si layer 150 on the third areas c are called third portions . an exemplary sequence of forming such a structure is as follows : ( 1 ) removal of third portions of the conductive layer 170 , the extrinsic a - si layer 160 and the intrinsic a - si layer 150 on the wire areas b ; ( 3 ) removal of the second portions of the conductive layer 170 and the extrinsic a - si layer 160 on the channel areas a ; and ( 1 ) removal of the third portions of the conductive layer 170 ; ( 3 ) removal of the third portions of the extrinsic a - si layer 160 and the intrinsic a - si layer 150 ; ( 4 ) removal of the second portions of the conductive layer 170 ; ( 6 ) removal of the second portions of the extrinsic a - si layer 160 . at first , the exposed third portions of the conductive layer 170 on the third areas c are removed by wet etching or dry etching to expose the underlying third portions of the extrinsic a - si layer 160 . next , the third portions of the extrinsic a - si layer 160 on the third areas c and of the intrinsic a - si layer 150 are removed preferably by dry etching and the second portions of the photoresist pr are removed by ashing to expose the second portions of the conductors 170 . the removal of the second portions of the photoresist pr are performed either simultaneously with or independent from the removal of the third portions of the extrinsic a - si layer 160 and of the intrinsic a - si layer 150 . residue of the second portions of the photoresist pr remained on the channel areas a is removed by ashing . the semiconductor stripes 151 and the metal pieces 172 as well as the semiconductor and ohmic contact islands under the metal pieces 172 are completed in this step . next , the second portions of the conductors 170 and the extrinsic a - si layer 160 on the channel areas a as well as the first portion of the photoresist pr are removed . at this time , the second portions of the semiconductor stripes 151 may be subject to thickness reduction . in this way , each conductor 170 is divided into a data line 171 and a plurality of drain electrodes 175 to be completed , and the extrinsic a - si layer 160 is divided into an ohmic contact stripe 161 and a plurality of ohmic contact islands 165 to be completed . referring to fig1 a and 15b , a passivation layer 180 is deposited and patterned along with the gate insulating layer 140 to form a plurality of contact holes 181 - 185 and a plurality of trenches 186 . finally , a plurality of pixel electrodes 190 , a plurality of contact assistants 81 and 82 , and a plurality of storage connections 84 are formed on the passivation layer 180 and the substrate 110 and on the exposed portions of the gate insulating layer 140 , the drain electrodes 175 , the expansions 129 of the gate lines 121 , and the expansions 179 of the data lines 171 by sputtering and photo - etching an izo or ito film with thickness of about 400 - 500 å as shown in fig1 a - 10c . as a result , the manufacturing process is simplified by omitting a photolithography step . an lcd according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to fig1 . fig1 is a sectional view of an lcd shown in fig4 taken along the line v - v ′ according to another embodiment of the present invention . it is noted that reference numerals 91 - 96 and 271 - 276 shown in fig4 should be changed into 101 - 106 and 281 - 286 . referring to fig1 , an lcd according to this embodiment also includes a tft array panel 100 , a common electrode panel 200 , and a lc layer 3 interposed therebetween and including a number of lc molecules 31 . layered structures of the panels 100 and 200 according to this embodiment are almost the same as those shown in fig5 . regarding the tft array panel 100 , a plurality of gate lines 121 including a plurality of gate electrodes 124 and end portions 129 and a plurality of storage electrode lines 131 including a plurality of storage electrodes 133 a and 133 b are formed on a substrate 110 , and a gate insulating layer 140 , a plurality of semiconductor stripes 151 including a plurality of projections 154 , and a plurality of ohmic contact stripes 161 including a plurality of projections 163 and a plurality of ohmic contact islands 165 are sequentially formed thereon . a plurality of data lines 171 including a plurality of source electrodes 173 and end portions 179 , a plurality of drain electrodes 175 , and a plurality of isolated metal pieces 172 are formed on the ohmic contacts 161 and 165 , and a passivation layer 180 is formed thereon . a plurality of contact holes 181 - 185 and a plurality of trenches 186 are provided at the passivation layer 180 and the gate insulating layer 140 . a plurality of pixel electrodes 190 , a plurality of contact assistants 81 and 82 , and a plurality of storage connections 84 are formed on the passivation layer 180 . regarding the common electrode panel 200 , a light blocking member 220 , a plurality of color filters 230 , an overcoat 250 , and a common electrode 270 are formed on an insulating substrate 210 . retardation films 13 and 23 for compensating the retardation of the lc layer 3 are disposed on outer surfaces of the panels 100 and 200 , and a pair of polarizers 12 and 22 are provided on the retardation films 13 and 23 . different from the lcd shown in fig5 , a plurality of protrusions 101 - 106 are provided on the pixel electrodes 190 instead of the cutouts 91 - 96 shown in fig5 , and a plurality of protrusions 281 - 286 are provided on the common electrode 270 instead of the cutouts 271 - 276 shown in fig5 . the protrusions 101 - 106 and 281 - 286 play substantially the same role as the cutouts 91 - 96 and 271 - 276 . that is , the protrusions 101 - 106 and 281 - 286 cause a horizontal component in an electric field generated in the lc layer 3 . in addition , the protrusions 101 - 106 and 281 - 286 cause pretilt of the lc molecules 31 that is perpendicular to edges of the protrusions . as described above , the trenches 186 induce the lc molecules 31 to align their length directions . accordingly , the orientations of the lc molecules 31 on each subarea enclosed by the protrusions 101 - 106 and 281 - 286 and chamfered edges of the pixel electrodes 190 have an azimuthal distribution made by balancing the aligning forces caused by the geometry of the trenches 186 and caused by the protrusions 101 - 106 and 281 - 286 , which improves lateral visibility as well as front visibility . many of the above - described features of the lcd shown in fig1 - 5 may be appropriate to the lcd shown in fig1 . an lcd according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to fig1 . fig1 is a sectional view of an lcd shown in fig4 taken along the line iv - iv ′ according to another embodiment of the present invention . it is noted that reference numerals 271 - 276 shown in fig4 should be changed into 281 - 286 . referring to fig1 , an lcd according to this embodiment also includes a tft array panel 100 , a common electrode panel 200 , and a lc layer 3 interposed therebetween and including a number of lc molecules 31 . layered structures of the panels 100 and 200 according to this embodiment are almost the same as those shown in fig5 and 16 . more exactly , the structure of the lcd shown in fig1 is a hybrid of those shown in fig5 and 16 . regarding the tft array panel 100 , a plurality of gate lines 121 including a plurality of gate electrodes 124 and end portions 129 and a plurality of storage electrode lines 131 including a plurality of storage electrodes 133 a and 133 b are formed on a substrate 110 , and a gate insulating layer 140 , a plurality of semiconductor stripes 151 including a plurality of projections 154 , and a plurality of ohmic contact stripes 161 including a plurality of projections 163 and a plurality of ohmic contact islands 165 are sequentially formed thereon . a plurality of data lines 171 including a plurality of source electrodes 173 and end portions 179 , a plurality of drain electrodes 175 , and a plurality of isolated metal pieces 172 are formed on the ohmic contacts 161 and 165 , and a passivation layer 180 is formed thereon . a plurality of contact holes 181 - 185 and a plurality of trenches 186 are provided at the passivation layer 180 and the gate insulating layer 140 . a plurality of pixel electrodes 190 , a plurality of contact assistants 81 and 82 , and a plurality of storage connections 84 are formed on the passivation layer 180 . regarding the common electrode panel 200 , a light blocking member 220 , a plurality of color filters 230 , an overcoat 250 , and a common electrode 270 are formed on an insulating substrate 210 . retardation films 13 and 23 for compensating the retardation of the lc layer 3 are disposed on outer surfaces of the panels 100 and 200 , and a pair of polarizers 12 and 22 are provided on the retardation films 13 and 23 . the lcd according to this embodiment provides a plurality of cutouts 91 - 96 at the pixel electrodes 190 like fig5 , while it provides a plurality of protrusions 281 - 286 on the common electrode 270 like fig1 . accordingly , the orientations of the lc molecules 31 on each subarea enclosed by the cutouts 91 - 96 , the protrusions 281 - 286 and chamfered edges of the pixel electrodes 190 have an azimuthal distribution made by balancing the aligning forces caused by the geometry of the trenches 186 and caused by the cutouts 91 - 96 and the protrusions 281 - 286 , which improves lateral visibility as well as front visibility . many of the above - described features of the lcd shown in fig5 and 16 may be appropriate to the lcd shown in fig1 . an lcd according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to fig1 - 21 as well as fig2 and 23 . fig1 is a layout view of a tft array panel of an lcd according to an embodiment of the present invention , fig1 is a layout view of a common electrode panel of an lcd according to an embodiment of the present invention , fig2 is a layout view of an lcd including the tft array panel shown in fig1 and the common electrode panel shown in fig1 , and fig2 is a sectional view of the lcd shown in fig2 taken along the line xxi - xxi ′. referring to fig1 - 21 , an lcd according to this embodiment also includes a tft array panel 100 , a common electrode panel 200 , and a lc layer 3 interposed therebetween and including a number of lc molecules 31 . layered structures of the panels 100 and 200 according to this embodiment are almost the same as those shown in fig1 - 5 . regarding the tft array panel 100 , a plurality of gate lines 121 including a plurality of gate electrodes 124 and end portions 129 and a plurality of storage electrode lines 131 including a plurality of storage electrodes 133 a and 133 b are formed on a substrate 110 , and a gate insulating layer 140 , a plurality of semiconductor stripes 151 including a plurality of projections 154 , and a plurality of ohmic contact stripes 161 including a plurality of projections 163 and a plurality of ohmic contact islands 165 are sequentially formed thereon . a plurality of data lines 171 including a plurality of source electrodes 173 and end portions 179 , a plurality of drain electrodes 175 , and a plurality of isolated metal pieces 172 are formed on the ohmic contacts 161 and 165 , and a passivation layer 180 is formed thereon . a plurality of contact holes 181 - 185 are provided at the passivation layer 180 and the gate insulating layer 140 . a plurality of pixel electrodes 190 having a plurality of cutouts 91 - 96 , a plurality of contact assistants 81 and 82 , and a plurality of storage connections 84 are formed on the passivation layer 180 . regarding the common electrode panel 200 , a light blocking member 220 , a plurality of color filters 230 , an overcoat 250 , and a common electrode 270 having a plurality of cutouts 271 - 276 are formed on an insulating substrate 210 . retardation films 13 and 23 for compensating the retardation of the lc layer 3 are disposed on outer surfaces of the panels 100 and 200 , and crossed polarizers 12 and 22 are provided on the retardation films 13 and 23 , respectively , such that one of their polarization axes is parallel to the transverse direction or the longitudinal direction . a pair of alignment layers 11 and 21 , which are not shown in fig5 but may be also provided , are coated on inner surfaces of the panels 100 and 200 . different from the lcd shown in fig1 - 5 , there is no trench at the passivation layer 180 . instead , the alignment layers 11 and 21 preferably made of polyimide or polyamide are rubbed in a direction making an oblique angle , preferably of about 40 - 50 degree and more preferably of about 45 degrees , with oblique edges of the cutouts 91 - 96 and 271 - 276 . it is preferable that the rubbing directions are parallel to a polarization axis pol of the polarizers 12 and 22 such that the luminance in a black state of the lcd is minimized . it is also preferable that the rubbing directions are antiparallel but they may be parallel . the rubbing makes the lc molecules 31 near the alignments layers 11 and 21 tilt along the rubbing directions upon application of an electric field to the lc layer 3 , and antiparallel rubbing directions make the lc molecules 31 tilt in opposite directions . the predetermined tilt direction is referred to as “ the pretilt direction ” hereinafter and the treatment for providing the pretilt direction such as the rubbing is referred to as “ the pretilt treatment .” the provisions of the above - described trenches 186 can be also considered as a kind of the pretilt treatment . the pretilt direction may be also obtained by illuminating a polarized light onto the alignment layers 11 and 21 . the pretilt treatment may cause the lc molecules 31 to be slightly inclined relative to a direction normal to surfaces of the alignment layers 11 and 21 . the pretilt treatment may be performed to only one of the alignment layers 11 and 21 . when pretilt treatment is performed to the alignment layer 11 , the pretilt direction is preferably parallel to the polarization axis pol of the polarizer 12 . on the contrary , the pretilt direction is preferably parallel to the polarization axis pol of the polarizer 22 when the pretilt treatment is performed at the alignment layer 21 . as described above , the parallelism between the pretilt direction and one of the polarization axes pol minimizes the light leakage in the black state . fig2 and 23 show two different types of pretilt directions , one in the longitudinal direction and the other in the transverse direction , for a pair of crossed polarization axes pol . the pretilt directions shown in fig2 and 23 are antiparallel to each other . the nails shown in fig2 and 23 indicate four different tilt directions of the lc molecules 31 . accordingly , the orientations of the lc molecules 31 on each subarea enclosed by the cutouts 91 - 96 and 271 - 276 and chamfered edges of the pixel electrodes 190 have an azimuthal distribution made by balancing the aligning forces caused by the provision of the pretilt directions and caused by the cutouts 91 - 96 and 271 - 276 , which improves lateral visibility as well as front visibility . the pretilt treatment such as rubbing or the light illumination can be localized by using photoresist pattern . for example , the pretilt directions formed by the local pretilt treatment may be equal to the extending directions of the trenches 186 shown in fig4 . many of the above - described features of the lcd shown in fig1 - 5 may be appropriate to the lcd shown in fig1 - 21 . an lcd according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to fig2 - 27 . fig2 is a layout view of a tft array panel of an lcd according to an embodiment of the present invention , fig2 is a layout view of a common electrode panel of an lcd according to an embodiment of the present invention , fig2 is a layout view of an lcd including the tft array panel shown in fig2 and the common electrode panel shown in fig2 , and fig2 is a sectional view of the lcd shown in fig2 taken along the line xxvii - xxvii ′. referring to fig2 - 27 , an lcd according to this embodiment also includes a tft array panel 100 , a common electrode panel 200 , and a lc layer 3 interposed therebetween and including a number of lc molecules 31 . layered structures of the panels 100 and 200 according to this embodiment are almost the same as those shown in fig1 - 21 . regarding the tft array panel 100 , a plurality of gate lines 121 including a plurality of gate electrodes 124 and end portions 129 and a plurality of storage electrode lines 131 including a plurality of storage electrodes 133 a and 133 b are formed on a substrate 110 , and a gate insulating layer 140 , a plurality of semiconductor stripes 151 including a plurality of projections 154 , and a plurality of ohmic contact stripes 161 including a plurality of projections 163 and a plurality of ohmic contact islands 165 are sequentially formed thereon . a plurality of data lines 171 including a plurality of source electrodes 173 and end portions 179 , a plurality of drain electrodes 175 , and a plurality of isolated metal pieces 172 are formed on the ohmic contacts 161 and 165 , and a passivation layer 180 is formed thereon . a plurality of contact holes 181 - 185 are provided at the passivation layer 180 and the gate insulating layer 140 . a plurality of pixel electrodes 190 , a plurality of contact assistants 81 and 82 , and a plurality of storage connections 84 are formed on the passivation layer 180 , and an alignment layer 11 is coated thereon . regarding the common electrode panel 200 , a light blocking member 220 , a plurality of color filters 230 , an overcoat 250 , a common electrode 270 , and an alignment layer 21 are formed on an insulating substrate 210 . retardation films 13 and 23 for compensating the retardation of the lc layer 3 are disposed on outer surfaces of the panels 100 and 200 , and crossed polarizers 12 and 22 are provided on the retardation films 13 and 23 , respectively . different from the lcd shown in fig1 - 21 , each pixel electrode 190 has a cutout 98 extending in a longitudinal direction and bisecting the pixel electrode 190 into left and right halves . in addition , the common electrode 270 has a plurality of pairs of cutouts 277 and 279 and each pair of cutouts 277 and 279 faces a pixel electrode 190 and is disposed between the cutout 98 of the pixel electrode 190 and longitudinal edges of the pixel electrode 190 . the cutouts 98 , 277 and 279 make an electric field generated by the electrodes 190 and 270 to have a horizontal component in a transverse direction . furthermore , the polarization axes of the polarizers 12 and 22 make an angle of about 45 degrees with the gate lines 121 and the data lines 171 and the alignment layers 11 and 21 are subject to pretilt treatment giving a pretilt direction parallel to one of the polarization axes pol of the polarizers 12 and 22 . fig2 show exemplary pretilt directions , the tilt directions of the lc molecules , and a pair of crossed polarization axes pol of the lcd shown in fig2 - 27 . the pretilt directions shown in fig2 are antiparallel to each other . the nails shown in fig2 and 23 indicate two different tilt directions of the lc molecules 31 . when the cutouts 98 , 277 and 279 extend in the transverse direction , the tilt directions may be longitudinal as shown in fig2 , which shows pretilt directions , tilt directions of lc molecules , and a pair of crossed polarization axes pol of such an lcd . accordingly , the orientations of the lc molecules 31 on each subarea enclosed by the cutouts 98 , 277 and 279 and the longitudinal edges of the pixel electrodes 190 have an azimuthal distribution made by balancing the aligning forces caused by the provision of the pretilt directions and caused by cutouts 98 , 277 and 279 , which improves lateral visibility as well as front visibility . many of the above - described features of the lcd shown in fig1 - 21 may be appropriate to the lcd shown in fig2 - 27 . while the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments , those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and substitutions can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims .	6
for explaining the functioning , it shall be assumed that , as shown in fig1 a rectangular skip from 0 to the ultimate value s ensues at the signal output at the time t 0 , whereby the engraving system should mechanically follow this . this represents the hardest case that occurs in practice . when a linear , completely undamped spring - mass system is excited by a rectangular skip in rated value , as shown in fig2 then , as shown in fig3 it continues to oscillate with its characteristic , natural frequency with double the amplitude of the rated value skip after the skip . in a practically executed system , a damping is always present , being even potentially effected by measures specifically provided for this reason . such a system will follow the curve reproduced in fig4 ; the undesired , resonant oscillation will decay due to the attenuation until the system ultimately remains in the new final position that corresponds to the rated value skip . as already mentioned above , this transiency leads to image disturbances . here , too , however , the first cusp point lies at double the amplitude of the rated value skip in a good approximation -- as it does in fig3 . when it is then assumed that the incoming signal of fig1 is supplied to a delay element ( for example , to a sample - and - hold circuit ) that outputs it again after a time t 2 - t 0 ( fig5 ) then a correction signal can be derived from the rated signal during this storage time . for a rectangular skip of the useful signal , this correction signal advantageously has half the amplitude value of the useful signal ( fig5 ) and has the length of a quarter period of the characteristic oscillation of the system and is likewise advantageously rectangular . when , as shown in fig6 this correction signal is placed chronologically preceding the useful signal during output , then the engraving system will already skip to the point p upon application of the correction signal ( double the amplitude of the correction signal ). at time t 2 , the engraving system has just reached the rated value and the excursion speed is 0 . when the delay circuit then forwards the full , new rated value to the system at this time t 2 , then the system experiences no further accelerations but remains at the desired rated excursion . that stated above applies exactly only to linear systems . the spring of such systems is usually fashioned as a non - linear torsion spring and the forces of the permanent magnetic flux also act on the armature like the spring having a non - linear characteristic . further , different engraving systems have slight scatters in the resonant frequency in manufacture . for exact matching , it is therefore advantageous to make the correction signal variable with respect to amplitude and duration . due to the non - linear characteristic , it is also advantageous to control the amplitude and duration of the correction signal dependent on the difference in gradation value ( skip height ) and dependent on the gradation value itself . a number of solutions can be applied with respect to the embodiment of the circuit arrangement . for example , the signal can be quantized and input as well as output can be effected by a shift register controlled with a clock generator . the correction signal can be acquired with regulated and controlled voltage dividers and can likewise be output by the clock control . solutions are also conceivable that undertake the storing and output in analog form with clocked sample - and - hold circuits . in any case , such circuit arrangements can be constructed with means at the command of any one skilled in the art . fig7 illustrates the apparatus for practicing the invention . an engraving signal is supplied to terminal 10 and supplied to delay circuit 11 which may be a sample and hold circuit . the output 11 &# 39 ; of the delay circuit 11 is connected to a correction circuit 12 which can be adjusted to vary the amplitude of the correction signal by amplitude setting knob 14 . a duration setting knob 16 allows the time of phase delay of circuit 12 to be set . the outputs of circuits 11 and 12 are combined and supplied as a command signal corrected according to the invention to an engraving system 13 .	1
fig1 is the block diagram of a prior art audio synchronizer system containing a video frame synchronizer 1 having a video input terminal 2 , a delayed video output terminal 3 , a video delay detector 6 having a video input terminal 4 , a delayed video input terminal 5 and providing a video delay signal 10 . also shown is a variable audio delay 7 having an audio input terminal 8 and a delayed audio output terminal 9 , the variable audio delay being responsive to the video delay signal 10 . fig1 shows by way of example a typical block diagram of a prior art audio synchronizer system which would be used to correct audio to video delay problems . in this system , a television video signal is passed through video frame synchronizer 1 which delays the video . video delay detector 6 is responsive to video input to the frame synchronizer at terminal 4 and video output from the frame synchronizer at terminal 5 , to measure the time difference , or time delay , of video from terminal 2 which is passed through the video frame synchronizer 1 to terminal 3 . this delay is output from the delay detector 6 at terminal 10 and is applied to the variable audio delay 7 . audio delay 7 operates to delay the television program audio input on terminal 8 by an amount equal to the delay of the video passing through the video frame synchronizer and output the delayed audio on terminal 9 . the prior art audio synchronizer system of fig1 works well ; however , it requires that video which is input to the video frame synchronizer , or delay , and video output from the video frame synchronizer or delay are both applied to the video delay detector . this is an unsuitable situation where the input and output of the delay mechanism are removed by any physical distance . such a situation happens if video is transmitted via satellite and audio is transmitted via another path such as terrestrial microwave . fig2 is a prior art audio in video transmission system having an audio in video encoder 13 which has a video input terminal 11 and an audio input terminal 12 and a video plus audio output terminal 14 . also shown is a video transmission path and delay 15 , an audio in video decoder circuit 16 having an input terminal to receive audio from 15 , a delayed video output terminal , and a delayed audio output terminal . this prior art solution to ensure that audio and video synchronization is always maintained is to encode the audio portion of a television program onto the video part of the program . in fig2 audio at input terminal 12 and video at input terminal 11 are applied to an audio in video encoder 13 where the audio is stored for 1 frame , time compressed and placed into the blanking interval of the video signal . the combined audio and video signal output from terminal 14 is then passed through the video transmission path , or other delay , 15 and is input to an audio in video decoder 16 . the audio in video decoder then removes the digitized audio from the blanking interval of the video and reconverts it to analog audio where it is output in delayed form , delayed by the same amount as the video plus 1 frame . the video signal is also output in delayed form , the delay being due to 15 . since the audio and the video have both travelled the same path , then the delay of audio at the output terminal and the delay of video at the output terminal will be nominally the same ; therefore , no large mis - synchronization of audio and video will occur . the prior art system of fig2 works well ; however with current systems , it has a shortcoming in that when high quality audio is placed into the video blanking interval the video is no longer in conformance with ntsc standards , causing a great deal of difficulty if the video signal is to be processed by standard video equipment such as video tape recorders . another problem with the system of fig2 is that there is a limited amount of information - carrying capability in the video signal due to its limited blanking interval . therefore , the quality or number of audio channels which can be handled by this system is limited . two u . s . patents describing such audio in video systems are u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 333 , 108 and 4 , 361 , 852 . fig3 is the block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention which may overcome the previously discussed problems of the prior art . fig3 shows a timing encoder 17 responsive to a second associated signal , in this example audio , input on input terminal 45 to generate a timing signal , and combining that timing signal with a first associated signal , in this example video , input on terminal 20 , outputting the combined video and timing signal on 22 . in the preferred embodiment the timing signal is a digitized version of the audio signal which has been low pass filtered . the combined video and timing signal which has passed through video transmission path 23 is applied to delay decoder 18 at input terminal 24 and to delay generator 19 at input terminal 29 . alternate connection of 18 is shown in dashed lines . if transmission path 23 is to be a video recording device , the combined video and timing signal at 22 may be combined by recording the video and timing signal on the same recording medium as will be discussed later . delay decoder 18 is also responsive to audio which has passed through audio path 43 at input terminal 41 . in the recursive form of the invention , the audio will have been delayed by 19 before application to 18 , in the non - recursive form audio is applied to 18 before delay by 19 . corresponding conditions apply for video . audio path 43 need not be related to or have the same time delay as video path 23 . delay decoder 18 determines the relative delay between the signals input at 24 and 41 using the aforementioned timing signal and outputs a delay signal from output terminal 47 which is a measure of this delay . delay generator 19 is responsive to the combined video and timing signal at input terminal 29 and to audio at input terminal 37 to delay the earlier one of these signals in response to the delay signal at input terminal 33 in order that the video output at output terminal 30 and the audio output at output terminal 39 will be equalized in timing . delay generator 19 is shown in this preferred form of the invention as having the capability of delaying either the received audio signal at 37 or the received video signal at 29 in order that either may arrive earlier than the other . in a great number of television systems , the received video will always be delayed with respect to the received audio , therefore the video will never need to be delayed . in these systems , the video delay capability of 19 along with terminals 29 and 30 may be eliminated . in other systems , it is desired to only measure the relative delay without any correction and thus the delay generator 19 is unnecessary . as will be obvious to one skilled in the art , delay decoder 18 may be connected at the output of delay generator 19 as shown in dashed lines of fig3 to determine if delayed audio from 39 and delayed video from 30 are properly matched . the delay generator 19 would then be controlled by the delay generator 19 to maintain proper timing . delay generator 19 could then be placed at the other side of the transmission path if desired . inspecting the output of the delay generator to control the delay generator is a recursive form of the invention , and inspecting the input to the delay generator to control the delay generator is a non - recursive form . making the transition from recursive to non - recursive form will be obvious from the present teachings taken with the prior art such as u . s . pat . no . 4 , 313 , 135 , so only the non - recursive form will be discussed . it will be understood however that the present disclosure and claims may apply to either form . fig4 shows a first embodiment of the invention containing a timing encoder 17 consisting of a timing signal generator 44 and a combiner 21 . timing signal generator 44 is responsive to input audio from terminal 45 to generate the aforementioned timing signal which is combined with the video signal input on terminal 20 by combiner 21 . the combined video and audio timing signal is then passed through the video transmission path 23 and on to delay decoder 18 and delay generator 19 . the audio signal applied to terminal 45 is also passed through the audio transmission path 43 which does not need to be related to video path 23 . at the receiving end of the audio and video transmission paths 23 and 43 , a timing signal recovery circuit 26 , part of delay decoder 18 , which is responsive to video containing the timing signal information input at input terminal 24 , recovers the timing signal information and applies it via output 27 to delay detector 34 at input terminal 32 . a second timing signal generator 40 , also part of delay decoder 18 , which is the same as timing signal generator 44 , is responsive to audio which has passed through the audio transmission path 43 applied at input terminal 41 , to generate a timing signal on output terminal 42 which is applied to the delay detector 34 at input terminal 35 . the timing signal output of timing generator 40 at terminal 42 is the same as that which was output by timing signal generator 44 and previously combined with the video in combiner 21 . by way of example , if the delay of 23 is greater than that of 43 , the timing signal input to the delay detector at input terminal 35 is therefore the same timing signal that will be input at a later time , corresponding to the delay of the video transmission path , 23 , less the delay of the audio transmission path 43 , at input terminal 32 of the delay detector . the delay detector is capable of measuring the time delay between the occurance of a particular timing signal sequence at input 35 and that same timing signal sequence which is later input at terminal 32 and outputting a signal responsive to that delay . this delay signal is a measure of the audio to video timing and is output at output terminal 47 . the delay signal from 47 is applied via input terminal 33 of 19 to the input of variable audio delay 36 at terminal 38 causing the variable audio delay 36 to delay audio from input terminal 37 by an amount substantially equal to the delay of video present at 24 with respect to audio at 41 , and output that delayed audio from output terminal 39 with video delay 28 is set to minimum delay , which delayed audio has the same delay as the video output from the system at terminal 25 . the audio to video lip - sync is thereby equalized . one skilled in the art will immediately recognize that this invention will operate with either audio or video delayed with respect to the other . it is important to note that delay detector 34 measures the relative delay between audio at 41 and video at 24 and thus can accomodate positive and negative changes in relative delay of audio and video which result from changes in the video delay of path 23 or the audio delay of path 43 . appropriate adjustment of delays 28 and 36 is made accordingly . this feature is not present in prior art audio synchronizer devices such as that of fig1 . the delay signal output from delay detector 34 may be utilized for a variety of test and measuring functions , as well as or in place of controlling variable delays 28 and 36 . in systems where the audio transmission path delay exceeds that of the video transmission path it is necessary to delay the video signal rather than the audio signal in order to achieve proper audio to video synchronization . in that situation , the output of delay detector 34 is applied to a variable video delay 28 at input terminal 31 and audio delay 36 is set to minimum . the variable video delay operating to delay the video from the transmission path 23 , which is applied to its input terminal 29 , and to output the delayed video at its output terminal 30 . in this fashion , the video may be delayed to match the audio delay which occured in the audio transmission path 43 , thereby affecting correct synchronization of television audio and video . of course , if the video delay is always greater than the audio delay , 28 may be eliminated and vice versa . either video from 29 or audio from 37 will be utilized for the program material as appropriate . in the preferred embodiment , in those systems where the video delay always exceeds the audio delay , video from 25 and audio from 39 will be used with 28 being eliminated . in summary , a timing signal which is derived from the television audio signal is combined with the video before the audio and / or video signals are transmitted through the transmission path or processing circuitry to a receiving location which transmission causes unequal audio and video delay times . at the receiving location , this timing signal is recovered from the video and is compared to the timing signal which is again generated from the audio which has been passed through the delay path or circuitry . because the timing signal , which has been recovered from the video and the timing signal which is generated from the delayed audio are essentially the same signal separated in time , a delay detector can determine the difference in time between the occurance of selected events or patterns of those two signals . it should be noted that this difference in time corresponds to the actual difference in timing between audio and video at the output of the delays or the transmission paths . it does not necessarily correspond to the delay time of the video path or to the delay time of the audio path . the delay detector then controls either a variable audio delay or a variable video delay or both to delay the audio or the video signal , whichever is earlier , to match the other of the signals . by this process , the audio to video synchronization , or lip - sync , will be restored . in addition , the measure of the delay which is output from the delay detector may be used for test , monitor or measuring functions , for example , to monitor the path length or delay time as a measure of quality of the transmission path . the timing signal which is encoded in the video need to not be the full bandwidth audio as in the prior art of fig2 since only timing information is required ; therefore , the problem of having adequate video blanking intervals is overcome . also , there is no connection required between video going into the video transmission path , or delay , and the delay detector which may be located at the output of the video transmission path , or delay . because such a connection is not required , this system is well - suited to preserving a lip - sync for television systems such as satellite and microwave transmission systems which have great distances between their input and output locations . fig5 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the present invention showing an audio to video correction system which may be utilized with one or more audio channels . fig5 shows timing encoder 17 , delay decoder 18 and delay generator 19 , all having the same purpose as the same numbered sections of fig3 but having different internal functions as compared to the embodiment of fig4 . audio # 1 from input 45 is low - pass filtered by low - pass filter 65 and applied to an audio in video encoder 46 at input 48 where it is combined with video from input terminal 20 . the low - pass filtered audio is digitized to an n - bit quantization level , for example 1 - bit , thus becoming a timing signal derived from the audio . the timing signal is , in this case , a digitized low - pass filtered audio signal and may still be referred to as low - pass filtered ( lpf ) audio . of course , the lpf audio may be digitized to more than a one - bit level as in prior art systems of fig2 ; however , in the preferred embodiment shown , one bit is sufficient . for the preferred one bit digitization level the audio output on 54 of audio in video decoder 52 will be binary in nature ; however , if more than one bit quantization is used the output on 54 may be binary or analog . either binary or analog audio from 54 may be input to 18 since by use of a timing signal generator such as 40 of fig4 the analog audio signal may be converted to binary for use by the delay detector . the low - pass filtered audio in video which is output from audio and video encoder 46 on output terminal 22 , is then passed through the video transmission path and delay 50 . at the output of the video transmission path 50 , the video containing low - pass filtered audio may be passed through an optional additional video delay 51 having input 49 , and then applied to an audio and video decoder 52 via input 24 . the audio in video decoder 52 outputs the delayed video , called delayed video because it has been delayed by the transmission path 50 , and separates the low - pass filtered audio which is output on terminal 54 corresponding to 27 of fig4 . it should be noted that in fig5 the delayed video output 53 from the transmission path 50 is shown as passing through the delay decoder 18 , whereas in fig4 the video output video 25 does not pass through delay decoder 18 . this difference is shown because in some systems it is desirable to have the audio information deleted from the video before the video is output from 53 . this deletion is performed by 52 . if it is not necessary to perform this deletion , then output 53 may be taken directly from input 24 or 49 as will be apparent to one skilled in the art . similarly , the video output 25 of fig4 may be taken from the delay decoder 18 as necessary . the low - pass filtered audio is applied to an audio delay detector 55 corresponding to 34 of fig3 at input terminal 56 . referring again to fig5 audio # 1 from input terminal 64a is transmitted through audio transmission path 63a . audio output from the transmission path is then applied to the audio delay detector 55 at input terminal 57 . the audio delay detector 55 detects the delay of audio arriving at input terminal 56 with respect to the audio arriving at input terminal 57 . the delay output from audio delay detector 55 on output terminal 58 is then applied via line 33 to variable audio delay 59a at input terminal 60a where the audio # 1 signal from the audio transmission path 63a is input via 61a , delayed and output on output terminal 62a . a second audio signal applied at terminal 64b and passing through audio transmission path 63b may also be delayed by variable delay 59b having input 61b in response to the audio delay detector &# 39 ; s output which is input at terminal 60b . the delayed audio # 2 is output on terminal 62b . in the system of fig5 the delay given to audio # 1 and audio # 2 , by transmission paths 63a and 63b , is expected to be the same , as will be the delay generated by variable delays 59a and 59b . in order to ensure that audio arriving at audio delay detector input terminal 56 is always delayed with respect to audio arriving at delay detector input terminal 57 , an additional video delay 51 may be added to the system . however , if the delay of video transmission path 1 is sufficient to guarantee that audio input to the delay detector at terminal 56 will always be delayed with respect to audio arriving at terminal 57 , then the additional video delay 51 will not be necessary , and the video from transmission path 50 will be coupled directly to the input of the audio in video decoder 52 at 24 . since the audio arriving at input terminal 56 is a low - pass filtered and delayed version of the audio arriving at input terminal 57 , it is possible for the audio delay detector to detect the delay , or the time difference , between those two audio signals . since audio # 1 , which is encoded in the video in the audio and video encoder 46 is low - pass filtered , only a small amount of the video blanking interval need be used . since only a small amount of the interval is used for encoding audio , the video may still conform to ntsc specifications . the low - pass filtered audio which is encoded in the video , will be sufficient for recovering timing information ; however , it may not be suitable for transmitting program audio information . it may be recognized , by one skilled in the art , that even if the delay time of video transmission path 50 and / or audio transmission paths 63a and 63b are constantly changing , as is the case in many video transmission systems , the audio delay detector 55 will still be able to decode the relative delay between audio at input terminals 56 and 57 and will be able to control variable delays 59a and 59b accordingly , so that audio output from 59a and b will be properly timed to delayed video which is output from terminal 53 . as previously stated , it is expected that the audio transmission paths 63a and 63b of fig5 will give equal delay to audio signal # 1 and audio signal # 2 . fig6 shows another embodiment of the system of fig5 wherein the audio transmission paths may have separate delays . fig6 shows a two - channel audio to video timing equalizer with timing encoder 17 having audio # 1 input terminal 69a and audio # 2 input terminal 69b . audio # 1 from 69a is input to low - pass filter 68a and is passed through audio transmission path 84a . audio # 2 from 69b is passed to low - pass filter 68b and to audio # 2 transmission path , 84b . low - pass filtered audio # 1 from 69a via 68a is passed to audio in video encoder 85 at audio input terminal 67a . audio # 2 from 69b , which has been low - pass filtered by 68b , is passed to audio in video encoder 85 at terminal 67b . video into the system is applied via 20 to audio in video encoder 85 at terminal 66 . audio in video encoder 85 has an output terminal 70 corresponding to 22 of fig3 which outputs video which has had audio timing signals derived from audio at terminal 67a and 67b encoded on it . this video is passed through transmission path 71 and applied to audio in video decoder 73 at terminal 72 corresponding to 24 of fig3 . audio in video decoder 73 has output terminal 74 which outputs delayed video , output terminal 75a which outputs low - pass filtered audio # 1 , the timing signal derived from audio # 1 and output terminal 75b which outputs low - pass filtered audio # 2 . low - pass filtered audio # 1 from terminal 75a is also applied to audio delay detector 76a and input 77a . audio # 1 , which has passed through transmission path 84a , is also applied to audio delay detector 76a at terminal 78a , and applied to variable audio delay 81a at input terminal 83a . delay signal from the delay signal output terminal 79a of audio delay detector 76a is applied to input terminal 80a of variable audio delay circuit 81a . audio applied at terminal 83a of variable audio delay circuit 81a is delayed and then output via terminal 82a . low - pass filtered audio # 2 output from audio in video decoder 73 at terminal 75b is applied to audio delay detector 76b at terminal 77b . audio # 2 from transmission path 84b is applied to audio delay detector 76b at input terminal 78b and also applied to variable audio delay 81b at input terminal 83b . audio delay detector 76b outputs a delay signal at output terminal 79b , which delay signal is applied to audio delay 81b at its input terminal 80b . audio # 2 , which was applied to variable audio delay 81b at terminal 83b , is delayed and output on output terminal 82b . the essential difference between the embodiments of fig6 and fig5 is that the low - pass filtered audio # 2 timing signal is also encoded in the video signal and subsequently decoded from the video signal after it has passed through the transmission path . each audio channel will then have its own audio delay detector 76a and 76b and its own variable audio delay 81a and 81b responsive to its individual audio delay detector . in this fashion , the delay times of the two audio transmission paths 84a and 84b may be different and each respective audio delay may compensate accordingly . as previously discussed , the video delay may not be needed and thus is not shown in fig6 . since low - pass filtered audio is encoded in the video and only enough audio information to recover timing information is required , it is possible to put both audio channels &# 39 ; timing information into the video and still have the video conform to ntsc or other specifications . it would not be possible to encode 20 k hz 90 db program audio in video meeting ntsc standards in a fashion such that full - quality program audio could be decoded at the output of the transmission path 71 . however , according to the teachings of the present invention , only timing information need be encoded which takes up much less space in the video blanking interval than would full bandwidth program audio . from the above teachings it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that by connecting 83a to 77b , delay detector 76b can be caused to equalize the delay between audio # 1 and audio # 2 if the two audio signals are similar . this arrangement will be useful for correcting phase errors of stereo signals . several variations of this system will also be apparent from the present teachings , for example sum ( audio # 1 + audio # 2 ) or - different ( audio # 1 - audio # 2 ) signals can be operated on or used to generate timing information . pilot tones or other timing signals can also be added to the audio in response to the video in a sub - audible fashion , thereby causing the audio to carry the timing information instead of or in addition to the video carried timing information , however it is preferred to operate the system without altering the audio signal . fig7 and 8 show details of a binary audio encoder which gives a more detailed view of element 17 of fig3 or 5 and their operation . the circuit of fig7 has a video input terminal 96 , corresponding to 20 of these figures , and an audio input terminal 97 corresponding to 45 . a combined video and binary audio output terminal 87 is shown corresponding to 22 . audio is passed through a low - pass filter 98 corresponding to 65 of fig5 . fig8 shows the audio input at terminal 97 in waveform 102 as might typically be seen . waveforms 102 - 105 have the same time relationships along the x axis . the low - pass filter 98 removes high - frequency components and outputs low - pass filtered audio on terminal 99 as would be seen in waveform 103 of fig8 . the comparator 100 provides a binary output corresponding to the period in time when low - pass filtered audio is positive . this binary audio output may be seen in waveform 104 of fig8 . note that waveform 104 is high when the low - pass filtered audio waveform 103 is positive and waveform 104 is low when the low - pass filtered audio is negative . by way of demonstration , the vertical blanking interval of the video input signal applied at terminal 96 is shown at wave form 105 . this blanking interval occurs at approximately a 60 hz rate . the low - pass filtered audio , shown at waveform 103 , is low - pass filtered to approximately a 10 hz 3 db point , as can be seen from this example by comparing the waveform 103 to the waveform 105 . the binary audio from comparator 100 on output terminal 101 is applied to enable gate 92 on input terminal 94 . the enable gate stores the binary audio from the previous vertical field period , in response to timing signals applied at input 93 from output 91 of the sync stripper and clock generator 89 . in response to the timing signals from 89 , the enable gate will output the stored binary audio pulses during a selected line of vertical blanking , which pulses are combined with the video which is input on terminal 86 in combiner 90 . these pulses would typically be seen as 107 on waveform 106 of fig8 if inspected at output terminal 87 . note that the time scale for 106 is not the same as for 102 - 105 . details of inserting digital samples of an audio signal into a video signal will be obvious to one skilled in the art after reading the previously mentioned u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 333 , 108 and 4 , 361 , 852 . enable gate 92 alternately may merely sample the binary audio at input terminal 94 during a selected line of the vertical blanking as determined by sync stripper 89 . if binary audio is high during this line , the enable gate 92 will output a pulse at 95 which is applied to the input 88 of the combiner 90 on terminal 88 , this pulse being added to the line of vertical blanking of the video signal applied at input 86 and the combined video and pulse output on terminal 87 . if binary audio was not high during the selected line of the vertical interval in the second example , no pulse would be output from enable gate 92 and therefore no pulse would be combined with video in combiner 90 . the enable gate 92 may be thought of as sampling the binary audio signal at a predetermined interval which , in this example , corresponds to the vertical blanking rate and outputting those samples on output terminal 95 so that combiner 90 combines those samples with incoming video . as a further embodiment of the system , the enable gate might sample binary audio periodically during the video field , for example six times per field , store those samples , and then during the selected line of vertical blanking output all six of those samples for combination with the video . the number of samples of binary audio which are combined with video on every vertical blanking interval , determines the maximum frequency response of the binary audio when it is recovered from the video after transmission through the transmission path . according to nyquist &# 39 ; s theorem , the maximum frequency of binary audio signal which can be reconstructed is one - half of the sampling rate which the enable gate 92 performs . this maximum frequency determines the accuracy with which delay times can subsequently be determined ; however , a sample rate of one sample per vertical will allow a 30 hz binary audio signal to be reconstructed . this 30 hz signal is more than adequate for determining delays of most video transmission systems . as previously mentioned the audio signal can also be digitized to greater accuracy than one bit . this is desirable for improving performance , such as the speed at which the delay decoder 18 can measure the delay , and the ability to measure delay in the presence of noise on the audio or video signals . it is however not necessary as previously explained , to encode full broadcast quality audio . as an alternate embodiment of this system , 89 , 92 and 90 can be replaced with a smpte timecode generator and the binary audio from 101 inserted in the binary data or user bits area of the standard smpte / ebu time code , with the timecode being encoded in the video vertical interval . the spmte / ebu time code can also be transmitted or recorded on a separate channel or track as is well known in the art . such time code encoding generators with built in video insertion are well known in the art . companion time code decoding devices which will allow the subsequent recovery of binary audio are also well known . fig9 shows a more detailed drawing of 26 of fig4 or of the major part of 52 of fig5 fig4 and 5 showing two embodiments of 18 . fig9 is a binary audio decoder which is suitable for use in decoding binary audio signals which have been encoded on a video signal by a binary audio encoder such as shown in fig7 . video containing encoded binary audio is input in input terminal 108 and is applied to comparator 109 at 118 , to reference circuit 110 at 119 , and to sync stripper and clock generator circuit 115 at input 120 . reference circuit 110 is a peak hold circuit responsive to the video and to the encoded pulses such as that shown at 107 of fig8 to generate a reference 117 which is approximately one - half of the voltage level between the peak of pulse 107 and the blanking level of video . this reference is applied to the negative input of comparator 109 . video is applied to the positive input of comparator 109 , therefore the output 111 of 109 will correspond to the period in time when the video exceeds the reference . sync stripper and clock generator 115 provide timing signals 116 to latch 112 at input 114 so that only the previously encoded binary audio signal from 111 is latched and stored in the latch and any output from 109 which occurs during the active portion of video will be discarded . latch 112 therefore outputs the binary audio which has been recovered from the video signal and stored at output terminal 113 at a constant rate matching the rate with which the audio was originally sampled in 17 . a delay detector , such as that shown as 34 of fig4 or 55 of fig5 is shown in more detail in fig1 . such a delay detector is suitable for determining the delay between two audio signals , such as the binary audio signal output at terminal 113 of fig9 and the output of the binary audio encoder at terminal 101 of fig7 . for clarity , the audio decoding system of fig1 , receives signals which have passed through that circuitry of fig7 in series of that circuitry with fig9 and is delayed by low - pass filter 122a having input 121a corresponding to 56 of fig5 and comparator 123a of fig1 . lpf 122a converts the binary audio from 113 of fig9 back to analog audio , and then comparator 123a converts it back to binary audio at 124a . this apparently redundent exercise is to cause binary audio at 121a to be delayed by the same amount as audio at 121b , as it passes to delay counter 125 . for simplicity of this example the functioning performed by the low - pass filter 98 and comparator 100 of fig7 is duplicated by low - pass filter 122b having input 121b corresponding to 57 of fig5 and comparator 123b of fig1 . low - pass filter 122b and comparator 123b will operate to generate a binary audio signal which is output from 124b . referring to fig8 the audio input to the low - pass filter at 121b would look like that shown as waveform 102 . the audio output of the low - pass filter 122b would look like that of waveform 103 of fig8 . the binary audio output of the comparators 123a or 123b , which would be seen at terminal 124a or 124b would look like that at 104 of fig8 . assuming the audio from video input to 121a is delayed with respect to audio input at 121b , it may be seen that the binary audio at 124a will be the same as that at 124b , but delayed . of course , the audio from video input at 121a will have been sampled by the action of encoding it in the video ; however , the timing information will be accurately reconstructed by the lpf 122a . alternately , 122a and 123a may be eliminated with output 113 of fig9 feeding directly into 126 which in this instance would correspond to 56 of fig5 . in this situation , care must be taken to ensure that the delay of audio through low - pass filter 122b is small enough to be inconsequential to the overall system preformance , or otherwise that the delay is compensated for . assuming the audio at 124b looks like the binary audio 104 of fig8 it may be seen that occasionally periods of silence will cause no outputs to be seen at 124b for some period of time . a retriggerable one - shot 130 having output 132 , is responsive to binary audio from 123b on input 131 , may be caused to retrigger to the normally present binary audio and to time - out when a silence period of some predetermined length of time , which has been preset at the one - shot , has occured . in this embodiment , the silence period is preset at the one - shot 130 to be greater than the maximum audio delay , which can be experienced by audio on the video passing through the video transmission path , then when the retriggerable one - shot 130 times out , thus enabling the delay counter 125 at input 129 , the audio delay period will also have started and be present at the stop input of the delay counter 125 . the delay counter 125 , having been previously enabled by the time - out of retriggerable one - shot 130 , will now start counting as soon as binary audio in the relatively undelayed channel appears again at input terminal 127 . the counter will continue to count at a known , predetermined rate until the same binary audio appears at some delay time later at terminal 126 , which stops the delay counter 125 . the number of counts the delay counter has counted between the start and the stop then corresponds to the delay time between audio input at 121b and audio input at 121a . the count from 125 may then be converted to a delay time since it was originally counted from a known frequency source and that delay time is output on output terminal 128 corresponding to 58 of fig5 . the delay time may be held at output terminal 128 until the retriggerable one - shot 130 again times - out during a silence period causing the delay counter to count a new delay count which is then applied to the output terminal 128 . as one skilled in the art will recognize , the function of the delay counter is easily implemented using standard ttl logic - type parts . alternately , a small microprocessor could be used to perform the delay count and the retriggerable one - shot function . the operation of the audio delay detector is such that , in a system , the input terminal 126 would receive delayed binary audio such as is available from output terminal 113 of fig9 . the start input terminal 127 and the input terminal of the retriggerable one - shot 131 would receive binary audio such as would be available from the output of comparator 100 of fig7 . referring to fig4 for the system block diagram of the first embodiment , if the delay detector of fig1 were used in the fig4 embodiment , delay detector input terminal 32 would correspond to delay counter input terminal 126 and delay detector input terminal 35 would correspond to delay counter input terminal 127 and one shot input 131 . delay counter output terminal 128 of fig1 would correspond to output terminal 47 of fig4 . timing signal recovery 26 would be that circuit of fig9 and timing signal generator 40 would correspond to 122b and 123b of fig1 . fig1 shows an alternate delay detector constructed around a correlator circuit 135 . this delay detector is suitable for use as 34 of fig4 or with lpf and comparator such as 98 and 100 of fig7 added to input 134 , suitable for 55 of fig5 or 76a and 76b of fig6 . phrased another way , the circuit of fig1 can replace 125 and 130 of fig1 . the correlator circuit 135 operates to shift in a first correlation signal into input a from input 133 according to a shift a clock present at input terminal 137 and to shift in a second signal from terminal 134 into input b with the shift b clock at terminal 136 . a measure of the correlation , or the number of cell - matches between these two signals a and b , is output at output terminal 138 . if there is a perfect match , then the output at 138 corresponds to the number of cells of length of the correlator in this example 64 . if there is perfect disagreement between the signals a and b , then the output from 138 is equal to 0 . briefly , the correlator circuit operates to store a portion of the earlier signal , continuously inspect the later signal as it arrives and flag when the later arriving signal &# 39 ; s pattern matches the stored signal &# 39 ; s pattern . this match indicates that the stored portion of the earlier arriving signal is the same as the later signal . the time delay between the storage of the first signal and the match corresponds to the relative delay between the two signals . an example of such a correlation device is the commercially available trw tdc 1023 . for more information on the operation of such devices and their use in this application one may receive an application note on the part and on correlation techniques in general from trw lsi products in la jolla , calif . binary audio corresponding to the delayed audio is input to terminal 133 . this input terminal corresponds to terminal 126 of fig1 and 32 of fig4 . binary audio in the relatively undelayed form is input at terminal 134 corresponding to terminal 127 of fig1 and to 35 of fig4 . a clock signal of known period , preferably that of the signal which is applied to 133 , is applied at input terminal 142 . a start signal is applied at input terminal 143 . to start the sequence , the start signal goes active low after at least sixty - four ( corresponding to the length of correlator 135 ) clock signals have been applied at terminal 142 . the start signal going low causes the shift b clock at terminal 136 to stop due to the action of and 144 , thereby stopping the shifting of binary audio input from the b input , terminal 134 . the start signal going active low also removes the active high reset from counter 145 , which starts counting clock pulses input from 142 , which are also input to the counter at terminal 147 . the counter then counts the number of clock pulses which are used to shift binary audio input at terminal a of the correlator and outputs this count on terminal 146 . the correlation value and output at terminal 138 from the correlator then becomes a measure of the correlation between the moving binary audio signal a and the stored , or fixed , binary audio signal b . as soon as binary audio a matches binary audio b , a sixty - four will be output from the correlator at output terminal 138 , the sixty - four corresponding to a perfect match between a and b in the correlator and will happen when the moving audio pattern on input a matches the stored pattern from b . this perfect match will happen when enough shift a clocks have been applied to the correlator to cause the delayed audio input at terminal 133 to match in time the stored audio which was previously input at terminal 134 . since the length of correlator 135 is sixty - four cells , the comparison number n for this example will be set to sixty - four . this number is represented by 139 of fig1 , which is applied to one input of comparator 140 . the other input of comparator 140 is the correlation value . when the correlation value matches the number n , an output high signal will be output from terminal 141 of the comparator . the output high signal from terminal 141 via latch clock input 152 causes latch 149 to latch the present counter number which is input to it on terminal 150 from counter 145 output 146 . this counter number was the number of clocks required to shift binary audio a to the point where it matches binary audio b which was previously stored in the correlator . the count was therefore a measure of the delay of binary audio a with respect to binary audio b in the correlator . the latched count from counter 145 is output on terminal 151 and is a measure of the delay that the audio which was encoded on the video has experienced with respect to the audio which was transmitted via the separate transmission path . when a count has been latched in latch 149 , the start signal at 143 may be taken to the high state , causing a new binary audio sequence b to be shifted into 1071 the correlator and causing counter 145 to be reset to 0 via reset terminal 148 . after the correlator has received sixty - four or more clock pulses on shift b input 136 , the start signal may again be taken to the low state starting the process over again . it has been assumed for the above explanation that the signal at 133 is delayed with respect to that at 134 . if , however , the signal at 134 is delayed , then the connections of 133 and 134 to inputs a and b of 135 should be reversed . if it is not known which is delayed , such may be determined by trying first one connection and if not receiving a proper output on 138 within a reasonable number of clocks , reversing the connections and again looking for a proper output at 138 or by using two such circuits . such switching may be performed by an electronic double pole double throw switch such as a 74157 . in some applications , due to noise which is imparted to audio either through the audio transmission path , or audio which is encoded in the video , a less than perfect match will be made at the proper correlation point . this will result in correlator 135 outputting a number which is lower than sixty - four at output terminal 138 . in this instance , a number lower than sixty - four will be required at the reference in 139 . the lower number will allow operation in the presence of noise and still maintain a high degree of immunity from false correlation pulses due to the somewhat random nature of the input audio signals . also , one may wish to average the results of a number of correlation trials in order to reduce the effects of noise and false correlations . the clocking signal applied to 142 is preferred to be that which has been used to recover binary audio from the video , however it may be selected to be a frequency which is convenient in order to provide a delay output from terminal 151 which is matched to the delay required by the audio delay circuitry . for example , if the clock input at terminal 142 had a frequency of 1 khz , then the delay output from terminal 151 would correspond to the number of milliseconds of delay of binary audio input at terminal 133 , with respect to binary audio input at terminal 134 . in any event , the delay of the two signals may be determined from the count which is held in the latch 149 and the period of the clock applied at 142 . one skilled in the art will easily be able to determine the proper clock frequency for a given application and to build proper control circuitry to generate the start signal applied at input terminal 143 . for ease of explanation , the fact that the binary audio which is recovered from video may be delayed by one video field has not been addressed . in a system where the gate 92 of fig6 stores more than one binary audio sample per video field , the binary audio subsequently recovered from the video will contain this storage delay . this storage delay , if it is a significant amount , should be subtracted from the delay output from the delay detector by utilizing a common digital adder circuit . several commercially available parts would be suitable for the functions shown in fig1 , for example , the reference number 139 could be set with a dip switch , the comparator 140 could be made of a 74ls684 , the latch 149 could be constructed of a 74ls374 , the counter 145 could be constructed of a 74ls491 , the and gate could be constructed of a 74ls08 , and the correlator 135 , as previously mentioned , could be constructed of a trw tdc 1023 . fig1 shows a digital audio delay suitable for delaying audio signals in response to the delay output of the delay detector of either fig1 , or of fig1 and may be used for 36 of fig4 a or b of fig5 or 81a or b of fig6 . the digital audio delay has an audio input terminal 172 , which corresponds to terminal 37 of fig3 an audio output terminal 180 , corresponding to 39 of fig3 and a delay input terminal 184 corresponding to 33 of fig3 . audio input on terminal 172 is digitized in the a - to - d converter 173 and digital audio 174 is then stored into ram 175 in response to a write - address generator 185 which applies a write address at write - address terminal 177 . the write address at input 182 is modified in adder 181 by the delay count input at terminal 184 . this delay could be the same delay output , shifted by several bits or scaled in a prom from terminal 151 of fig1 , or output from 128 of fig1 . the adder 181 adds the delay input at terminal 184 to the current write address input at terminal 182 and outputs a read address on terminal 183 . this read address is applied to ram 175 at the read address input terminal 178 . in operation , digitized audio input to the ram from 174 is written into a write - address location , for instance , in this example , location 0 . the write address generator continues causing the write address to change with new digital audio samples being written into subsequent decreasing addresses in the ram . at some point in time later , the sum of the then - current write address and the delay input on terminal 184 will be equal to 0 which will become the read address for the ram . at that point in time , the previously written digital audio at address location 0 is read from the ram and output on terminal 176 . this digital audio which is read from the ram is then applied to the d - to - a converter 179 , and converted back to analog audio which is output on terminal 180 . one can see that if the delay applied to 184 is 0 , the ram will read and write from the same address ; therefore , the digital audio written into the ram is immediately read out of the ram and passed to the d - to - a converter . the net delay , then , for storage time through the ram will be 0 . if the delay number applied at 184 is increased , then the distance between the write and the read addresses will be increased causing the delay through the ram to increase correspondingly . several digital audio delay devices operating on this principle are available in the marketplace today , one such device being the lexicon pcm 42 digital delay unit . the delay period is generally set by front panel thumbwheel switches in these devices . one skilled in the art will find it relatively easy to replace the front panel delay control of such a device with the delay signal output from the delay detector . alternately , it would be relatively easy to build a dedicated digital audio delay from commercially available parts , as would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art . fig1 shows an alternate delay detector , part of delay decoder 18 , which may be used as 34 in the embodiment shown in fig4 or with the addition of an lpf and comparator as 55 of fig5 or 76a or b of fig6 . fig1 shows a phase - lock loop type delay detector which generates a variable - frequency clock whose frequency is responsive to the delay between the two binary audio signals . the relatively undelayed binary audio signal is applied at terminals 166 and 167 corresponding to 35 of fig3 . terminal 167 is the input to a retriggerable one - shot circuit 168 , operating the same as that shown in fig1 . the retriggerable one - shot times - out after a period of silence which is greater than the maximum delay that the delayed binary audio can receive from the transmission path and enables the d - type flip - flops 157a and 157b at their b inputs 156a and 156b , respectively . for the purpose of explanation , assume the vco ( voltage controlled oscillator ) 163 has been operating at a frequency which causes clocked delay 165 to clock binary audio from input terminal 166 to the input 153b of d flip - flop 157b with a delay such that it is coincident with the occurance of the same binary audio input to d flip - flop 157a . in other words , the delay of clock delay 165 exactly matches the delay of binary audio which has been recovered from video which has passed through the video transmission path . assuming the one - shot 168 has enabled 157a and b &# 39 ; s d - input , or applied an active high signal to them , both 157a and b will simultaneously clock that high to their q outputs on terminals 157a and 157b . the two high signals applied to nand gate 158 will cause the output of nand gate 158 to go low which correspondingly causes d flip - flops 157a and 157b to be cleared by the clear input terminals 154a and 154b . the net effect is to generate two very short , high - going pulses output from the d flip - flops at 155a and 155b . these pulses will be equal in duration corresponding approximately to the propagation delay through 158 and the clear propagation time of 157a and b . since the pulses are equal in duration and applied to integrator 159 , one to the positive integrating input 160 and one to the negative integrating input 161 , the net change of the integrator will be 0 and the voltage output from the integrator on terminal 162 and applied to the vco at input 171 will remain constant ; therefore , the voltage - controlled oscillator frequency output at 164 from 163 will remain constant . as will be apparent to one skilled in the art , the integrator 159 could also be an amplifier , changing the loop order from 3 to 2 . this output 164 corresponds to 47 of fig4 . now assume that binary audio from the video input on terminal 153a corresponding to 32 of fig4 advances slightly from its previous position . the retriggerable one - shot at the next silence period will enable 157a and 157b , binary audio applied at 153a will cause flip - flop 157a to clock , outputting a high at terminal 155a . this high causes the error integrator to charge in the positive direction because there has not yet been a corresponding high from d flip - flop 157b . the integrator will continue to charge until the delayed clock is applied to terminal 153b , the clock input of d flip - flop 157b . at that time both d flip - flops will be cleared , as previously discussed . in the meantime , however , the integrator 159 has been caused to charge in the positive direction , due to the earlier binary audio pulse being applied on 153a . the error voltage output from the integrator output terminal 162 will then cause the vco 163 to oscillate at a higher frequency than previously , causing the variable - frequency clock , output on terminal 164 , to oscillate faster which causes the clock delay 165 which has the vco clock input at 170 to shorten in delay time . the shortened delay time of clock delay 165 has the effect of advancing the pulse applied to 157b , therefore bringing it back into coincidence with the previously advanced pulse applied at input terminal 153 and to the clock input of 157a . the net result is that the clock edges input to 157b are always maintained in synchronism with the edges at 157a &# 39 ; s clock input . the frequency of the variable - frequency clock output from terminal 164 corresponding to 47 of fig4 is then proportional to the relative delay of binary audio input at 153 , with respect to binary audio input at 166 . whenever the delay increases , the clock frequency decreases , so as to maintain coincidence at the two clock inputs of 157a and 157b . this variable - frequency clock can be used to drive a variable - frequency audio delay such as shown in fig1 . alternately , delay 165 can be the delay generator 19 of fig3 in a recursive configuration . delayed audio corresponding to 39 of fig3 would come from the output of 165 . fig1 , 11 and 13 all show delay detectors which can be used as delay decoder 13 of fig3 , 5 or 6 . one skilled in the art will recognize that the inputs to all three of these delay detectors as shown is digital . the audio input 41 of fig3 - 5 and 78a and b is an analog audio signal and must be filtered and converted to digital by a timing signal generator such as 40 of fig4 . also , as previously mentioned , the audio from video 56 of fig5 and 75a and b of fig6 could be analog and thus be converted by a circuit such as 40 for use by the delay decoders . fig1 shows a charge - coupled device used as a variable clock audio delay suitable for use as 36 of fig4 . the ccd device 202 has an audio input terminal 203 corresponding to 37 , a delayed audio output terminal 205 corresponding to 39 , and a variable - frequency clock input terminal 204 corresponding to 38 . the variable - frequency clock input to 204 would be the same as , or a multiple of the variable - frequency clock output from 164 of fig1 . for this example , it will be assumed , however , that it is the same variable - frequency clock . the length of clocked delay 165 is chosen to be the same number of cells as the length of charge - coupled device 202 , in this example , 1024 . the circuitry of fig1 will cause clock delay 165 to delay binary audio input at 166 by this proper amount needed to make it coincident with binary audio input at 153 . if the ccd device 202 has the same number of cells as 165 , the audio input to it will also be delayed by the same amount as the two devices 165 and 202 are driven from the same clock . therefore , the audio will be delayed by the proper amount to make it correspond to the video from which the binary audio input to 153 of fig1 was taken . fig1 shows a circuit by which a digital delay number , such as that number which is output from terminal 151 of fig1 can be converted to a variable - frequency clock suitable for driving a variable - frequency delay such as shown in fig1 or 16 . the circuit of fig1 can be included in either 18 or 19 of the embodiments of fig3 through 6 in order to allow the use of variable clock frequency clock delays with delay detectors which output a digital number as the delay output . fig1 contains a comparator 187 having an input terminal 186 to which is input the quotient of the maximum number the delay can obtain at maximum delay ( n ) divided by the delay at a given instant . for example , if the delay detector can have a maximum output of 1 , 000 , corresponding to a 1 , 000 - millisecond delay , then the number input to comparator at 186 is 1 , 000 divided by the actual delay output . if the delay output were 500 , then the number input to comparator 187 would be two . if the delay output of the delay detector were to be 250 , then the number entered into comparator 187 on terminal 186 would be four . comparator 187 compares the number entered at terminal 186 to the number entered at terminal 188 . if the number at 186 is larger , the comparator outputs a high level on output terminal 189 . if the number at 186 is smaller , then the comparator outputs a high level on terminal 190 . if the numbers are equal , the comparator has no output from either 189 or 190 . outputs 189 and 190 are coupled to the input terminals 192 and 193 , respectively , of integrator 191 . input terminal 192 is a positive integration input which will cause the output of the integrator 191 to increase in voltage when there is a high level present at terminal 192 . terminal 193 causes the output of the integrator to decrease in voltage when there is a high present at terminal 193 . if neither terminal has a high present , then the output voltage of the integrator remains constant . the output terminal of the integrator 194 couples the output voltage to the input of a voltage - controlled oscillator 195 . it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that integrator 191 could also be an amplifier thus changing the loop order from 3 to 2 or for use with an audio delay having an integrating characteristic , i . e . where the delay corresponds to the integral of the clock frequency deviation rather than directly to the frequency . the frequency of the clock output from the voltage - controlled oscillator ( vco ) on terminal 196 is proportional to the voltage on the input of the voltage - controlled oscillator from terminal 194 . if the voltage at terminal 194 increases , the frequency of the clock output from terminal 196 will also increase . the variable - frequency clock from terminal 196 is applied to the clock input terminal 198 of counter 197 . counter 197 is caused to clear and then count for a finite period of time in response to timer 201 . timer 201 inputs a control signal to counter 197 at the counter enable input 200 . the output of counter 197 at the end of the timed period is applied at output terminal 199 to input terminal 188 of the comparator 187 . in the example given , where the maximum delay can be 1 , 000 , corresponding to 1 , 000 milliseconds , the timer 201 would have a timing period during which counter 197 is allowed to count for one millisecond . assume if you will that the delay is 500 milliseconds ; therefore , the number input to terminal 186 will be two . the comparator 187 will cause the integrator to charge up or down until the vco frequency is exactly 2 khz . the 2 khz clock , when feeding counter 197 for the timer period of one millisecond , will give an output of two on terminal 199 , corresponding to the two on terminal 186 of the comparator input . it can be seen that if the number input on 188 is too low , corresponding to the variable - frequency clock being too slow , the output of the comparator will cause the integrators output to charge higher , thus increasing the frequency of the vco . conversely , if the number input at 188 is to large , the comparator will cause the integrator to charge in a negative - going direction , thereby lowering the frequency of the vco . for another example , assume that the delay which is output from the delay detector is 250 milliseconds out of a possible maximum of 1 , 000milliseconds . the number input at terminal 186 will then be four . the comparator , integrator , and vco will then operate to adjust the variable - frequency clock frequency so that the number of clock cycles counted by counter 197 during the 1 - millisecond enable period will be equal to four . this four is output by terminal 199 to comparator input terminal 188 . the variable - clock frequency required to give an output of four during the 1 - millisecond time period is 4 khz . the variable - frequency clock output from terminal 196 can be applied to a clocked audio delay , such as the ccd device shown in fig1 . assuming that the ccd device 202 has a length which corresponds to the maximum delay which can be output from the delay detector , in the previous example 1 , 000 , the ccd device will then delay the audio input signal at 203 by an amount equal to the delay which is output from the delay detector , and output the delayed audio signal on terminal 205 . the numbers given , of course , may not be very practical for an actual application , as a clocking frequency of 1 khz would not be sufficient to pass a normal audio frequency signal associated with a television program . in this instance , the length of the ccd would need to be increased and the clocking frequency applied to ccd increased accordingly . for example , if it were desired to clock this ccd at a minimum clocking frequency of 10 khz , instead or 1 khz given at the previous example , then the ccd would need to be made 10times as long as the 1 , 000 - section device given previously . in order to insure proper operation of comparator 187 , the time length of timer 201 would need to be decreased by one - tenth to correspond to the ten - times higher variable - frequency clock . by way of the previous explanation and examples , one skilled in the art will be able to construct a system utilizing the digital delay to variable - frequency clock converter of fig1 and a variable frequency clock audio delay such as shown in fig1 , or that of fig1 soon to be discussed . it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that for using a variable - frequency clock delay , for example that shown in fig1 or that shown in fig1 , the digital to variable frequency clock converter of fig1 can become part of the variable audio delay 36 , the delay detector 34 , or the variable video delay 28 shown in the system of fig3 . several commercially available integrated circuits are available which perform the functions of fig1 . the division of the delay number can be performed by programmable read - only memory . the comparator 187 can be performed by 74ls685 . the integration 191 can be performed by an integrated circuit op - amp , such as the generic 741 type . several integrator circuits are available in applications literature from manufactures which produce this part . the voltage - controlled oscillator 195 can be built around a 74ls624 . the counter 197 can be built around a 74ls491 . the timer 201 can be built around a 74ls221 . the details of construction of such a circuit utilizing these parts will be obvious to one skilled in the art . fig1 shows a variable - frequency clock audio delay circuit having an audio input terminal 206 corresponds to 37 of fig4 an a - to - d converter 207 responsive to the input audio to provide digitized audio on output terminal 208 , digital shift registers 210 responsive to the digital audio output from the a - to - d converter to provide delayed digital audio output on terminal 212 . the delayed digital audio output is applied to the input of the d - to - a converter 213 which converts the digital audio back to analog audio and outputs the delayed audio on terminal 214 corresponding to 39 of fig4 . a - to - d converter 207 has a clock input 209 , shift registers 210 have a clock input terminal 211 , and d - to - a converter 213 has a clock input terminal 215 . all three of these devices are provided with the same variable - frequency clock which corresponds to 38 of fig4 and which , for example , could be the variable - frequency clock output of terminal 196 of fig1 . it will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that the delay of audio passing through this system is responsive to the number of shift register elements and the frequency of the clocking signal . if the clocking signal frequency is increased , the audio delay will be decreased . conversely , if the clocking frequency is decreased , the audio delay will be increased . the overall operation of this circuit is much the same as that of the ccd device of fig1 . several commercially available parts are available which can perform the functions of fig1 . a - to - d and d - to - a converters are available from companies such as analog devices and burr brown , and the shift register devices are available from companies such as texas instruments and monolithic memories . these companies are well - known to those skilled in the art . fig1 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention which may be utilized when the transmission paths 23 and 43 are recording devices such as a video tape recorder ( vtr ) for 23 and an audio tape recorder ( atr ) for 43 . fig1 contains the timing encoder 17 having video input 20 , audio input 45 and combined video and timing output 22 ; the same as fig3 . a video tape recorder having a record input 216 , a video playback output 218 and a speed control input 221 is shown for transmission path 23 . the video and timing signal could actually be recorded by the video recorder on separate tracks of the same recording medium , or the timing signal can be encoded in the video as previously shown . an audio tape recorder having an audio record input 217 , an audio playback output 219 and a speed control input 220 is shown for transmission path 43 . a delay decoder having inputs 24 and 41 and output 47 ; the same as fig3 is also shown . since it is also possible to control the relative delay of the video and audio signals output from 218 and 219 , respectively , by changing the playback speed of one or the other or both of the recording devices 23 and 43 , the need for the delay generator 19 of fig3 is eliminated . the delay output 47 is then simply coupled to the playback speed control input of one or both of the recording devices , causing the recording device to perform the delay function of 19 . in the preferred embodiment , since vtr &# 39 ; s are typically more speed accurate than atr &# 39 ; s , the speed of the atr may be changed by coupling delay output 47 to playback speed control input 220 only . as one skilled in the art will recognize , it is also possible to couple 47 to the vtr speed control unit 221 as shown by the dashed lined . interfacing the devices will be fairly simple since many recording devices will accept an external reference for playback speed control . the external reference typically is a signal which occurs at a periodic rate for example 60 hz and increasing or decreasing this rate will cause a corresponding increase or decrease in playback speed . for recording devices which do not have built - in capability of accepting an external reference , the playback speed is often referenced to the a . c . power frequency by the use of a synchronous motor for moving the recording medium , i . e . tape or disc . by changing the frequency of the power supplied to the motor moving the medium , the playback speed is thereby affected . the variable clock frequency delay outputs of fig1 and 14 are ideally suited for determining the frequency of the speed control reference or of the power applied to the aforementioned motor by simply dividing the oscillator output to give a frequency corresponding to the normally used reference frequency . for example , if the v . c . o . operates at 60 khz and the reference frequency is 60 hz the output is simply divided by 1000 . although only one audio and one video recorder is shown in fig1 , it is obvious that a multiplicity of devices can be utilized for recording and for playback . the system of fig1 is recursive in nature since the delayed signals output from the delay generator are compared for proper timing . this embodiment of the invention will be extremely useful for synchronizing a laser compact disc audio player to a video tape recorder . referring back to the system block diagram given in fig4 it can be seen that the timing signal generator 44 and the combiner circuit 21 may be effected by the binary audio encoder circuit shown in fig7 . the timing signal recovery circuit 26 may be effected by the binary audio decoder shown in fig9 . the timing signal generator 40 may be effected by the low - pass filter and comparator 98 and 100 of the binary audio encoder of fig7 . the delay detector circuit 34 may be effected by the delay counter circuit 125 and retriggerable one - shot 130 of fig1 , or by the correlation - based delay detector circuit of fig1 . a further embodiment which may be utilized for the delay detector circuit 34 is the variable - frequency clocked audio delay circuit shown in fig1 . the variable audio delay circuit 36 will be performed by the circuit of fig1 , alternately by the circuit of fig1 , or by the circuit of fig1 , with the system of fig4 being capable of operating with any combination of delay detector and variable audio delay with a suitable interface between the delay detectors and the variable - frequency clock type audio delays being shown in fig1 . variable video delay devices , commonly known as time - base correctors and frame synchronizers in the industry , are readily available . these devices may be genlocked to external references and the design of a suitable video delay device for element 28 of fig4 is readily apparent to one skilled in the art , and therefore not discussed extensively in this specification . the basic system shown in fig3 consists of two parts , one part the timing encoder 17 located before the transmission paths and one part the delay decoder 18 and delay generator 19 after the transmission paths . the part before the transmission paths , 17 , consists of a timing signal generator responsive to audio to generate a timing signal , which timing signal is combined with the video in order that it may be transmitted over the video transmission path with the video . in the circuitry shown by way of example , this timing signal corresponds to the zero - crossings of low - pass filtered audio . however , one skilled in the art will be able to utilize various different timing signals which are derived from the audio signal , since only a relatively small amount of timing information is required to be transmitted with the video signal . the second part of the system of fig3 is located at the receiving location at the end of the video transmission path . this section , composed or delay detector 18 , essentially recovers the timing signal which was previously combined with the video , generates a new timing signal from the audio which has passed through a transmission path , and compares the two timing signals to determine their relative delay . this measure of the relative delay may be utilized to control a delay generator 19 containing a variable audio delay or a variable video delay , or both . the audio signal from the audio transmission path and the video signal from the video transmission path may therefore be synchronized in order to correct or restore any lip - sync problems which may have developed due to audio and video passing through unequal time delays . the term ` transmission path ` has been used throughout the specification to indicate a path , device or medium , over or through which the video passes which generates a delay in the video signal . ` transmission path `, is also used with respect to the audio signal to indicate that the audio signal passes over or through a transmission path , medium or device which causes a delay to the audio signal which may or may not be equivalent to the delay of the video passing through the video transmission path . &# 34 ; transmission path &# 34 ; as used herein may refer to a recording or playback device and may include the delay generator function 19 in the recursive form of the invention . the actual nature of the transmission path is unimportant to the operation of the invention disclosed herein in that the invention measure only the relative delay between audio and video when the two signals are output from the respective transmission paths . while two separate transmission paths have generally been shown , it will be understood that audio and video may well be combined into one single transmission medium or in various different combinations of single , redundant and dual transmission paths may be incorporated in the audio system as is typically done in the industry . it will be understood by one skilled in the art that various functions have been shown in preferred form and particularly , many functions have been shown in either analog or digital form as is most appropriate for the above explanations . one skilled in the art will immediately recognize that parts shown as analog can be converted to digital and vice versa . although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity , it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example , and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to , as well as combinations of functions or parts within or as part of other devices , or performed by microprocessor or other computing device without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed .	7
fig1 depicts automated well test system 20 . the major components of system 20 include valve manifold 22 for use in selectively flowing individual wells , test separator 24 , flow rate instrumentation drain line 26 for use in measuring volumetric flow rates of production components coming from test separator 24 , gas blanket system 28 for use in maintaining a constant pressure in test separator 24 , and automation system 30 . the individual components of test system 20 may be purchased from a variety of commercial sources and assembled as the configuration shown in fig1 . valve manifold 22 includes a plurality of valves , e . g ., valve 32 . each valve is coupled with a wellhead supply line , e . g ., supply line 34 , which leads to a single producing well ( not depicted ). each valve is coupled with a test separator supply line , e . g ., line 36 , leading to test separator gathering line 38 . each valve is also coupled with a main production separator gathering line 40 leading to a conventional main production separator 42 . the valves , such as valve 32 , are preferably - three - way electronically - initiated , pneumatically actuated valves that control access to test separator line 38 and main production separator gathering line 40 . valves 32 are used to direct the production of an individual well to either main production separator 42 or test separator 24 . a particularly preferred three way valve for use in this application is the xomox tuffline 037ax wcb / 316 well switching valve with a matryx mx200 actuator . the valves are preferably configured to each receive production fluids from a corresponding individual well . the valves can selectively divert the production fluids to main production separator gathering line 40 where the fluids are combined with fluids from other valves for transport to main production separator 42 . a single valve can be selected to divert the production from its associated well to test separator gathering line 38 for transport to test separator 24 . test separator 24 is a conventional well test gravitational separator having an ovaloid outer wall 44 of sufficient strength to withstand well test pressures . test separator 24 is provided with an electronic liquid level indicator 46 for use in indicating to automation system 30 the level of total liquid including water 48 , oil - in - water emulsion 50 , and oil 52 . gas 54 resides within test separator 24 above the total liquid level . an exemplary form of level indicator 46 is the fisher model 249b - 2390 analog float system level transmitter with a sight glass . test separator 24 is connected to a flue gas drain line 56 , which preferably includes a gage pressure transmitter 58 , e . g ., a model 2088 pressure transmitter from rosemount of eden prairie , minn . flue gas drain line 56 also preferably includes a gas flowmeter 60 , such as a smart vortex meter model 8800 from rosemount of eden prairie , minn ., or an orifice differential pressure transmitter such as the model 3051 from rosemount of eden prairie , minn . electronically controlled gas flow control throttle valve 62 governs the flow of gas through gas drain line 56 . valve 62 may , for example , be purchased as a model v2001066 - asco valve from fisher of marshalltown , iowa . gas drain line 56 terminates in the main production separator 42 . flow rate instrumentation drain line 26 connects with a drain point 64 on test separator 24 . instrumentation drain line 26 includes a water - cut monitor 66 , which uses electrical measurements to quantify the water - cut of fluids flowing through instrumentation drain line 26 . water and oil have very different dielectric constants , which make possible the use of electrical measurements to quantify the water - cut . thus , water - cut monitor 66 can utilize capacitance , resistance , or other measurements to quantify the water - cut . other commercially available devices include the use of microwave radiation to detect water cut . an exemplary form of water cut monitor 66 is the drexelbrook model cm - 2 capacitance monitor . instrumentation drain line 26 proceeds from water cut monitor 66 to liquid flowmeter 68 . liquid flowmeter 68 preferably includes a coriolis flowmeter ( including a mass flowmeter , densitometer , and temperature gauge ), which obtains mass flow , density , and flowmeter temperature measurements of materials passing through instrumentation drain line 26 . exemplary forms of flowmeter 68 include the elite models cmf300356nu and model cmf300h551nu , which are available from micro motion of boulder , colo . temperature sensor 69 is provided to measure the temperature of fluids within instrumentation drain line 26 . an exemplary form of temperature sensor 69 is the model 68 sensor from rosemount of eden prairie , minn . sample port 70 is a manually operated valve that is provided for obtaining samples of the fluids within line 26 . in - line static mixer 71 is used to ensure that well - mixed samples are obtained from line 26 through port 70 . dump valve 72 is prefer : ably electronically controlled and pneumatically actuated . dump valve 72 can be opened to drain test separator 24 through instrumentation drain line 26 , and can be closed to permit test separator 24 to fill with production from valve manifold 22 . an exemplary form of dump valve 72 is the fisher level control valve model ez - 667 - asco valve . instrumentation drain line 26 terminates in main production separator 42 . gas blanket system 28 includes a pressurized gas source 74 , which can be gas from a compressor or fuel gas from a pressurized gas source that is used to operate the production facility . the gas source 74 could also be the main production separator 42 . source 74 flows into gas supply line 76 , which leads to gas blanket valve 80 . an exemplary form of valve 80 is the fisher model 357 - 546 . valve 80 preferably works to maintain a constant pressure within test separator 24 , as needed , by throttling a flow of gas through supply line 76 . supply line 76 terminates at upper entry point 82 into test separator 24 . automation system 30 is used to govern the operation of system 20 . system 30 includes a computer 84 ( e . g ., an ibm 486 compatible machine ) that is programmed with data acquisition and programming software . a preferred form of this software is the intellution software dmacs , which is available from intellution , a subsidiary of emerson electric . this software is particularly preferred because it can generate alarms that indicate abnormal well test conditions representative of mechanical failures which are potentially dangerous . computer 84 controls programming of remote operations controller 86 , which includes a plurality of drivers and interfaces that permit computer 84 to interact with remote components of system 20 . a preferred form of remote operations controller 86 is the fisher model roc364 . controller 86 may also be programmed with software to facilitate the implementation of control instructions from computer 84 . valve control leads 88 , 90 , 92 , and 94 respectively connect controller 86 with corresponding electronically actuated valves 32 , 80 , 72 , and 62 for selective control of the valves . lead 96 connects controller 86 with pressure transmitter 58 . lead 98 connects controller 86 with gas flowmeter 60 . lead 100 connects controller 86 with water - cut meter 66 . lead 102 connects controller 86 with transmitter 104 which , in turn , connects with fluid level 46 , liquid flowmeter 68 , and temperature sensor 69 for transmitting information to controller 86 . an exemplary form of transmitter 104 is the elite model rft9739 , which is available from micro motion of boulder , colo . fig2 depicts a schematic process control diagram governing the operation of test system 20 . the fig2 process is governed by control software in computer 84 or controller 86 . step p200 represents a normal test mode that may optionally include testing a selected well by adjusting manifold 22 to flow the well through test separator 24 , or using valve manifold 22 to bypass test separator 24 by flowing all production to main production separator 42 in the event that no test is needed . in step p200 , the lease operator needs to know with accuracy and precision the volumetric oil flowrate q o as defined above by equation ( 5 ) and the volumetric water flow rate as defined q w by equation ( 6 ). calculation of these values requires the calculation of a water fraction , such as x w as defined by equation ( 1 ). in equation ( 1 ), flowmeter 68 can only provide the combined density reading d e while a given well is on test . therefore , equation ( 1 ) relies upon laboratory measurements to provide d o , t and d w , t . as indicated above in the background of the invention , these laboratory measurements sometimes lack accuracy and precision because the laboratory conditions do not correspond to the conditions ( e . g ., pressure , temperature , and solution gas content ) within test system 20 . according to the present invention , the values d o , t and d w , t or equation ( 1 ) are replaced with the values ρ o , t and ρ w , t according to equation ( 8 ): wherein ρ o , t is a density of the pure oil phase excluding any residual water content of the segregated oil component ; ρ w , t is a density of the pure water phase ; and the remaining variables are defined above . the variables ρ o , t and ρ w , t of equation ( 8 ) differ from the variables d o , t and d w , t of equation ( 1 ) because the variables d o , t and d w , t derive from laboratory measurements that are conducted upon samples that are obtained manually , e . g ., in a flow laboratory after removal from system 20 through spigot 70 . in contrast , the variables ρ o , t and ρ w , t derive from in - line measurements that flowmeter 68 conducts on materials within test system 20 . the discussion below pertaining to steps 201 - 214 describes how to obtain the in - line measurements of ρ o , t and ρ w , t . these values have significance because each of equations ( 1 )-( 7 ) yields a superior ( more accurate ) calculation by substituting ρ o , t for d o , t , and by substituting ρ w , t for d w , t , as has been done for equation ( 1 ) in the case of equation ( 8 ). this substitution provides greater accuracy in the calculations because the in - line density measurements eliminate the need for error - prone laboratory measurements in the calculation of d o , t and d w , t . in contrast , equation ( 1 ) relies upon error - prone laboratory measurements that sometimes fail to reflect in - line conditions . flowmeter 68 is preferably programmed to perform calculations according to equations ( 2 )-( 8 ) by substituting ρ o , t and ρ w , t for d o , t and d w , t . these calculations can also be performed by computer 84 or controller 86 . it is necessary to periodically update the variables ρ o , t and ρ w , t because these values change over the life of the producing well . therefore , the fig2 process includes a density determination mode beginning at step p201 . in step p201 controller 86 actuates one of the valves in manifold 22 ( e . g ., valve 32 ). the actuation diverts flow of materials from a selected well through the valve to test separator 24 . the valve need not be actuated if the well is already flowing on test to separator 24 , but it will normally be advantageous to enter the density determination mode prior to conducting an actual well test . in step p202 ; controller 86 opens dump valve 72 to permit flow of materials from valve 32 through test separator 24 and instrumentation drain line 26 into main production separator 42 . controller 86 uses liquid flowmeter 68 to measure a volume of total liquid sufficient to fill gathering line 38 , test separator 24 , and the portion of instrumentation drain line 26 preceding flowmeter 68 . this volume flows through test separator 24 , but does not fill test separator 24 because dump valve 72 remains open . a multiple of this volume may optionally be used to assure that test separator 24 has been fully purged of liquids from another well that did not flow through valve 32 . this volumetric test separator purge operation provides significant advantages over conventional separator purge cycles that rely on a time of flow to purge the separator . purge cycles that rely on time can result in the separator not being fully purged , and test measurements are eventually conducted on fluids from the wrong well . a volumetric purge assures that test measurements are eventually conducted on materials from the correct well . in step p204 , controller 86 closes dump valve 72 to fill test separator 24 with liquid . at the same time , valve 32 is permitted to continue flowing material into test separator 24 until level indicator 46 provides a signal indicating to controller 86 that liquid within test separator 24 has reached a fill level . the fill level is preferably determined by the lease operator , and controller 86 or computer 84 can be programmed to fill test separator 24 to a different level for each producing well . the optimum fill level for each well is determined by experience in the field . the fill level is preferably based upon a total liquid level , but can also be based upon the oil or water level if a weighted float is used in level indicator 46 . gas flowmeter 60 measures the volumetric gas flow leaving test separator 24 during the fill process while gas flow control throttle valve 62 is adjusted by controller 86 , as needed to maintain the materials within test separator 24 at a substantially constant pressure . gas flowmeter 60 provides signals to controller 86 that indicate a volume of gas flowing through gas drain line 56 . when controller 86 receives the signal from indicator 46 that test separator 24 is sufficiently full , controller 86 causes valve 32 to divert its production to main production separator 42 . controller 86 also closes gas blanket valve 80 and gas flow control throttle valve 62 to seal the materials within test separator 24 . the materials inside test separator 24 are permitted to settle while gravity segregates the respective oil , gas , and water components of the material inside test separator 24 . the wait period for gravity segregation can be based upon a sufficient time , e . g ., thirty minutes , as dictated by experience in the field . in the initial installation of system 20 , the operator can view the separation within test separator 24 through a view window on level indicator 46 . the required time for separation is provided as : program control data to computer . 84 . the material within test separator 24 is permitted sufficient time for gravity to cause stratification of the different materials . this stratification normally does not need to occur within two please separator because the separator is only designed to measure two phase ( gas and total liquid ) flow . the fill level within test separator 24 during gravity segregation preferably ranges from about 60 % to about 80 % of the internal volume of the separator . the drain level preferably drops down to about half of the separator internal volume . the respective fill and drain levels for test separator 24 are preferably different for each well , and can be programmed into computer 84 . for example , a well that produces at a high water - cut and low production rate with little associated gas preferably is associated with a high fill level and a low drain level to optimized the produced oil volume in the separator . in comparison , a well that produces at a high gas - oil ratio and a high volumetric oil rate would preferably have a low fill level , and drain a very small volume down to the drain level to permit separation of the gas phase while not needing a significant drain volume to purge a segregated water phase beneath the oil . in step p206 , after controller 86 has determined that the materials inside test separator 24 are sufficiently segregated , controller 86 opens dump valve 72 to drain the materials within test separator 24 through instrumentation drain line 26 and into main production separator 42 . valves 32 and 62 remain closed . the volume of materials that are drained from within test separator 24 is preferably kept relatively small , i . e ., less than about five percent of the total separator volume ( five barrels from a one - hundred barrel separator ). in later steps , this small drainage volume permits rapid refilling of test separator 24 as needed to obtain an accurate well test of the daily rate for the well . step p208 includes obtaining measurements of the materials draining through line 26 . controller 66 receives signals from water - cut monitor 66 that indicate the water - cut of the liquids flowing through drain line 26 . similarly , controller 86 receives mass flow rate and density signals from liquid flowmeter 68 . these signals can be converted into a volumetric flow rate either at flowmeter 68 or computer . 84 . controller 86 receives temperature signals from temperature monitor 69 . controller 86 closes dump valve 72 when controller 86 receives a signal from liquid level indicator 46 indicating that the liquid components have drained from within test separator 24 to a minimum level that avoids introducing gas into instrumentation drain line 26 . flowmeter 68 measures the density of the segregated materials that flow from test separator 24 . the water density ( ρ w , t ) is measured from water layer . 48 , and will have the greatest density of any component . this measurement is conducted on essentially pure water because the water component is substantially free of oil . the oil - in - water emulsion 50 normally causes extensive variations in the density measurement , and these values are ignored . the oil - in - water emulsion flow period is also characterized by a density less than water but greater than oil . density measurements of the oil - in - water emulsion 50 are ignored . the oil layer 52 will have the lowest density value . the density measurement ( ρ t ) of oil layer 52 must be corrected for residual water content because it typically contains up to about ten percent water . the measured oil density is corrected for water content according to equation ( 9 ) below : wherein ρ o , t is water - corrected oil density at temperature t ; ρ the total density of the water - cut oil component as measured by the flowmeter 68 at temperature t ; ρ w is the density of the water component as measured by the flowmeter 68 from the segregated water phase at temperature t ; and wc is the water - cut of the oil component expressed as the volumetric fraction of water in the gravity - segregated oil component exiting test separator 24 . wc is measured by the water - cut monitor 66 . it is noted that the water - cut monitor 66 can be relied upon to obtain accurate water - cut readings because the water - cut in the segregated oil phase will typically not exceed 10 %. the value ρ o , t is used in equation ( 8 ), and the x w value from equation ( 8 ) is used in combination with equations ( 2 )-( 7 ) to provide volumetric rate calculations . it is desirable to maintain a constant pressure inside test separator 24 during step p208 because excessively high or low pressures can result in volumetric test and density measurement errors as gas is liberated or absorbed by the separator liquids responsive to abnormal changes in pressure . controller 86 monitors signals from pressure transmitter 58 , and uses these signals to maintain a substantially constant pressure inside test separator 24 . controller 86 adjusts valve 80 to supply additional gas as needed to compensate for the pressure reduction that accompanies an expanding gas volume which compensates for the removal of liquids from within test separator 24 . the pressure inside test separator 24 is preferably maintained at a value equal to or slightly above that for the main production separator 42 . a slight additional pressure ( e . g ., + 10 psi ) will facilitate the flow of liquids through drain line 26 and into main production separator 42 without introducing a significant volumetric error . the pressure inside test separator 24 typically ranges from 200 psi to 1500 psi , plus or minus about 20 psi , but the pressure can be any pressure that circumstances demand . in step p210 , controller 86 determines whether the quantity of oil measured by liquid flowmeter 68 was a sufficient quantity from which to obtain an accurate reading . it is preferred to close valve 32 for very brief periods of time , so as to not interrupt the steady - state flow characteristics of the producing well with significant periods of pressure drawdown ahd buildup . therefore , the draining of test separator 24 that occurs in step p208 is preferably limited to relatively small volumes of one to three barrels of total production . controller 86 preferably requires a threshold volume to be produced , e . g ., 100 barrels , before the test is completed . volumetric measurements are taken over the time that the well is actually flowing . if the cumulative quantity of well test fluid is not sufficient , control transfers to step p212 , which repeats the fill and drain cycles until a sufficient quantity of oil can be obtained for measurement . in this case , the signals from liquid level indicator 46 are received to indicate dumping of water to a minimum level that does not dump oil from within test separator 24 until steps p202 and p208 have been repeated a sufficient number of times to obtain a measurable quantity of oil . this feature of the processing avoids the need for the operator to purchase an oversize test separator merely for the purpose of obtaining a sufficient quantity of oil for measurement . step p210 transfers control to step p214 once a sufficient quantity of oil has been obtained for measurement . step p214 concludes the density determination mode by returning control to step p201 . the cycle is preferably repeated until density measurements have been obtained from all of the flowing wells connected to manifold 22 . alternatively , step p214 can return control to step p200 for conducting a well test . the test information derived from the above - described process includes water - cut data , volumetric gas flow rates , volumetric oil flow rate , volumetric water flow rate , oil density , water density , separator temperature , and separator pressure . computer 84 stores these values for transmission to the operator . alternatively , the data can be transmitted to the operator through a radio that is coupled with controller 86 . the system advantageously permits more frequent and accurate well testing than can be obtained manually by pumpers who visit the production facility . the use of a coriolis flowmeter ( including a mass flowmeter and densitometer ) as flowmeter 68 is particularly preferred because of its inherent accuracy and reliability . it will be understood that numerous commercial sources exist for respective materials listed above . for example , several potential sources exist for electronically actuated three way valves such as valve 32 , water - cut monitors such as monitor 66 , and fluid level indicators such as indicator 46 . the fact that applicants have identified specific preferred commercial sources does not limit the practice of the invention to items obtained from these sources alone , because those skilled in the art are readily able to find and substitute substantially equivalent materials from alternative sources . additionally , test separator 24 can be a conventional three - phase separator having a plurality of internal floats and drain ports for draining the respective phases . in this case , a separate liquid flowmeter 68 will be required for each drain line . in this application , the term ` oil ` includes condensate from gas wells . it is not necessary that the well produce oil , water , and gas , but only that the mixture of wellhead production materials include a plurality of these different phases . those skilled in the art will understand that the preferred embodiments described hereinabove may be subjected to apparent modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . accordingly , the inventors hereby state their full intention to rely upon the doctrine of equivalents in order to protect their full rights in the invention .	6
illustrated generally in fig2 , a preferred embodiment of the inventory and rate management system 20 used in connection with the present invention not only accepts reservations , but also bundles vacation products , manages bundled vacation packages for the vacation package seller 22 , completes bookings , facilitates shopping and comparing between travel products , facilitates payment by vacation package sellers 22 and to travel product suppliers 24 , distributes commissions , allows simultaneous marketing of travel products by travel product providers 24 to numerous vacation package sellers 22 , and provides vacation package sellers 22 with pre and post travel service of their bookings . as indicated by lines 25 , the inventory and rate management system 20 is linked to the inventory systems of one or more travel product suppliers 24 and may , if necessary , be linked to one or more gds 26 as indicated by line 27 in order to supply particular components of travel products such as air travel tickets . the inventory and rate management system 20 is linked to vacation package sellers 22 as indicated by lines 23 in order to allow vacation package sellers 22 to access the system to take advantage of its resources . the vacation package sellers 22 are linked to travel agents 28 and consumers 30 as indicated by lines 29 to allow the vacation package sellers 22 to distribute packaged vacations to the travel agents 28 and consumers 30 . this connection 29 may be by computer line , telephone , or otherwise . the inventory and rate management system 20 may also be linked to the internet such that the system can be accessed by vacation package sellers 22 and suppliers of individual travel products 24 throughout the world using one or more interfaces . as shown in fig3 , one embodiment of the inventory and rate management system 20 includes a number of discrete components — databases of bulk travel product inventory and rates 32 , a component bundler 34 , a content services module 36 , a customer services module 38 , a marketing data module 40 , and / or an accounting services module 42 . each of these components is integrated with the others to effectively manage the sale and distribution of travel products in combined vacation packages by vacation package sellers 22 . these components also provide travel product suppliers 24 ( not shown in fig3 , see fig2 ) with the ability to effectively manage inventory and pricing and to obtain valuable market data . the inventory and rate management system 20 may be linked to the inventory database systems of travel product suppliers 24 as indicated by lines 25 by direct computer connection , via the internet , or via some other connection method such that the travel product supplier &# 39 ; s 24 inventory can be accessed by the inventory and rate management system 20 and / or individual components thereof . as shown in more detail in fig4 , included in the inventory and rate management system 20 within the bulk inventory and rates portion 32 are databases 44 of information including travel product inventory information , rate information , and a variety of other information such as restrictions or rules relating to the sale and distribution of the individual travel products . for example , airline a may allocate from its database 44 of inventory in the inventory and rate management system 20 twenty - five seats on a flight from milwaukee to las vegas for inclusion into vacation packages sold by a particular vacation package seller 22 . alternatively , airline a may allow any vacation package seller 22 to access the database 44 and sell one or more of the twenty - five allocated seats as part of a vacation package . postings of inventories of available travel products to these databases 44 may be made by the travel product suppliers 24 or by the operator of the inventory and rate management system 20 . the database 44 may also contain rules about the rates at which the airline a is willing to sell its inventory in the database 44 to particular vacation package sellers 22 . for example , airline a may sell its milwaukee to las vegas seats for $ 150 to one vacation package seller 22 but may charge $ 175 for another vacation package seller 22 . of course , other restrictions such as time and date of flights may also be included in the database 44 . by using the system and method of the present invention , travel product suppliers 24 thus gain the ability to manage inventory and pricing for numerous vacation package sellers 22 using a single system . the component bundler 34 of the inventory and rate management system 20 may be a dynamic bundling system that allows vacation package sellers 22 to customize vacation packages for individual consumers as those consumers inquire about vacation packages . for example , if a consumer wants a trip to maui provided by a particular vacation package seller 22 , the vacation package seller 22 can access the component bundler 34 of the inventory and rate management system 20 to select from a number of available individual travel components to offer a complete vacation package . the package may include airfare , a hotel room , a rental car , and a luau on the night of arrival . various options for each of these individual components may be provided to the consumer for selection . if a particular component is not included in the inventory databases 44 within the bulk inventory and rates portion 32 of the inventory and rate management system 20 , the component bundler 34 can directly access the databases of the travel product supplier 24 to obtain the component . further , for components supplied by travel product suppliers 24 with which the operator of the inventory and rate management system 20 has no relationship , the component bundler 34 may access a gds 26 in order to obtain the particular component . the use of the dynamic bundler enables the vacation package seller 22 to tailor the vacation package to the needs of a particular consumer . a component bundler 34 that pre - selects and bundles travel products into vacation packages may also be used either instead of or in conjunction with a dynamic bundler . such a component bundler 34 pre - selects travel products from the bulk inventory and rate portion 32 of the inventory and rate management system 20 and presents the vacation package to vacation package sellers 22 as a single unit . the vacation package seller 22 can then sell the package through its usual channels to travel agents 28 or consumers 30 . in cases where a particular travel product supplier 24 has special pricing on particular portions of its inventory , the use of a component bundler 34 that pre - selects components may be advantageous in allowing the vacation package seller 22 to present low price special vacation packages . the inventory and rate management system 20 may include a content services module 36 . as shown in fig7 , the content services module 36 includes one or more databases of information 46 provided by individual travel product suppliers 24 relating to the individual travel products . the databases 46 allow vacation package sellers 22 to provide information about travel options such as particulars about hotels , rental cars , airlines , ships , and activities at the destination . information for the database 46 is provided by travel product providers 24 and allows the travel product providers 24 to effectively distribute information about travel products to a number of vacation package sellers 22 without having to provide the information individually to each vacation package seller 22 . the travel product providers 24 can manipulate , edit , and update the information in the databases 46 using an interface to the inventory and rate management system 20 . further , using a content management and distribution feature 48 , the content services module 36 may include the ability to tailor the content being provided to particular vacation package sellers 22 in order to best present the information in a manner that increases sales opportunities . such tailoring of the content management and distribution feature 48 may be accomplished at the direction of the travel product supplier 24 or may be performed by the operator of the inventory and rate management system 20 . in either case , the information in the databases 46 that is provided to particular vacation package sellers 22 may be controlled using the content management and distribution feature 48 of the content services component 36 . additionally , third party content such as reviews of destinations or particular travel products can be included in the content services module 36 and managed by a travel product provider 24 or the operator of the inventory and rate management system 20 . as shown in fig3 and in more detail in fig5 , the inventory and rate management system 20 may also include a customer services module 38 . the customer services module 38 can provide the vacation package seller 22 with fulfillment services 50 such as ticketing and billing , booking support 52 to enable the reservation of individual travel products , and post - booking support 54 for changes to reservations for individual travel products . as shown in detail in fig8 and generally in fig3 , a marketing data management module 40 may be included in the inventory and rate management system 20 . the marketing data management module 40 collects and stores data in a database 56 , and allows access to a number of pieces of marketing data through a data management and analysis component 58 . for example , the marketing data management module 40 can collect data in its databases 56 for a particular travel product supplier 22 that allows the travel product supplier 22 , using the marketing management and analysis component 58 , to analyze which methods of pricing and inventory availability allocation result in the maximization of sales or profits . this data cannot be effectively or efficiently collected or analyzed when the travel product supplier 24 sells its products through relationships with many vacation package sellers 22 because the process of collecting the data is time - consuming and cost - prohibitive . similarly , the marketing data management module 40 can collect data for a vacation package seller 24 in its databases 56 in order to use the marketing data management and analysis module 58 to assess which travel product suppliers 24 allow it to more cost effectively sell vacation packages . such data is difficult if not impossible to compile and assess where the vacation package seller 22 has relationships with numerous travel product suppliers 24 because the collection of such data is time - consuming and expensive . additionally , the inventory and rate management system 20 may include an accounting services module 42 shown generally in fig3 and in more detail in fig6 . the accounting service module 42 facilitates the accounting function of transactions for the vacation package sellers 22 and the travel product suppliers 24 . the accounting module 42 may allow reporting of airline reservations through the airline reporting corporation (“ arc ”)— the entity that allows travel agents 28 and vacation package sellers 22 to issue airline tickets . the accounting module 42 may include information in a vacation package seller payment module 62 about the payments to be made by vacation package sellers 22 for the travel components they reserve . through a supplier payments module 66 , payments for purchased travel products to travel product suppliers 24 can be made . using a commission payments module 64 , the accounting services feature 42 may facilitate the distribution of commissions for the vacation package seller 22 to travel agents 28 and for the travel product providers 24 to vacation package sellers 22 . the accounting services system 42 can provide reports to vacation package sellers 22 and travel product suppliers 24 regarding particular transactions or summaries of all transactions to ensure proper payment for purchased products . if desired , the operator of the inventory and rate management system 20 can allow the vacation package sellers 22 and travel product suppliers 24 to access the accounting system 42 to directly acquire information about transactions and to complete payments for transactions . using the accounting system , the vacation package seller 22 need only pay one entity for all the travel products it uses . similarly , travel product providers 24 need only look to one entity for payment of fees for all the inventory of travel products it sells to vacation package sellers 22 . for many smaller travel product providers 24 , such as an individual hotel that is not part of a chain or network , it is very difficult and expensive to maintain relationships with many vacation package sellers 22 . thus , the smaller travel product providers 24 do not have the ability to reach a very large market of vacation package sellers 22 ( and their travel agent 28 or individual consumer 22 customers ) for the inclusion of travel products into vacation packages . for these travel product suppliers 24 , use of the system and method of the present invention is particularly advantageous as the small travel product suppliers 24 can provide its products to numerous vacation package sellers 22 by establishing a relationship with the operator of the system and method of the present invention . similarly , smaller vacation package sellers 22 may not have the ability to effectively maintain relationships with numerous travel product providers 24 . by establishing a relationship with the operator of the system and method of the present invention , the smaller vacation package seller 22 can obtain travel products from many travel product suppliers 23 from which it could not otherwise obtain travel products . the system and method of the present invention thereby allows new entities , including travel product suppliers 24 themselves , to become vacation package sellers 22 without having to first overcome the significant obstacles to entry into the vacation package selling market . such obstacles primarily involve the establishment of relationships with the numerous travel product providers 24 from which travel products must be purchased in order to compete effectively with established vacation package sellers 22 . thus , the system and method of the present invention benefits vacation package sellers 22 by providing a system and method where the vacation package seller 22 can access a wide range of individual travel products from many travel product suppliers 24 , where the vacation package seller 22 does not have to develop the infrastructure and inventory to provide a variety of packaged travel products to their customers , and where the vacation package seller 22 gains access to new travel products for inclusion in vacation packages . the system and method of the present invention also provides travel product suppliers 24 with a low cost , easy to implement system for providing travel products to numerous vacation package sellers 22 . as illustrated by the foregoing detailed description and shown in the figures , the present invention is more suitable as a system and method of distributing packaged travel products than are conventional systems and methods . the present invention overcomes the limitations and disadvantages of existing systems in that it allows packaged vacation sellers to efficiently and economically sell packaged travel products , and allows travel product suppliers to take advantage of a inventory and rate management system to which they would not otherwise have the ability to access . although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is perceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments set forth above . rather , it is recognized that modifications may be made by one of skill in the art of the invention without departing from the spirit or intent of the invention and therefore , the invention is to be taken as including all reasonable equivalents to the subject matter of the appended claims .	6
the following descriptions are not meant to limit the invention , but rather to add to the summary of invention , and illustrate the vehicle - roof mounting - base using evacuation with a vacuum . the present invention can be used as a mounting base for signs , lightbars , emergency lights , spot lights , and lighted signs . the present invention is the mounting base , itself . fig1 shows a cross section of the present invention supporting a sign 10 . the present invention has a case 1 , a base 2 , a vacuum pump 3 , a vacuum sensor 4 , a seal 5 , vacuum tubing 6 , a nozzle 7 , a wire 21 to connect the vacuum sensor 4 to the vacuum pump 3 , and a fastener 9 to connect the base 2 and the case 1 . the base 2 may include an optional flange 8 ( also known as a gimp ), for decorative and / or protective purposes . the invention can be powered with a standard cigarette lighter power cable or similar device or accessory ( not shown ). fig2 shows a cross section of the present invention supporting a light 11 assembly . the present invention has a case 1 , a base 2 , a vacuum pump 3 , a vacuum sensor 4 , a seal 5 , vacuum tubing 6 , a nozzle 7 , a wire 21 to connect the vacuum sensor 4 to the vacuum pump 3 , and a fastener 9 to connect the base 2 and the case 1 . the base 2 may include an optional flange 8 , for decorative and / or protective purposes . the invention can be powered with a standard cigarette lighter power cable or similar device or accessory ( not shown ). the light 11 assembly is comprised of at least one light 11 , at least one socket 14 , a housing 12 , and a power connection 13 . when the present invention is used with a light 11 assembly , the case 1 , or part of the case 1 ( a lens ), can be constructed from a clear or transparent material such as pc , pmma , or other generic or brand - name clear or semi - transparent plastic . the base 2 may be either planar or a curved surface , fabricated from pmma , pc , abs , steel , or aluminum . the case 1 is fabricated for both decorative and protective purposes . depending on the use , the case 1 is made from a durable polymer such as abs , pp , pmma , pc , hdpe , or ldpe . in lighting applications , the case 1 can include a lens fabricated from pc ( lexan ®) or pmma ( plexiglass ), or the case 1 can integrally be made out of pc ( lexan ®) or pmma ( plexiglass ), thus integrating the case 1 into the lighting application . the impermeable seal 5 is continuous , and is fabricated from silicon , butyl rubber , nitrile rubber , or closed - cell foam . depending on the roof contour of the application , and the base 2 contour , the seal 5 may need to be of compound construction . a compound seal 5 would have an upper part fabricated from a durable material , such as abs , pp , pmma , pc , hdpe , ldpe , steel , or aluminum . the lower part of a compound seal 5 is made of gas impermeable silicon , butyl rubber , nitrile rubber , or closed - cell foam . the seal 5 is attached to the base 2 with an adhesive , welding , or other gas impermeable attaching means . the seal 5 dimensions are dependent on the application and the material . a quick sealing material , such as silicon , should be used for a seal 5 used to mate the base to a roof with ridges . the vacuum assembly is comprised of a vacuum pump 3 , a vacuum hose 6 , a vacuum sensor 4 , a nozzle 7 , a wire connecting the vacuum pump 3 and the vacuum sensor 4 , and a power supply cable ( not shown ). the vacuum pump 3 is a traditional low - cost , dry , constant displacement pump that exhausts to atmospheric pressure . typically , the vacuum pump 3 will be made of rotary vane , or diaphragm construction . the vacuum hose 6 is made from standard flexible automotive vacuum hose materials such as neoprene , silicon , hdpe , and flex steel . when the vacuum hose 6 is made from neoprene , silicon , hdpe , or ldpe , it is reinforced with fibers made from polyester or other suitable material . the vacuum sensor 4 can be either a low - cost differential pressure sensor and the associated circuitry , or a pressure switch calibrated to close when the pressure in the enclosed volume exceeds the pre - defined retention pressure . the nozzle 7 is a one - way gas valve of typical construction . fig3 shows a top view of the present invention , used as a sign 10 base . the case 1 and sign 10 are visible . there is a flange 8 around the perimeter of the base 2 that is both decorative and functional . the flange 8 can be decorative and minimizes environmental exposure to the seal 5 . the fasteners 9 holding the case 1 to the base 2 are visible . other fastening methods are possible , such as adhesives or welding . fig4 shows an exploded isometric view of the present invention , used as a sign 10 mounting base . the seal 5 is connected to the bottom of the base 2 with adhesive , welding , or other gas impermeable attaching means . other fastening methods , such as plasma discharge or foam - in - place can be used , depending on the gas impermeable material used for the seal 5 . the vacuum assembly is attached to the base 2 . the vacuum assembly includes the vacuum pump 3 , the vacuum tube 6 , the nozzle 7 , a vacuum sensor 4 , and a wire 21 connecting the vacuum sensor 4 to the vacuum pump 3 . the base 2 is fastened to the case 1 with fasteners 9 that are inserted into through - holes from the bottom of the base 2 . fig5 is an exemplary exploded isometric view of the present invention , used as a light 11 mounting base . the light 11 assembly includes a light bulb 11 , a socket 14 , a housing 12 , and a wire 13 powering the light 11 . when used for a lighting application , the case 1 is to be constructed from a transparent material such as pc or pmma .	5
the preferred embodiments of the present invention are elaborated with reference to the accompanying drawings below . in the accompanying drawings , the same or similar components from different figures are marked by the same drawing reference signs . reference to “ module ” encompasses elements that can be figured as hardware , software , or a combination of hardware and software , as is understood by personnel of ordinary skill in the telecommunications field . fig3 shows a flowchart of a method for reserving and playing dtv programs in one embodiment of the present invention . specifically , a method for reserving and playing dtv programs provided in an embodiment of the present invention comprises the following steps : step s 201 : a prompt indicating multiple dtv programs to be played at the same time is displayed to a subscriber before or when the time of playing the reserved dtv programs arrives . in actual implementation , the dtv programs can be displayed to subscribers in a form , for example , a program list . step s 202 : a dtv program selected by the subscriber from the multiple reserved dtv programs is played when the time of playing the reserved dtv programs arrives . it is noted that in the actual situation , subscribers may reserve one or more dtv programs to be played at the same time . therefore , before the prompt is displayed to the subscribers , indicating multiple dtv programs to be played at the same time , the method provided in this embodiment further comprises : checking the number of reserved dtv programs to be played at the same time ; if the result shows that only one dtv program is reserved , playing this dtv program by default when the time of playing the reserved dtv program arrives ; if the result shows that more than one dtv programs are reserved for playing at the same time , displaying a prompt indicating the multiple dtv programs to the subscriber before or when the time of playing the reserved dtv program arrives . in addition , when subscribers reserve dtv programs , and if the number of reserved dtv programs to be played at the same time exceeds the preset reservation limit , a conflict prompt or a program list is displayed to inform the subscribers of the reserved dtv programs to be played at the same time . therefore , subscribers are enabled to determine whether to replace a reserved program in the list , thus keeping the number of reserved dtv programs to be played at the same time within the limit . the preceding embodiment of the present invention enables subscribers to reserve multiple programs to be played at the same time , and then select one program for playing before or when the time of playing the reserved dtv programs arrives . in this manner subscribers can select the program to be played at a specific time point . therefore , this invention helps avoid the trouble of repeated selection by subscribers , thus simplifying the reservation process . moreover , this invention enables multiple subscribers to reserve their desired programs to be played at the same time , and before or when the playing time of reserved programs arrives , the current subscribers can select their desired programs for playing . therefore , multiple subscribers can reserve programs . fig4 shows a structure of a dtv playing system in the embodiment of the present invention . the dtv playing system 1 provided in the present invention includes : a terminal device 12 , adapted to play dtv programs , and a dtv stb 11 , adapted to control the terminal device 12 to play the dtv programs . in addition , fig5 shows a structure of a dtv stb applicable to the dtv playing system in the embodiment of the present invention , where the dtv stb includes a program reserving unit 100 . the program reserving unit 100 includes : a receiving module 110 ( with the structure shown in fig7 ), adapted to receive the request for reserving dtv programs from a subscriber ; a prompt displaying module 120 , adapted to display the prompt indicating multiple dtv programs to be played at the same time to the subscriber before or when the time of playing the reserved dtv programs arrives ; and a playing module 130 ( see fig6 ), adapted to play one dtv program selected by the subscriber from the multiple dtv programs when the time of playing the reserved dtv programs arrives . fig6 shows a structure of a playing module in an stb of a dtv playing system in an embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , the playing module 130 in the stb 11 is a functional module of the program reserving unit 100 , and includes : an obtaining submodule 131 , adapted to obtain information about a dtv program selected from multiple reserved dtv programs by subscribers ; and a playing submodule 132 , adapted to play the corresponding dtv program according to the information obtained by the obtaining submodule 131 about the dtv program selected from the multiple reserved dtv programs by subscribers . in addition , in actual implementation , subscribers may reserve only one dtv program . therefore , no prompt needs to be displayed to subscribers . thus , the playing module 130 provided in the present embodiment further includes : a checking submodule 133 , adapted to check the number of reserved dtv programs to be played at the same time ; if the result shows that only one dtv program is reserved , instruct the playing submodule 132 to directly play this reserved dtv program by default when the time of playing the reserved dtv program arrives . in instances where the result shows that more than one dtv program has been reserved , instruct the prompt displaying module 120 to display a prompt indicating the reserved dtv programs to be played at the same time to the subscribers when or before the time of playing the reserved dtv programs . fig7 shows a structure of a receiving module for reserving dtv programs in an stb of a dtv playing system in an embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , the receiving module 110 in the stb is a functional module of the program reserving unit 100 , and includes : a reservation request receiving submodule 111 , adapted to receive requests for reserving dtv programs from subscribers ; a conflict checking submodule 112 , adapted to check whether the number of reserved dtv programs to be played at the same time received by the reservation request receiving submodule 111 exceeds the reservation limit ; a conflict prompt displaying submodule 113 , adapted to display the conflict prompt to subscribers if the conflict checking submodule 112 has detected that the number of reserved dtv programs to be played at the same time exceeds the reservation limit ; and a reservation result determining submodule 114 , adapted to determine the reserved dtv programs to be played at the same time according to subscriber &# 39 ; s operation after the conflict checking submodule 112 has detected that the number of reserved dtv programs to be played at the same time does not exceed the reservation limit . according to the preceding embodiments of the present invention , the receiving module 110 can receive requests for reserving multiple programs to be played at the same time from the subscribers . when or before the playing time arrives , the prompt displaying module 120 displays a prompt to enable the subscribers to select one program for playing . therefore , the subscribers need not make repeated program selections , thereby simplifying the reservation process . moreover , this invention enables multiple subscribers to reserve their desired programs to be played at the same time , and before or when the playing time of reserved programs arrives , the current subscribers can select their desired programs for playing . therefore , multiple subscribers can reserve programs . for example , subscribers can reserve programs through the tv guide interface . assume that a subscriber has reserved the following programs at 18 : 00 , may 19 , 2007 : the receiving module 110 receives all the requests for reserving these dtv programs , and the conflict prompt displaying submodule 113 does not display the conflict prompt . under certain circumstance , the conflict prompt displaying submodule 113 displays the conflict prompt to the subscribers if the number of reserved dtv programs to be played at the same time exceeds the reservation limit . in this embodiment , it is assumed that the number of reserved dtv programs to be played at the same time is within the reservation limit . when it is 18 : 00 , may 20 , 2007 , the subscriber can view the following programs through the reservation management interface . in other words , after all the dtv programs are reserved , the subscriber can view these programs on the reservation management interface before the playing time . the reserved programs can be displayed in the manner as shown in the preceding table . when the playing time of the reserved programs meets , namely , 19 : 00 , may 20 , 2007 , the system detects that the news broadcast and the internal news are to be played soon on cctv - 1 and phoenix chinese channel respectively . therefore , the prompt displaying module 120 displays the following prompt : press up / down or left / right , and then press “ ok ”. press “ exit ” to exit . it is noted that the prompt can be displayed before or when the playing time of the program arrives . the time for displaying the prompt before the playing time can be preset , for example , several minutes or seconds before the playing time . this enables subscribers to determine which program is to be played and press the keys . in addition , the first program is highlighted on the interface by default , and the operation guide is displayed at the bottom of the interface . by pressing the keys , for example , up / down or left / right keys , on the controlling device such as a remote controller , keyboard , or panel compatible with the dtv stb 11 to move the colored cursor , the subscribers can choose a dtv program to be played , and finally determine the dtv program to be played by pressing the yes / sure / ok key on the controlling device such as a remote controller , keyboard , or panel . in conclusion , the method for reserving and playing dtv programs , the stb , and the playing system provided in the embodiments of the present invention enable subscribers to reserve multiple programs to be played at the same time and choose one program for playing before the playing time of the reserved programs . therefore , subscribers select a program to be played before the playing time , without repeated selection , thus optimizing and perfecting the reservation process . moreover , this invention enables multiple subscribers to reserve their desired programs to be played at the same time , and before the playing time of reserved programs , the current subscribers can select their desired programs for playing . therefore , multiple subscribers can reserve programs . it is understandable for those skilled in the art that all or part of flowcharts in the preceding embodiments can be performed through hardware instructed by programs . the programs may be stored in a computer - readable storage medium . when the program is being performed , the flowcharts of the method provided in the preceding embodiments are also being implemented . the storage medium can be : disks , optical disks , read - only memory ( rom ), random access memory ( ram ), and so on . disclosed above are merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention , but not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention . various variations or replacements made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the technical scope of the present invention fall within the protection scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims .	7
the following description of exemplary embodiment ( s ) is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention , its application , or uses . exemplary embodiments are directed to or can be operatively used on various wired or wireless earphone devices ( also referred to herein as earpiece devices ) ( e . g ., earbuds , headphones , ear terminals , behind the ear devices or other acoustic devices as known by one of ordinary skill , and equivalents ). processes , techniques , apparatus , and materials as known by one of ordinary skill in the art may not be discussed in detail but are intended to be part of the enabling description where appropriate . additionally exemplary embodiments are not limited to earpiece devices , for example some functionality can be implemented on other systems with speakers and / or microphones for example computer systems , pdas , blackberry ® smartphones , mobile phones , and any other device that emits or measures acoustic energy . additionally , exemplary embodiments can be used with digital and non - digital acoustic systems . additionally , various receivers and microphones can be used , for example micro - electro - mechanical systems ( mems ) transducers or diaphragm transducers . to enable an si earphone user to hear their local ambient environment , conventional si earphones often incorporate ambient sound microphones to pass through local ambient sound to a loudspeaker in the si earphone . in existing systems , the earphone user must manually activate a switch to enable the ambient sound pass - through . such a manual activation may be problematic . for example , if the user is wearing gloves or has their hands engaged holding another device ( e . g ., a radio or a weapon ), it may be difficult to press an “ ambient sound pass - through ” button or switch . the user may miss important information in their local ambient sound field due to the delay in reaching for the ambient sound pass - through button or switch . also , the user may have to press the button or switch a second time to revert back to a “ non ambient sound pass - through ” mode . a need exists for a “ hands - free ” mode of operation to provide ambient sound pass - through for an si earphone . embodiments of the invention relates to earphone devices and earphone systems ( or headset systems ) including at least one earphone device . an example earphone system ( or headset system ) of the subject invention may be connected to a remote device such as a voice communication device ( e . g ., a mobile phone , a radio device , a computer device ) and / or an audio content delivery device ( e . g ., a portable media player , a computer device ), as well as a further earphone device ( which may be associated with the user or another use ). the earphone device may include a sound isolating component for blocking a meatus of a user &# 39 ; s ear ( e . g ., using an expandable element such as foam or an expandable balloon ); an ear canal receiver ( ecr ) ( i . e ., a loudspeaker ) for receiving an audio signal and generating a sound field in an ear canal of the user ; and at least one ambient sound microphone ( asm ) for capturing ambient sound proximate to the earphone device and for generating at least one asm signal . a signal processing system may receive an audio content ( ac ) signal from the remote device ( such as the voice communication device or the audio content delivery device ); and may further receive the at least one asm signal . the signal processing system mixes the at least one asm signal and the ac signal and may transmit the resulting mixed signal to the ecr in the earphone device . the mixing of the at least one asm signal and the ac signal may be controlled by voice activity of the user . the earphone device may also include an ear canal microphone ( ecm ) for capturing sound in the user &# 39 ; s occluded ear - canal and for generating an ecm signal . an example earphone device according to the subject invention detects the voice activity of the user by analysis of the ecm signal from the ecm ( where the ecm detects sound in the occluded ear canal of the user ), analysis of the at least one asm signal or the combination thereof . according to an exemplary embodiment , when voice activity is detected , a level of the asm signal provided to the ecr is increased and a level of the ac signal provided to the ecr is decreased . when voice activity is not detected , a level of the asm signal provided to the ecr is decreased and a level of the ac signal provided to the ecr is increased . in an example earphone device , following cessation of the detected user voice activity , and following a “ pre - fade delay ,” the level of the asm signal provided to the ecr is decreased and the level of the ac signal fed to the ecr is increased . in an exemplary embodiment , a time period of the “ pre - fade delay ” may be proportional to a time period of continuous user voice activity before cessation of the user voice activity . the “ pre - fade delay ” time period may be bound by an upper predetermined limit . aspects of the present invention may include methods for detecting user voice activity of an earphone system ( or headset system ). in an exemplary embodiment , a microphone signal level value ( e . g ., from the asm signal and / or the ecm signal ) may be compared with a microphone threshold value . an ac signal level value ( from the input ac signal ( e . g . speech or music audio from a remote device such as a portable communications device or media player )) may be compared with an ac threshold value . in an exemplary embodiment , the ac threshold value may be generated by multiplying a linear ac threshold value with a current linear ac signal gain . it may be determined whether the microphone level value is greater than the microphone threshold value . according to another example , it may be determined whether the microphone level value is greater than the microphone threshold value and whether the ac level value is less than the ac threshold value . if the conditions are met , then a voice activity detector ( vad ) may be set to an on state . otherwise the vad may be set to an off state . in an example method , the microphone signal may be band - pass filtered , and a time - smoothed level of the filtered microphone signal may be generated ( e . g ., smoothed using a 100 ms hanning window ) to form the microphone signal level value . in addition , the ac signal may be band - pass filtered , and a time - smoothed level of the filtered ac signal may be generated ( e . g ., smoothed using a hanning window ) to form the ac signal level value . referring to fig1 , a cross - sectional view diagram of an exemplary earphone device 100 is shown . earphone device 100 is shown relative to ear 130 of a user . fig1 also illustrates a general physiology of ear 130 . an external portion of ear 130 includes pinna 128 . an internal portion of ear 130 includes ear canal 124 and eardrum 126 ( i . e ., a tympanic membrane ). pinna 128 is a cartilaginous region of ear 130 that focuses acoustic information from ambient environment 132 to ear canal 124 . in general , sound enters ear canal 124 and is subsequently received by eardrum 126 . acoustic information resident in ear canal 124 vibrates eardrum 126 . the vibration is converted to a signal ( corresponding to the acoustic information ) that is provided to an auditory nerve ( not shown ). earphone device 100 may include sealing section 108 . earphone device 100 may be configured to be inserted into ear canal 124 , such that sealing section 108 forms a sealed volume between sealing section 108 and eardrum 126 . thus , ear canal 124 represents an occluded ear canal ( i . e ., occluded by sealing section 108 ). sealing section 108 may be configured to seal ear canal 124 from sound ( i . e ., provide sound isolation from ambient environment 132 external to ear canal 124 ). in general , sealing section 108 may be configured to conform to ear canal 124 and to substantially isolate ear canal 124 from ambient environment 132 . sealing section 108 may be operatively coupled to housing unit 101 . as shown in fig1 , housing unit 101 of earphone device 100 may include one or more components which may be included in earphone device 100 . housing unit 101 may include battery 102 , memory 104 , ear canal microphone ( ecm ) 106 , ear canal receiver 114 ( ecr ) ( i . e ., a loudspeaker ), processor 116 , ambient sound microphone ( asm ) 120 and user interface 122 . although one asm 120 is shown , earphone device 100 may include one or more ambient sound microphones 120 . in an exemplary embodiment , asm 120 may be located at the entrance to the ear meatus . ecm 106 and ecr 114 are acoustically coupled to ( occluded ) ear canal 124 via respective ecm acoustic tube 110 and ecr acoustic tube 112 . in fig1 , housing unit 101 is illustrated as being disposed in ear 130 . it is understood that various components of earphone device 100 may also be configured to be placed behind ear 130 or may be placed partially behind ear 130 and partially in ear 130 . although a single earphone device 100 is shown in fig1 , an earphone device 100 may be included for both the left and right ears of the user , as part of a headphone system . memory 104 may include , for example , a random access memory ( ram ), a read only memory ( rom ), static ram ( sram ), dynamic ram ( dram ), flash memory , a magnetic disk , an optical disk or a hard drive . although not shown , housing unit 101 may also include a pumping mechanism for controlling inflation / deflation of sealing section 108 . for example , the pumping mechanism may provide a medium ( such as a liquid , gas or gel capable of expanding and contracting sealing section 108 ) and that would maintain a comfortable level of pressure for a user of earphone device 100 . user interface 122 may include any suitable buttons and / or indicators ( such as visible indicators ) for controlling operation of earphone device 100 . user interface 122 may be configured to control one or more of memory 104 , ecm 106 , ecr 114 , processor 116 and asm 120 . user interface 122 may also control operation of a pumping mechanism for controlling sealing section 108 . in general , ecm 106 , asm 120 may each be any suitable transducer capable of converting a signal from the user into an audio signal . although examples below describe diaphragm microphones , the transducers may include electromechanical , optical or piezoelectric transducers . the transducer may also include bone conduction microphone . in an example embodiment , the transducer may be capable of detecting vibrations from the user and converting the vibrations to an audio signal . similarly , ecr 114 may be any suitable transducer capable of converting an electric signal ( i . e ., an audio signal ) to an acoustic signal . all transducers ( such as ecm 106 , ecr 114 and asm 120 ) may respectively receive or transmit audio signals to processor 116 in housing unit 101 . processor 116 may undertake at least a portion of the audio signal processing described herein . processor 116 may include , for example , a logic circuit , a digital signal processor or a microprocessor . earphone device 100 may be configured to communicate with a remote device ( described further below with respect to fig2 ) via communication path 118 . in general , the remote device may include another earphone device , a computer device , an audio content delivery device , a communication device ( such as a mobile phone ), an external storage device , a processing device , etc . for example , earphone device 100 may include a communication system ( such as data communication system 216 shown in fig2 ) coupled to processor 116 . in general , earphone device 100 may be configured to receive and / or transmit signals . communication path 118 may include a wired or wireless connection . sealing section 108 may include , without being limited to , foam , rubber or any suitable sealing material capable of conforming to ear canal 124 and for sealing ear canal 124 to provide sound isolation . according to an exemplary embodiment , sealing section 108 may include a balloon capable of being expanded . sealing section 108 may include balloons of various shapes , sizes and materials , for example constant volume balloons ( low elasticity & lt ;= 50 % elongation under pressure or stress ) and variable volume ( high elastic & gt ; 50 % elongation under pressure or stress ) balloons . as described above , a pumping mechanism may be used to provide a medium to the balloon . the expandable balloon may seal ear canal 124 to provide sound isolation . if sealing section 108 includes an expandable balloon , sealing section 108 may be formed from any compliant material that has a low permeability to a medium within the balloon . examples of materials of an expandable balloon include any suitable elastomeric material , such as , without being limited to , silicone , rubber ( including synthetic rubber ) and polyurethane elastomers ( such as pellethane ® and santoprene ™). materials of sealing section 108 may be used in combination with a barrier layer ( for example , a barrier film such as saranex ™), to reduce the permeability of sealing section 108 . in general , sealing section 108 may be formed from any suitable material having a range of shore a hardness between about 5 a and about 30 a , with an elongation of about 500 % or greater . fig2 is a functional block diagram of exemplary earphone system 200 ( also referred to herein as system 200 ), according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . system 200 may be configured to communicate with other electronic devices and network systems , such as earphone device 220 ( e . g ., another earphone device of the same subscriber ), earphone device 222 ( e . g ., an earphone device of a different subscriber ), and / or mobile phone 228 of the user ( which may include communication system 224 and processor 226 ). fig2 illustrates exemplary hardware of system 200 to support signal processing and communication . system 200 may include one or more components such as ram 202 , rom 204 , power supply 205 , signal processing system 206 ( which may include a logic circuit , a microprocessor or a digital signal processor ), ecm assembly 208 , asm assembly 210 , ecr assembly 212 , user control interface 214 , data communication system 216 , and visual display 218 . ram 202 and / or rom 204 may be part of memory 104 ( fig1 ) of earphone device 100 . power supply 205 may include battery 102 of earphone device 100 . ecm assembly 208 , asm assembly 210 and ecr assembly 212 may include respective ecm 106 ( fig1 ), asm 120 and ecr 114 of earphone device 100 ( as well as additional electronic components ). user control interface 214 and / or visual display 218 may be part of user interface 122 ( fig1 ) of earphone device 100 . signal processing system 206 ( described further below ) may be part of processor 116 ( fig1 ) of earphone device 100 data communication system 216 may be configured , for example , to communicate ( wired or wirelessly ) with communication circuit 224 of mobile phone 228 as well as with earphone device 220 or earphone device 222 . in fig2 , communication paths between data communication system 216 , earphone device 220 , earphone device 222 and mobile phone 224 may represent wired and / or wireless communication paths . in an example embodiment , earphone system 200 may include one earphone device 100 ( fig1 ). in another example , system 200 may include two earphone devices 100 ( such as in a headphone system ). accordingly , in a headphone system , system 200 may also include earphone device 220 . in a headphone system , each earpiece device 100 may include one or more components such as ram 202 , rom 204 , power supply 205 , signal processing system 206 , and data communication system 216 . in another example , one or more components of these components ( e . g ., ram 202 , rom 204 , power supply 205 , signal processing system 206 or data communication system 216 ) may be shared by both earpiece devices . referring next to fig3 , a functional block diagram of an exemplary signal processing system 206 is shown . signal processing system 206 may be part of processor 116 ( fig1 ) of earphone device 100 and may be configured to provide automatic sound pass - through of ambient sound to ecr 114 of earphone device 100 . signal processing system 206 may include voice activity detection ( vad ) system 302 , ac gain stage 304 , asm gain stage 306 . mixer unit 308 and optional vad timer system 310 . signal processing system 206 receives an audio content ( ac ) signal 320 from a remote device ( such as a communication device ( e . g . mobile phone , earphone device 220 , earphone device 222 , etc .) or an audio content delivery device ( e . g . music player )). signal processing system 206 further receives asm signal 322 from asm 120 ( fig1 ). a linear gain may be applied to ac signal 320 by ac gain stage 304 , using gain coefficient gain_ac , to generate a modified ac signal . in some embodiments , the gain ( by gain stage 304 ) may be frequency dependent . a linear gain may also be applied to asm signal 322 in gain stage 306 , using gain coefficient gain_asm , to generate a modified asm signal . in some embodiments , the gain ( in gain stage 306 ) may be frequency dependent . gain coefficients gain_ac and gain_asm may be generated according to vad system 302 . exemplary embodiments of vad system 302 are provided in fig4 , 6a and 6b and are described further below . in general , vad 302 may include one or more filters 312 , smoothed level generator 314 and signal level comparator 316 . filter 312 may include predetermined fixed band - pass and / or high - pass filters ( described further below with respect to fig4 a and 6b ). filter 312 may also include an adaptive filter ( described further below with respect to fig5 ). filter 312 may be applied to asm signal 322 , ac signal 320 and / or an ecm signal generated by ecm 106 ( fig1 ). gain stages 304 , 306 may include analog and / or digital components . smoothed level generator 314 may receive at least one of a microphone signal ( e . g ., asm signal 322 and / or an ecm signal ) and ac signal 320 and may determine respective time - smoothed level value of the signal . in an example , generator 314 may use a 100 ms hanning window to form a time - smoothed level value . signal level comparator 316 may use at least the microphone level ( value ) to detect voice activity . in another example , comparator 316 may use the microphone level and the ac level to detect voice activity . if voice activity is detected , comparator 316 may set a vad state to an on state . if voice activity is not detected , comparator 316 may set a vad state to an off state . in general , vad system 302 determines when the user of earphone device 100 ( fig1 ) is speaking . vad system 302 sets gain_ac ( gain stage 304 ) to a high value and gain_asm ( gain stage 306 ) to a low value when no user voice activity is detected . vad system 302 sets gain_ac ( gain stage 304 ) to a low value and gain_asm ( gain stage 306 ) to a high value when user voice activity is detected . the gain coefficients of gain stages 304 , 306 for the on and off states may be stored , for example , in memory 104 ( fig1 ). the modified ac signal and the modified asm signal from respective gain stages 306 and 310 may be summed together with mixer unit 308 . the resulting mixed signal may be directed towards ecr 114 ( fig1 ) as ecr signal 324 . signal processing system 206 may include optional vad timer system 310 . vad timer system 310 may provide a time period of delay ( i . e ., a pre - fade delay ), between cessation of detected voice activity and switching of gains by gain states 304 , 306 associated with the vad off state . in an exemplary embodiment , the time period may be proportional to a time period of continuous user voice activity ( before the voice activity is ceased ). the time period may be bound by a predetermined upper limit ( such as 10 seconds ). vad timer system 310 is described further below with respect to fig7 . referring next to fig4 , a flowchart of an exemplary method is shown for determining user voice activity by vad system 302 ( fig3 ), according to an embodiment of the present invention . according to an exemplary embodiment , voice activity of the user of earphone device 100 ( fig1 ) ( i . e ., the earphone wearer ) may be detected by analysis of a microphone signal captured from a microphone . according to one example , the voice activity may be detected by analysis of an ecm signal from ecm 106 ( fig1 ), where ecm 106 detects sound in the occluded ear canal 124 . according to another exemplary embodiment , voice activity may be detected by analysis of an asm signal from asm 120 . in this case , the method described in fig4 is the same except that the ecm signal ( from ecm 106 of fig1 ) is exchanged with the asm signal from the asm 120 . at step 402 , a microphone signal is captured . the microphone signal 402 may be captured by ecm 106 or by asm 120 . at optional step 404 the microphone signal may be band - pass filtered , for example , by filter 312 ( fig3 ). in an exemplary embodiment , the band - pass filter 312 ( fig3 ) has a lower cut - off frequency of approximately 150 hz and an upper cut - off frequency of approximately 200 hz , using a 2nd or 4th order infinite impulse response ( iir ) filter or 2 chain biquadratic filters ( biquads ). at step 406 , a time - smoothed level of the microphone signal ( step 402 ) or the filtered microphone signal ( step 404 ) is determined , to form a microphone signal level value (“ mic level ”). the microphone signal level may be determined , for example , by smoothed level generator 314 ( fig3 ). for example , the microphone signal may be smoothed using a 100 ms hanning window . at step 412 , input audio content ( ac ) signal 320 ( fig3 ) ( e . g ., speech or music audio from a remote device ) may be received . at optional step 414 , the ac signal 320 may be band - pass filtered , for example by filter 312 ( fig3 ). in an exemplary embodiment , the band - pass filter is between about 150 and about 200 hz , using a 2nd or 4th order iir filter or 2 chain biquads . at step 416 , a time - smoothed level of ac signal ( step 412 ) or the filtered ac signal ( step 414 ) is determined ( e . g ., smoothed using a 100 ms hanning window ), such as by smoothed level generator 314 ( fig3 ), to generate an ac signal level value (“ ac level ”). at step 408 , the microphone signal level value ( determined at step 406 ) is compared with a microphone threshold 410 ( also referred to herein as mic threshold 410 ), for example , by signal level comparator 316 ( fig3 ). microphone threshold 410 may be stored , for example , in memory 104 ( fig1 ). at step 418 , the ac signal level value ( determined at step 416 ) is compared with a modified ac threshold ( determined at step 422 ), for example , by signal level comparator 316 ( fig3 ). the modified ac threshold is generated at step 422 by multiplying a linear ac threshold 420 with a current linear ac signal gain 424 . ac threshold 420 may be stored , for example , in memory 104 ( fig1 ). at step 426 , it is determined whether voice activity is detected . at step 426 , if it is determined ( for example by comparator 316 of fig3 ) that the microphone level is greater than the microphone threshold 410 ( mic level & gt ; mic threshold ) and the ac level is less than the modified ac threshold ( ac level & lt ; modified ac threshold ), then the state of vad system 302 ( fig3 ) is set to an on state at step 430 . otherwise vad system 302 ( fig3 ) is set to an off state at step 428 . at step 430 , when voice activity is detected ( i . e . vad = on state ), the level of asm signal 322 ( fig3 ) provided to ecr 114 ( fig1 ) is increased by increasing gain_asm ( via gain stage 306 ), and the level of ac signal 320 provided to ecr 114 is decreased by decreasing gain_ac ( via gain stage 304 ). at step 428 , when voice activity is not detected ( i . e . vad = off state ), the level of asm signal 322 ( fig3 ) provided to ecr 114 ( fig1 ) is decreased by decreasing gain_asm , and the level of ac signal 320 provided to ecr 114 is increased by increasing gain_ac . a maximum value of gain_ac and gain_asm may be limited , e . g . to about unity gain , and in one exemplary embodiment a minimum value of gain_ac and gain_asm may be limited , e . g . to about 0 . 0001 gain . in an exemplary embodiment , a rate of gain change ( slew rate ) of the gain_asm and the gain_ac in mixer unit 308 ( fig3 ) may be independently controlled and may be different for “ gain increasing ” and “ gain decreasing ” conditions . in one example , the slew rate for increasing and decreasing “ ac gain ” in the mixer unit 308 is about 30 db per second and about − 30 db per second , respectively . in an exemplary embodiment , the slew rate for increasing and decreasing “ asm gain ” in mixer unit 308 may be inversely proportional to the gain_ac ( on a linear scale , the gain_asm is equal to the gain_ac subtracted from unity ). referring next to fig5 , a flowchart of an exemplary method is shown for determining user voice activity by vad system 302 ( fig3 ), according to another embodiment of the present invention . at step 502 , a microphone signal is captured . the microphone signal may be captured by ecm 106 ( fig1 ) or by asm 120 . at step 504 , ac signal 320 ( fig3 ) is received . at step 506 , the ac signal 320 is adaptively filtered by an adaptive filter , such as filter 312 ( fig3 ). at step 508 , the filtered signal ( step 506 ), is subtracted from the captured microphone signal ( step 502 ), resulting in an error signal . at step 510 , the error signal ( step 508 ) may be used to update adaptive filter coefficients ( for the adaptive filtering at step 506 ). for example , the adaptive filter may include a normalized least mean squares ( nlms ) adaptive filter . steps 506 - 510 may be performed , for example , by filter 312 ( fig3 ) at step 512 , an error signal level value (“ error level ”) is determined , for example , by smoothed level generator 314 ( fig3 ). at step 516 the error level is compared with an error threshold 514 , for example , by signal level comparator 316 of fig3 . the error threshold 514 may be stored in memory 104 ( fig1 ). at step 518 it is determined ( for example , by signal level comparator 316 of fig3 ) whether the error level ( step 512 ) is greater than the error threshold 514 . if it is determined , at step 518 , that the error level is greater than the error threshold 514 , step 518 proceeds to step 522 , and vad system 302 ( fig3 ) is set to an on state . step 522 is similar to step 430 in fig4 . if it is determined , at step 518 , that the error level is less than or equal to error threshold 514 , step 518 proceeds to step 520 , and vad system 302 ( fig3 ) is set to an off state . step 520 is similar to step 428 in fig4 . referring next to fig6 a and 6b , flowcharts are shown of an exemplary method for determining user voice activity by vad system 302 ( fig3 ), according to another embodiment of the present invention . fig6 a and 6b show modifications of the method of voice activity detection shown in fig4 . referring fig6 a , the exemplary method shown may be advantageous for band - limited input ac signals 320 ( fig3 ), such as speech audio from a telephone system that is typically band - limited to between about 300 hz and about 3 khz . at step 602 , ac signal 320 is received . at optional step 614 , ac signal 320 may be filtered ( e . g ., high - pass filtered or band - pass filtered , such as by filter 312 of fig3 ), to attenuate or remove low frequency components , or a region of low - frequency components , in the input ac audio signal 612 . at step 606 , an ecr signal may be generated from the ac signal 320 ( which may be optionally filtered at step 614 ) and may be directed to ecr 114 ( fig1 ). referring next to fig6 b , at step 608 , a microphone signal is captured . the microphone signal may be captured by ecm 106 ( fig1 ) or by asm 120 . at optional step 610 , the microphone signal may be band - pass filtered , similarly to step 404 ( fig4 ), for example , by filter 312 ( fig3 ). at step 612 , a time - smoothed level of the microphone signal ( captured at step 608 ) or the filtered microphone signal ( step 610 ) may be determined , similarly to step 406 ( fig4 ), to generate a microphone signal level value (“ mic level ”). at step 614 , the microphone signal level value is compared with a microphone threshold 616 , similarly to step 408 ( fig4 ). at step 618 it is determined whether voice activity is detected . at step 618 , if it is determined ( for example by signal level comparator 316 of fig3 ) that the microphone level is greater than the microphone threshold , then vad system 302 ( fig3 ) is set to an on state at step 622 . otherwise vad system 302 is set to an off state at step 620 . steps 620 and 622 are similar to respective steps 428 and 430 ( fig4 ). referring next to fig7 , a flowchart is shown of an exemplary method for controlling input ac gain and asm gain by signal processing system 206 ( fig3 ) including vad timer system 310 , according to an embodiment of the present invention . in fig7 , following cessation of detected user voice activity by vad system 302 , and following a “ pre - fade delay ,” the level of the asm signal provided to ecr 114 ( fig1 ) is decreased and the level of the ac signal provided to ecr 114 is increased . in an exemplary embodiment , the time period of the “ pre - fade delay ” ( referred to herein as t initial ) may be proportional to a time period of continuous user voice activity ( before cessation of the user voice activity ), and the “ pre - fade delay ” time period t initial may be bound by a predetermined upper limit value ( t max ), which in an exemplary embodiment is between about 5 and 20 seconds . at step 702 , the vad status ( i . e ., an on state or an off state ) is received ( at vad timer system 310 ). at step 704 it is determined whether voice activity is detected by vad system 302 , based on whether the vad status is in an on state or an off state . if voice activity is detected at step 704 ( i . e ., the vad status is an on state ), then a vad timer ( of vad timer system 310 ( fig3 ) is incremented at step 706 . in an example embodiment , the vad timer may be limited to a predetermined time t max ( for example , about 10 seconds ). at step 708 , the gain_ac is decreased and the gain_asm is increased ( via gain stages 304 and 306 in fig3 ). if voice activity is not detected at step 704 ( i . e ., the vad status is an off state ), then the vad timer is decremented at step 710 , from an initial value , t initial . the vad timer may be limited at step 712 so that the vad timer is not decremented to less than 0 . as discussed above , t initial may be determined from a last incremented value ( step 706 ) of the vad timer ( prior to cessation of voice activity ). the initial value t initial may also be bound by the predetermined upper limit value t max . if it is determined , at step 712 , that the vad timer is equal to 0 , step 712 proceeds to step 714 . at step 714 , the ac gain value is increased and the asm gain is decreased ( via gain stages 304 , 306 of fig3 ). if it is determined , at step 712 , that the vad timer is greater than 0 , step 712 proceeds to step 716 . at step 716 , the ac gain and asm gain remain unchanged . thus , the vad timer system 310 ( fig3 ) may provide a delay period between cessation of voice activity detection and changing of the gain stages for corresponding to the vad off state . although the invention has been described in terms of systems and methods for automatically passing ambient sound to an earphone device , it is contemplated that one or more steps and / or components may be implemented in software for use with microprocessors / general purpose computers ( not shown ). in this embodiment , one or more of the functions of the various components and / or steps described above may be implemented in software that controls a computer . the software may be embodied in non - transitory tangible computer readable media ( such as , by way of non - limiting example , a magnetic disk , optical disk , flash memory , hard drive , etc .) for execution by the computer . although the invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to specific embodiments , the invention is not intended to be limited to the details shown . rather , various modifications may be made in the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the invention .	7
referring to the drawings , the embodiments of the present invention will be described herein below in detail . fig1 shows circuit data on a semiconductor integrated circuit including test points for implementing a test mode for design for testability ( hereinafter simply referred to as circuit data ) according to the first embodiment of the present invention . fig2 and 3 show information ( information about the test mode ) attached to circuit data on the test points ( hereinafter simply referred to as the test points ) that has been added to the circuit data on the semiconductor integrated circuit . as shown in fig1 , at least one test point is added to a specified node of which design for testability is required in the semiconductor integrated circuit . fig4 shows an apparatus for designing the semiconductor integrated circuit according to the first embodiment . fig8 is a flow chart diagram showing a method for designing the semiconductor integrated circuit by using the apparatus for designing the semiconductor integrated circuit . the circuit data , the test points in the circuit data , and the information attached to the test points are combined to provide design data . the group of combinational circuits shown in fig1 include : six combinational circuits cc 1 to cc 6 ; two or circuits or 2 and or 4 ; eleven and circuits and 1 to and 11 ; a selector sel 1 ; four flip - flops ff 1 to ff 4 ; and six input terminals in 1 , in 2 , and clk 1 to clk 4 . a description will be given first to the circuit structure between the combinational circuits cc 1 and cc 2 in the semiconductor integrated circuit shown in fig1 . to each of the inputs of the and circuits and 1 to and 3 , the output of the combinational circuit cc 1 is connected . to the inputs of the and circuit and 4 , the respective outputs of the and circuits and 2 and and 3 are connected . to the clock input of the flip - flop ff 1 , the input terminal clk 1 is connected . to the inputs of the or circuit or 2 , the output of the and circuit and 4 , the output of the flip - flop ff 1 , and the output of the flip - flop ff 4 are connected . to the inputs of the and circuit and 5 , the output of the and circuit and 1 and the output of the or circuit or 2 are connected . to the node between the output of the and circuit and 4 and one of the inputs of the and circuit and 5 , a test point tp 1 composed of the flip - flop ff 1 , the or circuit or 2 , and the input terminal clk 1 is added . a test point tp 4 composed of the flip - flop ff 4 , the or circuit or 2 , and the input terminal clk 4 is also added to the same node . a description will be given next to the circuit structure between the combinational circuits cc 3 and cc 4 . the selector sel 1 is controlled by the input terminal in 1 such that , when the input value of the input terminal in 1 is 1 , the input terminal in 2 is selected and that , when the input value thereof is 0 , the output value of the combinational circuit cc 3 is selected . to the clock input of the flip - flop ff 2 , the input terminal clk 2 is connected . to the input of the combinational circuit cc 4 , the output of the selector sel 1 is connected . to the node between the output of the combinational circuit cc 3 and the 0 - input of the selector sel 1 , a test point tp 2 composed of the flip - flop ff 2 and the input terminal clk 2 is added . subsequently , a description will be given to the circuit structure between the combinational circuits cc 5 and cc 6 . to each of the respective inputs of the and circuits and 6 , and 7 , and and 8 , the output of the combinational circuit cc 5 is connected . to the inputs of the and circuit and 9 , the respective outputs of the and circuits and 7 and and 8 are connected . to the clock input of the flip - flop ff 3 , the input terminal clk 3 is connected . to the inputs of the or circuit or 4 , the output of the and circuit and 9 and the output of the flip - flop ff 3 are connected . to the inputs of the and circuits and 10 , the output of the and circuit and 6 and the output of the or circuit or 4 are connected . to the inputs of the and circuit and 11 , the output of the combinational circuit cc 5 and the output of the and circuit and 10 are connected . to the input of the combinational circuit cc 6 , the output of the and circuit and 11 is connected . to the node between the output of the and circuit and 9 and one of the inputs of the and circuit and 10 , a test point tp 3 composed of the flip - flop ff 3 , the input terminal clk 3 , and the or circuit or 4 is added . fig2 shows information attached to the test points tp 1 and tp 2 added to the circuit data . fig3 shows information attached to the test points tp 3 and tp 4 added to the circuit data . each of the test points tp 1 to tp 4 holds “ test mode ” and “ positional information ” as information ( information about a test mode ) associated therewith . for each “ test mode ”, information composed of the “ type ”, “ use purpose ”, “ effect ”, “ clock frequency ”, “ logic synthesis constraint ”, “ deletable / undeletable ”, “ effect at test points ”, and “ list of test points ” is also held . a description will be given next to the test points tp 1 to tp 4 in the circuit data shown in fig1 . the type of the test mode which validates the test point tp 1 is “ logic bist ” and no “ positional information ” is held . in “ logic bist ” as the test mode for the test point tp 1 , “ use purpose ” is “ improvement in transition probability ” and “ effect ” is “ 0 . 117 % improvement in transition probability ”. in “ logic bist ” as the test mode for the test point tp 1 , “ clock frequency ” is 200 mhz , “ logic synthesis constraint ” is “ none ”, “ deletable / undeletable ” is “ deletable ”, “ effect at test points ” is “ 0 . 191 % improvement in transition probability ”, and “ list of test points ” related thereto is “{ tp4 }”. in the information shown in fig2 , “ effect at test points ” indicates test efficiency improved by combining a plurality of test points and the “ 0 . 191 % improvement in transition probability ” mentioned above improves the test efficiency . the test point related to the present test point tp 1 for the improved test efficiency is the test point tp 4 shown above in “ list of test points ”. “ effect at test points ” shown herein is “ weighting information related to test points ” the types of the test modes which validate the test point tp 2 are “ scan test ” and “ logic bist ” and no “ positional information ” is held . in “ scan test ” as one of the test modes for the test point tp 2 , “ use purpose ” is “ improvement in monitorability ” and “ effect ” is “ 10 nodes ”. in “ scan test ” as the test mode for the test point tp 2 , “ clock frequency ” is “ 30 mhz ”, “ logic synthesis constraint ” is “ false path ”, “ deletable / undeletable ” is “ undeletable ”, “ effect at test points ” is “ none ”, and “ list of test points ” related thereto is not held . in “ logic bist ” as the other test mode for the test point tp 2 , “ use purpose ” is “ improvement in monitorability ” and “ effect ” is “ 10 nodes ”. in “ logic bist ” as the test mode for the test point tp 2 , “ clock frequency ” is “ 200 mhz ”, “ logic synthesis constraint ” is “ none ”, “ deletable / undeletable ” is “ undeletable ”, “ effect at test points ” is “ none ”, and “ list of test points ” related thereto is not held . the type of the test mode which validates the test point tp 3 is “ scan test ” and no “ positional information ” is held . in “ scan test ” as the test mode for the test point tp 3 , “ use purpose ” is “ reduction in test pattern ” and “ effect ” is “ 30 pattern reduction ”. in “ scan test ” as the test mode for the test point tp 3 , “ clock frequency ” is “ 30 mhz ”, “ logic synthesis constraint ” is “ false path ”, “ deletable / undeletable ” is “ deletable ”, “ effect at test points ” is “ none ”, and “ list of test points ” related thereto is not held . the type of the test mode which validates the test point tp 4 is “ logic bist ” and no “ positional information ” is held . in “ logic bist ” as the test mode for the test point tp 4 , “ use purpose ” is “ improvement in transition probability ” and “ effect ” is “ 0 . 117 % improvement in transition probability ”. in “ logic bist ” as the test mode for the test point tp 4 , “ clock frequency ” is “ 200 mhz ”, “ logic synthesis constraint ” is “ none ”, “ deletable / undeletable ” is “ deletable ”, “ effect at test points ” is “ 0 . 191 % improvement in transition probability ”, and “ list of test points ” related thereto is “{ tp1 }”. as shown in fig4 , the apparatus for designing the semiconductor integrated circuit device is composed of : a data input unit k 101 for reading design data d 101 as input data ; a storage device 700 for storing the read data ; a test point deletion unit k 104 for deleting an unnecessary test point corresponding only to an unspecified test mode for a test mode d 102 as input data about a test mode specified by a computer ; and a data output unit k 105 for retrieving the design data from the storage device 700 and outputting it . the data input unit k 101 is composed of : a code analysis unit k 102 for analyzing the code of the design data ; and a database storage unit k 103 for storing the result of the analysis in the storage device 700 . the input data about the test mode specified by the computer indicates data showing specified conditions for given information included in the information about the test mode shown above . specifically , the given information includes “ positional information ” and information composed of “ type ”, “ use purpose ”, “ effect ”, “ clock frequency ”, “ logic synthesis constraint ”, “ deletable / undeletable ”, “ effect at test points ”, and “ list of test points ” which is included in “ test mode ” of the information about the test mode . the specified conditions indicate “ improvement in transition probability ” as “ use purpose ”, “ 0 . 117 % improvement in transition probability ” as “ effect ” and the like shown in fig2 and 3 and also include “ logic bist ” as “ type ”. fig8 is a flow chart diagram showing a procedure for test point design according to the first embodiment . first , in the flow chart , the design data d 101 ( design data structure ) composed of the circuit data on the semiconductor integrated circuit including the test points for the one or plurality of test modes and the information ( information about the test mode ) attached to the test points in the circuit data is inputted . in data read step s 101 , the reading of the design data d 101 is performed . the reading in data read step s 101 is performed in such a manner that the code analysis of the design data d 101 is performed first in code analysis step s 102 and the result of the analysis is stored in a database in database storage step s 103 . at this time , the information on the circuit data and the information attached to the test points are entirely analyzed and stored in the database . when “ logic bist ” ( specified type ) indicative of the type is specified as the test mode d 102 by the computer , any test point for which “ logic bist ” is not written as “ test mode ” in the information attached to the test point in the circuit data stored in the database is deleted in test point deletion step s 104 so that the test point tp 3 is deleted in the present embodiment . consequently , the flip - flop ff 3 , the or circuit or 4 , and the input terminal clk 3 are deleted from the circuit data and the output of the and circuit and 9 is connected to each of the inputs of the and circuit and 10 so that the design data d 104 outputted in data output step s 105 becomes the circuit shown in fig1 . when “ logic bist ” is specified in the test mode d 102 and a specified condition such that that “ effect at 1 test point ” is “ 0 . 15 %- or - more improvement in transition probability ” ( specified effect ) is inputted , any test point for which “ logic bist ” is not written as “ test mode ” in the information attached to the test point is deleted in test point deletion step s 104 so that the test point tp 3 is deleted . even when the type of “ test mode ” is “ logic bist ”, any test point of which “ effect ” in the information attached to the test point is a less - than - 0 . 15 % improvement in transition probability is deleted so that the test points tp 1 and tp 4 are deleted and the output design data d 103 becomes the circuit shown in fig1 . what results is a structure in which , in contrast to the circuit data in the input design data d 101 , each of the inputs of the and circuit and 5 is connected to the output of the and circuit and 4 and each of the inputs of the and circuit and 10 is connected to the output of the and circuit and 9 . when “ scan test ” is specified as the test mode d 102 mentioned above and when “ number of monitorable nodes is 15 or more ” is specified , any test point of which “ test mode ” is other than “ scan test ” is deleted so that the test points tp 1 and tp 4 are deleted . of the test points tp 2 and tp 3 of each of which “ test mode ” is “ scan test ”, the test point tp 2 of which “ use purpose ” is “ number of monitorable nodes is 15 or less ” is supposed to be deleted but its “ deletable / undeletable ” as indication information on whether or not the test point may be automatically deletable is “ undeletable ” so that the test point tp 2 remains without being deleted . as a result , the output design data d 103 has a structure as shown in fig2 in which , in contrast to the circuit data in the input design data d 101 , each of the inputs of the and circuit and 5 is connected to the output of the and circuit and 4 . when “ logic bist ” is specified as the test mode d 102 mentioned above and a specified condition such that “ effect at test points ” is “ 0 . 18 %- or - more improvement in transition probability ” ( specified effect ) is inputted , any test point for which “ logic bist ” is not written as “ test mode ” in the information attached to the test point is deleted so that the test point tp 3 is deleted . even when “ test mode ” is “ logic bist ”, any test point of which “ effect at test points ” is a 0 . 18 - or - less improvement in transition probability in the information attached to the test point is deleted . since “ effect at test points ” in the information held by each of the test points tp 1 and tp 3 remaining without being deleted is 0 . 191 , the test points tp 1 and tp 3 remain without being deleted and the circuit data in the output design data becomes the circuit design shown in fig1 . when “ logic bist ” is specified as the test mode d 102 mentioned above and a specified condition such that “ effect at test points ” is “ 0 . 20 %- or - more improvement in transition probability ” is inputted , the test points tp 1 and tp 3 are deleted since “ effect at test points ” in the information held by each of the test points tp 1 and tp 3 is 0 . 191 . as a result , the circuit data in the output design data becomes the circuit data shown in fig1 . fig5 shows an apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to the second embodiment of the present invention . fig9 is a flow chart diagram showing a procedure for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit by using the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit . as shown in fig5 , the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit device is composed of : a data input unit k 101 for reading design data d 101 as input data ; a storage device 700 for storing the read data ; and a data output unit k 105 for outputting design data d 103 . the data input unit k 101 is composed of : a code analysis unit k 102 for analyzing the code of the design data ; a test point deletion unit k 104 for deleting an unnecessary test point for the test mode inputted as a test mode d 102 ; and a database storage unit k 103 for storing design data after the deletion of the test point in the storage device 700 . fig9 is a flow chart diagram showing a procedure for test point design according to the second embodiment . first , in the flow chart , circuit data on a semiconductor integrated circuit including test points for one or a plurality of test modes is inputted as the design data d 101 and information attached to the test points in the circuit data is inputted as the test mode d 102 . in data read step s 101 , the reading of the design data d 101 is performed . the reading is performed in such a manner that the code analysis of the design data d 101 is performed first in code analysis step s 102 . when “ logic bist ”, e . g ., is specified as the test mode d 102 , any test point for which “ logic bist ” is not written as “ test mode ” in the information attached to the test point in the circuit data is deleted in test point deletion step s 104 . as a result , circuit data obtained by deleting the test point tp 3 from the circuit data is stored in a database in database storage step s 103 . then , in data output step s 105 , the circuit data on the circuit shown in fig1 is outputted as the design data d 103 . the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that test point deletion step s 104 is provided before database storage step s 103 . as a result , the test point deleted in test point deletion step s 104 is not stored in the database and therefore cannot be recovered . however , a used space in the memory of the storage device can be reduced . fig6 shows an apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to the third embodiment of the present invention . fig1 is a flow chart diagram showing a procedure for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit by using the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of fig6 . the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit and the flow chart diagram showing the design procedure according to the present embodiment are basically the same as those described in the first embodiment so that a description will be given to portions different from those in the apparatus for designing the semiconductor integrated circuit and the flow chart diagram showing the design procedure described in the first embodiment . the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit shown in fig6 is different from that described in the first embodiment in that a logic synthesis unit k 106 is provided therein . the provision of the logic synthesis unit k 106 allows the logic synthesis of the design data stored in the storage device 700 to be performed in logic synthesis step s 106 . when the input design data d 101 is on the rt level , therefore , it becomes possible to output the design data d 104 as a net list on the gate level . fig7 shows an apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention . fig1 is a flow chart diagram showing a procedure for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit by using the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit . the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit and the flow chart diagram showing the design procedure according to the present embodiment are basically the same as those described in the second embodiment so that a description will be given to portions different from those in the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit and the flow chart diagram showing the design procedure described in the second embodiment . the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit shown in fig7 is different from that described in the second embodiment in that a logic synthesis unit k 106 is provided therein . the provision of the logic synthesis unit k 106 allows logic synthesis to be performed in logic synthesis step s 106 . when the input design data d 101 is on the rt level , therefore , it becomes possible to output the design data d 104 as a net list on the gate level . fig1 shows an apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention . fig1 is a flow chart diagram showing a procedure for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit using the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit . the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit and the flow chart diagram showing the design procedure according to the present embodiment are basically the same as those described in the third embodiment so that a description will be given to portions different from those in the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit and the flow chart diagram showing the design procedure described in the third embodiment . the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit shown in fig1 is different from that described in the third embodiment in that , in contrast to the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit described in the third embodiment which has the logic synthesis unit k 106 , the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to the present embodiment has a logic synthesis unit k 107 including a test point optimization process for performing the optimization of the test points during the logic synthesis process . as shown in fig1 , the provision of the logic synthesis unit k 107 including the test point optimization process allows the circuit area optimization and timing optimization of a test point circuit to be performed in logic synthesis step s 107 including the test point optimization process and thereby allows the design data d 104 as a net list on the multi - gate level to be outputted . fig1 shows circuit data on a semiconductor integrated circuit including test points for one or a plurality of test modes according to the fifth embodiment . fig1 shows information attached to the test points in the circuit data . the group of combinational circuits shown in fig1 include eight combinational circuits cc 7 to cc 14 , four selectors sel 2 to sel 5 , four flip - flops ff 5 to ff 8 , and twelve input terminals in 3 to in 10 and clk 5 to clk 8 . a description will be given first to the circuit structure between the combinational circuits cc 7 and cc 8 in the semiconductor integrated circuit shown in fig1 . the selector sel 2 is controlled by the input terminal in 3 such that , when the input value of the input terminal in 3 is 1 , the input terminal in 4 is selected and that , when the input value thereof is 0 , the output value of the combinational circuit cc 7 is selected . to the clock input of the flip - flop ff 5 , the input terminal clk 5 is connected . to the node between the output of the combinational circuit cc 7 and the 0 - input of the selector sel 2 , a test point tp 5 composed of the flip - flop ff 5 and the input terminal clk 5 has been added . a description will be given next to the circuit structure between the combinational circuits cc 9 and cc 10 . the selector sel 3 is controlled by the input terminal in 5 such that , when the input value of the input terminal in 5 is 1 , the input terminal in 6 is selected and that , when the input value thereof is 0 , the output value of the combinational circuit cc 9 is selected . to the clock input of the flip - flop of the flip - flop ff 6 , the input terminal clk 6 is connected . to the node between the output of the combinational circuit cc 9 and the 0 - input of the selector sel 3 , a test point tp 6 composed of the flip - flop ff 6 and the input terminal clk 6 has been added . a description will be given next to the circuit structure between the combinational circuits cc 11 and cc 12 . the selector sel 4 is controlled by the input terminal in 7 such that , when the input value of the input terminal in 7 is 1 , the input terminal in 8 is selected and that , when the input value thereof is 0 , the output value of the combinational circuit cc 1 is selected . to the clock input of the flip - flop ff 7 , the input terminal clk 7 is connected . to the node between the output of the combinational circuit cc 11 and the 0 - input of the selector sel 4 , a test point tp 7 composed of the flip - flop ff 7 and the input terminal clk 7 has been added . subsequently , a description will be given to the circuit structure between the combinational circuits cc 13 and cc 14 . the selector sel 5 is controlled by the input terminal in 9 such that , when the input value of the input terminal in 9 is 1 , the input terminal in 10 is selected and that , when the input value thereof is 0 , the output value of the combinational circuit cc 13 is selected . to the clock input of the flip - flop ff 8 , the input terminal clk 8 is connected . to the node between the output of the combinational circuit cc 13 and the 0 - input of the selector sel 5 , a test point tp 8 composed of the flip - flop ff 8 and the input terminal clk 8 has been added . fig1 shows information attached to the test points tp 5 and tp 6 added to the circuit data . fig2 shows information attached to the test points tp 7 and tp 8 added to the circuit data . each of the test points tp 5 to tp 8 holds “ test mode ” and “ positional information ” as information ( information about the test mode ) associated therewith . each “ test mode ” holds information composed of “ use purpose ”, “ effect ”, “ clock frequency ”, “ logic synthesis constraint ”, “ deletable / undeletable ”, “ effect at test points ”, and “ list of test points ”. the test mode for the test point tp 5 is “ scan test ” and holds the coordinates ( 2 , 1 ) as “ positional information ”. in “ scan test ” as the test mode for the test point tp 5 , “ use purpose ” is “ improvement in monitorability ” and “ effect ” is “ 10 nodes ”. in “ scan test ” as the test mode for the test point tp 5 , “ clock frequency ” is “ 30 mhz ”, “ logic synthesis constraint ” is “ none ”, “ deletable / undeletable ” is “ deletable ”, and “ effect at test points ” is “ none ”. the test mode for the test point tp 6 is “ scan test ” and holds the coordinates ( 3 , 2 ) as “ positional information ”. in “ scan test ” as the test mode for the test point tp 6 , “ use purpose ” is “ improvement in monitorability ” and “ effect ” is “ 11 nodes ”. in “ scan test ” as the test mode for the test point tp 6 , “ clock frequency ” is “ 30 mhz ”, “ logic synthesis constraint ” is “ false path ”, “ deletable / undeletable ” is “ deletable ”, and “ effect at test points ” is “ none ”. the test mode for the test point tp 7 is “ scan test ” and holds the coordinates ( 5 , 6 ) as “ positional information ”. in “ scan test ” as the test mode for the test point tp 7 , “ use purpose ” is “ improvement in monitorability ” and “ effect ” is “ 11 nodes ”. in “ scan test ” as the test mode for the test point tp 7 , “ clock frequency ” is “ 30 mhz ”, “ logic synthesis constraint ” is “ none ”, “ deletable / undeletable ” is “ deletable ”, and “ effect at test points ” is “ none ”. the test mode for the test point tp 8 is “ scan test ” and holds the coordinates ( 2 , 2 ) as “ positional information ”. in “ scan test ” as the test mode for the test point tp 8 , “ use purpose ” is “ improvement in monitorability ” and “ effect ” is “ 10 nodes ”. in “ scan test ” as the test mode for the test point tp 8 , “ clock frequency ” is “ 200 mhz ”, “ logic synthesis constraint ” is “ none ”, “ deletable / undeletable ” is “ deletable ”, and “ effect at test points ” is “ none ”. fig1 is a flow chart diagram showing a procedure for test point design according to the fifth embodiment . first , the circuit data on the semiconductor integrated circuit including the test points for the one or plurality of test modes shown in fig1 and the information attached to the test points in the circuit data shown in fig1 and 20 are inputted as the design data d 101 . fig2 is the coordinate representation of “ positional information ” included in the information attached to the test points in the circuit data . in data read step d 102 , the reading of the design data d 101 is performed . when conditions such that the type of the test mode is “ scan test ” and “ test point merging distance is 5 or less in manhattan distance ” are specified in the test mode d 102 , any test point for which “ scan test ” is not written as “ test mode ” in the information attached to the test point in the circuit data stored in the database is deleted in test point deletion step s 102 . however , since the design data d 101 has no test point for which “ test mode ” is other than “ scan test ”, no test point is deleted in test point deletion step s 104 . then , in logic synthesis step s 105 as the next step including a test point optimization process , timing optimization is performed based on the logic synthesis constraints included in “ logic synthesis constraints ” in the information attached to the test points in the circuit data , while test point merging is performed under the condition that “ test point merging distance is 5 or less in manhattan distance ” specified as the test mode d 102 . a list of candidate test points which can be merged include the test points { tp 5 , tp 6 , and tp 7 } of which the input clocks have the same frequency . when the manhattan distance between a combination of each two of the mergeable test points in the list is determined , the manhattan distance \| tp 5 - tp 6 \| between the test points tp 5 and tp 6 is 2 , the manhattan distance \| tp 5 - tp 7 \| between the test points tp 5 and tp 7 is 8 , and the manhattan distance \| tp 6 - tp 7 \| between the test points tp 6 and tp 7 is 6 . since the condition specified in the test mode d 102 is “ test point merging distance is 5 or less in manhattan distance ”, the test points tp 5 and tp 6 which satisfy the condition are judged to be mergeable so that they are merged . since the design data d 104 outputted in data output step s 105 assigns the function of “ improvement in monitorability ” that has been performed by the flip - flop ff 5 to the flip - flop ff 6 as shown in fig2 , a circuit is provided from which the test point tp 5 composed of the flip - flop ff 5 and the input terminal clk 5 has been deleted , to which an xor circuit xor 1 has been added , and in which the outputs of the combinational circuits cc 7 and cc 9 are connected to the inputs of the xor circuit xor 1 , and the output of the xor circuit xor 1 is connected to the input of the flip - flop ff 6 . when “ scan test ” is specified as the test mode d 102 and “ clock source sharing ” is inputted , clocks having the same use purpose and the same frequency are shared . in the case with the design data d 101 , a list of the test points which can share a clock source are { tp 5 , tp 6 , and tp 7 }. in the design data d 104 outputted in data output step s 105 , the input terminals clk 6 and clk 7 are deleted and each of the clock inputs of the flip - flops ff 6 and ff 7 is connected to the input terminal clk 5 , as shown in fig2 . the manhattan distance described herein can be measured between any two nodes as follows . the differences between the values of the same coordinate components of the two nodes are determined individually and the absolute values of the differences between the same coordinate components are added up on a component - by - component basis . the sum of the absolute values of the differences therebetween is the manhattan distance . fig1 shows an apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention . fig1 is a flow chart diagram showing a procedure for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit by using the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit . the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit and the flow chart diagram showing the design procedure according to the present embodiment are basically the same as those described in the fifth embodiment so that a description will be given to portions different from those in the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit and the flow chart diagram showing the design procedure described in the fifth embodiment . the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit shown in fig1 is different from that described in the fifth embodiment in that the test point deletion unit k 104 is provided within the data input unit . by using the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit to delete a test point in test point deletion step s 104 in a stage previous to database storage step s 103 , a used space in the memory of the storage device can further be reduced than in the fifth embodiment .	6
the distribution of cooling air among the cards depends upon the pressure loss characteristics in supplying cooling air to the respective cards . assuming that the packages respectively have pressure loss values δp t1 to δp tn with air flow rates w 1 to w n , respectively , the pressure loss δp t of each cards can be represented by ## equ1 ## on the other hand , the cooling air flow rates w applied to the respective cards are determined so as to balance or make equal the pressure loss values δp t1 to δp tn in the respective cards . that is to say , cooling flow rates w 1 to w n distributed to the respective cards are determined so as to satisfy the equation : for determining the cooling air flow rates distributed to the respective cards , therefore , it is necessary to know the pressure loss characteristics of the respective cards . we have found that it is possible to estimate the cooling air flow rates distributed to the respective cards by obtaining the pressure loss characteristics of the respective cards based on the average air - flow sectional areas thereof . on the basis of the cooling air flow rates thus determined , pressure adjustment means are disposed in the air flow passages of the cards . fig2 shows a structure in which cards 3 having electronic components 1 and 2 , for example , disposed thereon are mounted in parallel on a mother board 4 . respective cards are cooled by a cooling air 5 . as described above , the flow rate of the cooling air 5 is defined by the pressure loss characteristics of the card and the efficiency of the fan . fig3 shows a typical relationship between the air flow rate values w and the pressure loss value δp t of each of the respective cards . as seen from fig3 the respective cards have different pressure characteristics 6a to 6c . as described before , the cooling air is distributed to the respective cards in such a manner that the pressure losses δp t of the cooling air for the respective cards are rendered equal to each other . for determining the pressure loss characteristic , the concept of average air - flow sectional area is introduced . fig4 a is a plan view of the card 3 . the electronic components 1 are mounted on the card 3 in rows r 1 to r n along the direction of the air flow 5 . fig4 b shows an air - flow sectional area a1 of the first row r 1 . fig4 c is a side view of the card of fig4 a . and the back edge of an adjacent card . an average air - flow sectional area a is of fig4 a and the back edge of an adjacent card obtained by averaging air - flow sectional areas a 1 , a 2 , . . . a n measured at the respective rows according to the following equation : ## equ2 ## an average air flow velocity u is depending upon the average air - flow sectional a ( m 2 ) and the cooling air flow rate w ( m 3 / hr ), applied to the card and represented by ## equ3 ## fig5 shows the pressure loss δp t as a function of the average air flow velocity u . as described above , therefore , the cooling air flow rate w is distributed to the respective cards on the basis of the pressure loss characteristic , and hence on the basis of the average air - flow sectional area a . the cards 3 are usually different from each other in the number , type and arrangement of electronic components 1 and 2 mounted thereon . the cooling air 5 is applied to the cards from the lower side by a fan ( not shown in the embodiment of fig1 ). thus , the cards 3 having different pressure loss characteristics are mounted on the mother board 4 . in order to attain a desired cooling air flow rate 5 for each card , a pressure adjustment device 13 shown in fig6 is provided at a cooling air inlet 10 and / or a cooling air outlet 11 of each card for adjusting the pressure loss characteristics of the card . the pressure loss characteristics of each card can be freely adjusted by using the pressure adjustment device . in this embodiment , therefore , the cooling air flow rate 5 of each card can be freely adjusted by adjusting the pressure adjustment device 13 according to the pressure loss characteristics depending upon the average air - flow sectional area of the card . an example of the pressure adjustment device is shown in fig6 in the form of a plate formed with a number of through holes 20 . the cooling air flow rate is adjusted by selecting the ratio of the total area of the holes to the total area of the plate . in the above described structure according to the present invention , the pressure loss characteristic of each card can be calculated from the average air - flow sectional area of the card . accordingly , the cooling air flow rate of each card can be estimated by calculation . since the pressure loss characteristic can be calculated , the cooling air flow rate can be suitably adjusted by adjusting suitable the pressure loss characteristics of each card .	7
a two - phase study was undertaken of cyp17 , cyp3a4 , and srd5a2 , to evaluate the relationship between their genotypes / haplotypes and prostate cancer . phase i of the study first searched for single nucleotide polymorphisms ( snps ) in these genes by re - sequencing 24 individuals from coriell polymorphism discovery resource ( coriell cell repositories , camden , n . j . ), approximately 100 men from prostate cancer case - control sibships , and by leveraging public databases . eighty - seven snps were discovered and genotyped in 276 men from case - control sibships . those snps exhibiting preliminary case - control allele frequency differences , or distinguishing ( i . e ., ‘ tagging ’) common haplotypes across the genes , were identified for further study ( 24 snps total ). in phase ii of the study , the 24 snps were genotyped in an additional 841 men from case - control sibships . finally , associations between genotypes / haplotypes in cyp17 , cyp3a4 , and srd5a2 and prostate cancer were evaluated in the total case - control sample of 1 , 117 brothers . a family - based association study population of 1 , 117 men ( 637 cases , 480 controls ) was recruited between january 1998 and january 2001 from the major medical institutions in the greater cleveland area and from the henry ford health system in detroit . the study was approved by the collaborating institution &# 39 ; s review boards , and informed consent was obtained from all participating men . characteristics of the study population have been described ( casey et al . ( 2002 ) nat genet 32 , 581 - 583 ). men diagnosed with histologically confirmed prostate cancer at age 73 or younger were invited to join the study if they had a living unaffected brother who was either older than the proband , or at most eight years younger than the age at diagnosis of the proband . this age restriction was selected in an attempt to increase the potential for genetic factors affecting disease , and to help make certain that the controls were not unaffected due simply to being of a younger age . to help confirm that the controls were not diseased , the prostate specific antigen ( psa ) levels in their blood was tested . individuals in the study with psa levels above 4 ng / ml were retained as ‘ controls ’ unless a subsequent diagnosis of prostate cancer was made , at which time they were reclassified as cases . keeping them in the study was important because automatically excluding men with elevated psa levels regardless of their ultimate prostate cancer status can lead to biased estimates of association ( lubin & amp ; hartge ( 1984 ) am j epidemiol 120 , 791 - 793 ; poole ( 1999 ) am j epidemiol 150 , 547 - 551 ). information on the cases &# 39 ; gleason score ( a measure of prostate cancer cellular differentiation ) and tumor stage ( tnm , tumor - node - metastasis stage ) was determined from their medical records . the study population was comprised of 90 % caucasians ( european americans ), and the remainder primarily african american ( 9 %). polymorphisms were discovered by sequencing individuals from prostate cancer sibships ( 67 cases and 43 controls for cyp17 and cyp3a4 , and 51 cases and 41 controls for srd5a2 ). of the 110 individuals sequenced for cyp17 and cyp3a4 , 106 were caucasian , 2 were hispanic , and 2 were african - american . of the 92 individuals sequenced for srd5a2 , 84 were caucasian and 8 were african american . in addition , the 24 individuals from the coriell cell repository polymorphism discovery resource ( collins et al . ( 1998 ) genome res 8 , 1229 - 1231 ) were sequenced against the three genes . pcr primers covering coding regions , splice sites , 5 ′ and 3 ′ regions , and parts of introns of cyp3a4 ( reference sequence no . 39 ), cyp17 ( reference sequence no . 40 ), and srd5a2 ( reference sequence no . 41 ), were designed using the primer3 program ( http :// www . genome . wi . mit . edu / cgi - bin / primer / primer3 . cgi ). pcr products were sequenced using energy transfer dye terminators on the amersham bioscience &# 39 ; s megabace1000 ( amersham biosciences , sunnyvale , calif .) using standard protocols . sequence analysis was performed by assigning quality values ( phred ; university of washington , seattle , wash . ), assembling contigs ( phrap ; university of washington ), automated identification of candidate heterozygote snps ( polyphred , university of washington ), automated identification of candidate homozygote snps ( high is quality mismatch , amersham biosciences , sunnyvale , calif .) and by operator confirmation ( consed , university of washington ). all polymorphisms were confirmed by single nucleotide primer extension ( snupe ) assay ( amersham biosciences , sunnyvale , calif .) in addition to novel polymorphisms discovered in this study , several publicly available snps from the dbsnp ( http :// www . ncbi . nlm . nih . gov / snp /), utah genome center ( ugc ) ( http :// www . genome . utah . edu / genesnps / genes /), the human cytochrome p450 allele nomenclature committee ( hcanc ) ( http :// www . imm . ki . se / cypalleles /), the human gene mutation database ( hgmd ) ( http :// archive . uwcm . ac . uk / uwcm / mg / hgmd0 . html ) and the human genic bi - allelic sequences ( hgbase ) release 8 ( http :// hgbase . interactiva . de /) were searched for cyp17 , cyp3a4 , and srd5a2 . for the androgen receptor gene , several publicly available snps from dbsnp , hgbase and the androgen receptor mutation database ( armd ) ( http :// ww2 . mcgill . ca / androgendb /) were included . in phase i , 276 individuals from prostate cancer sibships were genotyped for 29 snps ( 11 novel , 18 known ) in cyp17 , 33 snps ( 18 novel , 15 known ) in cyp3a4 , and 25 snps ( 5 novel , 20 known ) in srd5a2 . the individuals included 153 cases and 123 brother controls , 70 % european americans and 30 % african americans . the information from the 276 men was then used to determine initial case - control frequency differences and haplotype tagging . the results were then used to determine which snps should be genotyped in the remainder of the study population ( i . e . in phase ii of the study ). in phase ii , a total of 24 snps were genotyped in 841 individuals , giving information on a total of 1117 individuals for phase ii . genotyping was performed utilizing the single nucleotide primer extension ( snupe ) assay on the megabace1000 ( amersham biosciences , sunnyvale calif .) capillary electrophoresis platform ( amersham biosciences ). the primer3 program ( http :// www . genome . wi . mit . edu / cgi - bin / primer / primer3 . cgi ) was used to design pcr primers to amplify regions containing the snps of interest . pcr fragments were purified with 0 . 5 u of shrimp alkaline phosphatase ( amersham biosciences ) and 10 u of exonuclease i ( amersham biosciences ) by incubating at 37 ° c . for 40 min and at 85 ° c . for 15 min . the single base extension ( sbe ) reaction was set with 1 pmol of hplc purified sbe primer , 2 - 4 μl of snupe premix ( amersham biosciences ), 2 - 4 μl of sterile water , and 1 μof purified pcr fragment , and incubated at 25 cycles of 96 ° c . for 10 sec , 50 ° c . for 5 sec , and 60 ° c . for 10 sec . for phase i of the study , snupe reactions were set in 96 - well plates at 10 μl volume and purified with autoseq ™ 96 plates ( amersham biosciences ) prior to injecting into the megabace1000 system . for phase ii of the study , snupe reactions were set in 384 - well plates at 5 - 6 μl volume , diluted with 3 - 4 μl of sterile water and purified with 1 u of shrimp alkaline phosphatase ( amersham biosciences ) by incubating at 37 ° c . for 45 min and at 85 ° c . for 15 min prior to injecting into the megabace4000 system . in cases where low signal was anticipated ( due to faint pcr ), snupe reactions were desalted using a custom 384 - well filter plate incorporating modified size - exclusion technology ( millipore corporation , billerica , mass .). the scierra genotyping lws ™ ( amersham biosciences ) system was utilized for the tracking and management of samples and laboratory activity for phase ii of the study . specific software ( snpride ) was developed for the automated design of snupe primers . using a purified pcr fragment containing the snp of interest as a template , a third , internal primer was designed so that the 3 &# 39 ; end anneals adjacent to the polymorphic base - pair , and during the snupe reaction a fluorescently labeled dideoxynucleotide ( terminator ) was added onto the primer . a separate software package has been developed ( snp profiler ™, amersham biociences ) that automatically processes the signal data and outputs the maximum likelihood snp genotypes . the system includes a user interface for editing and verification . three snps , srd5a2_snp20 ( v89l ), srd5a2_snp22 ( a49t ) and cyp17 - _snp29 (− 34 & gt ; c ) were analysed by restriction enzyme digestion ( cicek et al ., unpublished data ). a large number of haplotypes inferred during initial rounds of haplotyping implied erroneous genotype data . a phylogenetic study of inferred haplotypes was performed to reveal the relationships between different haplotypes . all haplotypes differing from another haplotype by only one snp , and being represented by only one individual , were subject to inspection . genotype data for the individual at stake were reanalysed by snp profiler ™ ( amersham biosciences ) to exclude the possibility of an incorrect genotype . rounds of phylogenetic study of haplotypes , followed by reanalysing suspicious genotypes and inferring new haplotypes were applied until no more incorrect genotypes could be found . three to six rounds were applied for each of the genes . alleles within each of the three candidate genes were in strong linkage disequilibrium with one another . thus , for each gene , haplotypes were estimated using the resulting genotypes , by disease status and within major ethnic groups using the software phase . this program uses markov chain monte carlo to estimate haplotypes , imputes information for missing genotypes , and incorporates a statistical model for the distribution of unresolved haplotypes based on coalescent theory ( stephens et al . ( 2001 ) am j hum genet 68 , 978 - 989 ). haplotypes and haplotype tagging snps were first determined among the 276 men genotyped for phase i of the study , where tagging snps was necessary to define the most common haplotypes ( e . g ., & gt ; 5 %). after completing genotyping on the entire study population ( phase ii of the study ), the resulting data were used to estimate haplotypes . case versus control allele frequencies were first compared within major ethnic groups . then the association between the resulting genotypes / haplotypes and prostate cancer risk was evaluated by calculating odds ratios ( or , estimates of relative risk ) and 95 % confidence intervals from conditional logistic regression with family as the matching variable , using a robust variance estimator that incorporates familial correlations . this is a standard approach for analyzing sibling matched case - control data , although sibling sets without any controls do not contribute any information ( 197 cases total here ) ( breslow and day ( 1980 ) iarc sci publ 32 , 335 - 338 ). in the analyses of cyp17 , cyp3a4 , and srd5a2 a log - additive coding was used which treats the most common polymorphism ( or haplotype ) as the null - risk referent group and assumes that the relative risk of carrying one polymorphism ( or haplotype ) is the square - root of the risk of carrying two . since haplotypes were estimated for these three genes , the probabilities of observed haplotypes were used in the analyses ( schaid et al . ( 2002 ) am j hum genet 70 , 425a434 ). to control for potential confounding , age was adjusted for in all regression models . in addition to looking at the main effects of each snp or haplotype , the analyses were also stratified by the case &# 39 ; s disease aggressiveness , where high aggressiveness was defined by tnm stage ≧ t2b or gleason score ≧ 7 ; and low aggressiveness by tnm stage & lt ; t2b and gleason score & lt ; 7 . all statistical analyses were undertaken with the s + software ( version 6 . 0 , insightful corp , 2001 ). a total of 34 novel snps were detected : 11 in cyp17 , 18 in cyp3a4 , and 5 in srd5a2 ( table 2 ). in addition , 11 snps were “ rediscovered ” from the public databases . including these 11 snps , 53 snps were selected in total from the databases : 18 in cyp17 , 15 in cyp3a4 , and 20 in srd5a2 . these were chosen based on the intention to obtain an even distribution of snps across the genes and the availability in the databases at that time ( january - april 2001 ). twenty - one snps were chosen from dbsnp , 27 from genesnps , 12 from hgmd , 8 from hgvbase , and 2 from hcanc ( the total number of snps listed here exceeds 53 as several snps were present in multiple databases ). table 3 lists all 87 snps ( 34 novel , 53 from databases ), with their origins , exact locations and allele frequencies . among the 34 novel snps , 26 ( 76 %) were discovered in both the coriell and case - control populations . three snps were only observed in the coriell data , and the remaining five were found only in the prostate cancer sibships . of these five , three were relatively rare ( allele frequencies 0 . 2 - 1 . 5 %), suggesting that they may not have been discovered in the coriell population simply due to its small sample size ( n = 24 ). nevertheless , the other two snps that were only found in the prostate cancer sibships ( cyp3a4_snp12 and cyp17_snp42 ) showed higher allele frequencies ( 7 . 5 % and 21 . 8 %, respectively ), suggesting that they might be specific to the prostate cancer case - control population . the 87 snps were geneotyped in a total of 276 males from prostate cancer sibships ( 29 in cyp17 , 33 in cyp3a4 , and 25 in srd5a2 ). eleven snps gave ambiguous genotyping results . this might have been due to unoptimized genotyping reactions or primer self - priming due to secondary structures and unspecificity of pcr and / or snupe primers , especially within the cytochrome p450 gene family . of the remaining 76 snps , a similar percentage of those novel ( 41 %, or 12 / 29 ) and known ( 38 %, or 18 / 47 ) had allele frequencies & gt ; 10 %. however , 19 / 47 ( 40 %) of the known snps were found to be monoallelic in the 276 men , suggesting that they are either extremely rare , population specific , or artifacts . in light of these results , the 11 snps with ambiguous genotype results , the 19 snps that appeared monoallelic in all samples tested , and an additional four that were seen only in the coriell diversity set but not in the prostate cancer sibships were excluded . also excluded was one snp because & gt ; 15 % of data was missing ( due to a low success rate for pcr and snupe reaction ). finally , 12 snps were excluded because their minor allele frequencies were less than 5 % in all of the following four subgroups : european americans , african americans , cases , and controls ( table 3 ). following these exclusions , a total of 40 snps remained for consideration in the phase ii association study ( 14 in cyp17 , 16 in cyp3a4 , and 10 in srd5a2 ) ( table 3 ). using the preliminary genotype information , haplotypes estimated with a frequency ≧ 5 % in at least one of the four major subgroups ( i . e ., european american , african american , cases , or controls ) were identified . each gene had a single “ common ” haplotype , with a frequency ranging between 42 and 51 percent ( not shown ). haplotype tagging snps were identified and used as a basis for inclusion in phase ii of the study . in addition , non - tagging snps exhibiting suggestive case versus control allele frequencies were considered ( table 3 ). altogether 24 snps were selected for phase ii . the 24 tagging and suggestive snps were genotyped in an additional 841 men , giving information on a total of 1117 individuals for phase ii . case versus control allele frequency differences by ethnic group are presented in table 3 . haplotypes estimated with a frequency ≧ 3 % in at least one of the four major subgroups of the study population were identified . the major haplotypes for cyp17 , cyp3a4 , and srd5a2 along with their frequencies are presented in fig2 . in the association analyses , no associations between cyp17 genotypes / haplotypes and prostate cancer were detected . when looking at cyp3a4 , snp1 was found to be associated with an approximately 50 % reduction in risk ( or = 0 . 53 , 95 % ci = 0 . 29 - 0 . 99 ; p - value = 0 . 05 ) ( table 4a ). furthermore , the haplotype analysis revealed an association with an approximately 55 % decrease in prostate cancer risk and cyp3a4_hap4 ( or = 0 . 46 , 95 % ci = 0 . 21 - 1 . 02 ; p - value = 0 . 05 ) ( table 5a ). two snps in srd5a2 were also found to be associated with an approximately 50 % increase in prostate cancer risk : srd5a2_snp26 ( or = 1 . 57 , 95 % ci = 1 . 08 - 2 . 30 ; p - value = 0 . 02 ), and srd5a2_snp20 ( v89l ) ( or = 1 . 56 , 95 % ci = 1 . 08 - 2 . 25 ; p - value = 0 . 02 ) ( table 4a ). these snps , however , 5 were in almost complete linkage disequilibrium . when the study population was stratified by high and low aggressiveness of prostate cancer , several interesting associations emerged ( see table 4b and 5b ). first , five snps in cyp3a4 showed statistically significant associations with low aggressiveness : cyp3a4_snp11 ( cyp3a4 * 1b ) ( or = 0 . 20 , 95 % ci = 0 . 06 - 0 . 67 ; p - value = 0 . 009 ), cyp3a4_snp47 ( or = 0 . 19 , 95 % ci = 0 . 06 - 0 . 62 ; p - value = 0 . 006 ), cyp3a4_snp1 ( or = 0 . 21 , 95 % ci = 0 . 05 - 0 . 86 ; p - value = 0 . 03 ), cyp3a4_snp25 ( or = 6 . 54 , 95 % ci = 0 . 99 - 43 . 10 ; p - value = 0 . 05 ) and cyp3a4_snp15 ( or = 0 . 41 , 95 % ci = 0 . 22 - 0 . 79 ; p - value = 0 . 007 ). second , an association was observed between cyp3a4_hap4 and low aggressiveness ( or = 0 . 06 , 95 % ci = 0 . 008 - 0 . 50 ; p - value = 0 . 009 ) ( table 5b ). finally , an inverse association was observed between srd5a2_hap3 and high aggressiveness ( or = 0 . 52 , 95 % ci = 0 . 29 - 0 . 91 ; p - value = 0 . 02 ) ( table 5b ). table 6 provides annotation of cyp3a4 , cyp17 and srd5a2 genomic sequences . all of the snps disclosed in the present invention have utility in the prognosis and diagnosis of prostate and breast cancer . although this invention has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments , other embodiments which will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the disclosure herein are also within the scope of this invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention is intended to be defined only by reference to the appended claims . all documents cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety . # snp was discovered in the coriell diversity set and was not present in the 276 individuals from prostate cancer sibships ( still obviously a real snp since it &# 39 ; s seen in the diversity set ) @ ambiguous genotyping results ; snp was excluded from all further analyses . however , most likely real snps the numbering system for the location of snps is according to the common mutation nomenclature ( den dunnen and antonarakis ( 2000 ) human mut 15 , 7 - 12 ; http :// www . dmd . nl / mutnomen . html # dna ). a explanations : (*), snp did not show up in our study population ; ( r ), rediscovered ; (+), we had sequence coverage but did not rediscover the snp ; (+& lt ;), we had sequence coverage but did not rediscover the snp , most likely due to the low minor allele frequency ; (−), we did not have sequence coverage explaining why we did not rediscover the snp ; ( cds ), novel snp discovered originally in the # coriell diversity set ; ( cap ), novel snp discovered originally in the prostate cancer sibships ; ( c + c ), novel snp discovered originally in both populations b underlined bases indicate the allele for which frequencies are given c excluded from haplotyping in phase i and from consideration for phase ii based on ( a ) being monoallelic in the prostate cancer sibships , ( b ) yielding ambiguous genotyping results , ( c ) low success rate , ( d ) allele frequency & lt ; 5 %. included in phase ii association analyses based on ( 1 ) being a haplotype tagging snp , ( 2 ) case - control difference in phase i , ( 3 ) previous publications supporting association , ( 4 ) snp conveniently # located within the same pcr fragment as another included snp d i , allele frequencies based on 276 samples ; ii , allele frequencies based on 1117 samples a from conditional logistic regression , with matching on family , and a variance estimator that incorporates sibling correlations . b all results are from dominant models that compare homozygous and heterozygous carriers of variant versus the homozygous wildtype ( or = 1 . 0 ). statistically significant allele associations obtained from analysis stratified by aggressiveness a a from conditional logistic regression , with matching on family , and a variance estimator that incorporates sibling correlation . all non - stratified haplotype association results for cyp17 , cyp3a4 , and srd5a2 a . a from conditional logistic regression , with matching on family , and a variance estimator that incorporates sibling correlation . statistically significant haplotype associations obtained from analysis stratified by high aggressiveness ( i . e ., high tnm stage or gleason score ) and low aggressiveness ( i . e ., low tnm stage and gleason score ) a a from conditional logistic regression , with matching on family , and a variance estimator that incorporates sibling correlation .	6
turning now to a preferred embodiment of the invention , fig1 illustrates a drill 10 in accordance with the present invention . it is contemplated that the drill 10 is made of a sintered metallic hard material such as solid carbide . however , the drill may be comprised of high speed steel or any other suitable material and is not limited as such . the drill 10 comprises a first end , or shank 12 , opposite a second end , or point 14 , having a body 16 therebetween , and a rotational axis 19 through the center of the drill 10 . the shank 12 is gripped by a rotating device ( not shown ) to drive the drill 10 . the body 16 comprises at least two spiral grooves , or flutes 18 in the form of a helix along opposite sides of body 16 which provides chip evacuation during rotation similar to an auger action . although the flute helix angle shown is 30 degrees , the invention is not limited to a 30 degree helix angle . in between the flutes 18 are lands 20 which are reduced in diameter except at the leading edge called the margin 22 . the reduction in diameter reduces friction between the workpiece and the drill 10 . the margin 22 , forms a full diameter to aid in supporting and guiding the drill 10 . the lands 20 terminate at the point 14 of the drill 10 . the point 14 of the drill 10 is generally cone - shaped and is formed at a cone angle or included angle θ . referring now to fig2 the point 14 comprises two lips or cutting edges 30 formed at the interface of the clearance 32 and the flutes 18 . the cutting edges 30 are formed as a curved or helical lip which helps reduce stress during operation similar to the racon drill point . the cutting edges 30 form a positive rake angle ( not shown ) due to the interface of the helical flutes 18 and the cone - shaped point 14 which is best shown in fig3 which depicts the axial rake angle a and fig4 which shows the radial rake angle β . referring again to fig2 the point further comprises a primary clearance surface 32 behind each cutting edge 30 which is formed at a primary clearance angle ( not shown ) such that only the cutting edges 30 are in contact with the material to be cut . a secondary clearance surface 52 may also be formed adjacent the primary clearance surface 32 at a steeper angle ( not shown ) to provide additional clearance behind the cutting edges 30 . the clearance surfaces 32 , 52 prevent additional friction during the cutting operation and provide additional room for facilitating the removal of chips cut from the material . the drill 10 may also include flush channels 34 typically formed through the entire length of the drill 10 and terminating at the clearance surfaces 32 , 52 of the point 14 . the flush channels 34 carry coolant fluid to help cool the drill 10 and to flush and transport chips out of the hole through the flutes 18 . the point 14 of drill 10 further comprises the area between the flutes 18 which is generally referred to as the web 36 . the intersection of the clearance 40 and the cone produces a straight line chisel 38 and forms a negative rake angle with the conical surface . as previously mentioned , the negative rake angle chisel 38 does not cut efficiently . in order to minimize the effect of the chisel 38 , the present invention utilizes a web - thinning , v shaped notch , or gash 40 which reduces the length of the chisel 38 . the v shaped notch 40 , referred hereafter as the v - notch 40 , is generally shaped like a “ v ” and will be discussed in further detail below . in one embodiment of the present invention , the point 14 comprises cutting edges 32 having a land 60 on at least a portion of the cutting edge 32 in order to further improve the cutting performance of the tool 10 . a land 60 is a straight or tapered edge prep of the relief wall and rake face as it is frequently desirable to provide a chamfer along the cutting edge 30 of a cutting tool 10 in order to reduce stress concentration encountered during use , thereby preventing edge chipping and increasing tool life . although a k - land 60 is shown , the present invention is not limited to a particular type of edge preparation or land . the edge prep , or land 60 , is defined by the angle it makes with the rake face of the cutting tool , and its width , i . e ., the distance in the plane of the tool &# 39 ; s rake face from the beginning of the land portion thereon to the edge generated by the intersection of the land portion and the clearance surface 32 of the tool . similarly , a corner break 61 may be provided at the interface of the margin 22 and the point 14 . the corner break 61 as shown is a chamfer or clip , but may also be formed as a radius . the corner break 61 helps prevent corner edge chipping and premature wear , thereby increasing the life of the tool 10 . the corner break 61 also helps reduce heat concentrations that are associated with a sharp edge . referring now to fig4 another feature of the cutting edges 30 is that in addition to the lip formed as a positive rake angle in the direction normal to the point surface 14 , a radial outward portion of the cutting edge 30 is formed as a positive rake angle β in a radial direction . the positive radial rake angle β results in chip formation and chip movement radially inward as opposed to typical drill point geometries which are designed to move the chips radially outward . the v - notch 40 , is shaped like a “ v ” having a radiused trough 42 at the bottom of the v - notch 40 and a first generally planar side 44 on a leading side of trough 42 and a second generally planar side 46 on the opposite side , or trailing side of the trough 42 as also shown in fig5 . the first side 44 and second side 46 are at an angle φ with respect to each other . like the prior art web - thinning techniques , the v - notch also reduces the length of the cutting edges 30 as the leading side 44 of the v - notch 40 is cut into a portion of the cutting edge 30 such a reduction also reduces the width of the chips making it easier to evacuate the chips , as best shown in fig4 . however , the v - notch 40 of the present invention is formed such that the trough 42 of the v - notch 40 is at a compound angle with respect to axis 19 such that the leading edge 44 of the v - notch 40 forms a positive rake angle . as shown in fig1 and 6 , trough 42 is formed longitudinally as a compound curve at a skew angle λ between the centerline b of trough 42 and a line a perpendicular to the axis 19 of the drill 10 . the trough 42 is also formed at a tilt angle 8 with respect to axis 19 normal to the skew angle λ as shown in fig6 . the resulting formation of the positive rake angle on the v - notch 40 actually extends the effective positive rake angle cutting edge length of drill 10 . the multiple cutting edges 30 , 44 , aggressively bite into the material to be drilled as the drill 10 rotates . additionally , the positive rake angle cutting edge 44 results in enhanced self - centering of the drill tool 10 by providing an aggressive geometry which bites into the material adjacent the chisel . the negative or neutral prior art web thinning techniques allowed the drill point to “ walk ” along the surface of the material to be cut , thus moving the drill away from the desired location , or resulted in bell - mouthing of the drill hole entrance . the trailing side 46 of the v - notch 40 is generally cut into either the primary clearance surface 32 ( when the drill is formed with only one clearance surface ) or in the secondary clearance 52 as shown in the figures of the present invention . the trailing side 46 forms an additional clearance surface , shown adjacent the secondary clearance surface 52 at a tertiary clearance angle ( not shown ) and helps improve chip removal from the drill 10 . accordingly , the flush channels 34 work in conjunction with the drill point geometry to efficiently remove chips from the hole . the drill point geometry pushes the chips radially inward toward the flutes 18 while the flush liquid flows along the clearance surfaces 32 , 52 , through the v - notch 40 and into the flutes 18 and out of the hole . the v - notch 40 location and shape help in chip formation and removal . leading edge 44 of the v - notch 40 cuts the material , the chips are curled as they hit the trailing side 46 of the v - notch 40 . as previously mentioned , the cutting edges 30 have a positive axial rake angle α , a positive radial rake angle β , and are curved as the edges 30 move radially inward . the v - notch also has a positive rake angle and a shape conducive to curling and breaking the chips . these curl up the chips formed in front of the cutting edges 30 , 44 , and help break them up and send them down the flutes and ultimately out of the hole . the process is aided by coolant holes 34 , one formed through the clearance surfaces 32 , 52 , just ahead of the v - notch . pressurized coolant pumped down the holes 34 flushes the chips off the cutting edges 30 , 44 , and out of the hole . in the point geometry configuration of the present invention , the chisel edge 38 lies totally behind the cutting edge 30 that precedes it , next to the v - notch 40 . this configuration provides an easy exit path for the material plowed up ahead of the chisel edge 38 , which can flow down the clearances surfaces 32 , 52 , behind the cutting edge 30 and into the adjacent v - notch 40 . although the present invention has been described above in detail , the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the present invention . accordingly , the scope and content of the present invention are to be defined only by the terms of the appended claims .	1
the description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description , and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention , the practical application , and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . the present invention is directed to a mechanism for performing load balancing of requests to application instances on one or more server computing devices . these requests may be generated by other servers , client computing devices , or other computing devices that may act as sources of requests for application resources on a server computing device . as such , the present invention is especially suited for use in a distributed data / processing environment . therefore , fig1 - 3 are provided hereafter to provide a general overview of an exemplary distributed data processing system , and the computing devices therein , in order to give a context for an exemplary environment in which the present invention may be implemented . no limitation on the environments in which the present invention may be utilized is intended or implied by the description and depictions of fig1 - 3 . fig1 depicts a pictorial representation of a network of data processing systems in which the present invention may be implemented . network data processing system 100 is a network of computers in which the present invention may be implemented . network data processing system 100 contains a network 102 , which is the medium used to provide communications links between various devices and computers connected together within network data processing system 100 . network 102 may include connections , such as wire , wireless communication links , or fiber optic cables . the depicted example , servers 104 are connected to network 102 along with storage unit 106 . in addition , client 112 is connected to network 102 . client 112 may be , for example , a personal computer or network computer . in the depicted example , servers 104 provide data , such as boot files , operating system images , and applications to client 112 . client 112 maybe a client to one of the servers 104 , for example . network data processing system 100 may include additional servers , clients , and other devices not shown . in the depicted example , network 102 of the may include the internet representing a worldwide collection of networks and gateways that use the transmission control protocol internet protocol ( tcp / ip ) suite of protocols to communicate with one another . at the heart of the internet is a backbone of high - speed data communication lines between major nodes or host computers , consisting of thousands of commercial , government , educational and other computer systems that route data and messages . of course , network 102 also may be implemented as a number of different types of networks , such as for example , an intranet , a local area network ( lan ), or a wide area network ( wan ). fig1 is intended as an example , and not as an architectural limitation for the present invention . referring to fig2 , a block diagram of a data processing system that may be implemented for anyone of the servers 104 in fig1 , is depicted in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . data processing system 104 may be a symmetric multiprocessor ( smp ) system including a plurality of processors 202 and 204 connected to system bus 206 . alternatively , a single processor system may be employed . also connected to system bus 206 is memory controller / cache 208 , which provides an interface to local memory 209 . i / o bus bridge 210 is connected to system bus 206 and provides an interface to i / o bus 212 . memory controller / cache 208 and i / o bus bridge 210 may be integrated as depicted . peripheral component interconnect ( pci ) bus bridge 214 connected to i / o bus 212 provides an interface to pcl local bus 216 . a number of modems may be connected to pci local bus 216 . typical pci bus implementations will support four pci expansion slots or add - in connectors . communications links to clients 112 in fig1 may be provided through modem 218 and network adapter 220 connected to pci local bus 216 through add - in connectors . additional pci bus bridges 222 and 224 provide interfaces for additional pci local buses 226 and 228 , from which additional modems or network adapters may be supported . in this manner , data processing system 104 allows connections to multiple network computers . a memory - mapped graphics adapter 230 and hard disk 232 may also be connected to i / o bus 212 as depicted , either directly or indirectly . those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware depicted in fig2 may vary . for example , other peripheral devices , such as optical disk drives and the like , also may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted . the depicted example is not meant to imply architectural limitations with respect to the present invention . the data processing system depicted in fig2 may be , for example , an ibm eserver pseries system , a product of international business machines corporation in armonk , n . y ., running the advanced interactive executive ( aix ) operating system or linux operating system . with reference now to fig3 , a block diagram illustrating a data processing system is depicted in which the present invention may be implemented . data processing system 112 is an example of a client computer . data processing system 112 employs a peripheral component interconnect ( pci ) local bus architecture . although the depicted example employs a pci bus , other bus architectures such as accelerated graphics port ( agp ) and industry standard architecture ( isa ) may be used . processor 302 and main memory 304 are connected to pci local bus 306 through pci bridge 308 . pci bridge 308 also may include an integrated memory controller and cache memory for processor 302 . additional connections to pci local bus 306 may be made through direct component interconnection or through add - in boards . the present invention addresses the issue of oscillatory behavior in load balancing weights . our goal is to change weights in a dynamic load balancing environment in a manner that will reduce oscillations in server farm performance while assuring that weights are still capable of reacting to problems in a timely fashion . this technique may be applied to existing load balancing advisors with very little change to the base weight calculation or it may be integrated directly into the load balancing advisor &# 39 ; s implementation . fig4 shows an example of a load balancing environment where the present invention can be used . in this figure , the incoming requests from clients 112 are forwarded over network 102 to the content servers ( 104 ) by the load balancer ( 115 ). conventional load balancers , such as those from cisco or nortel may used . fig4 , illustrates an environment where a weight refinement proxy ( 125 ) sits between the workload manager or weight generation component ( 130 ) and the load balancer ( 115 ). one such example of a workload manager is ibm &# 39 ; s enterprise workload manager . in this case , the load balancer would be made to think that the weight refinement proxy is the workload manager , and the weight refinement proxy will act as a load balancer to the workload manager . this would allow the weight refinement proxy to receive the weights from the workload manager and refine them according to the methods of this invention before rendering them to the load balancer . alternatively , if the present invention is integrated into the weight generation component , it will be integrated to the algorithm of the workload manager or weight generation component ( 130 ), and the weight refinement proxy would not be needed . two aspects of the invention that will be described below are : determined weights to using weight history , and determining weights using a metric know as the relative workload of the computing environment . the first mention aspect above of the present invention will be described in the context of an interval - based management loop to generate weights to use as load balancing recommendations . in this context , a workload manager will compute new load balancing weights at every interval . when describing our approach to incorporating weight history into existing weights , the following terms must be defined : old_weight i : the weight assigned to member i in the previous weight generation interval . new_raw_weight i : the un - refined weight generated for member i for the current weight generation interval . raw weights are calculated using existing weight generators . sub_delta i : an amount that is to be reallocated from member i during this weight generation interval . add_delta i : the amount reallocated to member i during this weight generation interval . weightpool : the total amount of weight aggregated from all members to be reallocated . final_weight i : the final weight assigned to member i . the strategy , as illustrated in the flowchart of fig5 , incorporates history into the final weights sent to the load balancer . however , there are several cases where the weight history is no longer relevant or it is simply incompatible . these cases are referred to as reset conditions and they include ( but are not limited to ) the following : when the algorithm is producing the first set of weights when group members are added / removed when group members are quiesced / reactivated when new load balancing algorithms or modes are engaged . if during the management loop , it is determined that there is a reset condition ( 510 ), the new raw weights will be used as the final weights ( 525 ). other ways of handling the reset conditions would be to reinitialize all weights to a common value or some function of historic averages or trends . if there is no reset condition , the old weights are changed in accordance with the distribution indicated by the new raw weights . this process involves the following steps : 1 . calculate and remove an amount of weight ( sub_delta i ) from each group member &# 39 ; s old weight ( 515 ). one way of calculating this amount is by taking away a fixed percentage of each member &# 39 ; s old weight : more intelligent methods of computing sub_delta will be described below . 2 . add all sub_delta i values to form weightpool ( 520 ) 3 . calculate the portion of the weightpool ( add_delta i ) that will be attributed back to each of the respective members . when redistributing the weightpool in this fashion , it should be divided in accordance to the distribution suggested by the new raw weights for this particular interval ( 530 ). for example , add_delta , for member i can be computed by proportionally dividing the weightpool in the following manner : 4 . add add_delta i to the reduced old weight of member i ( computed in 515 ) to form the final_weight i ( 535 ). this process could be described mathematically as the following : while the implementation of fig5 described above will reduce the amount of variability in load balancing weights and introduce an aspect of history in the weights used , the inventors have discovered that the magnitude and effect of a weight change is also dependant on the current workload . even when the workload is large , if the capacity of the server farm is much larger , significant weight changes may be safe . if the workload is high when compared with the capacity of the server farm , the managing applications could cause oscillatory performance by even moderately favoring a particular machine , discovering it is now swamped and then favoring a new machine . to avoid this type of behavior , one must consider the magnitude of the current workload relative to the server farm capacity when deciding how much to change the weights . to describe this approach , the following variables are defined : relative_workload : metric characterizing the current workload with respect to the system &# 39 ; s capacity to handle this workload . the objective of the following text is to determine this relative_workload metric and use it to change the amount of the weights that will be reallocated during each weight computation interval . a description of computing new weights in this fashion would resemble the flowchart and description in fig5 with more intelligent logic for the computation of sub_delta i ( 515 ). the new method of calculating sub_delta i is described in fig6 and the paragraph below . described above as an implementation of step 515 , sub_delta i can be computed by multiplying old_weight i by weightdelta ( 610 ), a parameter which determines how sensitive the change in weights will be to the current conditions . in this implementation , if weightdelta is zero , the weights would never change ( no sensitivity to current conditions ). conversely , as weightdelta approaches 1 , the weights will begin to mirror the exact conditions seen when statistics are sampled ( in some cases this may be too sensitive ). an earlier description used a constant value for weightdelta ( 615 , 620 ). for static weightdelta values , conservative numbers within the range of 5 to 10 % may be appropriate . to determine a more appropriate value for weightdelta , the relative_workload metric ( 615 , 625 ) is used . once the relative_workload metric is computed , weightdelta can then be computed dynamically as a function of the relative_workload ( 625 , 630 ). an example of this computation is noted below : weightdeltamax = the largest weight change the implementer permits . this is again a factor of how conservative the implementor is . a typical value for weightdeltamax is 75 % ( 0 . 75 ). the implementer should prevent value of the relative workload from falling below 1 . 0 in the above formula to adhere to the weightdeltamax cap . c = constant used to assist in the computation of the weightdelta . c was chosen to be 1 in this embodiment , however , other values may be used . the new values of sub_delta i can then be computed by multiplying old_weight i by the new dynamic weightdelta value ( 635 ). the relative_workload metric is a representation of the relationship between the current workload and the system &# 39 ; s capacity to handle this workload . this metric can be expressed at a high level by the following formula : this value can be particularly difficult to compute because there are not easy ways to calculate the “ server farm capacity ” as it pertains to a specific application at any point in time . even if computed , the metrics that many may use to calculate the “ server farm capacity ” may not be in terms of or comparable to the “ workload volume .” lastly , the capacity could change if other applications are started or stopped in the server farm as well as when resources are dynamically provisioned to the farm . instead of trying to compute this metric , it is estimated . essentially , measurement or computation of other statistics that have some relationship to the relative_workload metric may be used or substituted in its place . it is important to note , that while we describe a number of methods to estimate the relative_workload metric , this invention is not limiting its claims to these methods . one way of estimating the relative workload metric is to monitor application level work queues . the application queue sizes are a direct result of the workload and the capacity of the farm . in a load balancing environment where there are many copies of the application , each application instance may have its own work queue . in this case we need to form a consolidated queue metric by statistically combining the queue sizes from each application queue with respect to the weights used when distributing the work . an example of this calculation would start with determining the weight - based coefficient to use for each application queue size : the rest of the consolidated queue metric would look like the following : this queue metric is not exactly the same as the relative workload metric ; however , it is related . when the queue metric is higher , the relative workload metric is higher . its relationship to the relative_workload is characterized in the following formula where x is a constant : a second method of estimating the relative workload metric is to work backwards and monitor the oscillatory performance caused when weights change . performance metrics would be maintained over several weight updates and the sampled performance would be compared . the performance deviation ( standard deviation computation ) of the different load balanced paths during this time period can be used as an oscillation metric . an example of such a calculation is found below : perfdev ⁡ ( i ) = % ⁢ ⁢ perfchange ⁢ ⁢ ( i ) % ⁢ ⁢ weightchange ⁢ ⁢ ( i ) some performance metrics that may exhibit this behavior are the current number of transactions being processed or the response times of the transactions during that time period . each perfdev ( i ) can be statistically combined to form a consolidated deviation metric for the server farm ( using a weighted average , etc .). a similar calculation using resource oriented statistics ( cpu utilization , etc .) could also be used . the performance deviation may be multiplied an appropriate constant , such as 1 , to determine the relative workload . a third method of estimating relative_workload is by using the system &# 39 ; s or application &# 39 ; s cpu delay . this metric is an indication of how busy the system is while processing the current work . if the cpu delay gets smaller , the relative workload should be smaller . as the cpu delay grows bigger , the workload is becoming larger than the system &# 39 ; s ability to handle it . the cpu could be multiplied by appropriate constants to insure that the relative work load assumes a certain range of values . alternatively , fig7 describes a different method of taking relative_workload into account when computing new weights . this alternative process begins as the process in fig5 began , by determining if the system was in a reset condition ( 710 ). if the system is determined to be in a reset condition , the final_weight of each member would be set to its corresponding new raw_weight , or some other preset value ( 725 ). if the system is determined to not be in a reset condition , the process proceeds to computing and removing sub_delta i from each member &# 39 ; s old_weight by using a constant value of weightdelta ( 715 ): all sub_delta i will be added together to form weightpool ( 720 ). the add_delta values would then be computed as the portion of the weightpool that will be attributed back to each of the respective members . when redistributing the weightpool in this fashion , it should be divided in accordance to the distribution suggested by the new raw weights for this particular interval ( 730 ). for example , add_delta , for member i can be computed by proportionally dividing the weightpool in the following manner : the value add_delta i is then contrasted with the value subtracted from the weight of member i , sub_delta i to form a weight change bound ( 735 ) which represents the maximum change in weight for the member i . this process could be described mathematically as the following : to make the actual change relative to the workload and its relationship to the server farm capacity , we will only change the weight by a factor of the weightchange_bound and the relative_workload ( 740 ): c was chosen to be 1 in this embodiment , however , other values may be used .	6
certain embodiments as disclosed herein provide for a method and system for automatic determination of hemodynamically desirable cardiac pacing parameter values . embodiments are employed , for example , but not limited to , in a pacing system analyzer ( psa ) or external cardiac pulse generator ( temporary cardiac pacemaker ). after reading this description it will become apparent to one skilled in the art how to implement the invention in various alternative embodiments and alternative applications . however , although various embodiments of the present invention will be described herein , it is understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example only , and not limitation . fig1 shows a patient 10 and his stylized heart containing four chambers : right atrium 12 , right ventricle 14 , left atrium 16 and left ventricle 18 . in the preferred embodiment shown , surface ecg - type electrodes as part of an electrode array are attached to the patient &# 39 ; s right side of neck and the left side of lower thorax . the outer surface electrodes 20 , 22 are connected to the alternating current ( ac ) source 122 of the heart monitor 120 , which is part of the optimization apparatus 100 . the inner surface electrodes 24 , 26 are connected to the voltmeter 124 of the heart monitor 120 . the heart monitor 120 determines from the ratio of the ac applied by 122 and the voltage measured by 124 the thoracic electrical bioimpedance . alternatively , the heart monitor 120 determines from the reciprocal ratio of the ac applied by 122 and the voltage measured by 124 the thoracic electrical bioadmittance . this method is described in the above - mentioned osypka ep application no . 02007310 . 2 which is herein incorporated by reference , which describes how the continuous measurement of thoracic electrical bioimpedance is used to determine stroke volume and cardiac output . alternatively , the thoracic electrical bioimpedance ( or bioadmittance ) can be measured using different electrode configurations , including a second electrode array , and electrodes located on an esophageal catheter / probe , all described in osypka ep application no . 02007310 . 2 . furthermore , a cardiac pacemaker 130 integrated into 100 is connected to at least two heart chambers of right atrium ( ra ) 12 , right ventricle ( rv ) 14 , left atrium ( la ) 16 and left ventricle ( lv ) 18 . in the event the optimization apparatus 100 is used for pacing system analysis , the connection of the heart chambers and the apparatus is accomplished by permanent pacing leads ( indicated by the dashed part of the connection 30 to the right atrium 12 , the dashed part of the connection 32 to the right ventricle 14 , the dashed part of the connection 34 to the left atrium 16 , and the dashed part of the connection 36 to the left ventricle 18 ), all of which are later connected to an implantable pacemaker , and extension cables ( indicated by the solid part of the connection 30 to the right atrium 12 , the solid part of the connection 32 to the right ventricle 14 , the solid part of the connection 34 to the left atrium 16 , and the solid part of the connection 36 to the left ventricle 18 ). the processing unit 110 of the optimization apparatus 100 processes the permutations of the pacing parameter values , i . e . the pacing parameter values applied by cardiac pacemaker 130 , such as heart rate ( pacing or stimulation rate output by the pacemaker ), and atrioventricular ( av ), inter - atrial ( aa ) and inter - ventricular ( also known as bi - ventricular ) ( vv ) delays , and records the corresponding measurements of stroke volume , cardiac output , ejection fraction ( ef ) and other indices of ventricular performance in a data storage module of the processing unit . an input device ( not illustrated ) is connected to the optimization apparatus for operator input of pacing parameters , variation ranges , and variation step widths to define an optimization cycle . according to one embodiment , a specific optimization cycle , triggered by an operator or upon the expiration of a preset time interval , automatically varies one or more pacing parameters , such as av delays , inter - atrial delay , inter - ventricular delay , or heart rate , within operator - defined ranges , and determines at each parameter setting hemodynamic parameters , such as stroke volume ( sv ), cardiac output ( co ), and other indices of ventricular performance . each application of set pacing parameters is applied , for example , but not limited to , for a period in the range of 30 to 120 seconds . the processing unit records the hemodynamic parameters with each permutation of pacing parameter values , and , upon completion of the optimization cycle , indicates the permutation of pacing parameter values leading to optimal stroke volume , cardiac output and other indices of ventricular performance . the results are numerically of graphically shown on a display 140 . in the event the display 140 features a touch screen , patient demographic parameters , such as name , age , and weight , can be entered via the touch screen . alternatively , the optimization apparatus 100 features an interface 150 to a keyboard or a port allowing communication with peripheral devices . typical applications for the aforementioned preferred embodiment are , but not limited to , pacing system analysis ( psa ) with permanent pacing leads connected to the apparatus , temporary pacing ( t . p .) after cardiac surgery using temporary myocardial pacing leads ( heart wires ), and temporary pacing treatment of congestive heart failure ( chf pacing ). fig2 illustrates a second embodiment which employs , for example , but not limited to , in a combination of a permanent cardiac pacemaker and a corresponding external programmer for permanent pacemakers , with or without an pacing system analyzer ( psa ) integrated into the programmer . with regards to temporary pacing , this embodiment is employed , for example , but not limited to , in a combination of a temporary cardiac pulse generator ( temporary cardiac pacemaker ) and a hemodynamic measurement unit interfacing with the pulse generator . fig2 shows the patient 10 after implantation of a permanent cardiac pacemaker 170 . the cardiac pacemaker 170 is connected to at least two heart chambers of right atrium ( ra ) 12 via a permanent pacing lead 172 , right ventricle ( rv ) 14 via a permanent pacing lead 174 , left atrium ( la ) 16 via a permanent pacing lead 176 , and left ventricle ( lv ) 18 via a permanent pacing lead 178 . fig2 shows the connections from the permanent cardiac pacemaker to the heart chambers , i . e . the pacing leads , by dashed lines to indicate that these pacemaker leads are implanted into the patient and , thus , not part of the optimization apparatus . the optimization apparatus 100 incorporates a heart monitor 120 , a display 140 , an interface 150 , all controlled by a control module of processing unit 110 . the optimization apparatus communicates with the permanent cardiac pacemaker through the interface 150 and an external pacemaker telemetry unit 160 , which , for example , is provided by the manufacturer of the permanent cardiac pacemaker 170 . alternatively , the telemetry unit 160 is integrated into the optimization apparatus , which is indicated by the dashed lines 162 extending the apparatus 100 . the communication between the optimization apparatus 100 and the permanent pacemaker 170 is important to synchronize any new permutation of pacing parameter values with the corresponding hemodynamic parameter measurements performed by the optimization apparatus 100 . if no communication can be established , then , at least , the physician programming the cardiac pacemaker 170 and operating the optimization apparatus 100 must know and record the related set pacing and measured hemodynamic parameters . in the embodiment shown , surface ecg - type electrodes as part of an electrode array are attached to the patient &# 39 ; s right side of neck and the left side of lower thorax . the outer surface electrodes 20 , 22 are connected to the alternating current ( ac ) source 122 of the heart monitor 120 , which is part of the optimization apparatus 100 . the inner surface electrodes 24 , 26 are connected to the voltmeter 124 of the heart monitor 120 . the heart monitor 120 determines from the ratio of the ac applied by 122 and the voltage measured by 124 the thoracic electrical bioimpedance . alternatively , the heart monitor 120 determines from the reciprocal ratio of the ac applied by 122 and the voltage measured by 124 the thoracic electrical bioadmittance . the above - mentioned osypka ep application no . 02007310 . 2 , which is herein incorporated by reference , describes how the continuous measurement of thoracic electrical bioimpedance is used to determine stroke volume and cardiac output . alternatively , the thoracic electrical bioimpedance ( or bioadmittance ) can be measured using different electrode configurations , including a second electrode array , and electrodes located on an esophageal catheter / probe , all described in the above - mentioned osypka ep application no . 02007310 . 2 . typical applications for the aforementioned preferred embodiment are , but not limited to , the examination of a pacemaker patient upon a follow - up visit , and hemodynamic optimization during temporary pacing after cardiothoracic surgery . fig3 illustrates a flowchart about the various steps of the optimization process . fig3 illustrates a generalized flowchart about the preparation steps of the optimization cycle , i . e . the process which executes the defined number of permutations of pacing parameter values and leads to a permutation of pacing parameter values providing the patient with maximum stroke volume , cardiac output , and other indices of ventricular performance , or any combination thereof . upon start 300 of the procedure , the patient is at rest . in order to provide immediate pacing therapy , if required , the pacemaker , which mayor may not be an integral part of the optimization apparatus , is connected to the pacing leads . in the event of pacemaker patient follow - up , the pacing leads are already part of the implanted pacemaker system . the cardiac pacemaker is stimulating on demand , or , asynchronously to the heart rhythm , with a fixed pacing rate 302 . the physician decides whether the heart monitor integrated into the optimization apparatus utilizes the transthoracic electrical bioimpedance approach , where the alternating current is applied , and the resulting voltage measured , through surface electrodes 304 . alternatively , in patients who are already intubated , the esophageal approach is utilized , where the alternating current is applied , and the resulting voltage measured , through electrodes located on an esophageal catheteprobe 306 . the operator defines the pacing parameter , namely the heart rate 310 , defines or determines the variation range for the value of the pacing parameter , and the variation step width for stepping through the variation range of the heart rate 310 . for example , the later optimization cycle for the heart rate shall begin with a heart rate of 70 , then increase the heart rate by 5 beats per minute ( variation step width = 5 ), until a heart rate of 80 beats per minute . alternatively , the heart rate can be set to a fixed value , with no range to vary . the operator determines the variation range , and the variation step width , for the atrioventricular ( av ) delay 312 . in this context , with av - delay meant to be the right - sided av - delay , the time delay applied between sensing or stimulation in the right atrium and stimulation in the right ventricle . for example , the later optimization cycle of the optimization cycle shall begin with an av - delay of 150 ms , then increase the av - delay by 50 ms ( variation step width = 50 ms ), until an av - delay of 250 ms is reached . alternatively , the av - delay can be set to a fixed value , with no range to vary . the operator determines the variation range , and the variation step width , for the inter - atrial ( m ) delay 314 . in this context , with m - delay meant to be the time delay applied between sensing or stimulation in the right atrium and stimulation in the left atrium . for example , the later optimization cycle shall begins with an m - delay of 0 ms , then increase the m - delay by 5 ms ( variation step width = 5 ms ), until an m - delay of 10 ms is reached . alternatively , the m - delay can be set to a fixed value , for example to 0 ms , with no range to vary . the operator determines the variation range , and the variation step width , for the left - sided atrioventricular ( lav ) delay 316 . in this context , lav - delay is meant to be the left - sided av - delay , the time delay applied between sensing or stimulation in the left atrium and stimulation in the left ventricle . for example , the later optimization cycle shall begin with an lav - delay of 150 ms , then increase the lav - delay by 50 ms ( variation step width = 50 ms ), until an lav - delay of 250 ms is reached . alternatively , the lav - delay can be set to a fixed value , with no range to vary . the operator determines the variation range , and the variation step width , for the inter - ventricular ( vv ) delay 314 . in this context , with vv - delay meant to be the time delay applied between sensing or stimulation in the right ventricle and stimulation in the left ventricle . for example , the later optimization cycle shall begin with an w - delay of 0 ms , then increase the w - delay by 5 ms ( variation step width = 5 ms ), until a vv - delay of 10 ms is reached . alternatively , the vv - delay can be set to a fixed value , for example to 0 ms , with no range to vary . the operator determines the time interval between a variation of pacing parameter values 320 . upon a new permutation of pacing parameter values applied for therapy , the patient &# 39 ; s hemodynamic response may take several cardiac cycles to establish . consequently , the measurement of hemodynamic parameters immediately after the application of a new permutation of pacing parameter values may not reflect the actual hemodynamic changes induced by the changed pacing therapy . for example , within the later optimization cycle , each permutation of pacing parameters shall be held constant for 30 seconds , and measurements of the first cardiac cycles upon each permutation applied may be ignored . the order of setting the variation ranges and variation step width for heart rate 310 , m - delay 314 , av - delay 316 , vv - delay 318 and time interval 320 is arbitrary and can be changed . when setting the variation ranges and variation step widths , as well as the time interval , the physician must take into account that there is a compromise between wide ranges and close step widths of pacing parameters values , and the time the automatic optimization cycle will take , that is , the time the patient can be exposed to the measurements . upon set pacing parameter variation ranges and variation step widths , an optimization module or optimization means of the optimization apparatus calculates and displays the time required for the automatic optimization cycle or scan 330 . depending on the calculated time and the time restrictions the patient &# 39 ; s state of heath or situation mandates , the physician is able to readjust the previously set ranges and step widths . in the event the time required for the automatic optimization cycle is acceptable , the physician confirms the start of the automatic optimization cycle through the predefined pacing parameter variation ranges with the predefined variation step widths . the optimization apparatus stores the default set of pacing parameters prior to the start of the automatic optimization cycle , which can be reset upon termination of the automatic optimization cycle . upon termination of the optimization cycle 340 , the hemodynamic parameter values obtained are displayed with the corresponding permutations of pacing parameter values . the results are displayed in form of a table , with the permutation of pacing parameter values leading to maximum stroke volume , cardiac output , ejection fraction and other indices of ventricular performance , marked . alternatively , two - or three - dimensional graphs are utilized to display a spectrum of pacing parameter value sets and their therapeutical impact on this particular patient . the physician then has the choice of applying a preferred permutation of pacing parameter values parameter set , or a modification of it , for therapy , or return to the previously used and stored default set of pacing parameter values 350 . during pacing system analysis , any new placement of permanent pacing leads may suggest the execution of a new automatic optimization cycle 360 . the physician has the option to reprogram the previously set pacing parameter value ranges and variation step widths 362 , or initiate a new automatic optimization cycle with the pacing parameter ranges and step widths previously used 364 . alternatively , the pacemaker optimization is ended 370 . fig4 illustrates schematically the sensing and pacing sequence of the avv - mode . fig4 illustrates schematically the four heart chambers , and their respective sensing and pacing channels , right atrium ( ra ) 200 , right ventricle ( rv ) 202 , left atrium ( la ) 204 , and left ventricle ( lv ) 206 , and a preferred operating mode ( avv mode ) of the cardiac pacemaker integrated into the optimization apparatus of fig1 . the pacemaker provides the functions to measure ( sense ) in each heart chamber the intrinsic activity , if extant , and to deliver a pacing stimulus . in this context , the av - delay 210 is the programmed atrioventricular pacing interval , initiated by an atrial stimulus . the m delay 212 is the programmed inter - atrial pacing interval , initiated by an atrial stimulus . the w - delay 214 is the programmed inter - ventricular pacing interval , initiated by a ventricular stimulus . fig4 illustrates the most complex sensing and pacing therapy the avv mode provides . by disabling the pacing and sensing in specific heart chambers , the function of the complex cardiac is reduced to known and established pacing modes . in the event that no left - atrial sensing and stimulation is required , or applicable , the left - atrial channel is disabled . the three heart chambers remaining , and their respective sensing and pacing channels 216 , right atrium ( ra ) 200 , right ventricle ( rv ) 202 , and left ventricle ( lv ) 206 , are of particular interest in pacing therapy addressing congestive heart failure , known as biventricular , or chf , pacing . to our knowledge , the application of a vv - delay , which can assume a positive or negative value , has neither been published nor investigated . upon disabling pacing and sensing in the left ventricle , the two heart chambers remaining , and their respective sensing and pacing channels 218 , right atrium ( ra ) 200 , and right ventricle ( rv ) 202 , are of particular interest in classical physiological pacing therapy , known as dual - chamber , or ddd , pacing . fig5 illustrates schematically the sensing and pacing sequence of the avav - mode . fig5 illustrates schematically the 4 heart chambers , and their respective sensing and pacing channels , right atrium ( ra ) 200 , right ventricle ( rv ) 202 , left atrium ( la ) 204 , and left ventricle ( lv ) 206 , and another preferred operating mode ( avav mode ) of the cardiac pacemaker integrated into the optimization apparatus of fig1 . the pacemaker provides the functions to measure ( sense ) in each heart chamber the intrinsic activity , if extant , and to deliver a pacing stimulus . in this context , the av - delay 210 is the programmed right - sided atrioventricular pacing interval , initiated by an atrial stimulus . the aa delay 212 is the programmed inter - atrial pacing interval , initiated by an atrial stimulus . the lav - delay 220 is the programmed left - sided atrioventricular pacing interval , initiated by a left - atrial stimulus . upon disabling pacing and sensing in the left atrium ( la ) 204 and ventricle ( lv ) 206 , the 2 heart chambers remaining , and their respective sensing and pacing channels 218 , right atrium ( ra ) 200 , and right ventricle ( rv ) 202 , are of particular interest in classical physiological pacing therapy , known as dual - chamber , or ddd , pacing . as indicated above , it is not only the stroke volume ( sv ) that can be used in order to optimize or improve the pacing parameters to be programmed onto the pacemaker . in general , most indices of left - ventricular cardiac performance may be suitable measures for optimization . the optimization apparatus measures in any event the heart rate ( hr ). therefore , cardiac output ( co ), instead of stroke volume ( sv ) may be used for the optimization process : where sv = stroke volume measured in milliliters ( ml ); co = cardiac output measured in liters / minute ; hr = heart rate measured in beats / minute . for the calculation of the stroke volume ( sv ), the following equation of the above - mentioned osypka ep application no . 02007310 . 2 can be used ( but not limited to ): sv = v eff · c 1 (  ( ⅆ z ⁡ ( t ) ⅆ t ) min  z o ) n · ( 1 t rr ) m · t lve or , in a special form with n = m = 0 . 5 and c 1 = 1 : sv = v eff ·  ( ⅆ z ⁡ ( t ) ⅆ t ) min  z o · f tc  ( ⅆ z ⁡ ( t ) ⅆ t ) min  z 0 = maximum ⁢ ⁢ rate ⁢ ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ change ⁢ ⁢ of ⁢ ⁢ impedance ; z 0 = base impedance ; t rr = r − r interval ; t lve = left - ventricular ejection time ; ft c = corrected flow time ; ft c = t lve / t rr v eff is a factor , which is typical for a particular patient , as it is derived , among other factors , from the patient &# 39 ; s weight . v eff is considered quasi - constant , because , according to the afore - mentioned osypka ep application no . 02007310 . 2 , v eff depends also on the basic impedance z 0 . considering the scope of possible applications , which require only several minutes for the optimization process , z 0 varies , if at all , only by a small margin , and has practically no measurable influence on the sv or co measured . if z 0 and , consequently , v eff being constant during the entire application for a particular patient , optimization without compromising accuracy can be achieved without knowledge of the patient &# 39 ; s weight and , thus , v eff . for example , a “ stroke index ” si 1 can be determined : si 1 = (  ( ⅆ z ⁡ ( t ) ⅆ t ) min  z o ) n · ( 1 t rr ) m · t lve with 0 . 15 ≦ n ≦ 0 . 8 and 0 m 1 . 5 according to the aforementioned osypka ep application . a special “ stroke index ” si 1 is determined with n = m = 0 . 5 : the only shortcoming of such processing is that the user does not obtain ( simple ) absolute indication of the range in which patient &# 39 ; s stroke volume is determined while the patient is undergoing the various permutations of pacing parameter values . the user , however , obtains relative values of “ stroke indices ” to compare . with z 0 considered constant , z 0 may be omitted from the equation . the following simplified equation can be used to calculate another form of “ stroke index ” si 2 : a special “ stroke index ” si 2 is determined with n = m = 0 . 5 : a further simplification but compromise in accuracy is to substitute corrected flow time ft c for left - ventricular ejection time ( known also as systolic flow time ) t lve or even fully omit ft c or t lve . accordingly , a “ stroke index ” si 3 is determined : alternatively , a “ stroke index ” si 4 is determined by normalizing stroke volume , cardiac output and the aforementioned “ stroke indices ” are , within their constraints , suitable hemodynamic parameters for determination of the optimal setting of pacing parameters . alternatively , ( left - ventricular ) ejection fraction ( ef ) is an at least as suitable hemodynamic index for pacing parameter optimization . in the above description , stroke volume is calculated based on bioimpedance ( z ). stroke volume ( and the associated stroke indices ) can alternatively be calculated based on bioadmittance ( y ), as described in the above mentioned osypka ep application no . 02007310 . 2 . admittance is related to impedance as follows : y ⁡ ( t ) = 1 z ⁡ ( t ) t 0 = 1 z 0 and ⁢ ( ⅆ y ⁡ ( t ) ⅆ t ) max ≅ 1 z 0 2 ⁢  ( ⅆ z ⁡ ( t ) ⅆ t ) min  the stroke volume equation in the previous paragraph which is based on bioadmittance can be used in exactly the same way as described above for bioimpedance to derive a similar stroke index si y based on bioadmittance : si y = ( ( ⅆ y ⁡ ( t ) ⅆ t ) max y 0 ) n · ( 1 t rr ) m · t lve where 0 . 15 & lt ; n & lt ; 0 . 8 and 0 ≦ m ≦ 1 . 5 . this eliminates the term v eff from the sv equation above , since this term will be constant during an entire application for a particular patient . in view of the above relationship between y 0 and z 0 , v eff is dependent also on the basic admittance . if y 0 and consequently v eff are substantially constant during an entire application for a particular patient , optimization can the achieved without compromising accuracy and without knowledge of a patient &# 39 ; s weight , using the above stroke index equation in which the term v eff is eliminated . a special stroke index is derived from the above equation with n = m = 0 . 5 , as follows : si y ⁢ ⁢ 1 = ( ⅆ y ⁡ ( t ) ⅆ t ) max y 0 · ft c ( a ) if y 0 is considered constant , it can be eliminated from the above equation . the following simplified equation can be used to calculate another form of stroke index , si y2 : si y ⁢ ⁢ 2 = ( ⅆ y ⁡ ( t ) ⅆ t ) max ω · ft c ( b ) in order to produce a further simplification but a compromise in accuracy , the term ft c can be eliminated from either equation a or b above to produce the following alternative stroke indices : the above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the invention . various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , and the generic principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . thus , it is to be understood that the description and drawings presented herein represent a presently preferred embodiment of the invention and are therefore representative of the subject matter which is broadly contemplated by the present invention . it is further understood that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments that may become obvious to those skilled in the art and that the scope of the present invention is accordingly limited by nothing other than the appended claims .	0
as mentioned above , the synchronization logic of fig1 may take two or sometimes three synchronizing clock cycles to ensure synchronization . we have discovered that improved testing of a circuit design can be achieved by modeling this uncertain behavior of the synchronization logic in a manner that will expose weakness in the synchronization scheme during simulation . this approach is very convenient and low cost as compared to , e . g . attempting to modify the simulator itself to better explore clock domain boundary synchronization issues . in fig2 an asynchronous input signal at node 20 is connected to two separate paths , as follows . in a first path , a first flip flop 22 receives the input signal 20 , at a d input , and the q output 24 is connected to the input of a second flip flop circuit 26 . a first flip flop 22 has a clock input 28 and a second flip flop 26 has a clock input 30 , both of which are connected to the synchronization clock signal 32 . this much is similar to the configuration of the prior art synchronization circuit of fig1 . in the second path , the asynchronous input signal 20 is input to a third flip flop 36 . the output of flip flop 36 is connected at node 38 to a fourth flip flop circuit 40 . the output of flip flop 40 is connected at node 42 to a fifth flip flop circuit 44 so that flip flops 36 , 40 and 44 form a serial chain . the clock inputs of flip flops 36 , 40 and 44 are all connected to the synchronization clock signal 32 . a multiplexer circuit 50 is arranged to receive the output of the first path , i . e ., flip flop 26 output at node 52 as a first input to the multiplexer . the output of the second path , i . e ., the output of flip flop 44 at node 54 is connected to a second input to multiplexer 50 . a random logic state source 56 is connected to the control input 58 for controlling the multiplexer to select input 52 from the first path or input 54 from the second path as the synchronous output signal 60 . the random logic state generator 56 , which can be implemented using a random number generator , will randomly select which of the two paths is used on every transition of input 24 . thus , on every transition of input 24 , the multiplexer 50 will randomly select between the two clock delay path ( flip flops 22 and 26 ) or the three clock delay path ( using flip flops 36 , 40 and 44 ). in most designs , there will be multiple synchronization elements , and each synchronization element must be initialized with a different random number seed , to further randomize the behavior of the synchronization logic . this can be conveniently accomplished , by example , by using a counter to assign random number seeds when initializing a simulation of a design . applying this new methodology to an existing circuit design is straight forward , by simply substituting an hdl description of the circuit of fig2 wherever a synchronization circuit such as that of fig1 appears in the original design . the circuit of fig2 thus mimics the unpredictable behavior of an actual synchronization element to provide more vigorous testing of the design assumptions incorporated into the synchronization logic protocols . as mentioned in the background , when a non - synchronized signal crosses from one clock domain to another , transitions in the signal can create timing violations with respect to the element in the receiving clock domain . the present invention provides a behavioral module that ensures that such signals are sampled only when they are stable . fig3 illustrates the behavioral module . referring to fig3 clock a represents a clock signal in a first clock domain and clock b is the clock signal in a second clock domain . an original signal is created in clock domain a and is destined for logic in clock domain b . the problem is , when this signal is sampled in clock domain b , i . e ., when the receiving element is evaluated to determine its output logic state , this original signal may or may not have been stable long enough to satisfy the timing constraints of that receiving element . according to the invention , the original signal is modified so that it exhibits an x value , i . e ., undetermined , for a period of time at least equal to one clock period relative to the period of clock b . this x value is indicated by the hatched areas of 70 and 72 in fig3 . the x value is assigned to the modified signal a beginning at each transition of the original signal . so , for example , the x state 70 begins at the transition 76 on the original signal ( rising edge ) and the second x state 72 begins at the falling edge 78 of the original signal . put another way , a rising edge is modified so as to form two transitions : from 0 to x , and then later from x to 1 . conversely , a falling edge is modified to form two transitions ; from 1 to x , an then later , from x to 0 . during simulation , if this modified signal is sampled by the simulator while it has an x value , the x will quickly propagate through other logic and the simulation will fail . this mechanism guarantees that sampling of a signal from another clock domain is restricted to a safe window , and that sampling of the signal outside this window will cause the simulation to fail . this failure mechanism will permit rapid identification of faults , which is critical in the debugging of an asic design . this is particularly important with asynchronous designs , since these types of circuits are particularly difficult to design and verify using usual test practices . the duration of the x signal value after the transition does not have to be a single clock period , necessarily . this x window can have any duration greater than or equal to the receiving clock domain period . as the x window grows larger , it implies that the window in which the receiving logic cannot examine the asynchronous signal gets larger . for example , a value greater than one clock edge could be used if the signal path was a multi - cycle path . another alternative implementation would drive the modified signal to an x state until the next rising or falling edge of the receiving clock ; in designs with multi - cycle paths , the modified signal would remain x until “ n ” edges of the receiving clock . this technique is illustrated in the timing diagram of fig4 . referring now to fig4 the two clock domain signals , clock a and clock b are shown as before . the original signal , created in clock domain a is destined for logic in clock domain b . a modified signal as shown in the timing diagram includes an x window 80 that begins on the rising edge of the original signal and concludes in response to a first rising edge 82 of the clock b signal . in other words , the x window ends at the first rising edge of clock b . similarly , a second x window 84 begins at the falling edge of the original signal and ends at the next rising edge 86 of clock b . as noted , the same principle can be extended by extending the x window until a second or third next transition of the receiving domain clock signal . a random synchronization element , i . e ., a circuit for modeling the behavior of a synchronization circuit was described above with reference to fig2 . there are various ways to model the two different delay paths described above with reference to fig2 . one such alternative construction is illustrated in the circuit diagram of fig5 . in fig5 a synchronization clock signal 100 is provided as before . the asynchronous input signal 102 is applied to a first flip flop circuit 104 . flip flop 104 receives the synchronization clock signal 100 at its clock input , and provides its output at node 106 as the first input to a multiplexer circuit 108 . the asynchronous input signal 102 also is connected directly to the second input to mux 108 at node 110 . a random logic source 112 provides for random selection between the first input 106 and the second input 110 to the multiplexer , so that the multiplexer output at node 114 reflects the asynchronous input signal 102 selectably delayed by either 0 or 1 clock cycle . this delayed signal at 114 is input to a second flip flop circuit 120 and the output of 120 at node 122 is connected to the input of another flip flop circuit 124 . flip flops 120 and 124 also receive the synchronization clock signal 100 . accordingly , the synchronous output signal at 130 reflects the multiplexer output 114 further delayed by two clock cycles . accordingly , the circuit of fig5 provides randomly selected delay of two or three clock cycles . furthermore , some synchronization schemes might require only a single synchronization flip flop . the same timing uncertainty can be emulated by randomly selecting either a one or a two clock delay , applying the techniques described previously . for example , node 122 in fig5 would provide that function . in a gate - level implementation , each individual flip flop could be designed such that when its input setup or hold times were violated , the output would randomly assume the value of 0 or 1 . fig6 is a schematic diagram of a synchronization circuit in which each of the flip flops 140 and 142 have been so modified . thus , all of the randomization is contained within the individual flip flops . this is another way to flush out timing violations during a design and debugging of a digital integrated circuit . here is an example of the “ x ” transition logic that can be used in a verilog implementation of the invention : having illustrated and described the principles of my invention in a preferred embodiment thereof , it should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles . i claim all modifications coming within the spirit and scope of the accompanying claims .	6
hereunder , an embodiment of a metal gasket and a mis - assembly detection method of the metal gasket according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings as an example of the metal gasket held between an exhaust manifold for an engine and a flange for an exhaust pipe . however , this invention is not limited to the embodiment and can be applied to , for example , other metal gaskets such as a gasket for an intake manifold , cylinder head gasket and so on . incidentally , fig1 - 10 are schematic explanatory views in which thicknesses of plates , and sizes of sealing - target holes , beads , positioning holes , positioning projections and so on are different from actual ones and enlarged for the sake of explanation . first , the metal gasket of the first embodiment of the invention will be explained . as shown in fig1 and 2 , the metal gasket 1 includes four sheets of metal structural plates 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 manufactured according to the shape of the flange of the exhaust pipe . the first to fourth metal structural plates 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 are formed by a mild steel plate , stainless annealed material ( anneal material ), stainless thermal refining material ( spring steel plate ) and so on according to demand to each metal plate . in the first to fourth metal structural plates 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 , sealing - target holes 2 are punctured , widely known sealing means such as a full bead 3 and so on are provided around the sealing - target holes 2 , and bolt holes 4 for tightening bolts are formed in four directions . in the invention , as shown in fig3 - 6 , the first to fourth metal plates 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 are respectively provided with first to fourth discrimination areas 11 , 21 , 31 , 41 which overlap during assembly . additionally , first to fourth identification marks 12 , 22 , 32 , 42 are respectively provided in the first to fourth discrimination areas 11 , 21 , 31 , 41 so as not to overlap with one another during the assembly . in the first embodiment , the identification marks are punctured with the same size and same shape . incidentally , the identification marks are not required to have the same size and shape , and each metal plate 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 may have a particular size and shape as long as they are easily visible . basically , as shown in fig3 , the first discrimination area 11 of the first metal plate 10 is provided with a first identification mark 12 and a first penetration window 13 which can see through the second to fourth identification marks 22 , 32 , 42 of the first second to fourth metal plates 20 , 30 , 40 which are lower layers of the metal plates in the assembly . also , as shown in fig4 , the second discrimination area 21 of the second metal plate 20 is provided with the second identification mark 22 , and a second penetration window 23 . the second penetration window 23 can see the third and fourth identification marks 32 , 42 of the third and fourth metal plates 30 , 40 which are the lower layers of the metal plates in the assembly . however , the second penetration window 23 cannot see the first identification mark 12 of the first metal plate 10 which is the upper layer of the metal plates in the assembly . also , as shown in fig5 , the third discrimination area 31 of the third metal plate 30 is provided with the third identification mark 32 , and a third penetration window 33 . the third penetration window 33 can see through the fourth identification mark 42 of the fourth metal plate 40 which is the metal plate on the lower layer of the metal plates in the assembly . however , the third penetration window 33 cannot see the first and second identification marks 12 , 22 of the first and second metal plates 10 , 20 which are the upper layers of the metal plates in the assembly . moreover , as shown in fig6 , the fourth discrimination area 41 of the fourth metal plate 40 is provided with the fourth identification mark 42 , and made so as not to be able to see through the first to third identification marks 12 , 22 , 32 of the first to third metal plates 10 , 20 , 30 which are the upper layers of the metal plates in the assembly . according to the structure , the identification marks 12 , 22 , 32 , 42 are provided in the respective metal plates 10 , 20 , 30 , 40 in a position wherein each mark does not overlap with one another , and the penetration windows 13 , 23 , 33 are provided in the respective metal plates 10 , 20 , 30 except for the metal plate 40 which is the bottom layer . the penetration windows 13 , 23 , 33 can see the identification marks of the metal plates on the lower side in the assembly , but cannot see the identification marks of all the metal plates on the upper side . next , the metal gasket of the second embodiment of the invention will be explained . as shown in fig7 and 8 , in a metal gasket 1 a , only the following respect differs from the metal gasket 1 of the first embodiment , and the other structures are the same . in the first metal plate 10 a on the top layer , the first identification mark is not provided and identification marks 22 a , 32 a , 42 a are not punctured and formed with an engraved mark . according to the structure , one identification mark is reduced , so that the manufacturing time can be reduced and also discrimination becomes easier . according to the metal gaskets 1 , 1 a with the above - mentioned structure , during normal assembly , all of the identification marks 22 , 32 , 42 , 22 a , 32 a , 42 a can be seen through the penetration windows 13 , 23 , 33 . however , if the assembly sequence of the lamination is incorrect , some of the identification marks cannot be seen . as a result , an assembler or observer can easily recognize an error , so that the mis - assembly can be prevented . moreover , when the identification marks are provided only on the surface of the upper side of each metal plate , the mis - assembly wherein the front and back sides are incorrect can be easily recognized . alternatively , in order to show the direction of each metal plate during the assembly , identification marks such as a triangle shape or arrow for a sense of direction can be formed , so that the error of an assembly direction can be recognized . also , if the identification marks are formed by numbers , a portion which is assembled incorrectly can be recognized , so that it is useful . incidentally , when the mis - assembly is recognized , the front and back sides and assembly sequence of the lamination of the respective metal plates are accurately prepared , and the metal plates are assembled again , or once they are removed from the manufacturing line , and once again , the correct assembly sequence of the lamination is prepared and returned to the manufacturing line . next , the mis - assembly detection method of the metal gasket of the first embodiment according to the invention will be explained . as shown in fig9 , the mis - assembly detection method of the metal gasket is a method detecting the mis - assembly by variations of distances l to the identification marks 12 , 22 , 32 , 42 of the metal gasket 1 , and a distance meter 51 and a discrimination device 52 are used for a detection device 50 . the distance meter 51 may be a contact type . however , a noncontact type such as an ultrasonic distance meter or a laser meter is preferred because it is easy to use . in this method , the distances l between the positions of the identification marks 12 , 22 , 32 , 42 of the metal gasket 1 and a predetermined standard position ( for example , the position of the distance meter and the like ) are measured sequentially by transferring the distance meter 51 or the metal gasket 1 , and then the existence or nonexistence of the mis - assembly is determined . in the algorithm wherein the existence or nonexistence of the mis - assembly is determined by a measured value , when the variation of the distances l has the same pattern as the variation of the distances l set in advance , the algorithm determines that there is no mis - assembly , and when the variation of the distances l has a different pattern , the algorithm determines that there is a mis - assembly . next , the mis - assembly detection method of the metal gasket of the second embodiment according to the invention will be explained . as shown in fig1 , in the mis - assembly detection method of the metal gasket , the reflectance of the identification marks 22 a , 32 a , 42 a of the metal gasket 1 a is changed from the reflectance of the peripheral parts , and the detection device 50 a is provided with a light source 51 aa illuminating a light ray ; a light detection device 51 ab measures a reflected light ; and a determination device 52 a determines the existence or nonexistence of the mis - assembly by the measured value of the reflected light . the reflected light is measured at the light detection device 51 ab by transferring the light source 51 aa and the light detection device 51 ab to the identification marks 22 a , 32 a , 42 a of the metal gasket 1 a , or illuminating the light ray sequentially by transferring the metal gasket 1 a . the measured value is sent to the determination device 52 a , so that the existence or nonexistence of the mis - assembly is determined . in the algorithm determining the existence or nonexistence of the mis - assembly by the measured value , when the number of the reflectance of the illuminated lights is the number of the reflectance of the identification marks 22 a , 32 a , 42 a , the algorithm determines that there is no mis - assembly , and when the numbers are smaller , the algorithm determines that there is a mis - assembly . according to the mis - assembly detection method of the metal gasket , due to the usage of the distance meter device such as an optical distance meter or an ultrasonic distance meter ; or a relatively simple optical device , the existence or nonexistence of the mis - assembly of the metal gasket can be determined by the very simple algorithm , so that the mis - assembly detection method can be easily automated . the disclosure of japanese patent application no . 2007 - 000575 , filed on jan . 5 , 2007 , is incorporated in the application . while the invention has been explained with reference to the specific embodiments of the invention , the explanation is illustrative and the invention is limited only by the appended claims .	5
the present invention is adapted to provide a caller with the ability to activate , deactivate and / or otherwise control rbt content as heard on the caller &# 39 ; s mobile handset , personal digital assistant , smart - phone , station , terminal , telephone or user equipment ( sometimes referred to collectively herein as equipment or telephone ). caller control of rbt includes , but is not limited to the ability to set and / or modify a caller &# 39 ; s boolean or non - boolean parental control , maturity level or restriction rating setting prior to making a call so as to override a called party &# 39 ; s rbt selections and the ability to replace or override a called party &# 39 ; s rbt selections while a call is being made by the caller . other embodiments allow the subscriber whose equipment is correlated to the caller to override or modify the restrictions on a call by call or session by session basis . the subscriber can further control the call by call or session by session maturity level or restriction rating option according to a predetermined time limit . in other words , the maturity level or restriction rating can be valid until “ turned off ” by the subscriber , and the subscribed maturity level or restriction rating can remain valid until “ turned on ” by the sub - scriber . the mechanism is implemented by providing a feature code operable to flip the restriction level by the caller . in one aspect of the present invention , a restriction level is implemented in a non - boolean manner , such as a progressive level of restriction , hence it is possible for subscriber to move up and down the restriction level . this can be done by making a service call — a call to flip restriction or change the subscription option , e . g ., the restriction level . alternatively , the restriction can be boolean ( either on or off ), whereby the subscriber would only have the option to turn a restriction on or off . in a first embodiment of the present invention , when a call is made by a caller to a called party , the call is routed from an end office switch or a mobile switching center ( msc ) of the calling party , to a network node , typically an end office switch or a gateway mobile switching center ( gmsc ) of the called party ( the home gmsc ). the calling party &# 39 ; s end office switch or msc stores the calling subscriber &# 39 ; s profile either permanently , or fetches dynamically from a database such as the home location register ( hlr ). such profile can include boolean information such as whether parental control is implemented or non - boolean , such as information regarding a maturity level or restriction rating that is correlated to the caller equipment . this information could also be kept in a home subscriber server ( hss ). the home gmsc queries the home location register ( hlr ) of the subscriber that is correlated to the called party equipment to obtain information from a profile of said subscriber . the mechanism for sending the appropriate rbt content based on caller control to the terminating side can be accomplished using either a push method or a pull method . a service control point ( scp ) typically handles the rbt service by invoking the rbt service from , e . g ., an intelligent peripheral ( ip ) player that is adapted to play rbt content back to the caller . just as there are different protocols that can be used to signal the called party &# 39 ; s equipment , there are several methods and systems that can be used to implement the present invention . for example , using the push method , the signaling from the caller may use isdn user part ( isup ) to the gmsc and customized applications for mobile network enhanced logic ( camel ) from the gmsc to the scp and camel from the scp to the ip player . alternatively , the signaling from the caller may use isup to the gmsc and isup , session initiation protocol ( sip ) or h . 232 directly to the ip player . in a pull method , the scp may query the gmsc or a calling services database ( which may be the originating switch ) or may defer to the ip player that can query the calling database . in response to information received about the caller , the ip player may respond , or be directed to respond , with rbt content based on said information . for example , if the information indicates that a caller is under parental control or has a restriction based on maturity level or restriction rating , a rbt content selected by a called party that is not compatible with the restriction can be replaced with more suitable rbt content , and if no suitable content is available , then a default rbt content , such as ringing or equivalent content in other media , can be played to the caller . referring now to fig1 , a signaling diagram illustrating the first embodiment of the present invention wherein maturity level or restriction rating information is pushed to an ip player is provided . as seen therein , in message 101 , a caller initiates a call . in message 102 , the originating exchange fetches the caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating from a local or remote database . in message 103 , the originating exchange sends the initial message ( e . g . isup iam , sip invite , etc .) to the terminating exchange . it includes the caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating . in message 104 , the terminating exchange fetches the called subscriber data from home subscriber database ( e . g . hlr , hss , etc .). in message 105 , the terminating exchange contacts the application server ( e . g . scp ) to take control of the call . in message 106 , the application server instructs the terminating exchange to connect to the ip player . in message 107 , the terminating exchange connects to the ip player . it includes the caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating in the initial message . in message 108 , the ip player selects appropriate tone according to the called subscriber profile and the caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating . in step 109 , the ip player starts playing rbt content . referring now to fig2 , a signaling diagram illustrating the first embodiment of the present invention wherein maturity level or restriction rating information is pulled by an ip player is provided . as seen therein , in message 201 , a caller initiates a call . in message 202 , the originating exchange sends the initial message ( e . g . isup iam , sip invite , etc .) to the terminating exchange without the caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating . in message 203 , the terminating exchange fetches the called subscriber data from home subscriber database ( e . g . hlr , hss , etc .). in message 104 , the terminating exchange contacts the application server ( e . g . scp ) to take control of the call . in message 205 , the application server instructs the terminating exchange to connect to the ip player . in message 206 , the terminating exchange connects to the ip player . in message 207 , the player fetches the caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating from a database . this database can be a standalone element , or part of a home subscriber database , originating exchange , or some other node . in message 208 , the ip player selects appropriate tone according called subscriber profile and caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating . in step 209 , the ip player starts playing rbt content . referring to fig3 , a flow chart of the method of a first embodiment of the present invention is provided . for purposes of this embodiment , it is assumed that the subscriber whose equipment is used to call a called party , has a profile stored in a calling party database setting forth a certain maturity level or restriction rating . as seen therein , in step 301 , a rbt is selected after the caller has called the called party , based on the called subscriber &# 39 ; s rbt profile . in step 302 , information in the caller &# 39 ; s profile is reviewed against rbt content rating information concerning the called party &# 39 ; s rbt content . it is determined , based on this review whether the selected rbt content is compatible with the caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating . if it is compatible , then in step 303 , it is determined if the rbt content was previously blocked by the caller . if it is not blocked , then in step 304 , the rbt content is played or displayed to the caller . if , in step 302 , the content is not compatible with the caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating , or if in step 303 , the rbt content has previously been blocked , then in step 305 , it is determined if a random play list is selected and an alternate rbt content available . if so , then in step 306 , an alternate rbt content is selected and the compatibility review / previous block steps 302 and 303 are performed . if not , then in step 307 it is determined whether an alternate rbt content choice selected by the called party is available . if so , in step 308 , the alternate rbt content is selected and the compatibility review / previous block steps 302 and 303 are performed . if not , then in step 309 , it is determined if a system default is available and not yet selected . if so , then in step 310 , the system default is selected and the compatibility review / previous block steps 102 and 103 are performed . if not , then in step 311 , a conventional ring is played to the calling party . the method terminates at step 312 after first reaching either step 304 or 311 the first embodiment of the present invention facilitates the provision by service providers to its subscribers the ability to control , for example by blocking , the presentation of inappropriate material to the caller of the equipment , such as adult material and vulgar and offensive songs . in the absence of the present invention , it is not possible for callers to control rbt content , which they may deem offensive . in the first embodiment of the present invention , information regarding the maturity level or restriction rating of the caller is saved in a calling party database and made available to an scp or rbt platform . in one aspect of the first embodiment , a caller is automatically assigned a maturity level or restriction rating . alternatively , the caller , identified by the network based on service agreement or subscription , may voluntarily select or subscribe to a maturity level or restriction rating . this maturity level or restriction rating can be stored locally in the switch , or in a database such as , for example , a line information database , service control point , home location register , or home subscriber server . when a call , data session , or multimedia session is originated , the originating switch or database is adapted to push the maturity level or restriction rating of the caller to the terminating switch or service provider . in the absence of such forwarding , it is possible for the terminating service provider to pull in the maturity level or restriction rating of the equipment used by the caller from the originating switch on an as - needed basis . the maturity level or restriction rating can then be conveyed from the originating switch to the terminating switch in a number of ways , such as an isdn user part ( isup ) initial address message ( iam ), camel application part / intelligent network application protocol ( cap / inap ) initial dp message , and session initiation protocol ( sip ): invite . in a similar manner , a transaction capability application part ( tcap ) or sip query from the terminating switch can pull in the maturity level or restriction rating . both initial dp and iam messages support the calling party &# 39 ; s category ( cpc ) parameter , which typically conveys information such as ordinary , test , operator , payphone , prison , hotel , hospital , police , cellular , cellular - roaming , and unknown caller . in the present invention , this parameter is enhanced to include a maturity level or restriction rating as selected by the subscriber / caller and attributed to their equipment . for example , this classification could be child , teen junior , teen senior , young adult , and adult . instead of extending cpc , it is also possible to use generic digits or another parameter to convey the same information to the service platform . the maturity levels or restriction ratings used by the present invention can be correlated to ratings currently applied to movies and other media . advantageously , in the present invention , a subscriber is able to assign rbt content appropriate to a caller &# 39 ; s maturity level or restriction rating . the present invention can be adapted to specify multiple defaults , one for each content rating and / or maturity level or restriction rating . similarly , random play can also be applied to groups identified only by their maturity level or restriction rating . this present invention is not limited to facilitating parental control of rbt content . the present invention can be used in any service that is based on the known information regarding the maturity level or restriction rating of the caller , such as gaming applications , video applications , and other applications where legally mandated or user selected restriction on materials presented is required or necessary . the present invention can also be used in connection with the presentation of rbt content ( advertisements , or called party selected material ) during silent intervals ( muted , put on hold , etc .) in a call or communication session . in a second embodiment of the present invention , a method and system is provided in which a caller , once a call is set in motion , can disable the playing of rbt content by , for example , entering certain key strokes on the keypad of their equipment . for example , when a caller places a call , the caller would have certain options that can be exercised during call placement , or after call placement and during rbt playback : ( 1 ) to deactivate rbt for that particular call , certain entry codes are entered , or prompts responded to , by the caller into an input means of the telephone , such as a keypad , voice recognition system , and / or touchscreen , and are decoded by the system [ indicate which parts of the system cooperate to receive and decode and then deactivate or modify the rbt content ] ( for example , such caller entry may be : “* rbt * p * b -[ number ]”). alternatively , this service may be subscribed to on a permanent basis , whereby the subscriber is able to deactivate rbt for all calls . [ in such cases , the service may be bound to a telephone by a hardwired circuit , software implemented on the platform or on a subscriber identity module ( sim ).] ( 2 ) to deactivate a particular rbt for a particular call , a different entry code can be entered , or prompts responded to , by the caller , such as “* pp ”. this can be used in the event that a random play rbt option is permitted by the operator . when this code is entered , the player will jump to the next tone in the list . ( 3 ) to deactivate rbt for a particular call and all future calls , for that particular called party , a different entry code can be entered , or prompts responded to , by the caller , such as “* rbt * c * b -[ number ]”. ( 4 ) to reactivate rbt for a particular call and all future calls , for that particular called party , a different entry code can be entered , or prompts responded to , by the caller , such as “* rbt * r * b -[ number ]”. if a caller has permanently subscribed to the deactivation of rbt content , the subscriber may reactivate the rbt on a call by call basis . ( 5 ) to deactivate parental control for a particular call , a different entry code can be entered , or prompts responded to , by the caller , such as “* pc * p * pw * b -[ number ]” where pw is a password . ( 6 ) to deactivate parental control for that particular call and all future calls , for that particular called party , a different entry code can be entered , or prompts responded to , by the caller , such as “* pc * c * pw * b -[ number ]”. ( 7 ) to deactivate parental control for that particular call and all future calls , for any called party , a different entry code can be entered , or prompts responded to , by the caller , such as “* pc * a * pw * b -[ number ]”. ( 8 ) to reactivate parental control for that particular call and all future calls , for that particular called party , a different entry code can be entered , or prompts responded to , by the caller , such as “* pc * r * b -[ number ], pw .” all star () codes above are defined by the standards or service provider . if the codes are entered during rbt playback then “ b -[ number ]” at the end are not required . fig4 is a flow chart of the steps of a second embodiment of the present invention . as seen therein , in step 401 , a calling party calls a called party who is an rbt subscriber . in step 402 , a caller starts listening to or viewing the rbt content of the called party . in step 403 , the caller decides if they like the rbt content . if they like the rbt content , then in step 404 , they continue to listen to or view it until the called party answers and the process ends at step 411 . if they do not like the rbt content at step 405 , then at step 406 , the caller can have the option to request blocking of that particular rbt content . at step 407 , the caller can block the particular rbt content for all future calls made from the caller &# 39 ; s equipment . if the caller does not want to block future rbt content , they can , nevertheless , in step 408 , request if alternate rbt content is available . if alternate rbt content is available , it can be played and / or displayed at step 409 . with respect to this alternate rbt content , the method returns to step 403 so that the caller can determine if they like the alternate rbt content with the method continuing to steps 404 or 405 depending on that determination . if no alternate content is available , then in step 41 0 , default rbt content is played and / or displayed until the called party answers and the process ends at step 411 . referring now to fig5 , a block diagram of a system adapted to perform the steps of the invention is illustrated . seen therein are calling party equipment 501 which is coupled to an originating switch 502 . originating switch 502 is then coupled to called party gmsc 503 , which is coupled to called party hlr 504 . called party hlr 504 is coupled to calling party database 505 . calling party database 505 retains a profile of the level or restriction rating attributed to the equipment of the calling party . scp 506 and ip player 507 are also coupled to called party gmsc 503 . called party provisioning system 508 is coupled to ip player 507 and called party rbt profile 509 is coupled to provisioning system 508 . as will be recognized by those skilled in the art , the innovative concepts described in the present application can be modified and varied over a wide range of applications . accordingly , the scope of patented subject matter should not be limited to any of the specific exemplary teachings discussed above , but is instead defined by the following claims .	7
it is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention claimed . as used herein , the use of the singular includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise . it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that some of the compounds of the invention may contain one or more asymmetric centers , such that the compounds may exist in enantiomeric as well as in diastereisoomeric forms . unless it is specifically noted otherwise , the scope of the present invention includes all enantiomers , diastereisomers and racemic mixtures . some of the compounds of the invention may form salts with pharmaceutically acceptable acids or bases , and such pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the compounds described herein are also within the scope of the invention . the present invention includes all pharmaceutically acceptable isotopically enriched compounds . any compound of the invention may contain one or more isotopic atoms enriched or different than the natural ratio such as deuterium 2 h ( or d ) in place of protium 1 h ( or h ) or use of 13 c enriched material in place of 12 c and the like . similar substitutions can be employed for n , o and s . the use of isotopes may assist in analytical as well as therapeutic aspects of the invention . for example , use of deuterium may increase the in vivo half - life by altering the metabolism ( rate ) of the compounds of the invention . these compounds can be prepared in accord with the preparations described by use of isotopically enriched reagents . as will be evident to those skilled in the art , individual isomeric forms can be obtained by separation of mixtures thereof in conventional manner . for example , in the case of diastereoisomeric isomers , chromatographic separation may be employed . the iupac names of the compounds mentioned in the examples were generated with acd version 8 and some intermediates &# 39 ; and reagents &# 39 ; names used in the examples were generated with software such as chem bio draw ultra version 12 . 0 or auto nom 2000 from mdl isis draw 2 . 5 sp1 . in general , characterization of the compounds is performed by nuclear magnetic resonance and / or mass spectrometry . nmr spectra , recorded on bruker avance 300 , 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz ) in the indicated solvent at ambient temperature ; chemical shifts in ppm , coupling constants in hz . hplc - ms : hplc - system : agilent 1100 series , ms : thermo dionex surveyor msq plus . column gemininx c18 , 3 μm , 2 . 1 × 50 mm , gradient : 97 % a ( acidic : 0 . 1 % tfa in water ; basic : 1 mm nh 4 hco 3 in water ph 10 ) and 3 % b ( acidic : 0 . 085 % tfa in ch 3 cn ; basic : ch 3 cn ) for 0 . 1 min , then in 2 . 1 min to 3 % a and 97 % b , then 3 % a and 97 % b for 0 . 3 min ( flow : 0 . 8 ml / min ); or column ascentis express c18 , 2 . 7 μm , 3 × 50 mm , gradient : 97 % a ( acidic : 0 . 1 % tfa in water ; basic : 1 mm nh 4 ( co 3 ) 2 in water ph 10 ) and 3 % b ( acidic : 0 . 085 % tfa in ch 3 cn ; basic : ch 3 cn ) for 0 . 05 min , then in 2 . 9 min to 3 % a and 97 % b , then 3 % a and 97 % b for 0 . 2 min ( flow : 1 . 3 ml / min ); retention times t r in [ min ]; uv detection at 254 and 220 nm ; ionization method as indicated . all the reagents , solvents , catalysts for which the synthesis is not described are purchased from chemical vendors such as sigma aldrich , fluka , bio - blocks , combi - blocks , tci , vwr , lancaster , oakwood , trans world chemical , alfa , fisher , maybridge , frontier , matrix , ukrorgsynth , toronto , ryan scientific , silicycle , anaspec , syn chem , chem - impex , mic - scientific , ltd ; however some known intermediates , were prepared according to published procedures . solvents were purchased from commercial sources in appropriate quality and used as received . air and / or moisture - sensitive reactions were run under an argon or nitrogen atmosphere . flash chromatography : fluka silica gel 60 ( 0 . 04 - 0 . 063 mm ) and interchim puriflash ir 60 silica gel ( 0 . 04 - 0 . 063 mm ); mplc normal phase : solvent system hexane ( a )/ etoac ( b ), column d : ymc * gel silica sl06s50 ( 0 . 006 - 50 μm ), 60 × 200 mm , flow 175 ml / min , program 3 ( start with 7 % b , then in 12 min 100 % b , then 100 % b for 5 min ), program 7 ( start with 25 % b , then in 12 min 100 % b , then 100 % b for 5 . 5 min ); normal phase preparative hplc : macherey - nagel vp100 / 21 nucleosil 50a - 10 μm , hexane / etoac / meoh gradient . reverse phase preparative hplc : waters xbridge c18 150 × 30 mm , 5 μm or phenomenex gemininx c18 axia pack 100 × 30 mm , 5 μm , water / ch 3 cn gradient with 0 . 1 % tfa or 10 mm nh 4 hco 3 ( ph 10 ). the following examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended , nor should they be construed as limiting the invention in any manner . those skilled in the art will appreciate that variations and modifications of the following examples can be made without exceeding the spirit or scope of the invention . method a is applied when r 5 does not contain a carboxylic acid group . to a solution of intermediate a ( 50 mg , 0 . 155 mmol ) in pyridine ( 1 ml ) was added sulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 5 eq .) at room temp . the screw cap tube containing the mixture was quickly transferred in a 100 ° c . hot heating block , the mixture was stirred at 100 ° c . for 30 min . if the reaction failed according to tlc analysis ( or hplc analysis in cases of doubts ), method c was applied . if tlc analysis ( or hplc analysis in cases of doubt ) showed the presence of major amount of starting material , additional sulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 5 eq .) was added and stirring at 100 ° c . was continued for another 30 min . half - saturated aq . nahco 3 solution was added at room temperature and extraction with ch 2 cl 2 followed . the organic layer was filtered through a pad of mgso 4 and silica gel , the pad was rinsed with ch 2 cl 2 / meoh 9 : 1 and the filtrate was concentrated . purification by preparative normal phase hplc ( oversized column : macherey - nagel vp 150 / 32 nucleosil 50 - 10 , hexane / etoac / meoh gradient ) afforded the compound of formula i . if further purification was required , a wash using et 2 o or additional purification by reverse phase preparative hplc , or dependending on the nature of the material , a wash procedure using et 2 o / ch 2 cl 2 was performed . method b is applied when r 5 contains a carboxylic acid group . the reaction was performed as described in method a , the workup was modified : half - saturated aq . nahco 3 solution was added at room temperature and extraction with ch 2 cl 2 followed . the ph was adjusted to 2 by adding 4m aq . hcl solution to the aqueous layer . the mixture was extracted with ch 2 cl 2 the product is formed as immiscible oil . in this case , the aq . layer was removed , meoh was added in order to dissolve the oil into the organic layer , the organic layer was filtered through a pad of mgso 4 and silica gel , the pad was rinsed with ch 2 cl 2 / meoh 8 : 2 and the filtrate was concentrated . purification by preparative reverse phase hplc ( acidic mobile phase ) afforded the compound of formula i . if further purification was needed , a wash procedure using et 2 o ( ultrasound bath ) followed or additional purification was performed by reverse phase preparative hplc ( acidic mobile phase ). to a solution of intermediate a ( 80 mg , 0 . 248 mmol ) in pyridine ( 1 ml ) was added sulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 5 eq .) at room temperature ( screw cap tube ) the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 h . if the reaction failed according to tlc analysis ( or hplc analysis in cases of doubts ), method d was applied . if tlc analysis ( or hplc analysis in cases of doubt ) showed the presence of a major amount of starting material , additional sulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 5 eq .) was added and stirring at room temp . was continued for 1 h . the workup and purification were performed as described in method a . deprotonation of intermediate b with methyl lithium and subsequent reaction with aromatic sulfonyl chlorides afforded intermediate c type compounds , which were deprotected to give the compound of formula i using 4m hydrochloric acid / dioxane in the presence of ethanol . method e is applied when r 5 is an aliphatic group . reactions of intermediate b with aliphatic sulfonyl chlorides were performed in the presence of triethylamine and 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( dmap ) in chloroform ( chcl 3 )/ acetone at 50 ° c . to afford intermediate c compounds , which were deprotected to give the compound of formula i using 4m hydrochloric acid / dioxane in the presence of ethanol . to an ice cold solution of 4 , 5 - dichloro - o - phenylenediamine ( cas rn : 5348 - 42 - 5 ), ( 15 . 78 g , 89 . 14 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 185 ml ) and pyridine ( 45 ml ) was added a solution of 2 - thiophenesulfonyl chloride ( 17 . 1 g , 93 . 62 mmol , 1 . 05 eq .) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 40 ml ). the mixture ( black solution ) was stirred and allowed to warm to room temperature overnight ( without removal of the cooling bath ), then added to etoac and washed with sat . aq . nahco 3 solution . the aq . layer was extracted 2 × with etoac , the combined organic layers were dried ( na 2 so 4 ) and concentrated . the crude product was combined with the crude product of an analogously performed 10 g scale attempt , chromatography on silica gel ( hexane / etoac 8 : 2 to 6 : 4 , chromatography was repeated with mixed fractions using the same eluent ) and afforded intermediate 1 ( 31 . 5 g , 67 %) as brown solid . c 10 h 8 cl 2 n 2 o 2 s 2 ( 323 . 22 ). ms ( esi + ): 325 / 323 [ m + h ] + . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 9 . 8 - 9 . 5 ( br . signal , 1h ); 7 . 95 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 50 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 3 . 7 , 1h ); 7 . 16 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 6 . 87 , 6 . 85 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 5 . 5 - 5 . 25 ( br . s , 2h ). to an ice cold solution of intermediate 1 ( 3 . 24 g , 10 . 02 mmol ) in thf ( 90 ml ) and dmf ( 30 ml ) was added nah ( ca . 60 % in mineral oil , 0 . 6 g , ca . 15 mmol , 1 . 5 eq ., gas evolution , brown solution ). the mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 30 min ( dark colored after 5 min ), then a solution of 1 - chloromethyl ethyl ether ( 1 . 02 ml , ca . 1 . 04 g , 11 mmol , 1 . 1 eq .) was added dropwise at 0 ° c . the brown , light green mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 1 h , then sat . aq . nahco 3 solution ( ca . 10 ml ) was added at 0 ° c . the mixture was concentrated ( rotary evaporator ), water was added and extraction with etoac followed . the organic layer was washed with water ( 2 ×) and brine , dried ( na 2 so 4 ) and concentrated . the crude product was adsorbed on silica gel ( ch 2 cl 2 / meoh ), chromatography on silica gel ( hexane / acetone 90 : 10 to 88 : 12 to 86 : 14 to 84 : 16 to 82 : 18 to 80 : 20 ) afforded intermediate 2 ( 2 . 4 g , 63 %) as brown solid . c 13 h 14 cl 2 n 2 o 3 s 2 ( 381 . 30 ). ms ( esi + ): 383 / 381 [ m + h ] + . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 8 . 05 ( dd , j = 0 . 5 , 4 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 65 ( dd , j = 0 . 5 , 3 . 7 , 1h ); 7 . 24 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 6 . 92 , 6 . 72 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 5 . 60 ( br . s , 2h , exchanged upon treatment with d 2 o ); 5 . 20 - 5 . 05 ( br . signal , 1h ); 4 . 78 - 4 . 62 ( br . signal , 1h ); 3 . 54 ( q , j = 7 . 0 , 2h ); 1 . 09 ( t , j = 7 . 0 , 3h ). sulfonamide formation according to method d : to an ice cold solution of intermediate 2 ( 70 mg , 0 . 184 mmol ) in thf ( 1 ml ) was added dropwise meli ( 1 . 6m in et 2 o , 0 . 25 ml , ca . 0 . 4 mmol , 2 . 2 eq .). the dark green mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 15 min , then a solution of an aromatic sulfonyl chloride for example : 3 - chloro - 4 - fluorobenzenesulfonyl chloride ( 63 . 1 mg , 0 . 275 mmol , 1 . 5 eq .) in thf ( 1 ml ) was added dropwise at 0 ° c . the orange solution was stirred at 0 ° c . for 40 min and at room temp . overnight . meoh was added at room temp . and the mixture was concentrated . purification by reverse phase preparative hplc ( acidic mobile phase ) afforded intermediate 3 ( 37 mg , 35 %) as light yellow solid . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 6 - 10 . 35 ( br . signal , 1h ); 8 . 14 ( dd , j = 2 . 1 , 6 . 7 , 1h ); 8 . 08 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 94 - 7 . 89 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 67 ( t , j = 8 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 60 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 56 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 23 ( dd , j = 3 . 9 , 4 . 9 , 1h ); 6 . 86 ( s , 1h ); 5 . 4 - 5 . 0 ( br . signal , 1h ); 4 . 5 - 4 . 1 ( br . signal , 1h ); 3 . 41 ( partially hidden , partially resolved q , j = 7 . 0 , 2h ); 1 . 04 ( t , j = 7 . 0 , 3h ). to a − 10 ° c . cold yellow solution of 5 - chloro - 2 - nitroaniline ( 8 . 00 g , 46 . 36 mmol ) in dry dmf ( 130 ml ) was added sodium hydride 60 % ( 9 . 27 g , 231 . 79 mmol ) under ar . the resulting red suspension was stirred at − 10 ° c . for 10 minutes . a solution of 1 - benzofuran - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 12 . 05 g , 55 . 63 mmol ) in dry dmf ( 50 ml ) was added dropwise with a dropping funnel at − 10 ° c . ( 10 minutes of addition , exothermic reaction , maximum temperature of addition was 0 ° c ., 5 ml of dmf to rinse the funnel ). the resulting orange suspension was stirred at − 10 ° c . for 30 minutes ( color changed to brown ). the reaction mixture was quenched with half saturated nahco 3 solution ( 400 ml ) and the product was extracted five times with etoac ( 1 × 650 ml and 4 × 300 ml ). the combined organic layers were dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered and the filtrate evaporated to dryness . the crude product was combined with the crude product of an analogously performed 8 g scale attempt to give 61 . 82 g of an orange oil which was purified by mplc ( crude was dissolved in ch 2 cl 2 / meoh , preabsorption on silica gel , column d , program 3 , 5 runs ) to afford intermediate 4 ( 28 . 91 g , 88 % yield based on combined starting material ) as yellow solid . c 14 h 9 cln 2 o 6 s ( 352 . 75 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 31 min , 350 . 7 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): 7 . 70 ( ddd , j = 0 . 6 , 1 . 3 , 7 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 60 ( dd , j = 0 . 8 , 8 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 52 - 7 . 47 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 39 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 28 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 18 ( s , 1h ); 6 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 3 , 1h ). to an orange solution of intermediate 4 ( 14 . 41 g , 40 . 85 mmol ) in thf ( 55 ml ) and meoh ( 285 ml ) was added saturated aqueous nh 4 cl solution ( 285 ml , precipitation of starting material ) and then zinc ( 20 . 03 g , 306 . 38 mmol ) in a cold water bath ( 20 ° c .). the resulting suspension was stirred at room temperature for 20 minutes ( color changed from brown to dark green ). etoac ( 400 ml ) and saturated aqueous nh 4 cl solution ( 400 ml ) were added . the solid in suspension was filtered through a pad of celite and washed with etoac ( 3 × 250 ml ) and saturated aqueous nh 4 cl solution ( 3 × 200 ml ). the filtrate was shaken and the organic layer was collected , dried over na 2 so 4 , filtered and evaporated to dryness . the residue was dissolved in ch 2 cl 2 , filtered through a pad of silica , washed three times with ch 2 cl 2 / meoh 9 / 1 and evaporated to dryness . the crude product was combined with the crude product of an analogously performed 14 . 41 g scale attempt to leave 27 . 23 g of red foam . the crude foam was dissolved in ch 2 cl 2 / meoh 99 / 1 whereupon a solid precipitates . the mixture was evaporated to dryness and re - dissolved in a mixture of etoac / meoh . the remaining solid was filtered off . the filtrate was preabsorbed on silica gel and purified by flash chromatography over silica gel eluted with ch 2 cl 2 / meoh from 99 / 1 to 97 / 3 to give 20 . 25 g of impure brown solid . this product was repurified by mplc ( crude was dissolved in ch 2 cl 2 / meoh , preabsorption on silica gel , column d , program 7 , 5 runs ) to afford intermediate 5 ( 18 . 18 g , 69 % yield based on combined starting material ) as beige solid . c 14 h 11 cln 2 o 3 s ( 322 . 76 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi + ): t r = 1 . 93 min , 323 / 325 [ m + h ] + . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): 10 . 7 - 9 . 3 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 7 . 75 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 60 - 7 . 50 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 39 ( m , 1h ); 6 . 96 ( dd , j = 2 . 5 , 8 . 7 , 1h ); 6 . 81 ( d , j = 2 . 5 , 1h ); 6 . 62 ( d , j = 8 . 7 , 1h ), 6 . 9 - 5 . 4 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ). to a solution of 4 - chloro - 2 - nitroaniline ( cas rn : 89 - 63 - 4 ) ( 0 . 52 g , 3 . 0 mmol ) in pyridine ( 3 . 0 ml ) was added benzofuran - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 0 . 65 g , 3 . 0 mmol ) and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 64 h . more benzofuran - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 0 . 65 g , 3 . 0 mmol ) and pyridine ( 3 . 0 ml ) were added and the reaction was heated to 100 ° c . for 4 h , cooled to room temperature , poured onto a mixture of ice and 6m hcl ( 20 ml ). the resulting suspension was filtered , rinsed with h 2 o , and the cake was dissolved in etoac , washed with brine , dried over na 2 so 4 , and concentrated to give 1 . 28 g brown solid . the solid was dissolved in meoh / thf ( 40 ml / 10 ml ), treated with 4 m naoh ( 4 ml ) at 100 ° c . for 15 min , and concentrated in vacuo . the residue was quenched with cold 1m hcl , extracted with etoac (× 2 ). the combined organic layer was washed with brine , dried over na 2 so 4 and concentrated . re - crystallization from hot etoh yielded 0 . 68 g ( 64 %) of intermediate 6 . 1 h - nmr ( 600 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ ppm 10 . 00 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 13 ( d , j = 2 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 93 ( d , j = 9 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 64 - 7 . 68 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 58 ( dd , j = 9 . 0 , 2 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 45 - 7 . 53 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 34 ( ddd , j = 7 . 9 , 6 . 9 , 1 . 0 hz , 1h ). to a suspension of intermediate 6 ( 217 mg , 0 . 61 mmol ) in meoh ( 25 ml ) and saturated aqueous nh 4 cl ( 25 ml ) was added zinc dust ( 1 . 0 g , 15 . 4 mmol ). the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 45 min . hoac ( 1 . 0 ml ) and zinc dust ( 1 . 0 g , 15 . 4 mmol ) were added and the reaction was stirred for another 45 min and was filtered . the filtrate was extracted with etoac (× 2 ). the combined organic layer was washed with brine , dried over na 2 so 4 , and concentrated . the crude product was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 25 % etoac - hexane ) to yield 158 mg ( 79 %) of intermediate 7 . 1 h - nmr ( 600 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ ppm 7 . 65 ( dt , j = 7 . 4 , 0 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 57 - 7 . 61 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 50 ( ddd , j = 8 . 4 , 7 . 1 , 1 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 35 ( ddd , j = 8 . 0 , 7 . 3 , 0 . 9 hz , 1h ), 7 . 30 ( d , j = 0 . 9 hz , 1h ), 6 . 70 ( d , j = 2 . 3 hz , 1h ), 6 . 59 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 6 . 45 - 6 . 48 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 32 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 17 ( br . s ., 2h ). to a solution of 2 - chloro - 3 - nitro - pyridine ( cas rn : 5470 - 18 - 8 , 0 . 64 g , 4 . 0 mmol ) in dmso ( 4 ml ) was added thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid amide ( cas rn : 6339 - 87 - 3 , 0 . 33 g , 2 . 0 mmol ) and k 2 co 3 ( 0 . 55 g , 4 . 0 mmol ). the mixture was stirred at 60 ° c . for 24 h , diluted with etoac , extracted with 1m hcl , brine , dried over na 2 so 4 , and concentrated in vacuo . the crude product was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 25 %- 40 % etoac in hexanes ) to yield intermediate 8 ( 0 . 50 g , 87 %) as yellow powder . 1 h nmr ( chloroform - d ) δ ppm : 10 . 27 ( br . s , 1h ), 8 . 63 ( dd , j = 4 . 5 , 1 . 6 hz , 1h ), 8 . 53 ( dd , j = 8 . 2 , 1 . 8 hz , 1h ), 8 . 00 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 67 ( dd , j = 5 . 0 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 13 - 7 . 19 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 08 - 7 . 12 ( m , 1h ). to a solution of 2 - bromo - 5 - chloro - 3 - nitro - pyridine ( cas rn : 75806 - 86 - 9 , 360 mg , 1 . 5 mmol ) in dmso ( 2 ml ) was added thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid amide ( cas rn : 6339 - 87 - 3 , 165 mg , 1 . 0 mmol ) and k 2 co 3 ( 276 mg , 2 . 0 mmol ). the mixture was stirred at 60 ° c . for 24 h , diluted with etoac , extracted with 1m hcl , brine , dried over na 2 so 4 , and concentrated in vacuo . the crude product was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 0 %- 100 % etoac in hexanes ) to yield intermediate 9 ( 245 mg , 77 %) as light brown solid . 1 h nmr ( methanol - d 4 ) δ : 8 . 57 - 8 . 63 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 95 ( dd , j = 4 . 0 , 1 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 86 ( dd , j = 5 . 0 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 14 ( dd , j = 5 . 1 , 4 . 0 hz , 1h ). to a solution of intermediate 8 ( 175 mg , 0 . 61 mmol ) in meoh ( 30 ml ) and 1m hcl ( 2 ml ) was added pd — c ( 10 %, 65 mg , 0 . 061 mmol ). the reaction was pressurized under 45 psi h 2 for 3 h using parr apparatus , filtered , and the filtrate was concentrated in vacuo . the crude product was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 50 %- 100 % etoac in hexanes , then 2 : 98 et 3 n : etoac , then 2 : 20 : 80 et 3 n : meoh : ch 2 cl 2 ) to yield intermediate 10 ( 157 mg , 84 %) as off - white solid . 1 h nmr ( chloroform - d ) δ : 7 . 61 ( dd , j = 3 . 7 , 1 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 44 ( dd , j = 5 . 0 , 1 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 96 - 7 . 03 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 83 ( dd , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 6 . 56 ( dd , j = 7 . 6 , 6 . 2 hz , 1h ). to a solution of intermediate 9 ( 111 mg , 0 . 35 mmol ) in meoh ( 15 ml ) was added aqueous nh 4 cl ( 15 ml ) and zinc dust ( 0 . 56 g , 8 . 7 mmol ). the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 h , filtered and extracted with etoac . the organic layer was washed with brine , dried over na 2 so 4 , and concentrated in vacuo . the crude product was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 30 %- 100 % etoac in hexanes , then 10 % meoh in ch 2 cl 2 ) to yield intermediate 11 ( 75 mg , 75 %). c 9 h 8 cln 3 o 2 s 2 ( 289 . 8 ). ms ( esi − ): 288 / 290 /[ m − h ] − . sulfonamide formation : to a solution of intermediate 2 ( 80 mg , 0 . 21 mmol ) and dmap ( 5 . 1 mg , 0 . 042 mmol , 0 . 2 eq .) in chcl 3 ( 0 . 8 ml ) and acetone ( 0 . 8 ml ) was added isobutanesulfonyl chloride ( 32 . 9 μl , ca . 39 mg , 0 . 25 mmol , 1 . 2 eq .) at room temp . followed by et 3 n ( 87 . 2 μl , ca . 63 mg , 0 . 62 mmol , 3 eq .). the orange - brown solution was stirred at 50 ° c . overnight . water and etoac were added at room temp . and extraction with etoac followed . the organic layer was dried ( na 2 so 4 ), filtered and concentrated . chromatography on silica gel ( hexane / ch 2 cl 2 / et 2 o 5 : 5 : 0 . 5 to 5 : 5 : 1 ) afforded the corresponding type intermediate 12 product ( 43 mg , 41 %) as light yellow oil . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ ppm 7 . 85 ( s , 1h ); ca . 7 . 85 - 7 . 84 ( partially hidden signal , 1h ); 7 . 74 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 54 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 15 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 00 ( s , 1h ); 5 . 05 - 4 . 88 ( br . signal , 2h ); 3 . 75 - 3 . 60 ( br . signal , 2h ); 3 . 04 ( d , j = 6 . 6 , 2h ); 2 . 43 - 2 . 30 ( heptet , 1h ); 1 . 28 ( t , j = 7 . 0 , 3h ); 1 . 14 ( d , j = 6 . 7 , 6h ). to intermediate 3 ( 47 mg , 0 . 082 mmol ) and etoh ( 0 . 2 ml ) was added 4m hcl / dioxane ( 1 ml ) at room temp . the solution was stirred for 42 h at room temp . and then concentrated . chromatography on silica gel ( ch 2 cl 2 / meoh 9 : 1 ) afforded compound 1 ( 24 . 9 mg , 59 %) as off - white solid . c 16 h 10 cl 3 fn 2 o 4 s 3 ( 515 . 81 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 14 min , 517 / 515 / 513 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 5 - ca . 9 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 7 . 99 - 7 . 95 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 74 - 7 . 69 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 63 ( d , j = 8 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 58 - 7 . 55 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 30 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 17 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 15 ( s , 1h ). to intermediate 12 ( 42 mg , 0 . 084 mmol ) in etoh ( 0 . 2 ml ) was added 4m hcl / dioxane ( 2 ml ) at room temp . the solution was stirred for 72 h at room temp . and then concentrated . chromatography on silica gel ( ch 2 cl 2 / meoh 95 : 5 to 9 : 1 ) afforded compound 2 ( 29 . 8 mg , 80 %) as white solid . c 14 h 16 cl 2 n 2 o 4 s 3 ( 443 . 39 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 66 min , 443 / 441 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( cdcl 3 ): δ ppm 7 . 71 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 65 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 55 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 14 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 05 ( s , 1h ); 6 . 97 , 6 . 96 ( 2 partially separated s , 2 × 1h ); 3 . 02 ( d , j = 6 . 6 , 2h ); 2 . 42 - 2 . 28 ( heptet , 1h ); 1 . 14 ( d , j = 6 . 6 , 6h ). c 16 h 10 cl 2 f 2 n 2 o 4 s 3 ( 499 . 36 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 16 min , 499 / 497 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 4 - ca . 9 . 3 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 8 . 00 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 68 ( tt , j = 2 . 3 , 9 . 2 , 1h ); 7 . 59 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 54 - 7 . 43 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 31 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 18 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 13 ( s , 1h ). c 16 h 13 cl 2 n 3 o 4 s 4 ( 498 . 45 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 98 min , 498 / 496 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 3 - 9 . 3 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 7 . 99 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 60 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 31 , 7 . 27 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 18 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 2 . 62 , 2 . 33 ( 2s , 2 × 3h ). c 15 h 13 cl 2 n 3 o 5 s 3 ( 482 . 38 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 01 min , 482 / 480 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 3 - ca . 9 . 5 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 8 . 00 ( dd , j = 1 . 2 , 4 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 61 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 31 , 7 . 21 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 19 ( dd , j = 3 . 9 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 2 . 40 , 2 . 19 ( 2s , 2 × 3h ). c 18 h 13 cl 2 n 3 o 5 s 3 ( 518 . 41 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 88 min , 518 / 516 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 84 ( s , 1h ); ca . 10 . 1 - ca . 10 . 65 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); ca . 10 . 65 - ca . 9 . 3 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 7 . 99 ( signal appears as d , “ j ”= 4 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 60 - 7 . 55 ( m , 3h ); 7 . 28 , 7 . 19 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 17 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 4 . 9 , 1h ); 6 . 93 ( d , j = 8 . 7 , 1h ); 3 . 55 ( s , 2h ). c 17 h 11 cl 2 n 3 o 6 s 3 ( 520 . 39 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 21 min , 520 / 518 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 12 . 4 - ca . 11 . 95 ( br . signal , 1h ); ca . 10 . 1 - ca . 9 . 3 ( br . signal , 2h ); 7 . 98 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 65 ( d , j = 1 . 6 , 1h ); 7 . 56 - 7 . 52 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 31 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 23 ( d , j = 8 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 16 ( dd , j = 3 . 7 , 4 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 15 ( s , 1h ). c 17 h 12 o 2 n 2 o 6 s 3 ( 507 . 39 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 78 min , 507 / 505 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 3 - 10 . 05 ( br . signal , 1h ); 9 . 58 ( s , 1h ); 8 . 06 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 88 ( partially resolved dd , j = 0 . 9 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 75 ( s , 4h ); 7 . 46 - 7 . 45 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 06 - 7 . 03 ( t - like signal , 1h ). c 18 h 14 cl 2 n 2 o 7 s 3 ( 537 . 41 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 16 min , 537 / 535 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 80 ( s , 1h ); 10 . 4 - 10 . 15 ( br . signal , 1h ); 8 . 73 ( s , 1h ); 8 . 30 ( d , j = 2 . 3 , 1h ); 8 . 05 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 81 ( dd , j = 2 . 3 , 8 . 6 , 1h ); 7 . 55 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 26 - 7 . 21 ( m , 2h ); 6 . 71 ( s , 1h ); 4 . 14 ( s , 3h ). c 18 h 16 cl 2 n 2 o 6 s 3 ( 523 . 43 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 58 min , 523 / 521 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 1 - ca . 9 . 7 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 9 . 16 ( br . s , 1h ); 7 . 99 ( signal appears as partially resolved d , “ j ”= 4 . 2 , 1h ); 7 . 62 ( d , j = 8 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 54 ( signal appears as partially resolved d , “ j ”= 2 . 5 , 1h ); 7 . 39 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 17 ( t - like signal , “ j ”= 4 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 04 ( s , 1h ); 6 . 73 ( d , j = 2 . 3 , 1h ); 6 . 61 ( dd , j = 2 . 3 , 8 . 8 , 1h ); 3 . 91 , 3 . 83 ( 2s , 2 × 3h ). preparation : dipea ( 3 eq . ), ch 2 cl 2 , rt ( 76 % yield ) from intermediate 1 . c 17 h 14 cl 2 n 2 o 6 s 4 ( 541 . 47 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 99 min , 541 / 539 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 1 - ca . 9 ( 2 br . signals , ca . 2h ); 8 . 27 ( partially resolved dd , j = 1 . 2 , 7 . 9 , 1h ); 8 . 02 - 7 . 94 ( m , 3h ); 7 . 89 - 7 . 84 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 63 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 44 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 16 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 6 . 68 ( br . s , 1h ); 3 . 51 ( s , 3h ). c 18 h 14 cl 2 n 2 o 6 s 3 ( 521 . 42 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 58 min , 521 / 519 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 2 - ca . 9 . 5 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 8 . 12 ( d , j = 8 . 6 , 2h ); 7 . 98 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 87 ( d , j = 8 . 7 , 2h ); 7 . 55 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 24 , 7 . 20 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 16 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 3 . 90 ( s , 3h ). c 19 h 12 cl 2 n 2 o 6 s 3 ( 531 . 41 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 04 min , 531 / 529 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 1 - 9 . 5 ( br . signal , 2h ); 8 . 21 ( d , j = 2 . 3 , 1h ); 8 . 18 ( d , j = 9 . 7 , 1h ); 7 . 98 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 89 ( dd , j = 2 . 3 , 8 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 59 - 7 . 55 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 33 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 16 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 15 ( s , 1h ); 6 . 64 ( d , j = 9 . 6 , 1h ). c 15 h 9 cl 3 n 4 o 4 s 4 ( 543 . 88 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 99 min , 545 / 543 / 541 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 4 - ca . 9 . 3 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 7 . 98 ( dd , j = 1 . 2 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 91 , 7 . 63 ( 2d , j = 4 . 5 , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 56 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 31 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 16 ( dd , j = 3 . 9 , 4 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 12 ( s , 1h ). c 16 h 14 cl 2 n 2 o 6 s 3 ( 481 . 39 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 15 min , 481 / 479 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 1 - ca . 9 . 7 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); ca . 9 . 7 - ca . 9 . 4 ( br . signal , 1h ); 8 . 01 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 59 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 30 , 7 . 28 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 18 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 6 . 15 ( signal appears as partially resolved d , “ j ”= 1 . 0 , 1h ); 2 . 28 , 2 . 21 ( 2s , 2 × 3h ). c 21 h 18 cl 2 n 4 o 4 s 3 ( 557 . 49 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 61 min , 557 / 555 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 - ca . 9 . 5 ( br . signal , 2h ); 7 . 97 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 81 , 7 . 75 ( 2d , j = 9 . 0 , 2 × 2h ); 7 . 56 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 27 , 7 . 22 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 16 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 6 . 15 ( s , 1h ); 2 . 38 , 2 . 19 ( 2s , 2 × 3h ). c 14 h 12 cl 2 n 4 o 4 s 3 ( 467 . 37 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 41 min , 467 / 465 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 - 9 . 6 ( br . signal , 2h ); 7 . 99 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 91 ( d , j = 2 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 60 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 47 , 7 . 32 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 17 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 6 . 64 ( d , j = 2 . 3 , 1h ); 3 . 93 ( s , 3h ). preparation according to method a , 15 min ( 45 % yield ) from intermediate 1 . c 19 h 15 cl 2 n 3 o 4 s 3 ( 516 . 44 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 04 min , 516 / 514 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 - ca . 9 . 5 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 7 . 96 ( dd , j = 1 . 2 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 82 ( d , j = 7 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 59 ( d , j = 3 . 1 , 1h ); 7 . 52 ( partially resolved dd , j = 0 . 8 , 7 . 5 , 1h ); 7 . 49 ( partially resolved dd , j = 1 . 2 , 3 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 30 ( t , j = 7 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 21 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 14 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 10 ( s , 1h ); 6 . 74 ( partially resolved dd , j = 0 . 7 , 3 . 1 , 1h ); 3 . 86 ( s , 3h ). c 16 h 14 cl 2 n 2 o 4 s 4 ( 497 . 46 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 20 min , 497 / 495 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 2 - ca . 9 . 3 ( 2 br . signals , ca . 2h ); 8 . 00 ( signal appears as partially resolved d , “ j ”= 4 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 60 ( signal appears as partially resolved d , “ j ”= 2 . 7 , 1h ); 7 . 28 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 18 ( partially hidden dd , j = 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); ca . 7 . 16 ( s , 1h ); 6 . 84 ( signal appears as partially resolved d , “ j ”= 1 . 1 , 1h ); 2 . 38 , 2 . 35 ( 2s , 2 × 3h ). c 15 h 11 cl 2 n 3 o 4 s 3 ( 464 . 37 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 94 min , 464 / 462 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 4 - ca . 9 . 2 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 8 . 88 ( d , j = 1 . 8 , 1h ); 8 . 84 ( dd , j = 1 . 5 , 4 . 8 , 1h ); 8 . 11 ( ddd , j = 1 . 7 , 2 . 5 , 8 . 1 , 1h ); 7 . 98 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 62 ( dd , j = 4 . 5 , 7 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 54 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 29 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 17 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 167 ( partially hidden dd , j ≈ 3 . 8 , 5 . 0 , 1h ). c 16 h 10 cl 4 n 2 o 5 s 3 ( 548 . 27 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 21 min , 549 / 547 / 545 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 . 8 - ca . 9 . 1 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 7 . 99 ( dd , j = 1 . 3 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 69 ( s , 2h ); 7 . 56 ( dd , j = 1 . 4 , 3 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 30 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 17 ( dd , j = 3 . 9 , 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 15 ( s , 1h ). c 15 h 14 cl 2 n 4 o 4 s 3 ( 481 . 40 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 44 min , 481 / 479 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 11 - ca . 10 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 9 . 8 - 9 . 5 ( br . signal , 1h ); 7 . 98 ( signal appears as d , “ j ”= 5 . 0 , 1h ); 7 . 81 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 61 ( signal appears as d , “ j ”= 3 . 7 , 1h ); 7 . 53 , 7 . 41 ( 2s , 2 × 1h ); 7 . 16 ( signal appears as t , “ j ”= 4 . 4 , 1h ); 3 . 60 , 2 . 36 ( 2s , 2 × 3h ). c 20 h 15 cl 2 n 3 o 4 s 3 ( 528 . 45 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 14 min , 528 / 526 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm ca . 10 - ca . 9 . 6 ( br . signal , 2h ); 9 . 04 ( partially resolved d , j = 1 . 7 , 1h ); 8 . 37 ( signal appears as s , 1h ); 8 . 25 ( signal appears as t , j = 8 . 5 , 2h ); 7 . 95 ( signal appears as partially resolved d , “ j ”= 5 . 2 , 1h ); 7 . 73 - 7 . 68 ( t - like signal , “ j ”= 7 . 7 , 1h ); 7 . 58 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 43 ( unresolved “ d ”, “ j ”= 2 . 5 , 1h ); 7 . 14 - 7 . 11 ( partially resolved t - like signal , “ j ”= 4 . 3 , 1h ); 6 . 79 ( s , 1h ); 2 . 57 ( s , 3h ). to a solution of n -( 2 - amino - 4 - chlorophenyl ) thiophene - 2 - sulfonamide ( cas rn : 926205 - 90 - 5 ) ( 140 mg , ˜ 0 . 47 mmol ) in pyridine ( 2 . 5 ml ) was added benzofuran - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 102 mg , 0 . 47 mmol ) and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 16 h . more benzofuran - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 51 mg , 0 . 24 mmol ) was added and the reaction was stirred for another 24 h , concentrated in vacuo to remove most of solvent . the residual thick syrup was quenched with 6m hcl and diluted with h 2 o . the resulting suspension was filtered and washed with h 2 o (× 3 ). the crude product was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 25 - 50 % etoac - hexane ) to yield 43 mg of product slightly contaminated with impurities . this material was triturated with ch 2 cl 2 to form a sandy colored solid , which was filtered and rinsed with minimal amount of ch 2 cl 2 to yield 23 mg ( 10 %) of compound 24 . 1h - nmr ( 600 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ ppm 7 . 73 ( dd , j = 5 . 0 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 70 - 7 . 72 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 60 - 7 . 63 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 51 ( ddd , j = 8 . 5 , 7 . 2 , 1 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 41 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 1 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 37 ( dd , j = 1 . 9 , 0 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 34 - 7 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 29 ( d , j = 2 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 07 ( dd , j = 8 . 8 , 2 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 05 ( dd , j = 5 . 0 , 3 . 8 hz , 1h ), 6 . 95 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 4 . 57 ( br . s ., 2h ). to a solution of intermediate 7 ( 158 mg , 0 . 49 mmol ) in pyridine ( 3 . 0 ml ) was added thiophene - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 90 mg , 0 . 49 mmol ) and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 16 h . the solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 25 - 50 % etoac - hexane ) to yield 64 mg of the desired product slightly contaminated with impurities . further purification with preparative tlc ( 50 % etoac - hexane ) yielded 52 mg ( 23 %) of compound 25 . 1 h - nmr ( 600 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ ppm 7 . 76 ( dd , j = 5 . 0 , 1 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 69 ( dd , j = 7 . 9 , 1 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 62 ( dd , j = 8 . 5 , 0 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 51 ( ddd , j = 8 . 4 , 7 . 3 , 1 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 46 ( dd , j = 3 . 8 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 32 - 7 . 37 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 13 - 7 . 16 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 06 - 7 . 11 ( m , 3h ). c 25 h 23 cln 2 o 6 s 2 ( 547 . 04 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 55 min , 547 / 545 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 5 - 9 . 8 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 9 . 28 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 79 ( partially resolved dd , j = 0 . 4 , 7 . 6 , 1h ); 7 . 72 ( dd , j = 0 . 8 , 8 . 4 , 1h ); 7 . 66 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 56 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 50 ( d , j = 2 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 41 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 32 ( dd , j = 2 . 4 , 8 . 7 , 1h ); 7 . 20 - 7 . 10 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 08 ( partially resolved dd , j = 0 . 4 , 8 . 7 , 1h ); 6 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 7 , 1h ); 2 . 74 ( t , j = 6 . 6 , 2h ); 1 . 76 ( t , j = 6 . 6 , 2h ); 1 . 27 ( s , 6h ). c 22 h 16 cln 3 o 5 s 3 ( 534 . 03 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 36 min , 532 / 534 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 4 - 9 . 8 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 9 . 8 - 9 . 6 ( broad signal , ca . 1h ); 9 . 59 ( s , 1h ); 8 . 50 ( d , j = 1 . 6 , 1h ); 7 . 98 ( d , j = 8 . 6 , 1h ); 7 . 80 - 7 . 70 ( m , 3h ); 7 . 62 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 56 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 40 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 14 - 7 . 10 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 00 ( dd , partially resolved , j = 1 . 3 , 8 . 5 , 1h ); 2 . 84 ( s , 3h ). c 25 h 19 cln 4 o 5 s 2 ( 555 . 03 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi + ): t r = 2 . 11 min , 555 / 557 [ m + h ] + . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 6 - 9 . 8 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 9 . 8 - 9 . 5 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 8 . 81 ( d , j = 5 . 3 , 1h ); 8 . 56 ( t , j = 1 . 6 , 1h ); 8 . 40 ( d , j = 7 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 89 ( d , j = 5 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 82 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 76 ( d , j = 7 . 6 , 1h ); 7 . 68 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 62 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 54 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 39 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 18 - 7 . 14 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 06 ( d , j = 9 . 1 , 1h ); 2 . 70 ( s , 3h ). c 18 h 19 cln 2 o 5 s 2 ( 442 . 94 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 86 min , 441 / 443 [ m − h ] − . 1h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 8 - 9 . 8 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 8 . 91 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 78 ( d , j = 7 . 7 , 1h ); 7 . 72 ( d , j = 8 . 4 , 1h ); 7 . 66 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 56 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 44 - 7 . 36 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 27 ( d , j = 8 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 23 ( d , j = 2 . 4 , 1h ); 2 . 84 ( d , j = 6 . 5 , 2h ); 2 . 04 ( septuplet , j = 6 . 7 , 1h ); 0 . 91 ( d , j = 6 . 7 , 6h ). c 23 h 16 cln 3 o 5 s 2 ( 513 . 97 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi + ): t r = 1 . 86 min , 514 / 516 [ m + h ] + . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 4 - 9 . 6 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 9 . 47 ( d , j = 0 . 7 , 1h ); 8 . 65 ( d , j = 6 . 2 , 1h ); 8 . 45 ( d , j = 8 . 2 , 1h ); 8 . 37 ( d , j = 6 . 1 , 1h ); 8 . 25 ( dd , j = 1 . 2 , 7 . 4 , 1h ); 7 . 76 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 69 ( dd , j = 0 . 7 , 8 . 4 , 1h ); 7 . 59 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 54 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 39 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 08 - 7 . 03 ( m , 2h ); 6 . 87 ( d , j = 8 . 7 , 1h ). c 22 h 19 cln 2 o 7 s 2 ( 522 . 98 ). 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 6 - 9 . 8 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 9 . 02 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 78 ( d , j = 7 . 6 , 1h ); 7 . 71 ( d , j = 8 . 4 , 1h ); 7 . 65 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 55 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 40 ( t , j = 7 . 5 , 1h ); 7 . 15 ( s , 2h ); 7 . 01 ( t partially resolved , j = 1 . 2 , 1h ); 6 . 71 ( d , j = 2 . 2 , 1h ); 6 . 56 ( dd , j = 2 . 3 , 8 . 8 , 1h ); 3 . 91 ( s , 3h ); 3 . 81 ( s , 3h ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 2 . 30 min , 523 / 525 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 9 - 9 . 5 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 8 . 61 ( d , j = 0 . 9 , 1h ); 7 . 79 ( d , j = 7 . 4 , 1h ); 1 . 71 ( dd , j = 0 . 7 , 8 . 4 , 1h ); 7 . 67 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 55 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 40 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 26 - 7 . 21 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 19 ( d , j = 2 . 2 , 1h ); 7 . 13 ( d , j = 8 . 6 , 1h ); 4 . 25 ( quartet , j = 7 . 1 , 2h ); 1 . 27 ( t , j = 7 . 1 , 3h ). c 18 h 11 cl 3 n 2 o 5 s 3 ( 537 . 84 ). hplc - ms ( basic mobile phase , esi − ): t r = 1 . 70 min , 535 / 537 [ m − h ] − . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 6 - 9 . 4 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 7 . 80 ( dd , j = 0 . 7 , 7 . 8 , 1h ); 7 . 73 - 7 . 69 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 55 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 40 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 33 - 7 . 20 ( m , 3h ); 7 . 09 ( d , j = 8 . 7 , 1h ). c 19 h 12 cl 3 n 3 o 5 s 2 ( 532 . 80 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi + ): t r = 2 . 36 min , 532 / 534 [ m + h ] + . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 7 - 9 . 5 ( br . signal , ca . 2h ); 8 . 60 ( d , j = 2 . 2 , 1h ); 8 . 37 ( d , j = 2 . 2 , 1h ); 7 . 80 ( d , j = 7 . 4 , 1h ); 7 . 72 ( dd , j = 0 . 7 , 8 . 4 , 1h ); 7 . 67 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 56 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 40 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 22 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 04 ( dd partially resolved , j = 0 . 5 , 2 . 3 , 1h ). c 22 h 17 cln 2 o 8 s 2 ( 536 . 96 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi + ): t r = 1 . 68 min , 537 / 539 [ m + h ] + . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 11 . 0 - 10 . 7 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 10 . 67 ( s , 1h ); 8 . 42 ( d , j = 8 . 9 , 1h ); 8 . 29 ( d , j = 2 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 78 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 66 - 7 . 62 ( m , 2h ); 1 . 53 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 44 - 7 . 36 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 23 ( d , j = 8 . 7 , 1h ); 6 . 77 ( d , j = 2 . 5 , 1h ); 4 . 14 ( s , 3h ). c 23 h 19 cln 2 o 8 s 2 ( 550 . 99 ). hplc - ms ( acidic mobile phase , esi + ): t r = 1 . 77 min , 551 / 553 [ m + h ] + . 1 h - nmr ( dmso - d 6 ): δ ppm 10 . 9 - 10 . 6 ( br . signal , ca . 1h ); 10 . 48 ( s , 1h ); 8 . 31 ( d , j = 8 . 9 , 1h ); 8 . 25 ( d , j = 2 . 3 , 1h ); 7 . 79 - 7 . 75 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 66 - 7 . 59 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 53 ( m , 1h ); 7 . 43 - 7 . 36 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 22 ( d , j = 8 . 7 , 1h ); 6 . 78 ( d , j = 2 . 5 , 1h ); 4 . 44 ( quartet , j = 7 . 0 , 2h ); 1 . 47 ( t , j = 6 . 9 , 3h ). to a solution intermediate 10 ( 72 mg , 0 . 28 mmol ) in pyridine ( 2 ml ) was added 4 - chloro - 3 - trifluoromethyl - benzenesulfonyl chloride ( 49 μl , 0 . 28 mmol ) and the reaction was stirred at room temperature for 3 days , concentrated in vacuo . the crude product was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 50 %- 75 % etoac in hexanes ) to yield compound 37 ( 26 mg , 18 %). 1 h nmr ( acetone - d 6 ) δ ppm : 8 . 27 ( d , j = 2 . 1 hz , 1h ), 8 . 14 ( dd , j = 8 . 4 , 2 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 97 ( dd , j = 7 . 6 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( dd , j = 6 . 4 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 78 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 71 ( dd , j = 5 . 0 , 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 51 ( dd , j = 3 . 7 , 1 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 05 ( dd , j = 5 . 0 , 3 . 5 hz , 1h ), 6 . 88 ( dd , j = 7 . 8 , 6 . 3 hz , 1h ). to a solution of intermediate 11 ( 75 mg , 0 . 26 mmol ) in pyridine ( 2 ml ) was added 4 - chloro - 3 - trifluoromethyl - benzenesulfonyl chloride ( 143 mg , 0 . 52 mmol ) and the reaction was stirred at 100 ° c . for 6 h , concentrated in vacuo . the crude product was purified by flash column chromatography on silica gel ( 50 %- 100 % etoac in hexanes ), followed by ptlc ( etoac ) to yield compound 38 ( 24 mg , 17 %). 1 h nmr ( acetone - d 6 ) δ ppm : 8 . 52 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 8 . 47 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 88 - 8 . 01 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 69 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 58 ( d , j = 4 . 7 hz , 1h ), 7 . 42 - 7 . 51 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 17 - 7 . 28 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 91 - 7 . 01 ( m , 1h ). the synthetic methods used in the preparation of the other compounds of the invention is summarized in table 1 . compounds 39 through 261 where prepared starting from intermediate 1 . compound 262 was prepared from intermediate 7 . compound 263 through 484 were prepared starting from intermediate 5 . hek - gqi5 cells stably expressing ccr2 were cultured in ( dmem high glucose , 10 % fbs , 1 % psa , 400 μg / ml geneticin and 50 μg / ml hygromycin . appropriate positive control chemokines ( mcp - 1 , mip1a or rantes ) was used as the positive control agonist for screening compound - induced calcium activity assayed on the flipr tetra . the drug plates were prepared in 384 - well microplates using the ep3 and the multiprobe robotic liquid handling systems . compounds were synthesized and tested for ccr2 activity . table 2 shows activity for ccr2 receptor ( ic 50 ) nm	2
referring to the drawings and first to fig1 there is shown part of a cable stayed bridge 1 having a tension member 2 , which consists of a bundle of steel wires , strands , wire ropes or high strength bars ( hereinafter called &# 34 ; cable &# 34 ;) tensioned between an upper end portion of a tower 10 and a beam 11 of the bridge . a cylindrical protective sheath unit 3 of a predetermined length is fitted on the circumference of a lower end portion of the cable 2 immediately above the beam 11 . the sheath unit 3 consists of a couple of split segments 30 of a synthetic resin like polyethylene or a metallic material such as copper , aluminum , stainless steel or the like ( see fig3 ). after fitting the split segments 30 on the cable 2 , they are secured to each other by bolts , rivets , press - in fit or welding in such a manner as to hold the cable 2 from opposite sides . the sheath unit 3 thus fitted on the cable 2 is shifted upward along the cable by a distance corresponding to its length by pulling a rope which is passed around a pulley 12 at the upper end of the tower 10 , and then a fresh protective sheath unit 3 is fitted on the cable 2 in the same manner . the upper end of the lower or succeeding sheath unit 3 is fitted into the lower end of the preceding sheath unit 3 , and the overlapped end portions of the two sheath units 3 are fastened to each other by bolts or other suitable means . if desired , the connecting end portions of the preceding and succeeding sheath units may be secured to each other by butt welding . the two connected sheath units 3 are lifted upward by pulling the rope 13 again , and another fresh protective sheath unit 3 is fitted on the cable 2 and connected to the lower end of the second unit 3 . in this manner , fresh protective and / or aesthetic sheath units are connected one after another until the cable 2 is covered with the sheath 3 over the entire length thereof . in this instance , instead of being lifted by the rope 13 , the connected sheath units 3 may be pushed up each time by a distance corresponding to their unit length , or alternatively the first sheath unit 3 may be fitted on the upper end of the cable 2 which is accessible from the top end portion of the tower 10 , successively lowering the sheath units 3 along the cable 2 after fitting and connecting fresh sheath units 3 to the upper end of the preceding units 3 . further , it is to be understood that , instead of a pair of split segments 30 , each sheath unit may be constituted of three or more segments which can be assembled into a cylindrical shape with a number of pieces in the longitudinal direction , if desired , for fitting the same on the cable 2 by elastic deformation . furthermore , as shown particularly in fig3 a sheath 3a of a desired length can be formed by spirally wrapping a rolled covering strip 31 around the circumference at one end of a cable 2 and fastening the overlapped portions of the covering strips 31 by rivets or other suitable means . after forming a sheath 3 of a necessary length at one end of the cable 2 in this manner , the sheath unit 3 is shifted toward the other end of the cable 2 , and a fresh sheath unit 3 is formed contiguously to the preceding unit 3 . consequently , there is no necessity of providing a scaffold or scaffolds as required by the conventional methods , and it becomes possible to reduce the installation cost as well as markedly reducing the time of construction . in order to lessen the frictional resistance at the time of moving the joined sheath units toward the other end of the cable 2 , it is desired to leave a predetermined clearance ( normally about 2 - 60 mm in gap ) between the inner surfaces of each sheath unit 3 and the circumference of the cable 2 . however , if such a clearance exists after installation , the sheath 3 may vibrate independent of the cable 2 by winds or by other external disturbances , so that there is a possibility of noise being produced or the sheath being damaged . these problems can be precluded by integrating the sheath 3 and cable 2 , for example , by providing cushion material 20 such as sponge , sponge rubber , curled stainless steel wire or a spring on the inner surface of the sheath 3 or on the circumferential surface of the cable 2 as shown in fig4 . with this arrangement , the protective and / or aesthetic sheath 3 can be moved with a small frictional resistance due to elastic deformation of the cushion material 20 , and , after installation , the sheath 3 and cable 2 are integrally joined to each other by the cushion material 20 . similar effects can be obtained by providing , instead of the cushion material 20 , an age - hardening type tacky material such as silicon , foamable urethane or the like . it is also possible to lay one or more inflatable tubes 21 along the the cable 2 as shown in fig5 ( a ), inflating the tubes 21 by introducing a filler 22 thereinto as shown in fig5 ( b ) 5 ( c ) until the tubes 21 completely support the sheath 3 on cable 2 to connect them integrally to each other . alternatively , the cable 2 may be temporarily held in a reduced diameter by compressing opposite end portions of the cable 2 with clamps 23 while the sheaths are fitted thereon as shown particularly in fig6 ( a ), removing the clamps 23 afterwards so that the cable 2 may be integrally connected to the sheath 3 by restoration of its normal diameter as shown in fig6 ( b ). as illustrated in fig7 the upper and lower ends of the cable 2 are fixed by sockets 14 , and each end portion of the connected sheath unit is fitted on a pipe 15 of polyethylene , steel or the like which is retained in the socket 14 , thereby preventing each end portion of the cable 2 from being exposed to the weather and at the same time improving the corrosion resistance of each end portion of the cable 2 and its appearance . in order to further improve the corrosion resistance of each end portion of the cable 2 , it is desirable to fill the pipes 15 with a filler material 16 of a synthetic resin , rubber or the like . furthermore a water drain hole 17 may be provided at the lower end of the sheath 3 at a position opposing a slant surface of the filler material 16 to drain water which might enter the sheath 3 through its riveted joints . shown in fig8 is another embodiment in which each end of the sheath 3 is fitted in trumpet sheath 18 which is provided on the anchorage attachment . in a situation where there is a difference in linear thermal expansion coefficient between the cable 2 and sheath 3 , it is desirable to provide a space s between the upper end of the sheath 3 and socket 14 to thereby absorb the difference in the thermal expansions and contractions as shown in fig7 and 8 , or to provide an extensible joint in an intermediate portion of the sheath 3 . in the case of a very long cable 2 , there are possibilities of a corrosion resistant layer of the cable 2 being damaged due to sliding movement of to the cable 2 within the sheath 3 due to thermal expansion or contraction . this can be prevented suitably by the provision of the above - mentioned cushioning material 20 . accordingly , it is preferred to provide the cushion material 20 between the circumferential surface of the cable 2 and the inner surface of the sheath 3 in the embodiments shown in fig5 ( a ), 5 ( b ) and 5 ( c ) and fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ). where it is intended to bore apertures or tapped holes in the sheaths 3 and 3a of fig2 and 3 respectively on a construction site for receiving rivets or bolts which fasten the connecting portions of the split sheath segments 30 or of the adjacent sheath units 3 , it is desirable to provide projections on the inner surfaces of the sheaths 3 and 3a or to maintain a clearance of a predetermined gap between the sheaths 3 and 3a and the cable 2 by interposition of a spacer or other suitable means to prevent the cable 2 from being damaged by a drill or other tools . referring to fig9 there is shown a further embodiment of the invention , in which the opposing semi - cylindrical segments of each sheath unit are connected in staggered positions along the length of the cable . more specifically , as illustrated in fig9 a segment 30 of a predetermined length and a segment 31 of a half length are fitted on the lower end of a cable 2 from opposite sides thereof and connected to each other to form an initial end of a sheath . the long and short segments 30 and 31 , which are aligned with each other at the upper ends but have their lower ends terminated at staggered positions in the longitudinal direction , have the longitudinal meeting edges fastened to each other by rivets 32 or other suitable fixing means such as bolts , screws , fit joints , slits or welding . in this instance , a bell - shaped split guide tube 33 is fitted on the cable 2 beforehand to connect thereto the aligned upper ends of the segments 30 and 31 . in a manner similar to the foregoing embodiments , the connected sheath segments 30 and 31 are lifted upward by pulling a rope 13 , and a segment of the next sheath unit is fastened to the longitudinal edges of the lower half of the longer segment 3 contiguously to the lower end of the short segment 31 . namely , the segments 30 and 30 &# 39 ; of each sheth units are connected to each other and to a segment of a preceding or succeeding sheath unit in longitudinally staggered positions by rivets 32 or other fastening means which secure the longitudinal meeting edges of the respective segments . in this manner , the segments 30 and 30 &# 39 ; of the succeeding sheath units are connected one after another at the lower end of the cable 2 , while upwardly lifting the connected sheath units after connection of a single or a couple of fresh segments by a distance corresponding to an increment in length of the connected sheath train . since the segments 30 and 30 &# 39 ; are connected to each other as well as to a staggered segment 30 and 30 &# 39 ; of a longitudinally adjacent sheath unit , there is no necessity of providing fastening means for connecting the butted ends of longitudinally adjacent sheath segments and therefore the connecting work can be simplified to a significant degree . in this case , in order to prevent invasion of water through the abutted ends of the adjacent sheath segments , it is desirable to fit around the butted ends a hoop strap 35 with a back - up material 36 such as silicon rubber , duplex adhesive tape or the like , fixing the hoop strap 35 in position by a caulking strip 37 or the like ( fig9 and 10 ). the hoop strap 35 can be omitted in case the opposing end portions of the adjacent sheath segments are so shaped as to be connected with each other by fitting engagement . for lifting up the connected segments by the rope 13 , there may be employed a cable grip 40 of a net - sock which is fitted around the segments 30 and 31 of the leading sheath unit , and has loops at its fore end connected to the rope 13 so that the grip 40 is tightened to lift the sheath segments 30 and 31 as the rope 13 is wound up by a winch 14 . in this manner , the connection of fresh sheath segments and the upward lifting of the connected sheath segments are repeated alternately until the segments 30 and 31 at the leading end reaches the upper end of the cable 2 , forming a continuous cylindrical sheath a over the entire length of the cable 2 as shown particularly in fig1 . the lower ends of the opposing sheath segments at the terminal end of the sheath a are compensated with each other by the use of a short segment 31 in the same manner as at the leading end of the sheath a , and the opposite ends of the sheath a are connected respectively to connecting pipes 22 on sockets 21 through the trumpet sheath 33 . although the method of the invention has been described specifically by way of preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that various modifications and alterations can be made thereto without departing from the technical scope as encompassed by the following claims .	3
the following is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention , reference being made to the drawings in which the same reference numerals identify the same elements of structure in each of the several figures . fig1 shows a side view of an embodiment of the invention . as shown , a standard table — having a tabletop 22 defining a plane substantially parallel to the ground and supported by legs 24 also is provided with a downward hanging panel 26 , which is deployable for use as a partition . note that in this document , the view shown in fig1 is the “ side ” of the table , the side to which the panel 26 is attached is the “ rear ” and the side opposite thereof is the “ front .” referring to fig2 , tabletop 22 has a thickness along its rear length 28 to which the partition 26 is hingedly connected . partition 26 has a length 32 , a width 34 and a thickness 36 . a hinge having one leaf 37 fixed to rear length 28 of tabletop 22 and a second leaf 38 fixed to the outside face 40 of partition 26 joins the partition 26 to the table top 22 . the hinge knuckle 42 faces outward ( i . e . in the direction facing away from the table ). this configuration allows for the partition 26 to be rotated by roughly 180 ° about the axis of hinge knuckle 42 from a downward hanging vertical orientation below and substantially orthogonal to the tabletop 22 ( as shown in fig1 )— to an upstanding vertical position above and substantially orthogonal to tabletop 22 ( as shown in fig2 ). when the partition 26 is so raised to an upstanding position , its bottom thickness 36 a rests on tabletop 22 . once placed in an upstanding vertical position ( as shown in fig2 ) the tabletop 22 presents a physical barrier to further rotation of the hinge in the direction toward the front of the table . with the partition so positioned , no specific structures or mechanisms are required to prevent frontward rotation thereof . however , to ensure that partition 26 , does not rotate rearward ( i . e . toward hanging position ), a securing mechanism is provided for preventing the partition from dropping toward its hanging position . in one embodiment , and as shown in fig3 a hook and eye 44 is provided — with the hook , for example , inserted on the movable partition 26 and the eye inserted on the stationary table portion . the hook and eye are positioned , such that when the partition 26 is raised and is resting on the surface of tabletop 22 — the hook and eye are spaced apart such that the hook could be rotated and inserted into the eye . fig4 shows a side view of a table with its partition deployed and resting on the top surface of tabletop 22 and secured in place by way of a hook and eye . fig4 a shows an enlarged view of the hinged joint between partition 26 and tabletop 22 in the embodiment shown in fig4 . in another embodiment of the invention , a partition folds directly onto to the surface of the tabletop . in this embodiment , the rear face 40 of partition 26 serves as the tabletop surface when it is in storage position . referring to fig5 , a partition 26 is shown having a width 34 that is slightly longer than that of tabletop 22 . as such , when partition 26 is laid directly on top of tabletop 22 with top thickness 36 b substantially aligned with the front of tabletop 22 , the bottom portion of partition 26 slightly overhangs from the rear side of the table . the overhanging area 41 is wide enough to receive a leaf of a hinge 38 . the second hinge leaf 37 is attached to the rear thickness 28 of tabletop 22 . in this manner , partition 22 could be lifted upward and rearward until partition 22 is brought to upstanding orientation . when partition is so deployed and vertically oriented , rear thickness 28 ( alternatively referred to as “ rear length ” herein ) prevents any further movement of the partition in the direction toward the rear of the table . however , to ensure that the partition does not fall forward ( i . e . returning to its resting position on the surface of tabletop ) a locking mechanism is provided for locking the partition 22 to the side of the table . as shown in fig5 , a hook ( or eye ) is attached to bottom thickness 36 a of partition 22 , which mates with an eye ( or hook ) located on the underside of tabletop 22 . when partition is raised to a vertical orientation ( as shown in fig6 ) hook and eye 44 members are brought into close enough proximity to each other to be engaged . locking the partition in this fashion temporarily joins the bottom portion of the partition to the table and prevents forward movement of the same . fig7 shows an enlarged view of the hinged joint between partition 26 and tabletop 22 . fig8 shows a rear , perspective view of the table and partition of fig6 . it should be noted that rear surface 40 acts as a tabletop when the partition is in its resting position ( as shown in fig5 ) and , as such , surface 40 is preferably smoothly finished to achieve tabletop quality . it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that partitions need not be comprised of solid material . in some embodiments of the invention , partition 26 a comprises a solid frame that supports a fabric or such similar soft material . fig9 shows a partition 26 a , which comprises a substantially rectangular solid frame 48 having two substantially parallel horizontal support members 49 a , 49 b and two substantially parallel vertical members 51 a , 51 b a segment of fabric 50 having outside dimensions that are roughly the same as the inside dimensions of the frame is attached to and held within the frame 48 in one embodiment , and as shown in fig9 a , frame 48 is hingedly attached to tabletop 22 in a manner similar to that described with reference to fig1 - 4 . in this embodiment , when frame 48 is lowered to its resting position ( i . e . hanging down from the rear of the table ), fabric 50 serves as a decorative table skirt ( as shown in fig9 a ). it will be understood that partitions of the invention , when deployed , may be secured in place using any of various securing mechanisms known in the art . for example , in the embodiments described with reference to fig1 - 8 , a hook and eye was described as a temporary locking device for securing the partition in place . however , any of various securing mechanisms or male / female engagements may be utilized . it will be understood by those of ordinary skill that a “ securing mechanism ” refers to any device , hardware or mechanical design that presents a physical obstacle to substantial lateral movement of the partition when it is in a deployed position . for example , fig9 shows a bolt 52 ( handle portion showing ) that is guided by a track 54 and which inserts into a cavity or receiving chamber 56 disposed on the table portion . in fig9 , the bolt 52 is shown positioned on the side thickness 36 of the partition 48 and the receiving chamber 56 is provided on the table portion , however , the bolt may alternatively be positioned on the table portion — with the chamber 56 on the partition . as another example , fig1 shows blocking members 58 that are pivotably connected to rear thickness 28 of a table . blocking members 58 comprise a slender piece of material such as wood , metal , hard plastic or the like that is attached to rear thickness 28 by way of a pivot , such as a screw 60 or rivet in its general center . when not in use , members 58 are pivoted to rest horizontally along thickness 28 . however , when partition 26 a is deployed , members 58 may be swiveled upward , thereby presenting a physical barrier to lateral ( rearward ) movement of partition 26 a . preferably , a catch or trap 59 is positioned to maintain member 58 in place when rotated vertically ( and / or when resting horizontally — although not shown ). in one embodiment , and as shown in fig1 , a partition 26 b comprises a frame with a fabric insert similar to the one described with reference to fig9 - 11 . however , parallel vertical members 51 a , 51 b — rather than being a solid , fixed flame member — are instead telescoping members that are capable of expanding and retreating . a fabric segment 50 b is attached at its top to horizontal member 49 b and at its bottom to horizontal member 49 a . the height of the fabric ( i . e . top to bottom ) is roughly equal to the height defined by the distance between horizontal member 49 a and horizontal member 49 b when telescoping members 51 a , 51 b are extended to their maximum extension . when telescoping members 51 a , 51 b are not extended to the maximum , there is some degree of slack in the fabric . in another embodiment of the invention , and as shown in fig1 a partition may be stored on the underside of the tabletop — and substantially out of view . the partition is hingedly connected to the tabletop in a manner allowing for approximate 270 ° of rotation from a substantially horizontal orientation on the underside of the table to a vertical orientation substantially above and orthogonal thereto . as shown in fig1 a partition 64 ( shown in dotted lines ) is hingedly connected to the underside of tabletop 22 . the length of partition 64 is preferably somewhat shorter than the distance between a first set of legs on one side of the table and a second set of legs on the other side of the table . in this manner , partition 64 fits between the sets of table legs and is free to swing from a resting position on the underside of the table ( and substantially parallel thereto ) to be deployed ( and returned thereafter ). a securing mechanism is provided for securing the partition 64 in place on the underside of tabletop 22 . in a preferred embodiment , a partition is approximately 3 ′ in width . for a table whose tabletop stands at about 3 ′ off the ground , the partition will reach about 6 ′ in height . if a higher partition is desired , embodiments of the invention allow for some extension thereof . in one embodiment , and as shown in fig1 , a solid partition similar to those described in reference to fig1 - 8 is provided with an additional segment 66 that folds back onto the main partition 26 and that may be deployed when extra height is desired . as shown in fig1 , segment 66 is hingedly connected to main partition 26 . when additional height is desired , segment 66 is rotated upwardly ( in the direction of arrow 67 a ). when not being deployed , segment 66 rests on the rear side of partition main partition 26 . segment 66 is lowered from a deployed position to a resting position by being rotated in the direction shown be arrow 67 b . fig1 shows yet another embodiment of the invention , whereby a partition comprises two segments — one segment 68 extending from the tabletop and upward and another segment 70 extending from the tabletop to the floor . for example , a table may comprise a first partition that rests on the surface of a tabletop as shown in fig5 and a second partition that rests in the underside of the tabletop as shown in fig1 . the first partition rises to a vertical position , above and substantially orthogonal to the tabletop 22 , and the second partition lowers to a vertical position , below and substantially orthogonal to tabletop 22 . in another embodiment , the vertical parallel members described with reference to the partition of fig1 extend downwardly in addition to extending upwardly . an attached fabric segment selves as a bottom segment of a partition . in another embodiment of the invention , a partition is provided with clamps at or near its bottom length . the clamps are correspondingly sized to grip a tabletop thickness . in this manner , the partition may be selectively clamped onto the tabletop and easily removed . having described this invention with regard to specific embodiments , it is to be understood that the description is not meant as a limitation since further modifications and variations may be apparent or may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art . it is intended that the present application cover all such modifications and variation as fall within the scope of the appended claims .	0
a conventional rotary vacuum filter will first be described with reference to fig1 . the conventional rotary vacuum filter includes a drum 10 that is suspended in a vat 11 containing a pulp slurry 12 . a plurality of parallel shower pipes 13 are spaced at regular angular intervals around the drum 10 beginning at an approximately 9 : 30 starting position and ending at an approximately 11 : 30 ending position as defined by a clock face . the shower pipes 13 extend axially around the drum 10 and are supported and fed from their respective ends by a header assembly . each of the shower pipes 13 includes a plurality of individual shower typess , such as spoon , whistle , fluid flow or weir , that spray shower water onto a pulp mat which accumulates on a surface of the drum 10 during operation . examples of typical types of shower pipes are shown u . s . pat . no . 5 , 028 , 007 issued to wokal , and u . s . pat . no . 4 , 907 , 426 issued to wood et al . the conventional showers described above operate in an open atmosphere , in which air 14 passing through and around the shower pipes 13 is not controlled and causes continual entrapment of excessive air in the filtrate . the entrapped air 15 , as shown in fig2 restricts the filtrate flow rate through the downleg 16 of the rotary vacuum filter , since the air molecules take up space intended for filtrate , and also disrupts uniform shower displacement . accordingly , the entrapped air limits washing efficiency and increases defoamer usage , which in turn causes the use of greater amounts of fresh shower water due to inefficient washing . further , the conventional showers described above tend to plug with pulp fibers and are difficult to clean , thereby creating unbalanced shower flows and uneven mat profiles and liquor distribution . referring now to fig3 a sealed shower system 40 in accordance with the invention is illustrated in close proximity , preferably less than about 50 centimeters and most preferably in a range of about 10 - 35 centimeters , from the surface of a rotary vacuum filter drum 10 . the top , bottom and sides of the shower system 40 are sealed , as will be described in greater detail , to create a controlled environment in which the amount of air passing through the shower system 40 is regulated through a controlled air passage 63 . shower water supplied through the shower system 40 preferably forms a pond 19 that extends across the face of the pulp slurry as the pulp slurry is pulled into the bottom of the shower system 40 from a lower level 17 in the vat 11 to a higher level 18 . as a pulp mat is formed and is rotated upward on the surface of the drum 10 , the shower water extends from the pond 19 to form a film 20 on the surface of the pulp mat . as shown in fig3 the bottom of the shower system 40 is sealed by a separator plate 44 . the separator plate 44 is supported on the vat structure 11 by one or more support gussets 50 , and extends across the width of the drum 10 to the end shields of the vat structure 11 . a lower portion of the separator plate 44 extends into the pulp slurry contained in the vat structure 11 during operation of the rotary vacuum filter , thereby preventing air from entering into the bottom of the shower system 40 . the separator plate 44 is preferably provided with a u - shaped receiver 52 that supports a bottom of a shower module 46 located between the separator plate 44 and a top seal 80 . the top of the shower system is sealed by a top seal 80 . in a preferred embodiment , the top seal 80 preferably comprises a removeable top seal module 48 that is bolted onto the shower module 46 for easy removal for servicing or replacement , although the top seal 80 can be permanently attached to the shower module 46 if so desired . as shown in greater detail in fig4 the top seal module 48 includes a seal tip 84 that preferably rides just a few centimeters above surface of the drum 10 . the seal tip 84 is attached to a spring arm 82 by a shear type connection mechanism 86 , for example , a bolt or rivet designed to shear at a certain load prior to the shear point of the spring arm 82 . the seal tip 84 is preferably made from plastic , teflon ™ or a composite material . a spring 88 pushes the spring arm 82 in a downward direction when the drum 10 is being rotated in the clockwise direction . in the event that the rotation of the drum 10 is reversed without removing the top seal module 48 and the seal tip 84 comes into contact with the surface of the drum 10 , the shear type connection mechanism breaks and allows the seal tip 84 to come free or collapse by sliding up the spring arm 82 , therefore , avoiding drum damage . alternative embodiments for the structure of the top seal 80 are possible . fig5 for example , illustrates a top seal curved spring arm 77 made of plastic or steel that is an option to the top seal module 48 described above . the curved spring arm 77 is attached to the shower module 46 by a bolt 49 , and rides a few centimeters above the drum surface . the use of the curved spring arm 77 greatly simplifies the design of the top seal 80 . as with the top seal module 48 , the curved spring arm 77 may also be permanently attached to the shower module 46 . referring back to fig3 the shower module 46 includes at least one shower 54 , preferably a weir type , although one or more additional showers 47 can be provided . in the illustrated embodiment , the weir type shower 54 receives shower liquid from an adjacent shower supply channel 56 , which is formed as a longitudinal structure between inner and outer surface plates 58 , 60 of the shower module 46 . the shower liquid passes through openings 55 in the shower supply channel 56 and into the shower 54 , where the shower liquid passes around a diverter plate 57 and flows smoothly to an outlet passage 61 . in a preferred embodiment , the diverter plate is attached to an outer plate 60 of the shower module 46 , and can be easily detached and removed through the oulet passage 61 to allow easy access to the internal shower structure for cleaning . the ends of the sealed shower module 46 rest on or are attached to the splash shields 70 of the vat structure 11 as illustrated in fig6 . an end sealing assembly 72 is provided on both ends of the shower module 46 that includes a horizontal shower seal 74 that is pressed into contact with an end band 76 of the drum 10 by an element 78 such as a spring , tygon or similar material . in an alternative embodiment illustrated in fig7 the vertical shower seal 75 is pressed downward into contact with the end band 76 . if desired , the end band 76 can be covered with an end band seal ( not shown ) made of a material similar to the material used for the horizontal or vertical shower seals 74 , 76 or any another material having a lower coefficient of friction than the end band 76 of the drum 10 , thereby reducing wear on the horizontal and vertical shower seals 74 , 76 . fig8 illustrates a preferred controlled air flow channel 62 in greater detail . the controlled air flow channel 63 permits a regulated amount of air to enter the shower module 46 , and has air passages 64 located on the inner and outer plates 60 and 58 of the shower module 46 . the amount of air passing through the air passages 64 is regulated by a device including a sliding plate 62 and a stationary plate 66 located on the outer plate 58 , wherein the sliding plate 62 can be positioned to block the air passages 64 to any desired degree by operation of a hand wheel to control the amount of air entering the shower module 46 . in the illustrated example , the sliding plate 62 slides over the stationary plate 66 which is located above the surface of the outer plate 58 to provide clearance for access panels or doors located on the surface of the outer plate 58 , although it is also possible to located the sliding plate 62 directly on the outer plate 58 . one or more vacuum relief valves 68 are also preferably provided in the air flow channel 64 , or at some other location in the sealed shower system , in the event that the normal air passages become clogged or some other factor causes an increase in vacuum above a predetermined design criteria , thereby preventing the shower module 46 from being pulled into contact with the drum 10 . the flexible design of the shower system 40 enables many combinations to be utilized in order to maximize performance for any particular washing installation . fig9 for example , illustrates a further embodiment in which two shower modules 46 are combined in one shower system thereby increasing the number of showers and the size of the wash zone for a given drum . in addition , different types of showers or combination of showers can be easily employed and / or interchanged . further , by locating an additional intermediate seal module 48 ( preferably having the same structure as the top seal ) between two shower modules 46 as shown in fig1 , it is possible to accomplish multistage washing on a single drum by supplying different shower liquids to each of the two shower modules 46 . in such a case , the pond 19 and film 20 formed in the lower shower are independent of the pond 21 and film 22 formed in the upper shower . the modular design and the flexibility of controlling the amount of shower water at a given location makes rotary vacuum filters of the present invention environmentally competitive with respect to maximizing washing efficiencies and conserving shower water and energy . in addition , the sealed shower design permits a low profile shower / hood 90 to be employed as shown in fig1 that reduces exhaust emissions . as shown in fig1 , the shower system 40 serves as a dual purpose because it acts as a hood in the wash zone where air is moving inward . by providing a discharge hood section 91 that encloses the entire takeoff section of the rotary vacuum filter and is attached to the shower system 40 and providing a seal 94 over the inlet vat , a continuous low profile hood is provided for the entire rotary vacuum filter . the exhaust for the hood is located at the inlet 95 and outlet 96 . a hinged connection 92 is preferably used to connect the hood section to the shower system 40 , thereby allowing the hood section 91 to be rotated back for maintenance . the illustrated hood design substantially reduces air emissions when compared to a standard brownstock open style hood , which is normally located about six feet above the filter drum . further , substantial exhaust reductions are achieved with the low level hood in bleach plants when compared to standard bleach canopy hoods , which is normally located about two feet above the drum . the invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof . it will be understood , however , that modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims .	1
while it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that catalytic reactors may have various designs / embodiments , the present invention will be described on the example of a typical automotive catalytic converter with an understanding that the proposed techniques and concepts can be fully applied to other designs of catalytic reactors after appropriate and obvious design changes while using the described concepts . [ 0020 ] fig1 ( the prior art ) represents a cross section of ceramic catalyst support structure 11 of a typical automotive catalytic converter . ceramic structure 11 has a multiplicity of longitudinal passages / capillaries 12 . multiple minute particles 13 of the catalytic material ( catalyst ) are embedded into the surfaces of passages 12 ; only a few particles are shown in fig1 . the combination of the large number of passages 12 in support structure 11 and the large number of particles 13 in each passage results in a large effective surface of the catalyst combined with a relatively small amount of the expensive catalytic material by weight . the catalytic conversion of the car engine exhaust gases occurs at temperatures in the range of 500 - 600 ° c . due to lower exhaust temperatures at the cold start conditions and a significant time required for the ceramic structure to acquire the required steady - state temperature , the adequate conversion of the exhaust gases does not develop for 30 - 120 sec after the cold start had been initiated . the emitted un - converted exhaust during this time is a substantial contributor to the overall amount of the polluting chemicals emitted by automobiles . [ 0022 ] fig2 shows a longitudinal section of one embodiment of an automotive catalytic converter 20 per the instant invention . here 21 is ceramic structure , similar or identical to the prior art structure in fig1 with the capillary passages and the catalyst particles dispersed in the capillary passages and embedded into the exposed surfaces of the capillary passages . housing 22 encloses ceramic structure 21 . the exhaust gases enter housing 22 by inlet 23 and exit housing 22 by outlet 24 , as illustrated by arrows . ceramic structure 21 is surrounded by induction coil 25 which is energized from high frequency current generator 26 . if the catalyst is made from an electroconductive and / or ferromagnetic material , its particles can be easily and very quickly heated by inducing in them eddy currents generated by induction coil 25 . in cases when the catalyst is used not in the highly dispersed state , its mass is still much smaller than that of the supporting structure , thus the energy and time required for its preheating to the required temperature are still much less than for preheating of the whole reactor . it is known that any electroconductive material is subjected to heating by eddy currents generated by an induction coil fed by a high frequency current , if it is located within the electromagnetic field generated by the induction coil . the heating intensity is increasing with increasing field intensity , and with increasing degree of electroconductivity of the material . the heating effect is especially strong for magnetic ( ferromagnetic ) materials below their curie point temperature . after the curie point temperature is exceeded , the ferromagnetic properties are lost and the heating intensity is significantly decreasing thus providing a possibility for a “ self - control ” of the heating intensity and temperature . if the substrate onto which the catalyst particles are attached is not electroconductive ( e . g ., made from ceramic ) then only a minute amount of energy is needed to quickly heat the electroconductive catalyst particles to the desired temperature . if the substrate is electroconductive but not ferromagnetic , while the catalyst is both ( e . g ., the nickel - based catalyst ), then the catalyst would heat much faster than the substrate , with also a relatively small waste of energy . in many cases , special measures can be taken to reduce electroconductivity of the substrate and / or the supporting structure . the energy loss due to thermoconductivity to the surrounding catalyst - supporting structure is usually small due to small contact surfaces between the catalyst and the supporting structure and , often , due to low thermoconductivity of the substrate material ( e . g ., ceramic ). thus , a very limited source of the electromagnetic energy is required in many applications . if housing 22 is made from a material with low electroconductivity , induction coil 35 can be placed outside housing 22 as illustrated in fig3 showing another embodiment of the instant invention . if the catalyst material is not adequately electroconductive and / or electromagnetic , or in other cases when it can be desirable by whatever reasons , the catalytic material can be attached to / coated on particles made from an electroconductive and / or ferromagnetic material ( having a specified curie point , if necessary ) which are , in their turn , attached to the appropriate substrate in the reactive area . such “ piggy backing ” may even enhance the intensity of the catalyst heating process . attachment of the catalytic material to ferromagnetic particles can be used for a precise control of the heating temperature if the ferromagnetic material with its curie point corresponding to the desired temperature is selected . ferromagnetic material can be quickly heated by the induced electricity until its curie point is reached and the ferromagnetic properties are lost , thus quickly slowing down the heating process . heating only the catalyst , possibly with the associated carrier particles , answers the need for the effective reaction that takes place at the catalyst surface ( thus the reacting media would also heat up as needed ), without heating and thermally insulating the whole reactor . thus , for high - temperature fuel cells , the nickel - based catalyst can be heated to the required high temperature during the start - up ( after which the reaction zone is self - heated ), and in the above automotive catalytic converter illustrated by fig2 and 3 the cold start emissions can be significantly reduced . the automotive catalytic converters such as illustrated in fig1 - 3 provide for intensification of desired reactions between gases . the specific heat of the gases is relatively low and they are locally heated by the catalyst particles preheated by the exposure to the electromagnetic field created by the induction coil . however , some catalytically - assisted reactors have at least one reactant in a liquid state . for example , reactions in liquid - state fuel cells involve interaction between a gas ( hydrogen or oxygen ) and a liquid electrolyte . the liquid reactant has a much greater specific heat and thus cannot obtain enough thermal energy from the tiny catalyst particles or thin catalytic coatings . the induction coils , which usually operate in khz - mhz frequency range of the electric current thus may not be very effective in heating the reacting liquids . in such cases , another frequency range of the electromagnetic field can be beneficially used . the field frequency range can be “ tuned ” for the maximum efficiency in heating the desired reactants and / or catalysts , while not significantly influencing other materials , such as ones used in the supporting structures and housings . the microwave frequency range ( gigahertz or ghz ) is specially attractive since the technology is widely used for many applications , such as microwave ovens (˜ 1 . 5 ghz ) and thus has economic advantages of the magnetron generators being already in mass production . [ 0032 ] fig4 shows a catalytic converter 40 comprising ceramic catalyst - supporting structure 21 enclosed in housing 42 . the exhaust gases enter the converter housing through inlet 43 and exit through outlet 44 . this catalytic reactor is thermally assisted by microwave radiation transmitted through window 45 made from a microwave - transparent material , such as glass , ceramic , polymer , etc ., from magnetron microwave generator 46 . a significant advantage of the embodiment in fig4 is a possibility of packaging the microwave generator remotely from the reactor and connecting it by waveguide 47 . depending on the requirements , the electromagnetic field can be activated only for the cold start period or be continuously applied to the reactor . in many cases , the same high frequency generator can be used for both ultrasonic vibration generation and for induction heating , thus further reducing costs . application of ultrasonic vibration to catalytic reactors is described in another u . s . patent application by the same inventor and having the same filing date . it is readily apparent that the components of catalytic reactors to which an electromagnetic field is applied disclosed herein may take a variety of configurations . thus , the embodiments and exemplifications shown and described herein are meant for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention , the true scope of which is limited solely by the claims appended thereto .	1
in order to clarify the form of a cartesian oval , the mathematical derivation of the contour curve thereof is demonstrated below . for this purpose , fig1 shows the beam geometry that forms the basis of the refraction . in this case , two light beams 20 and 21 are demonstrated schematically proceeding from a light source 60 . light beam 20 is in this case intended to represent that light which emerges perpendicularly proceeding from the light source 60 , without refraction at the wall 10 of the optical element , from the light exit area thereof . by contrast , light beam 21 emerges at an angle φ from the semiconductor light source and impinges on the inner side of the wall 10 at an angle dφ relative to the normal . for this reason , the light beam 21 is refracted and emerges at an angle α from the optical element at the light exit area thereof . since the wall 10 has the contour of a cartesian oval in an inventive manner , the light beam 21 is deflected in such a way that , after emerging from the optical element , it runs parallel to the unrefracted light beam 20 . this geometry of the beam path demonstrated in fig1 gives rise to the following relationship in this case , φ is the polar coordinate angle , α is the angle of emergence from the refractive medium , and β is the angle of incidence in the medium . the following holds true according to the law of refraction : sin ⁢ ⁢ α sin ⁢ ⁢ β = n ( 1 . 2 ) the first step is to calculate , in a manner dependent on φ , the required angle β of incidence in order to permit the light to emerge from the element in parallel - directed fashion . it follows from ( 1 . 1 ) and ( 1 . 2 ) that : sin ⁡ ( φ + β ) sin ⁢ ⁢ β = n ( 1 . 3 ) β = arctan ⁢ sin ⁢ ⁢ φ n - cos ⁢ ⁢ φ ( 1 . 4 ) this function specifies the angle β of incidence as a function of the polar coordinate angle φ . the contour is then calculated in the next step . it follows from fig1 that : ⅆ r ⅆ φ = r · tan ⁢ ⁢ β ( 1 . 5 ) dr r = sin ⁢ ⁢ φ n - cos ⁢ ⁢ φ ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ φ ( 1 . 6 ) this equation can be solved in an analytical form by substitution : r r 0 = n - cos ⁢ ⁢ φ 0 n - cos ⁢ ⁢ φ ( 1 . 7 ) this is the equation sought in polar coordinates of the contour line 11 of the cartesian oval as illustrated in fig2 . in this case , r 0 is the radius which is assigned to the angle φ 0 and serves for defining the absolute dimension of the contour . it goes without saying that equation 1 . 7 described in polar coordinates can also be transferred to the cartesian system of coordinates , which results in the following equation ( 1 . 8 ): ( n + 1 ) 2 n 2 · r 0 2 · ( x - r 0 n + 1 ) 2 + ( n + 1 ) ( n - 1 ) · r 0 2 · y 2 = 1 ( 1 . 8 ) an optical element having an exit area in the form of a cartesian oval described in accordance with equation 1 . 8 can parallelize the light of a point source only in a limited angular range , however . this angular range is prescribed by the limiting range of total reflection . the beam path of the light beams 21 a - d for a point source 60 and the resulting critical angle φ g are demonstrated in fig3 . what is achieved by virtue of the contour of the light exit area of the optical element in the form of a cartesian oval is that all the light beams 21 a - d and 22 emerging from the light source 60 within twice the critical angle φ g emerge from the optical element in parallel fashion . the critical angle φ g is given by the law of refraction ( 1 . 2 ), where the angle of emergence is α = 90 °. this results in sin β = 1 / n and the critical angle φ g = 90 °− β . a critical angle of 48 . 2 ° thus results for n = 1 . 5 . radiation lying outside this aperture angle cannot be practically utilized with this element . since semiconductor light sources generally emit into a much larger angular range , a large part of the light is lost with such elements . therefore , in order to avoid this problem area , in the context of the invention , the illumination optical element that essentially has the form of a two - dimensional cartesian oval is combined with a parabolic reflector . said reflector should likewise have the property that light emerging from the focal point is converted into a parallel bundle . this leads to the element illustrated in fig4 , with the side areas a , b and e and the light entry area f . as can be seen from fig4 , the inventive optical element is made very flat , the light entry opening f having an essentially rectangular cross section , one dimension of the cross section being significantly smaller than the other ; as will be explained below with reference to fig1 , the rectangular cross section is advantageously made so narrow that a semiconductor light source 60 can still just be fitted to the optical element in whole - area fashion . for better clarification of the 3 - dimensional configuration of the inventive optical element illustrated in fig4 , a 3 - dimensional edge image of said optical element is represented in four different views in fig4 a . in this case , the representations therein emphasize primarily the edges of the optical element , and also in hatched form the side areas a , b and 10 ( light exit opening ). in a particularly advantageous manner , it is conceivable for the outer areas a and b of the parabolic reflector either to be mirror - coated or else to be configured such that they are totally reflective . this results in a luminous efficiency of the semiconductor light source that is as optimal as possible since approximately the entire light emerging from the light source is converted into a common parallel beam bundle . fig5 shows the projection of the side area e of the optical element according to the invention ; the contour of the central region shaped as a cartesian oval and of the parabolic reflector adjoining the outside thereof is clearly manifested here . the reflector is then ideally configured such that , at the regions 40 a and 40 b of the contour which correspond to the areas c and d , upon light emergence of the beam 23 a , refraction takes place in such a way that the beams 23 a and 21 emerging from the optical element run parallel . in this case , the course of the light beam 23 a should be influenced by rotating the parabolic contour 41 a — corresponding to the outer areas a and b of the optical element — in the direction toward 41 b . for this purpose , the parabolic contour 41 is to be rotated inward by the required angle in order to avoid a situation where a light beam 23 x that does not run parallel to the other parallel beam bundle emerges from the optical element . in the case of the inventive configuration of the optical elements of the illumination system , the deflection and orientation of the light predominantly take place in the vertical plane , that is to say that the light is concentrated to form a horizontally running stripe . fig6 shows the energy distribution of the light emerging from the optical element according to the invention as the result of a calculation . the intensity profile of the light emerging from a horizontally arranged optical element is demonstrated in a false color representation in the upper part of the figure . beside and below that the intensity distribution in the x direction and y direction is demonstrated as a waveform . this makes it clear that the light beam emerging from the optical element is highly concentrated in the y direction . the light intensity emerging from the optical element is locally delimited to a significant extent in the x direction as well . the simulation on which fig6 is based assumed that the light source is fitted centrally with respect to the light entry area f of the optical element , as will be explained in detail later , but it is also conceivable to install the light source at a different position at the light entry area f in order thereby to influence the illumination characteristic of the optical element in a targeted manner . in a particularly advantageous manner , the horizontal width of the light spot can be influenced by inclining the side areas e of the optical element in such a way that the optical element tapers from the light exit area g toward the light entry area f . a corresponding geometry is illustrated in fig7 , which shows a side view from the direction of the side area a or b . it becomes clear in this case that , in this beneficial configuration of the invention , the height extent f 1 of the light entry area f of the optical element is less than the height extent g 1 of the light exit area 10 thereof . such elements , in particular also with parabolic side areas , are known from solar technology ( cpc , compound parabolic concentrator ). the following relationship holds true : sin ⁢ ⁢ α ⁢ ⁢ 1 sin ⁢ ⁢ α ⁢ ⁢ 2 = k i f l ( 1 . 8 ) where a1 and a2 describe the respective angular range within which the light beams ( 25 , 26 ) taken up by the optical element , or at which they then emerge from the optical element . it is apparent from equation ( 1 . 8 ) that enlarging the exit area decreases the angular range into which the light is emitted . in a particularly beneficial manner , it is appropriate to provide a largest possible acceptance angle in the beam direction as well , in order to avoid optical losses . this can be achieved either by mirror - coating or the corresponding configuration of the curvature of the side areas e , so that total reflection arises there . in fig7 , by way of example , a dashed line indicates the course of curvature of the side area e for a parabolic curvature . in accordance with the procedure described above and also illustrated in fig5 , it is possible , at a cartesian - oval central region shaped in this way , according to the invention , to adapt a suitable parabolically shaped reflector , for optimum utilization of the light emitted by the light source . in a further advantageous configuration of the inventive optical element , the cross section of the light entry area f thereof has a trapezoidal form , as illustrated in fig8 , in a departure from the generally rectangular form . in this case , the side areas of said trapezoidal form are inclined by the angles β and β with respect to the horizontal . in this case , it is conceivable to choose the two angles α and β of inclination to be identical in terms of their magnitude or else to be different from one another . in accordance with the representations in fig6 , fig9 shows the result of a calculation of the energy distribution of the light emerging from the advantageous optical element with inclined side areas . the angles α and β of inclination were chosen as 5 ° and 7 °, respectively , for the calculation . the intensity profile of the light emerging from an essentially vertically arranged optical element is again demonstrated in a false color representation in the upper part of the figure . beside and below that the intensity distribution at specific positions in the x direction and y direction is demonstrated as a waveform . as is clearly discernible from the figure , the radiation characteristic of the optical element in the far field , contrary to the case illustrated in fig6 , has a distinct curvature perpendicular to the radiation direction . on the other hand , this radiation characteristic also exhibits a distinct bright / dark transition . this simulation also assumed that the light source is fitted centrally with respect to the light entry area f of the optical element . in fig1 shows the projection of the light entry area f of the inventive optical element , in this case with a rectangular cross section , with a semiconductor light source 60 centrally adjoining the latter . in the general case , the semiconductor light source 60 is applied centrally on the light entry area , as shown in fig1 . in this case , in a beneficial manner , the thickness dimension of the optical element is chosen such that it exceeds the dimensions of the semiconductor light source 60 as little as possible . this gives rise to optical elements with an optimally small space requirement , which makes it possible to accommodate a multiplicity of optical elements in a very small space within an illumination source according to the invention and thus to obtain a maximum light power . what is achieved by displacing the semiconductor light source 60 along the connecting line between the points p 1 and p 2 is that the light emerges asymmetrically from the optical element . in this case , it is conceivable either to position the semiconductor light source 60 fixedly at an arbitrary location along said connecting line , in order to obtain the desired asymmetrical radiation characteristic , or else to arrange the optical element in a displaceable manner above the semiconductor light source 60 , so that the desired asymmetry of the light emission can be obtained by suitably displacing the optical element with respect to the semiconductor light source 60 . as an alternative , it is also conceivable to arrange a plurality of semiconductor light sources directly instead of a displaceable optical element at the light entry area f of the individual optical element along the connecting line between p 1 and p 2 . the luminous characteristic of the light emerging from the optical element can thus be altered advantageously without mechanical adjustment , simply through targeted electrical driving and selection . in the case of the arrangement of the optical elements with respect to the illumination device according to the invention , it is advantageously conceivable to individually arrange the individual semiconductor light sources 60 with respect to the respective optical elements arranged in an array such that the illumination device has an asymmetrical emission characteristic . in a supplementary manner or as an alternative , however , it is also conceivable to obtain the asymmetrical radiation characteristic by means of an arrangement of individually shaped optical elements adapted to the desired light emission ; in this case , it is conceivable to embody one portion of the optical elements with a rectangular light entry area f ( corresponding to fig1 ) and another portion of the optical elements with trapezoidal light entry areas f ( corresponding to fig8 ). moreover , it is possible , in a beneficial manner , for the optical elements to be embodied at least in portions in accordance with the configuration demonstrated in fig7 . if a plurality of semiconductor light sources are directly assigned to at least some of the individual optical elements within the illumination device , then it is possible , in a simple manner , by means of electronic control , to obtain a pivoting of the luminous cone emitted by the device or generally a change in the asymmetrical illumination properties of the illumination device by driving a respective one of the plurality of semiconductor light sources assigned to an optical element . such an alternate driving of the light sources fitted to an individual optical element leads to the same beam pivoting as is the case for displaceably arranged lens optical elements from the prior art , but without having to have recourse to a susceptible , not very robust mechanism . furthermore this advantageous configuration also affords the possibility of individually controlling the individual optical elements within a group of optical elements without complexity ; this cannot be realized economically practically in the case of a mechanically variable deflection device . the illumination device is configured particularly beneficially such that the semiconductor light sources can be dimmed or activated and deactivated driven jointly in groups or individually independently of the others in order to be able to illuminate the surroundings in a targeted manner and in a manner adapted to the situation . in a particularly advantageous manner , the inventive illumination device is suitable for use as a headlight in a motor vehicle in order to asymmetrically illuminate the surroundings in front of the vehicle . in a beneficial manner , in the case of use in a motor vehicle , the individual optical elements assigned to the headlight are oriented with regard to the road surface such that the x axes of the optical elements run essentially parallel thereto ; i . e . the individual optical elements should be arranged such that they are situated essentially perpendicular ( corresponding to fig4 , for example ).	5
in the following paragraphs , the present invention will be described in detail by way of example with reference to the attached drawings . while this invention is capable of embodiment in many different forms , there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail specific embodiments , with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an example of the principles of the invention and not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown and described . that is , throughout this description , the embodiments and examples shown should be considered as exemplars , rather than as limitations on the present invention . descriptions of well known components , methods and / or processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the invention . as used herein , the “ present invention ” refers to any one of the embodiments of the invention described herein , and any equivalents . furthermore , reference to various feature ( s ) of the “ present invention ” throughout this document does not mean that all claimed embodiments or methods must include the referenced feature ( s ). embodiments of the present invention provide systems , methods and apparatus for universal control of entertainment or computing systems . as is know in the art there are a number of manufacturers of gaming consoles each with different hand held controllers . in some instances a user may be confused by the differences in controllers and may not have the same experience when moving from one console type to another . some embodiments of the present invention are directed at overcoming that difficulty by providing a had - held controller and system that may interoperate across platforms . additionally , in some embodiments , the games may reside on a server on a network and the user may play the games on a computing apparatus like a personal computer . further , some provided embodiments include a computing apparatus accessory which integrates a multiplicity of input devices into a novel , and in some instances reconfigurable device . one embodiment of a base station 100 is illustrated in fig1 . in this embodiment , base station 100 comprises a first communications port 50 for connecting base station 100 to a computing device 40 . as illustrated , computing device 40 , is connected to a network 10 , like the internet , and further connected to server 20 containing database 30 . as illustrated , communications port 50 is a wired port such as a universal serial bus or ethernet port , but as in known in the art may be a wireless communications port . in some embodiments , base station 100 additionally includes a second communications port 50 suitable for communications with an accessory box ( not shown ). base station 100 additionally includes controller 70 , a plurality of communications transceivers 60 and in some instances an antenna 70 . as is known in the art all communications can be through either wired or wireless media and the illustrated depictions in fig1 are exemplars . fig2 illustrates an entertainment system consistent with various provided embodiments . the system includes at least one hand held game controller 80 containing a plurality of accelerometers ( not shown ). each of the hand held game controller 80 includes a touch screen interface 90 . in some embodiments , tough screen interface contains a number of controls sufficient to control game play . in one embodiment , touch screen 90 includes a plurality of lights which “ back light ” the controls indicating a control a user should take . in other embodiments , touch screen interface 80 contains depressions or “ dimples ” indicating the controls . in other embodiments , touch screen interface 80 contains raised portions or “ buttons ” indicating the controls . in still further embodiments , touch screen 80 contains regions of “ textured ” material indicating controls . in an exemplary embodiment , the “ textured ” material is “ plexi - glass ”, glass , or plastic that has been manufactured to provide a textured feel . other materials that provide a distinct tactile feel are additionally known in the art and may be used to practice the invention . hand held controllers 80 further include a communications transceiver allowing for communication with base station 100 in a wireless format . exemplary communications transceivers that may be used to practice embodiments of the present invention include but are not limited to optical transceivers , radio frequency transceivers , infrared transceivers , bluetooth transceivers ( bluetooth is a trademark of the bluetooth special interest group ), rfid transceivers , frequency hopping radio frequency transceivers , and ultra wideband transceiver . hand held controllers 80 additionally include a plurality of accelerometers , such as orientation accelerometers , motion accelerometers , and acceleration accelerometers which provide data related to the position and movement of hand held controllers 80 . as discussed above , base station 10 includes a like communications transceiver to enable communications with hand held controllers 80 . base station 100 additionally includes a first connector or communications port 50 sufficient to connect base station 100 to computing apparatus 40 ( shown here as a monitor ). in some embodiments , base station 100 additionally includes a second connector , or port 50 sufficient to connect base station 100 to accessory box 120 . accessory box 120 likewise includes connector 50 , and associated electronics enabling communications with base station 100 . exemplary connectors include but are not limited to universal serial bus connectors , firewire connectors , twisted pair connectors , phone line connectors , and wired medium connectors . in some embodiments ( not shown ), connectors 50 are connected to additional communications components such as antennas , optical emitters , and optical detectors . in these embodiments , base station 100 includes an additional communications transceiver such as an optical transceiver , a radio frequency transceiver , an infrared transceiver , a bluetooth transceiver , a rfid transceiver , a frequency hopping radio frequency transceiver , and an ultra wideband transceiver enabling wireless communications between accessory box 120 , base station 100 and computing apparatus 40 . in an exemplary embodiment , base station 100 is configured to route data and commands from and between computing device 40 , hand held controllers 80 , and accessory box 120 . as mere exemplars , this routing may take the form of receiving communications signals from the hand held devices 80 and forwarding the data contained within these signals to computing device 40 . in other embodiments , the routing may provide for receiving data from accessory box 120 and sending data to computing device 40 . the routed data may include but is not limited to data from at least one of the plurality of accelerometers , and data from the touch screen interface and data from accessory box enabling additional functionality to the entertainment system . in another embodiment , hand held controllers 80 contain a battery recharging port 110 . a similar recharging port 110 is provided on base station 100 allowing for the recharge of the hand held controllers &# 39 ; batteries when not in use . one feature of this embodiment is that the computing device 40 is in communication with 20 server on the network 10 . the server hosts a game portal which stores information related to the games , information related to users , and in some embodiments , access information . when a user desires to play a specific game , the computing device may determine from accessory box 120 if the user is allowed to access the specific game . once the computing device retrieves information on which games a user can access it sends this data to the online game portal . on the server the access data is verified and access is granted to the particular game the user desires to play . another feature of various embodiments is illustrated in fig3 which shows a configuration allowing multiple players to participate in a common game . as this illustration depicts , users a - d can use independent entertainment systems to play a common game . each user a - d interfaces with a hand held controller 80 . the hand held controllers send user input information to base stations 100 , which route this information to computing apparatuses 40 ( shown here as personal computers “ pcs ”). computing apparatuses 40 are in communication with server 20 across network 10 . as illustrated , server 20 is in further communication with database 30 . in some embodiments , database 30 may be located on server 20 , in other embodiments , database 30 is located on another computing device 40 on network 10 . in this environment , game play is served to each of the computing devices 40 from server 20 allowing users a - d to interact with the game through the use of their entertainment system . fig4 illustrates another feature of various embodiments . in this illustration a configuration is shown where two users ( a and b ) are supported on a single entertainment system . in this illustration , user a and user b each interact with the entertainment system through the use of hand held controllers 80 . the controllers communicate user interactions to base station 100 . base station 100 routs this interaction information to computing device 40 which uses the information for game play . computing device 40 further communicates the information to server 20 across network 10 . as in the previously described system , server 20 is in communication with database 30 . one further feature is illustrated in fig4 . the addition of accessory box 120 allows for additional functionality , such as new games , to be unlocked on the system . in this embodiment , requests for new functionality cause computing apparatus to communicate with accessory box 120 and retrieve access information . the access information is then verified on database 30 . if access to the new functionality is grated , server 20 sends the additional functionality to computing device 40 . fig5 and 6 illustrate embodiments of provided methods . in fig5 flow begins in block 140 where a communications signal is communicated from a hand held controller 80 to a base station 100 . as described above , this signal may contain information from a plurality of accelerometers and inputs from a user through a touch screen . further , this signal is typically communicated wirelessly through the use of wireless transceivers ( optical or radio frequency ). flow continues to block 150 where a communication signal is sent from accessory box 120 to the base station 100 . as described above , this signal may contain data or other information , such as commands , to unlock functionality on the system . in some embodiments , this signal is sent through wired media connectors , in other embodiments , this signal is sent wirelessly . flow continues to block 160 where a command is sent from the base station to a computing apparatus 40 . in block 170 computing apparatus 40 communicates data to server 20 on network 10 . flow continues to block 180 where server 20 sends a communication to computing apparatus 40 across network 10 . in block 190 , game play is enabled on computing apparatus 40 . fig6 illustrates a further embodiment where the flow is the same for blocks 140 - 190 . in block 200 a signal is communicated from computing apparatus 40 to hand held controllers 80 through base station 100 and in block 210 game play is enabled on hand held controllers 80 . in some embodiments , the enablement of game play on hand held controllers 80 comprises the illumination of lights corresponding to controls on the hand held controllers 80 . fig7 illustrates a computing device 40 and computer software product 260 consistent with various provided embodiments . computing device 40 comprises processor 230 , memory 240 , storage media 250 , input device 220 , a plurality of communications ports 50 and output device 270 . as is known in the art , a number of other components are typically found within a computing device that have been omitted for convenience . as described above , one communications port 50 provides a path for communication with base station 100 and another provides a path for communication with server 20 across network 10 . exemplary input devices 220 that are suitable to receive computer software product 260 include but are not limited to cd rom drives , dvd rom drives , optical drives magnetic drives , and the like . computer software product 260 comprises a computing apparatus readable medium containing a set of processor 230 executable instructions that , when executed by processor 230 configure computing device 40 to execute the methods described above . in one embodiment , computer readable media comprises a hard drive located on server 20 and executable instructions sufficient to configure computing device 40 are downloaded from network 10 . in some embodiments , executable instructions are located on database 30 across network 10 . as described above , database 30 may be located on server 20 or alternatively , on another computing device 40 on network 10 . an exemplary embodiment of an accessory box 120 is illustrated in fig8 . in this embodiment , accessory box 120 comprises a memory 240 , a communications transceiver 60 and a communications port 50 . as discussed above , accessory box 120 , in some embodiments imparts additional functionality to games being played . this functionality may be revealing “ secret ” rooms , additional weapons , or other features within a game . in some embodiments , additional games are “ unlocked ” with the use of accessory box 120 . memory 240 may include volatile or non - volatile memory elements . in one embodiment , codes stored on memory 240 may be sent to base station 100 unlocking the additional functionality . in some embodiments accomplishments during game play cause server 20 to send additional codes for storage in memory 240 on accessory box 120 . these embodiments allow a user to experience different gaming as their level of accomplishment increases . in other embodiments purchases made online cause server 20 to send additional codes to accessory box 120 . fig9 illustrates embodiments where universal controllers interact with game consoles instead of a computing device 40 . as is known in the art there are many manufacturers of game consoles and each manufacturer may provide different controllers for interaction . many of these consoles provide for controller connection through a universal serial bus ( usb ) or like connection . in the illustrated embodiment hand held controller 80 , as described above , contains touch sensitive display 90 . in this embodiment , hand held controller 80 communicates with base station 100 through either a wireless or wired connection . base station 100 communicates with a game console . stated differently , base station 100 receives control signals from handheld controller 80 and communicates them the control data to the game console through its communications port . another provided embodiment of a universal controller is illustrated in fig1 . in this embodiment , the controller is tablet 290 . in this embodiment touch screen 90 is contained within housing 300 . as illustrated it contains a plurality of discrete regions that are mapped with different functionality and in some embodiments , may be illuminated with various features and controls . various embodiments of tablet 290 include regions for illumination of a keyboard , a section for interaction with stylus 280 , a mouse control region 340 and in some instances a specific game control region 350 . as illustrated , tablet 290 may communicate with the game console through a wireless media or in some embodiments through communications port 50 . fig1 illustrates some exemplary functional contents of tablet 290 . in this embodiment , tablet 290 contains touch sensitive display 90 with an exemplary number of discrete regions that could include a game control region 350 , a mouse control region 340 a keyboard region 320 a stylus sensitive region 330 . in this embodiment , tablet 290 additionally includes memory 240 and a communications transceiver 60 . in some embodiments , tablet 290 is battery powered and include battery 400 . in a number of these embodiments , power is received from communications port 50 , such as a usb port , ( not shown ) and can be used to power tablet 290 and recharge battery 400 . in other embodiment table 290 may be powered by a plug - in power cable ( not shown ). in other embodiments , tablet 290 includes a processor configured to map various functionality to the regions of tablet 290 . in other embodiments , mapping is accomplished by an external computing apparatus connected to and communicating with transceiver 60 . an embodiment of a provided computing apparatus 540 is illustrated in fig1 . this embodiment includes tablet 290 touch sensitive display 90 processor 230 , memory 240 , and storage media 250 . in some embodiments computing apparatus 540 is configured to communicate with network 10 . as illustrated , touch sensitive screen 90 includes discrete sections which are mapped with functionality . as in other embodiments , these regions include a keyboard region 320 , a stylus sensitive region 330 , a mouse control region 340 , and in some embodiments game control section 350 . mapping , in one embodiment includes designating a set of pixels on touch sensitive display 90 and associating them with a specific character . in one embodiment , the mapping of a keyboard to keyboard region includes storing a character in memory 240 with a range of pixel locations associated with that character . in an exemplary embodiment , the character is from the american standard code for information interchange ( ascii ). other character code sets are known in the art and may be used to practice the current invention . once mapped , a user striking a “ character ” on keyboard section causes a lookup in memory 240 for the associated character , the character is then read from memory 240 and transmitted by transceiver 60 ( fig1 ) or in an embodiment where tablet 240 is embedded in computing apparatus 540 the character is utilized in the manner consistent with normal usage . in like manner , user interaction with stylus sensitive region 330 , mouse control region 340 , and in some embodiments game control region 350 generate data that may be captured , or recorded , and in embodiments similar to the one illustrated in fig1 , the data is then transmitted by transceiver 60 . in embodiments where tablet 290 is embedded into computing apparatus 540 , illustrated in fig1 , data captured from these regions is used in the manner consistent with normal usage . fig1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a provided method . in this embodiment , flow begins in block 360 where discrete regions of touch sensitive display are illuminated . as discussed above these regions can include a keyboard region , a stylus sensitive region , a mouse control region and in some embodiments , a game control region . other regions may be utilized and illuminated as well . flow continues to block 370 where a character set is mapped to the keyboard region . flow then continues to block 380 where data is recorded from a user interaction with the keyboard region and in embodiments like those described in fig1 , in block 380 the data is transmitted from tablet 290 . fig1 illustrates the flow of another exemplary method . in this embodiment , flow begins in block 360 where discrete regions of a touch sensitive display are illuminated . in block 410 data from the stylus region is recorded and in embodiments like those described in fig1 , in block 380 the data is transmitted from tablet 290 . fig1 illustrates a further embodiment of a provided method . in this method , flow begins in block 360 where regions are illuminated on the display . flow continues to block 420 where data associated with the mouse control region is captured or recorded and in embodiments like those described in fig1 , in block 380 the data is transmitted from tablet 290 . in similar manner the embodiment illustrated in fig1 begins with block 360 where regions of the display are illuminated . in block 430 game controls are mapped to a game control region . in block 440 data is recorded or otherwise captured from the game control region and in embodiments like those described in fig1 , in block 380 the data is transmitted from tablet 290 . a further illustration of an integrated universal controller in the form of a tablet 290 is provided in fig1 . this illustrates a dynamic reconfiguration of tablet 290 . in this embodiment , regions of tablet 290 can me remapped from one function to another . for example , as illustrated , at one period of time , a region of tablet 290 may be illuminated and mapped as a keyboard region and at another time the same region may be illuminated as a stylus region . turning now to fig1 , an exemplary entertainment system is illustrated . components of the entertainment system include server 20 , communicating with computing apparatus 540 across network 10 . computing apparatus is additionally communicating with universal controller 80 . universal controller 80 , illustrated in some embodiments takes to form of a tablet , or stick controller , but some embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those particular configurations . as illustrated , server 20 contains processor 230 , memory 240 and storage media 250 and network interface 60 . additionally , computing apparatus and server 20 may be communicating with an additional server 20 where other games may be stored . contained within storage medium 250 is software module 410 , database 30 , software application 480 and in some embodiments , mapping files 420 . as illustrated software module 410 contains application program interface ( api ) 820 . as is known in the art , software module 410 may be written in a number of programming languages , such as c , c ++, or java ™. additionally , it may be a compiled module , compiled with any number of compilers , or it could comprise a scripts , such as a java ™ script or pearl script , or an applet written in java . in an exemplary embodiment , server 20 hosts a web portal and additionally contains a number of web pages that can be sent to a remote computing apparatus 540 . in one embodiment , a user computer communicates with server 20 through the web portal . server 20 sends software application 480 to remote computing apparatus 540 for initialization of game play . as illustrated , some embodiments include games stored on database 30 while others additionally include remote 3 rd party games hosted on remote server 20 . computing apparatus 540 additionally includes display 430 where game play is graphically depicted . api 820 allows game programmers to write games and custom interfaces for universal controller 80 . through the use of api 820 a programmer may specify which actions of universal controller 80 will map to which game play actions . in this manner , a new game programmer only need to interact with api 820 to ensure that a gamer using a universal controller 80 with computing apparatus 540 is able to play the new game . in some embodiments this is independent of where the game is actually stored . interacting with api 820 a game programmer specifies which physical actions with universal controller 80 will map to which actions within the new game . once complete software module 410 generates a mapping file 420 . in some embodiments , mapping files 420 are text files that can be read by computing apparatus 540 , in other embodiments , mapping files are scripts , such as a java ™ script , in other embodiments , mapping file 420 may be compiled into a dynamic linked library ( dll ) file and loaded into memory when software application 480 executes on remote computing apparatus 430 . an exemplary method is illustrated in fig1 . in this embodiment , flow begins in block 440 where the server 20 provides a software module with an api . as described above , the software module allows a game programmer to specify a controller mapping . flow continues to block 450 where a mapping file is generated for a particular game . flow then continues to block 460 where the mapping file is sent to a remote computing apparatus . in block 470 the mapping filed is installed on the remote computing apparatus . when game play is initialized on remote computing apparatus 540 , signals received from universal controller 80 are mapped to the appropriate actions within the game . one feature of this embodiment is that it provides a method that includes providing a software module 410 on a server 20 , the software module having an application program interface 820 , the software module 410 configured to allow a game programmer to specify a controller mapping . software module 410 then generates a mapping file 420 , from the software module , the mapping file 420 specifying a mapping of actions on a universal controller 80 , to a game developed by the game programmer . as described above , server 20 then transmits the mapping file 420 to a remote computing apparatus 540 across a network 10 , the remote computing apparatus 540 configured to operate with a universal controller 80 . the mapping file 420 is then installed on the remote apparatus 430 . the mapping file 420 configures the computing apparatus 540 to map signals received from the universal controller 80 to actions within a game displayed on a display on the display 430 computing apparatus 540 . this allows a game programmer to release new games to the public without the need for new controllers . by utilizing the provided software module , universal controller can be remapped to the requirements of the new game . a further provided method is illustrated in fig2 . in this embodiment , flow begins with block 490 where a web portal is provided on a server 20 . the web portal is configured to provide a web page to remote computing apparatus 540 across network 10 . flow continues to block 500 where server 20 determines if software application 480 has been installed on remote computing apparatus 500 . flow continues to conditional block 510 . if software application 480 is not installed on remote computing apparatus 540 , flow continues to block 520 where software application 540 is downloaded and installed on remote computing apparatus 540 . when software program 480 is executed on remote computing apparatus 530 a web browser is initialized in block 530 . in one embodiment in the first instance of browser initialization by software application 480 the browser is initialized with a toolbar enabled . in this embodiment , the enabled tool bar contains a plurality of game selections . flow continues to block 560 where auto mapping of mapping files 420 is enabled . returning to decision block 510 if it is determined that software application 480 has been installed on remote computing apparatus 540 , flow continues to block 550 . when software program 480 is initializes it is executed in block 550 . flow continues to block 570 where software program 570 initializes a web browser with a tool bar disabled . flow then continues to block 580 where server 20 determines if the web browser is accessing the web portal . if , in decision block 590 it is determined that the web browser is not accessing the web portal flow continues back to block 580 and waits until the web browser is accessing the web portal . if in decision block 590 it is determined that web browser is accessing the portal , flow continues to block 600 where the tool bar is enabled . flow then continues to block 610 where auto mapping of mapping files 420 is enabled . an exemplary web browser with a tool bar is illustrated in fig2 . methods of providing a web portal are known in the art . an exemplary method includes running web server software , such as apache web server on a computing apparatus . various embodiments of software application were developed in java ™ programming language , but the present invention is not limited to java ™. those of ordinary skill in the art know that any computer programming language can be used to develop software application 480 . for example , c or c ++. there are a number of integrated development environments ( ides ) that are advantageous for the development . an exemplary ide is visual c ++ which allows a programmer to utilize web browser objects within the program . further , when installing a software program , methods known in the art allow for a program to write a flag to a registry file and to communicate the presence of this flag to a remote server . thus allowing the server to detect whether a particular software program has been installed on the remote computing apparatus . other known methods of detection may include the installer asking a user to register the software during installation . this registration communicated to the server . other installers can be created that do not prompt the user for permission to register , merely inform the server that the software program has been installed . further , methods of determining if a web server is communicating with a particular computing apparatus are known . exemplary methods include identification by the server of the remote computing apparatus &# 39 ; internet protocol ( ip ) address . turning now to fig2 which illustrates the flow of an alternate embodiment of a provided method . in this method , flow begins in block 620 where a server 20 provides a web portal containing at least one web page . as is known in the art , web pages may be created in , for example the hyper text mark - up language ( html ) or any other similar web based language known to skilled artisans . further , web portals typically communicate using the hyper text transfer protocol ( http ), other protocols for computer communication are known in the art and some embodiments are not therefore limited to either html or http . flow continues to block 630 where the web portal provides a web page to the remote computing apparatus 540 . in this embodiment , the webpage comprises a document written in a standard web format , such as html , that includes a number of links . each of the links indicating a different game to be played . when a link is selected , flow continues to block 640 where server 20 determines which game has been selected . flow then continues to block 650 where the appropriate mapping file 420 is selected . flow then continues to block 660 where the mapping file 420 is sent to remote computing apparatus 540 . another embodiment of a provided method is illustrated in fig2 . in this method , flow begins in block 670 where a remote computing apparatus 540 receives a web page from server 20 . flow then continues to block 680 where game selection is enabled by the received webpage . flow then continues to block 690 where , once selected , a game selection is sent to server 20 . in block 700 a mapping file is received from server 20 . once the mapping file has been installed , flow continues to block 710 where the selected game is initialized . flow then continues to block 720 where a signal is received from a universal controller 80 . in block 730 the received signal is mapped to a game action . flow continues to block 740 where the mapped action is displayed on display 430 . an alternate embodiment of universal controller 80 is illustrated in fig2 . in this embodiment , universal controller 80 contains a communications transceiver 60 enabled to send signals to a computing apparatus 540 and , in some embodiments , receive signals from remote computing apparatus 540 . as illustrated , this embodiment additionally contains processor 230 , memory 240 , storage media 250 , a plurality of accelerometers 750 , battery 400 , and battery charging port 110 . on the front view controller 80 contains a touch sensitive display 90 . in this embodiment , touch sensitive display contains no deformations or tactile areas . contained within storage media are a set of processor executable instructions , that , when executed by processor 230 cause a bitmap stored in storage media 250 to be mapped and illuminated on touch sensitive display 90 . in this manner , universal controller can be updated with additional bitmaps and take on completely different appearance depending on which game is selected fro play . a method for interaction between computing apparatus 540 and universal controller 80 is depicted in fig2 . in this embodiment , flow begins in block 670 and continues through block 700 in the manner described above . flow then continues to block 760 where a new game is received from server 760 . in this embodiment , server 20 additionally stores controller interface files ( bitmaps ) that relate to each game . flow then continued to block 770 where computing apparatus 540 determines if the appropriate controller interface is on its storage media 250 . if , in decision block 780 it is determined that the file is not present locally , flow continues to block 790 where the appropriate interface is requested from server 20 . flow then continues to block 800 where the interface file is received from server 20 . flow then continues to block 810 where the interface file is sent to universal controller 80 and installed . returning to decision block 780 , it is determined that the correct interface file is on computing apparatus &# 39 ; storage media flow continues to block 810 where it is sent to universal controller 80 and installed . in an alternate embodiment ( not shown ) when a new game is received from server 20 a message is sent to universal controller 80 indicating the game to be played and the version of the interface file . if the appropriate file is stored within universal controller &# 39 ; s storage medium 250 the file is not sent from computing apparatus 540 . if the file is not on universal controller 80 , the file is transmitted from computing apparatus 540 and installed on universal controller 80 . various embodiments of a provided computing apparatus are illustrated in fig2 ( a )-( h ). in these embodiments , at least one , and in some instances two touch screen displays are used . as illustrated , some embodiments of the computing apparatus are connected in a manner to allow a wide range of movement between the displays a central feature of these embodiments , is that the computing apparatus is configured with a set of instructions that when executed by a processor contained within the apparatus , different regions of the display ( s ) are mapped to different functions . for example , as seen in fig2 ( h ), a region of the display is configured as a keyboard , and that region is mapped to the functionality of a keyboard in other situations , illustrated in fig2 ( g ) the same region is illuminated as a game control region and is mapped to receive inputs from a stylus . embodiments of the software present on the computing apparatus have been reduced to practice using java ™ programming language . other languages , such as c or c ++ are known in the art and some embodiments are not limited to the particular programming language used to implement the functionality described . further , one of ordinary skill , given this disclosure , will know how to make and use the invention , because graphics rendering , region mapping , and interaction with computer input peripherals are all within the knowledge of a skilled artisan . thus , it is seen that an online entertainment system , universal controller system , methods and computer software product are provided . one skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be practiced by other than the above - described embodiments , which are presented in this description for purposes of illustration and not of limitation . the specification and drawings are not intended to limit the exclusionary scope of this patent document . it is noted that various equivalents for the particular embodiments discussed in this description may practice the invention as well . that is , while the present invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications , permutations and variations will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the foregoing description . accordingly , it is intended that the present invention embrace all such alternatives , modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims . the fact that a product , process or method exhibits differences from one or more of the above - described exemplary embodiments does not mean that the product or process is outside the scope ( literal scope and / or other legally - recognized scope ) of the following claims .	0
in accordance with the practice of the present invention , and with reference to the drawing figure , a saline water source such as an oil field waste brine , seawater , or other inland saline water is initially stored in a large pit , tank , or storage chamber 10 . the pit , tank , or storage chamber 10 is preferably lined or otherwise formed to be substantially water tight . if an oil or gas field waste brine is used as the saline water source , it may be necessary to remove traces of oil which are present in the brine . typically , there is approximately one - half pint of oil per barrel of brine as received from oil field operations . this oil removal is accomplished through the use of a surface skimmer 12 which collects oil floating on the surface of the brine and pumps it via line 14 and pump 16 to an oil storage tank 18 . additionally , further oil may be removed from the brine in a separation device such as heater treater 20 after removal of the brine from pit 10 via line 22 and pump 24 . heater treater 20 typically comprises a holding tank or the like which provides undisturbed residence time for separation of the oil and brine . heat is supplied to heater treater 20 to accelerate the separation process , and , optionally , chemicals may be added to heater treater 20 which further enhance separation . the brine is then filtered to remove suspended solids by pumping it via line 26 through filter 28 . filter 28 may be any suitable filtration device and is preferably a vacuum drum or plate and frame type filter . such filtration devices are commercially available from a number of sources . after filtration , the brine is sent to tank 30 where an oxidizing agent is added to the brine to convert any ferrous ions present in the brine to the ferric state . suitable oxidizing agents include hydrogen peroxide , or ozone . preferably , this oxidizing reaction is carried out at an acidic ph . depending on the ph of the brine entering tank 30 , the ph of the solution may be adjusted by the addition of an acid or base to bring it within the optimum range . an additional advantage of the oxidation step of the process is that it will destroy any traces of organic materials which may be present in the brine . after oxidization , an alkaline agent is added to tank 30 to raise the ph of the brine to about 7 . 0 and cause all iron ions present therein to precipitate as iron oxides . the brine is then sent to a suitable filter 32 where the iron oxide precipitate is removed . the brine is then pumped via pump 34 to a further holding tank 36 . at this point in the process , magnesium is removed from the brine . the presence of magnesium ions in the brine at a later point in the process will result in the production of products having a lower ecomonic value . additionally , purified magnesium compounds have economic value . magnesium is typically present in the brine as magnesium chloride which can be reacted with an alkaline material to form magnesium hydroxide as illustrated by equations i and ii below : to remove magnesium , the brine is pumped via pump 38 to reactor 40 . a sufficient amount of an alkaline agent to adjust the ph of the brine to the range of 7 . 5 to 9 . 0 is added to reactor 40 . a ph meter ( not shown ) may be used to monitor the ph of the brine solution . after reaction , the brine may be sent to a thickener or settling tank 42 where the precipitated magnesium hydroxide would be concentrated . the precipitate is then filtered in filter 44 , washed free of soluble salts , and either dried or calcined in dryer 46 . the magnesia product is useful in making refractory bricks and magnesium metal as well as an additive for cosmetics , pharmaceuticals , and insulation . as shown by equations i and ii above , the alkaline agent may be either calcium hydroxide ( hydrated lime ), hydrated lime from burned dolomite , or sodium hydroxide . if burned dolomite is used , the magnesium content of the dolomite is recovered with the magnesium hydroxide precipitate . sodium and / or calcium cations , which replace the magnesium ions in solution , are recovered later in the process as explained below . the clear brine solution from settling tank or thickener 42 and / or filtrated from filter 44 is then sent to a work tank 48 which serves as a holding tank for the brine prior to reaction with phosphoric acid . the brine in work tank 48 may be periodically sampled and analyzed at analysis station 50 to determine the concentration of divalent calcium and other metal cations contained therein . this analysis is then utilized to meter the proper amount of phosphoric acid into the brine from phosphoric acid source 52 and metering pump 54 . preferably , the amount of phosphoric acid added is in a substantially stoichiometric ratio to the concentration of divalent metal cations , principally calcium , in the brine , resulting in a chemical reaction which causes substantially all of the divalent metal cations in the brine to be removed as a precipitate as more fully explained below . the addition of a substantially stoichiometric amount of phosphoric acid to the brine will lower the ph of the brine to less than 2 . 0 . the flow rate of the brine into reactor 56 may be controlled by pump 58 and flow rate valve 60 , and is monitored periodically by flow rate indicator 62 . a preferred source of phosphoric acid is agricultural grade phosphoric acid containing 75 % orthophosphoric acid ( 54 % when reported as phosphorous pentoxide ). the brine and phosphoric acid are thoroughly agitated in reactor 56 to form a reaction mixture . any suitable agitation device may be utilized including a stirred tank reactor or motionless mixing device . to the reaction mixture , an alkaline agent is added to adjust the ph of the mixture to the range of 1 . 8 to 2 . 9 . a metering pump and ph meter may be used to control the addition of alkaline agent . as the alkaline agent , either soda ash ( na 2 co 3 ), caustic soda ( naoh ), potassium hydroxide , or potassium carbonate are preferred . the addition of an alkaline agent causes the precipitation of a mixture of fertilizer salts including principally dicalcium phosphate ( cahpo 4 . 2h 2 o ). additionally , most trace impurities in the brine such as strontium , iron , aluminum , flourine , and the like , will also be precipitated at this stage as complex mineral salts . this is because other ions will react with the phosphoric acid at ph &# 39 ; s lower than that which calcium will react . this first stage of precipitation may not be necessary where impurity levels in the brine are sufficiently low . such precipitated compounds are separated from the brine solution by filtration , such as by belt filter 64 . the precipitate is then dried in dryer 66 . the dried precipitate is a citrate soluble fertilizer material having an approximate npk analysis of 0 - 40 - 0 . the reaction mixture is then taken to a further agitated reactor 68 where more alkaline reagent is added to bring the ph of the reaction mixture to the range of 3 . 5 to 6 . 0 . this causes essentially complete precipitation of all remaining dicalcium phosphate from the brine solution . because of the preliminary precipitation step , the dicalcium phosphate precipitated at this stage of the process is quite pure as is useful as a premium grade animal feed supplement . the precipitated dicalcium phosphate is removed via belt filter 70 and then dried in dryer 72 . by controlling the ph of the brine solution after the addition of phosphoric acid , the ratio of calcium phosphates precipitated at each stage ( reactors 56 and 68 ) may be controlled . if impurity levels are sufficient to warrant a two - stage precipitation then , preferably , a minimum amount of calcium phosphates is initally precipitated with the major portion being precipitated in reactor 68 . in practice , this ratio is about 10 - 30 % in the first stage and 70 - 90 % in the second stage . additionally , the total amount of calcium phosphates produced by the process may be modified somewhat by the selection of alkaline agents at various stages of the process . the use of calcium hydroxide as an alkaline agent at earlier stages of the recovery process will place more calcium cations into solution for later precipitation . in this manner , the process of the present invention is flexible to market conditions for the need for more or less calcium phosphate products . additionally , while the preferred process has been described above , it is within the scope of the invention to add phosphoric acid and alkaline agent to the brine to precipitate calcium phosphates in a single stage procedure or a procedure with two or more successive states . the remaining brine is now substantially free of all divalent metal cations . the brine is pumped from storage tank 74 by pump 76 to an optional evaporation system 78 . it may be desirable to adjust the ph of the brine in storage tank 75 to minimize corrosion problems in the evaporation equipment , and this may be accomplished by further addition of an alkaline agent such as sodium hydroxide to the brine . the brine itself is a useful product which can be used as a raw material for chlor - alkali plants . optionally , it may be evaporated to recover crystallized salt . evaporation system 78 is preferably a forced circulation evaporator - crystallizer with vapor recompression . such systems are commercially available . the evaporation system provides both a pure crystallized salt and purified process water . the recovered salt is principally sodium chloride . potassium , lithium , and any remaining calcium and magnesium cations are concentrated in the bitterns produced by the evaporation process and may be recycled back to the beginning of the process . the recovered salt is a highly purified product which can be marketed for practically all commercial uses . the recovered water from evaporation system 78 is itself highly pure and contains less than 1 mg / l of total solids and an absence of deleterious anions and divalent metal cations . the water can be used as process and wash water in the process of the present invention , can be discharged directly to rivers , lakes , and streams with no environmental harm , or alternatively may be sold to industries having large purified water requirements . while the methods herein described constitute preferred embodiments of this invention , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise methods and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention , which is defined in the appended claims .	2
turning now to the drawings in greater detail , it will be seen that in fig1 there is depicted a high - level logic flow diagram of a method of tie net routing without wiring in accordance with the present invention . basically the method is a router which finds the pins requiring connections to global nets from a nearly completed level of hierarchy , like power or ground , and traces their connection to the child . the trace attempts to find the connections to the gate an the input transistor terminals . once the trace is completed , the path is followed backwards looking for the desired global infrastructure net one layer below or above the current route . once the intersection has been found , the largest legal via that can fit in the overlap space is placed on top of the child . this via connects the child route to the child &# 39 ; s global infrastructure net , completing the route . the first step in the process is to initialize the system is performed , as shown in block 1 . 1 . a netlist is used to identify which nets are tie nets and which are not in the design that this is being run . after identifying the nets , it is confirmed that there are cells instantiated in the design that need to be tied . then it is determined that the cells instantiated have power grids with the same polarities as are needed for tie routing . finally , a complete check is done to ensure the cells instantiated either are layouts ( complete designs ) as opposed to abstracts ( a simpler abstracted representation ) or have layouts that can be found somewhere in the design management system . accordingly , the initialisation step determines if all the prerequisites are met in which case the process will be initiated . the first step of the process shown in block 12 is to create a cellview that can be created and instantiated into the design . this cellview is where all of the vias ( shapes that connect one metal layer to another metal layer in the design ) that will create the logical connections to the power grid metal layer will be created as a tie net . once the process is completed this cellview is instantiated into the design and the connections will be made . the second step shown in block 1 . 3 is for the process to identify all of the pins on all of the macros that need to be tied . this will be different depending on methodologies , and technologies being used . for example , pins on each macro that are part of the power grid distribution do not need to be tied since they are inherently connected to the power grid because they already are part of the power grid distribution . there are also pins that have logical functionality on macros that do need to be tied . these pins can be differentiated from the pins that connect to the power grid either using the logical name of the pin , or the logical function of the pin . the list of identified pins is passed onto the next part of the process . the third part of the process as shown in block 1 . 4 is for the program to iterate through each pin in the list of identified pins from the previous step . for each of the pins that need to be processed the method has the following steps : 1 . find the physical shape that represents the pin in the macro layout in block 1 . 4 ; 2 . then electrically trace from that physical shape to the other end of the macro &# 39 ; s internal net as shown in block 1 . 5 ; 3 . identify the first intersection along those traced shapes of another shape on either metal layer n + 1 or n − 1 ( one layer above or one layer below respectively ) as shown in block 1 . 6 ; and 4 . create a via in the overlay cell that makes a connection between the traced shape and the intersected shape as shown in 1 . 7 finally , the fourth part of the process as shown in block 1 . 8 is to save the cellview created in the first step and instantiate it into the design . attention is now directed to fig2 which illustrates the results the results of the process of the present invention as compared to the method used in the prior art . the top right and left top portion of fig2 represents a macro side of the hierarchy ( child side ) 10 and the chip side of hierarchy ( parent side ) 11 respectively of the conventional tie routing using wiring . likewise the right and left lower portion of fig2 represents the results of the macro side of hierarchy ( child side ) 20 and the chip side hierarchy 21 of the method in accordance with the present invention for tie routing without wiring . the macro side 10 and 20 represent the child owned area as previously discussed . the chip side hierarchy 11 and 21 represent the parent owned area as previously discussed . the vertical lines in both areas are wires that represent the power grid in the parent area ( chip side ) 10 . 1 , 10 . 2 , 11 . 1 , 11 . 2 , 20 . 1 , 20 . 2 , 21 . 1 , and 21 . 2 , and the child area ( macro side ). in the top portion , a central pin 13 (& lt ; 0 & gt ;) interconnects the internal wiring 14 used for tie connections from the child side of the macro 10 to the external wiring 15 and tie connections with the power rails of the parent side of the chip 11 . this external wiring 15 is then connected to the power rail at 11 . 2 on power rail 12 which is outside of the chip side hierarchy . in the lower portion , the internal wiring 24 used for tie connections of the child side macro 25 is connected and terminates at pin 23 (& lt ; 1 & gt ;). as should now be understood the parent owned chip side 21 power rails are not connected . the tie connections are made in the child owned area internally at 26 to power rail 20 . 2 . no extra wiring resources are used or required or used to make tie connections using the present invention . it should be recognised by one skilled in the art that this process violates the conventional premise of hierarchy design rules . this is due to the top level design is now creating shapes that potentially fall under the ownership of the children cells . which means that if the children cells change after this process has been run , accordingly , this process must be repeated or problems can occur . that is why this process should only occur after the lower level cells have stabilized and are no longer in danger of changing . one aspect of the method of the present invention will be to create ic chips having better performance in smaller more reliable packages . these ic chips are more dependable and less expensive to manufacture . other aspects of the method of the present invention can be included in an article of manufacture ( e . g ., one or more computer program products ) having , for instance , computer usable media . the media has embodied therein , for instance , computer readable program code means for providing and facilitating the capabilities of the present invention . the article of manufacture can be included as a part of a computer system or sold separately . additionally , at least one program storage device readable by a machine , tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform the capabilities of the present invention can be provided . the flow diagrams depicted herein are just examples . there may be many variations to these diagrams or the steps ( or operations ) described therein without departing from the spirit of the invention . for instance , the steps may be performed in a differing order , or steps may be added , deleted or modified . all of these variations are considered a part of the claimed invention . while the preferred embodiment to the invention has been described , it will be understood that those skilled in the art , both now and in the future , may make various improvements and enhancements which fall within the scope of the claims which follow . these claims should be construed to maintain the proper protection for the invention first described .	6
fig4 shows a schematic diagram of a display reading apparatus according to the present invention . in fig4 numerals 101 , 102 , and 103 indicate fets ( field effect transistors ), and a numeral 104 indicates an organic el element . the organic el element 104 has an anode electrode made of transparent conductive material such as ito , which is connected to ground potential . the organic el element 104 further has a cathode electrode connected to a drain electrode of the fet 102 and a source electrode of the fet 103 . the fet 101 has a source electrode connected to a data line , a drain electrode connected to a gate electrode of the fet 102 , and a gate electrode connected to a scanning line . the fet 102 has a source electrode connected to a power source line which has a negative polarity . the fet 103 has a drain electrode connected to a lead line and a gate electrode connected to a scanning line . driving pulses are applied to the corresponding scanning , data , and lead lines , respectively . when the organic el element is directed to emit light , a pulsed positive voltage from the scanning line is applied to the gate of the fet 101 , and a pulsed positive voltage from the data line is applied to the source of the fet 101 , so that the gate electrode is opened . a current flows to the cathode electrode of the organic el element from the power source line to which a negative driving voltage has been previously applied . this current causes the el element to emit light . even if the vanishment of a pulse from the scanning line turns the fet 101 off , the electric charge stored on the gate of the fet 102 keeps the gate of the fet 102 open . the current then continues flowing through the organic el element , so that the light emission is sustained till the next scanning pulse is applied . in order to cease the emission of the organic el element , a negative pulsed voltage from the data line is applied to the fet 101 to drain the positive charge of the fet 101 from the gate of the fet 101 on applying a scanning pulse to the fet 101 , so that the current flowing through the organic el element is stopped . the above operation of the organic el element determines brightness levels of the emission as a function of the scanning cycles . on the other hand , in the case of optical writing to the organic el element , the irradiation of the organic el element with the light causes the organic el element to generate a voltage of the range of 1 . 5 - 2 v , which arises on the cathode electrode of the el element . if a scanning pulse is applied to the gate of the fet 103 , the voltage on the cathode electrode can be read out . in the case of the reading , a threshold voltage is provided to determine whether an output voltage from the el element corresponds to the light emission of the elements . the voltage from the el element is then stored in a frame memory , and is summed up every frame memory to obtain data for the optical writing . the optical writing data is displayed with the display data being overlapped thereon , by adding the data in the frame memory to the display data and then transferring the added data to a display panel . fig5 a and 5b show a display panel comprising a plurality of organic el elements arranged in a matrix and driving circuits , wherein the configuration shown in fig4 consists of a unit cell . fig5 a shows a diagram of the whole of the panel , and fig5 b is a diagram showing single organic el element which constitutes the panel 207 . referring to fig5 a , an input signal for the display on the panel 207 is supplied to an a / d ( analog - digital ) convertor 201 from a video reproducing apparatus ( not shown ) to be stored in a frame memory 203 . the data stored in the frame memory 203 is transferred to a writing circuit 205 , which then supplies the transferred data as a driving pulse to data lines in the panel 207 including the organic el elements in the matrix . on the other hand , a controller 204 controls a scanning circuit 206 to drive each of scanning lines in the panel 207 . as a result , the scanning and writing circuits causes each of the organic el element in the panel to emit light in accordance with the input signal . the scanning circuit 206 then scans a voltage on each of the lead lines , so that a reading circuit 208 can read out data from the lead line the read data is summed up in a memory 209 to be stored therein . the data stored in the memory 209 is summed up in a memory 203 to be stored therein . the controller 204 performs the above data sequence . the read data can achieve a voltage of about − 5v in the organic el element during the light emitting display period , a voltage of about − 2v in the organic el element which is irradiated by a light pen 210 , or a voltage of 0v in the remaining organic el elements . thus , a voltage induced by the light reception appears with the gate voltage overlaid thereon . in case where a comparator circuit is provided in the reading circuit , all of the organic el elements in the panel can be classified into three groups , i . e . one group of the el elements which emit light , a second group of the el elements which is irradiated with incoming light , and a third group of the remaining of the el elements , to read them out separately . furthermore , in the memory 203 , in addition to the input signals , the data which has been picked up by the reading circuit 208 is summed up through the memory 209 . thus , the memory 203 stores the data for causing the organic el elements to emit light in accordance with the input signal , and the data which has been generated by the light from the light pen 210 to be read out by the reading circuit 208 . the data stored in the memory 203 is used to control the light emission of the panel 207 using the writing circuit 205 . in other words , the image drawn by using the light pen 210 is overlapped on the display image based on the input signals , to display on the panel . it should be understood that the controller 204 can select only one image on the panel to display the image based on the input signals . referring to fig5 b , an organic el element 228 has an anode electrode connected to the ground and a cathode electrode connected to a source electrode of a fet 225 and a drain electrode of a fet 226 . the fet 225 further has a drain electrode connected to a lead line 222 and a gate electrode connected to a scanning line 221 . the fet 226 has a source electrode connected to a power source line 223 and a gate electrode connected to a drain electrode of a fet 227 . the fet 227 further has a source electrode connected to a data line 224 . the configuration described above constitutes a unit cell for the panel . thus , it is the panel 207 shown in fig5 a that comprises a desired number of unit cells arranged in the predetermined manner . in the operation of the organic el elements , when positive pulses are applied to the data line 224 and the scanning line 221 , respectively , the fet 227 is turned on , so that positive charge is supplied to the gate electrode of the fet 226 . the fet 226 then functions to cause a current to flow from the ground potential through the organic el element 228 to the negative power source line 223 . even if the application of the positive pulse to the fet 227 is terminated , while any charge remains on the gate electrode of the fet 227 , the fet 226 causes the driving current to flow through the organic el element 228 . with respect to an actual light emitting display , multiple brightness levels of the el element can be realized by varying the repetition number of pulses applied to the data line 224 and the scanning line 221 . in the embodiments shown in fig4 a , and 5 b , single organic el element consists of a unit pixel for the display . however , in the case of color display , it is noted that at least three of organic el elements , each of which corresponds to red ( r ), blue ( b ), and green ( g ) colors respectively , may consist of single unit pixel . the following description is made for explaining the operation for the ceasing the light emission . when a positive pulse is applied over the scanning line 221 , the application of a negative pulse to the data line 224 causes the fet 226 to discharge the electric charge on the gate electrode through the fet 227 to the data line 224 , so that the current flow across the organic el element is vanished to cease the light emission . in the operation for reading the organic el element shown in fig5 b , the application of a positive pulse to the scanning line 221 causes the gate of the pet 225 to be applied with the positive pulse , so that the fet 225 is turned on . the cathode voltage added on the gate voltage then appears on the lead line 222 . accordingly , the data in the organic el element can be read out by deriving the potential level of the lead line 222 to an external circuit . the present invention characterizes the configuration including organic el elements , a driving circuit , and a reading circuit , rather than the method for constituting the driving circuit . an apparatus of the present invention can perform not only data processing of a trace drawn by a light pen , but also the d lay of the image trace which is drawn by the light pen and overlapped on an image which has been previously drawn over the organic el panel 207 . in addition , by using the apparatus of the invention , it is possible to determine whether a light pen irradiate a programmed drawing , such as an icon for a computer , on an organic el panel . the above description has described the preferred embodiments of the present invention . the following description is made for explaining basic characteristics of an organic el element , in particular , charge absorption characteristics of an organic el element . organic el elements used in the following experiences comprises various kinds of layers deposited vertically in order , i . e . cupc / npabp / alq3 + dcjt / alq3 / lio / al , and each of the layer has the thickness of 0 . 18 μm . the organic el element has a light emitting area of 2 mm × 2 mm . two terminals of the organic el element are shortcircuited . till the current through the organic el element is equal or below 1 pa , the shortcircuit of the terminals is then maintained ( e . g . for five minutes ), so that electric charge in the organic el element is reduced . next , when a predetermined voltage is applied between the terminals to continue the application of the voltage , a large amount of current initially flow through the organic el element , and the amount of the current is gradually reduced to achieve a state of equilibrium . the amount of charge pumped into the organic el element is calculated , by subtracting the equilibrium current from the current achieved during the above measurement , and time - integrating the resultant current . fig6 a and 6b show the relationships between the current of the organic el element and time . fig6 a has a longitudinal axis indicative of the current level . the longitudinal axis indicates negative values , so that it is found that a current exits from the organic el element . fig6 b is a partial enlarged view of fig6 a , wherein a is the actual amount of the current of the organic el element , c is a calculated amount of the current , and numerals 1 , 2 , and 5 represent applied negative voltages , respectively . for example , a curved line a 1 in fig6 b represents the current characteristic to the applied voltage of − 1v . it is concluded that the organic el element is able to absorb the amount of charge proportional to the voltage . the following description is made for explaining an electric charge injection to the organic el element with white light . fig7 a shows the variation in the voltage generated in the organic el element with its terminals being released when white light having a brightness of substantially 1 , 000 cd / m 2 ( 1 . 6 mw / cm 2 ) irradiates the organic el element . fig7 a shows the variation caused due to the above operation . fig7 a shows the variation in the terminal voltage , in the case where the irradiation of the white light starts and is then stopped after the period of 90 seconds is elapsed . as a result , a voltage of 1 . 56v arises between the terminals of the organic el element by the irradiation of the white light of substantially 1 , 000 cd / m 2 . then , when the white light then is blocked , it is found that the voltage drop equals to about 0 . 2 v during the period of 200 seconds . this means that the organic el element has both of photosensitivity and memory storage capability . a curved line “ a ” in fig7 b represents the change in the current flowing through the organic el element irradiated by the white light with its terminals being shortcircuited . a curved line “ b ” in fig7 b indicates the change in the amount of the electric charge exiting from the organic el element , which is obtained by the integration of the above change in the current . fig8 shows the current characteristic of the organic el element , wherein a curved line “ a ” indicates the variation of the current flowing through the el element irradiated by the white light with its terminals being shortcircuited , a curved line “ b ” indicates the variation of the current flowing through the el element with its terminals being shortcircuited after the irradiation of the white light is ceased . described above , it is understood that the irradiation of the organic el element by the light produces electric charge within the organic el element , the organic el element holds the produced electric charge , and if necessary , the el element can discharge the electric charge externally . this means that the organic el element has photosensitivity and memory storage capability . accordingly , by utilizing these characteristics , a only single unit cell of the above organic el element can constitute a display panel which has more complex functions , such as optical writing capability , reading and transferring capability of the written image , and light emitting display capability than a conventional display panel . it is understood that the foregoing description and accompanying drawings set forth the preferred embodiments of the invention at the present time . various modifications , additions and alternative designs will , of course , become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing teachings without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed invention . thus , it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but may be practiced within the full scope of the appended claims .	6
referring now to fig1 of the drawings , there is illustrated a leonard type elevator system constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention as applied to an elevator system . however it is to be understood that the present invention is not restricted thereto or thereby . the arrangement illustrated comprises an ac source shown as being of a three phase type , and a converter 12 including of a plurality of semiconductor controlled rectifiers in this case thyristors , and having an input connected across the source 10 and an output connected across a series combination of a switch set 14 of a contactor ( not shown ) and a dc motor 16 for a hoist . the hoist includes a sheave 18 directly connected to a shaft 6 of dc motor and having a rope 20 trained over the same . the rope 20 is connected at one end to an elevator car 22 and at the other end to a counter weight 24 . the output of the converter 12 is also connected across a plurality of , in this case , three voltage dividing resistors 26a , 26b and 26c serially interconnected and included in a dc voltage detector generally designated by the reference numeral 26 . the dc voltage detector 26 further includes an operational amplifier 26d having a pair of inputs connected to the junction of the resistors 26a and 26b and that of the resistors 26b magnitude of and 26c respectively in the manner illustrated in fig1 and another operational amplifier 26e connected to the operational amplifier 26d . as shown in fig1 the operational amplifier 26e includes a pair of inputs connected to the output of the operational amplifier 26d through respective semiconductor diodes and resistors serially interconnected with the diodes having the opposite polarity to each other . thus the operational amplifier 26e is operative to produce an output corresponding to the absolute magnitudeof the output from the operational amplifier 26d . the source 10 is further connected to an ac voltage detector generally designated by the reference numeral 28 . the ac voltage detector 28 includes a step - down transformer 28a having a primary winding connected to the source 10 and therefore the ac side of the converter 12 and a secondary winding connected to a rectifier bridge 28b formed of semiconductor diodes , the bridge being subsequently connected across a potentiometer 28c provided with a movable tap . the movable tap on the potentiometer 28c is connected to a comparator generally designated by the reference numeral 30 . the comparator 30 includes a comparison amplifier 30a having a negative input coupled to the movable tap on the potentiometer 28c and also to a movable tap on a resistor 30b providing a point of reference potential . the comparison amplifier 30a includes a positive input connected to an output of the operational amplifier 26e in the dc voltage detector 26 to compare the voltages developed at the two inputs with each other . the amplifier 30a includes an output connected to a base electrode of a npn type transistor 30d in a common emitter circuit including a collector electrode connected to an operating relay winding 30c . the winding 30c is connected to the positive side of the dc source . relay winding 30c controls the energization of the contractor ( not shown ) controlling switch 14 so that when relay winding 30c is energized the contractor is deenergized and switch 14 is opened . assuming that the importance on the ac side and the commutation overlapping angle thereof extert only a negligible effect , the converter 12 has a maximum value output voltage edo expressed by where k designates a constant determined by the converter 12 and vac designates the effective value of the ac voltage applied across the converter 12 . also assuming that ed designates the output voltage from the converter 12 , the latter is controllable when the relationship edo & gt ; ed holds . in other words , it is not required to effect as emergency stop of the elevator car 22 as long as the relationship in the arrangement of fig1 the ac voltage detector 28 detects the ac voltage developed on the ac side of the converter 12 which is normally equal to the ac voltage across the source 10 . more specifically , the ac voltage is stepped down by the transformer 28a and full - wave rectified by the rectifier bridge 28b . thus the potentiometer 28c has developed thereacross a first dc voltage corresponding to the ac voltage . on the other hand , the dc voltage detector 26 detects the dc voltage developed on the dc side of the converter 12 to produce at the output of the operational amplifier 26e a second dc voltage providing a measure of the detected dc voltage . then the comparator 30 compares the first and second dc voltages with each other . it is to be noted that the switch 14 is in its closed position during the normal operation of the elevator car 22 . during the operation of the elevator car 22 , the voltage across the ac source 10 may be lowered to decrease the first dc voltage across the potentiometer 28c in the ac voltage detector 28 . under these circumstances , the output from the comparison amplifier 30a remains negative as long as the expression ( 2 ) holds . therefore the transistor 30d remains non - conducting preventing the energization of the relay winding 30c . thus the elevator car 22 continues to travel because the switch 14 is maintained in its closed position . on the contrary , if the ac voltage across the source 10 is lowered enough to fail to hold the expression ( 2 ) then the difference between the output from the operational amplifier 26e and the output from the potentiometer 28c exceeds the reference potential set by the resistor 30b . this causes the output from the comparison amplifier 30a the change from a negative to a positive polarity . when the output from the amplifier 30a changes to a positive polarity , the transistor 30d conducts to energize the relay winding 30c with the result that the contactor ( not shown ) is deenergized to bring the switch 14 into its open position . thereby the motor 16 disengages from the converter 12 while at the same time a brake ( not shown ) may on the act shaft 16 resulting in the emergency stoppage of the elevator car 22 . from the foregoing it is seen that in the arrangement of fig1 the circuit with the motor 16 is not uselessly opened as long as the converter 12 is able to controllably drive the dc motor . however if the converter 12 is unable to controllably drive the dc motor then the circuit with the motor 16 is immediately opened whereby the controlled rectifiers are prevented from destruction . fig2 wherein like reference numerals designate the components identical or corresponding to those shown in fig1 illustrates a modification of the present invention particularly suitable for use with elevator systems . the arrangement illustrated is different from that shown in fig1 only in that in fig2 a current detector generally designated by the reference numeral 32 is connected between the converter 12 and the voltage dividing resistor 26c and a regenerative mode sensor generally designated by the reference numeral 34 is connected to the current detector 32 to sense whether or not the converter 12 receives regenerative power from the dc motor . as shown in fig2 the current detector 32 includes an input resistor 32a connected between the converter 12 and the voltage dividing resistor 26c and hence the motor &# 39 ; s armature 16 , and a magnetic amplifier 32b of conventional construction connected across the input resistor 32a . the magnetic amplifier 32a is connected to a comparison amplifier 34a disposed in the regenerative mode sensor 34 . the comparison amplifier 34a includes a positive input connected to one of the pair of output terminals of the magnetic amplifier 32b and a negative input connected to the other output terminal of the magnetic amplifier 32b and also to ground . the regenerative mode sensor 34 further includes another comparison amplifier 34b including a positive input connected to the output of the operational amplifier 26d and a negative input connected to ground . then the outputs of the comparison amplifiers 34a and 34b are each connected to a pair of inputs to an exclusive &# 34 ; nor &# 34 ; circuit 34c respectively . the exclusive &# 34 ; nor &# 34 ; circuit 34c is connected at the output to the base electrode of a npn transistor 34d in a common emitter circuit including a collector electrode connected to the base electrode of the npn transistor 30d disposed in the comparator 30 . the current detector 32 is operative to detect the current flowing through the motor 16 while the regenerative mode sensor 34 is responsive to the outputs from current detector 32 and voltage detector 26 to determine if the converter 12 receives regenerative power from the dc motor . when the converter 12 provides generative power to the dc motor as determined by the regenerative mode sensor 34 , the transistor 34d is turned on . however when the regenerative mode sensor 34 has determined that the converter 12 receives regenerative power from the dc motor , the transistor 13d is put in its off state . it is assumed that , during the travel of the elevator car 22 , the ac voltage across the source 10 drops so that the outputs from the detectors 26 and 28 do not satisfy the expression ( 2 ). under the assumed condition , the transistor 30d included in the comparator 30 remains in its off state as long as the converter 12 provides generative power to the dc motor for the following reasons : with the converter 12 providing generative power to the dc motor , the output from the operational amplifier 26d in the voltage detector 26 has the same polarity as that from the magnetic amplifier 32b . therefore the exclusive &# 34 ; nor &# 34 ; circuit 34c delivers a high or positive output to the transistor 34d to cause the latter to conduct . under these circumstances , the transistor 30d remains nonconducting even though the comparison amplifier 30d provides an output with the positive polarity . therefore the relay winding 30c is kept deenergized to hold the main contactor ( not shown ) energized thereby to keep the contact set 14 in its closed position . on the other hand , when the converter 12 receives regenerative power from the dc motor , as determined by the regenerative mode sensor 34 , the output from the operational amplifier 26d is different in polarity from that provided by the magnetic amplifier 32b . this causes the exclusive &# 34 ; nor &# 34 ; circuit 34c to deliver a low or null output to the transistor 34d to maintain the latter in its off state . under these circumstances , when the output from the comparison amplifier 30d is changed to the positive polarity , the transistor 30d is turned on . thus the relay winding 30c is energized to deenergize the main contactor ( not shown ) thereby to put the switch 14 in its open position resulting in the stoppage of the elevator car . if the source voltage drops during the travel of the elevator car enough to fail to hold the expression ( 2 ), then the converter 12 is not able to controllably drive the dc motor but there is no fear that any of controlled rectifiers will be damaged . this is because , at that time , currents flowing through the controlled rectifiers immediately become null . when the source voltage is again restored to its normal magnitude , the converter 12 is again enabled . during the disabling of the converter 12 the elevator car 22 will freely fall in accordance with the relationship between loading on the car 22 and the weight of the counter weight 27 . if the source voltage is decreased for a short time interval then the elevator car 22 undergoes a small in change in speed , while if the decrease in source voltage continues for a long time interval then another safety device ( not shown ) installed on the elevator system is operated . thus the passenger or passengers in the elevator car 22 can be kept safe . accordingly it is not required to effect the emergency stoppage of the elevator car 22 as long as the converter 12 is operated in the conversion mode . from the foregoing it is seen that the present invention provides a leonard type elevator system operative to open the dc circuit with the dc motor when the difference between the voltage on the ac side of the converter and that on the dc side thereof exceeds a predetermined magnitude . therefore the controlled rectifiers disposed in the converter can be prevented from being damaged by opening the circuit with the dc motor only when the converter is not able to controllably drive the dc motor . also since the circuit with the dc motor is opened only when the converter receives regenerative power from the dc motor , any useless emergency stoppage of the elevator systems or the like to which the present invention is applied can be avoided . while the present invention has been illustrated and described in conjunction with a few preferred embodiments thereof it is to be understood that numerous changes and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention .	8
with reference initially to fig1 a navigation device of the present invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10 . as illustrated , navigation device 10 has a housing 12 , adapted to rest on a surface . navigation device 10 has a front face 14 , including an input area comprised of a keypad 16 with keys 18 , and a display designated generally by reference numeral 20 , having a display screen 22 . it should be understood that the structure of navigational device 10 is shown as illustrative of one type of navigational device . other physical structures , such as a portable handheld unit , are contemplated and within the scope of this invention . as illustrated in the block diagram of fig3 navigation device 10 of the present invention includes a processor , designated by reference numeral 24 . keypad 16 and display 20 , as well as memory 26 and an antenna 28 , are connected to processor 24 , as shown . in accordance with the principles of the present invention , and as described in detail below , display 20 displays navigational information , such as navigational route and / or landmark or hazard information , with certain selected waypoints being designated by an abbreviated character string , as generated by the device 10 . with reference to fig2 a prior art method for displaying navigation data is shown and described . in the prior art example shown in fig2 a user of a prior art navigation device has entered two waypoints , namely , waypoint 001 and waypoint 002 . a line 32 , indicative of a navigational route from waypoint 001 to weight point 002 , is shown on the display screen 30 . conventional prior art navigation devices identify waypoints in the manner illustrated in fig2 . in particular , in conventional prior art navigation devices , each entered waypoint is designated a number , with each subsequently entered waypoint being designated the next sequential number . while such an approach is useful for distinguishing one waypoint from another , it is seen that this approach does not readily indicate to the operator the actual geographical location of the selected waypoint 001 or 002 . in an effort to overcome this disadvantage , many prior art devices provide for an input interface which permits an operator to define a character string which is indicative of the geographical location of the selected waypoint . however , such prior art devices , due to hardware and space constraints , often require the operator to mentally determine an appropriate abbreviation for a geographical name . additionally , the operator must individually select each character of the abbreviation and enter it into the device for association with the selected waypoint . accordingly , this process is extremely time consuming and requires the operator to execute a significant number of input operations . with additional reference now to fig4 and 5 , operation of the present invention is illustrated and described . in operation , when an operator enters a waypoint in a conventional manner , processor 24 determines the geographical location of the selected waypoint ( e . g ., the latitude and longitude ), and determines whether there is a name , stored in memory , associated with the selected geographical location . in accordance with the principles of the present invention , in the event there is no geographical location name stored in memory in association with the selected waypoint location , then processor 24 corresponds a numerical indicia with the selected waypoint , and stores that numerical indicia in memory , and / or displays it on the display screen 22 . alternatively , the operator may select a conventional prior art feature for retrieving a list of alphabetic characters , and creating a character string indicative of the selected waypoint location . with reference to fig5 when processor 24 determines that there is a geographical name stored in memory in association with the selected waypoint location , processor 24 retrieves from memory the name ( e . g ., the character string ) associated with the waypoint , as indicated at step 40 of fig5 . as indicated at step 42 , processor 24 then determines whether the character string fits within a desired number of spaces for the character sting . in this regard , it will be understood and appreciated that space constraints on display screen 22 , as well as memory constraints , require a maximum limitation in the number of characters to be included in a character string . in accordance with the principles of the present invention , the maximum number of characters permitted in a character string is six , although it will be appreciated that another number of characters could be selected . when processor 24 determines at step 42 that the character string does not fit within the maximum number of spaces permitted in the character string , processing advances to step 43 , where processor 24 eliminates any special characters ( such as colons , apostrophes , slashes , etc .) in the character string . elimination of special characters occurs by processing the string from the right hand edge of the character string to the left hand edge , such that , once the string of characters fits within the desired number of spaces , no further special characters will be eliminated . once any and all special characters have been eliminated from the character string , the processor again determines , as indicated at step 44 , whether the now abbreviated character string fits within the maximum number of spaces permitted in the character string . in the event the character string still does not fit within the desired number of spaces , processing advances to step 45 , where the processor eliminates double consonants from the character string . again , in the process of eliminating double consonants , processor 24 works from the right most character of the character string to the left most character . as this process is carried out in the preferred embodiment , at any point at which one of a pair of double consonants is removed and the resulting abbreviated character string fits within the selected number of spaces , no additional double consonant pairs are processed . once any and all double consonants are eliminated from the character string , processing advances to step 46 where it is determined whether the character string fits within the maximum number of spaces . if the character string still does not fit within the desired number of spaces , processor advances to step 48 , where processor 24 eliminates blanks in the character string . in accordance with the preferred principles of the present invention , the processing step 48 for eliminating blanks in the character string works from the right hand edge of the character string to the left hand edge . in this regard , each time a blank space is eliminated , the processor again determines whether the character string fits within the desired number of spaces . thus , in the case where there are multiple blanks within a character string , it may not be necessary to eliminate all spaces before the resulting abbreviated character string fits within the desired number of spaces . once any and all blanks have been eliminated from the character string at step 48 , if the character string still does not fit within the desired number of spaces , as determined at step 50 , processing advances to step 51 , where processor 24 eliminates any double vowels from the character string . in this regard , elimination of double vowels involves removal of one vowel of a pair of adjacent like vowels . again , as with other processing steps , the elimination of double vowels involves processing the character string from the right hand edge to the left hand edge , such that when removal of one vowel of a pair of double vowels results in the character string fitting within the desired number of spaces , no additional vowel pairs need be processed . when , however , any and all double vowels have been processed , and the character string still does not fit within the desired number of spaces , processing advances to step 53 , where processor 24 removes vowels from the character string . again , processor 24 works from the right most character in the string to the left most character , and removes vowels one at a time . as will by now be understood , in the event a vowel is removed and the resulting character string fits within the maximum number of spaces , no additional vowels will be removed from the string . once any and all vowels have been removed from the character string at step 53 , processing advances to step 54 , where it is again determined whether the character string fits within the maximum number of spaces permitted in a character string . in the event the character string still does not fit within the desired number of spaces , processing advances to step 56 to again remove any double consonants in the same manner as previously described . in this regard , it will be appreciated that the removal of vowels may have resulted in like consonants being paired adjacent each other . once again , this processing is carried out from the right hand most character of the string , to the left , and will stop once the string fits within the maximum number of characters . upon removal of any double consonants at step 56 , processor 24 again determines at step 58 whether the resulting character string fits within the maximum number of spaces . when it is determined that the character string still does not fit within the maximum number of spaces , processing proceeds to step 60 , where processor 24 removes a letter at the right of a character string . as illustrated by step 60 and 62 , letters will continuously be dropped from the right hand edge of the character string until the character string fits within the maximum number of spaces permitted for a character string . as illustrated in fig5 at any point during the process at which the character string fits within the maximum number of spaces permitted , processing advances to step 64 , where processor 24 determines whether the character string is the same as another character string corresponding to a different waypoint . this processing step is a safeguard to prevent two different waypoints from having the same abbreviated name . when it is determined at step 64 that this character string has the same name as another character string , processing advances to step 66 , and the right most character of the character string is replaced with a number . as will be understood , in the event a subsequent character string also matches the character string , then processing step 66 will add the next sequential number to the end of that particular character string . when , however , it is determined at processing step 64 that this character string is not matched by another character string , processing advances to step 68 where the character string is stored in memory and / or displayed on the display screen in association with the selected waypoint . with reference to fig4 an illustration of the abbreviation process just described is applied to a waypoint named &# 34 ; hillsdale lake &# 34 ;. as illustrated , hillsdale lake is two words that are longer than the desired number of spaces permitted for a cartographic marker character string . accordingly , during processing step 45 of fig5 &# 34 ; hillsdale lake &# 34 ; is abbreviated to &# 34 ; hilsdale lake &# 34 ; ( double consonant eliminated ). since hilsdale lake still does not fit within the desired number of spaces , namely six , working from the right hand edge of that character string , blanks are eliminated , resulting in hilsdalelake . since hilsdalelake still does not fit within the desired number of spaces , processor 24 removes vowels from the character string , in accordance with processing step 53 , thus resulting in hlsdllk . since hlsdllk still does not fit within the desired number of spaces , the double consonants resulting from removal of vowels are processed so that one of the consonants of the pair of double consonants is removed , resulting in an abbreviated character string hlsdlk . since hlsdlk is within the desired number of spaces , that character string is useful as an abbreviated cartographic marker name for the selected waypoint , so long as it does not match a previous abbreviated name . as illustrated in fig1 display screen 22 of navigation device 10 illustrates a waypoint with the cartographic marker hlsdlk , and another waypoint i35 . it should be understood that certain character strings will not have special characters , and / or blanks , and / or double consonants , and / or double vowels , and / or vowels , and in such an event processing steps for eliminating those occurrences are bypassed . additionally , it should be understood that the sequence of processing described herein could be changed . however , the process described is the preferred process , and has been found to result in abbreviated character strings which retain enough of the substance of the original character string to allow a user to readily identify the geographical location associated with a waypoint . additionally , in accordance with another advantage of the present invention , in the event an abbreviated cartographic marker name generated by the present invention is undesirable to the operator , the operator may quickly and easily edit the abbreviated character string by changing one or more characters in the string , through the use of conventional interface techniques . even in such a circumstance , the number of in put operations needing to be executed are substantially less than required for defining and inputting the entire character string . from the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with the other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure . it will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations . this is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims . since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof , it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative , and not in a limiting sense .	6
in the following , functionally similar or identical elements may have the same reference numerals . the terms “ light ”, “ lighting unit ” and “ luminairy ” relate in the following to the same . fig1 shows a lighting system 10 with several luminaries 14 . operation of the luminaries 14 can be controlled , for example the lighting color , the dimming level , the saturation . the luminaries 14 may contain several color leds ( light emitting diodes ) for generating a colored lighting . for controlling the luminaries 14 , a central lighting controller 26 is provided , which may be implemented by a standard personal computer ( pc ), which is configured by a program implementing control functionality of the luminaries , or a lighting controller comprising a processor or microcontroller , which are also configured by a program to implement the control functionality for the luminaries . the central lighting controller 26 can control one , several or all luminaries by transmitting control commands to the luminaries , or to a lighting controller ( not shown ), switched between the luminaries 14 and the central lighting controller 26 as a further control instance . the central lighting controller 26 is also configured to create lighting scenes with the luminaries 14 . a lighting scene contains presets of some or all luminaries 14 . the presets may contain the lighting color and dimming level of the luminaries 14 in order to create a desired lighting scene . a lighting scene may be created by a user via a user interface ( ui ) 24 or connected to the central lighting controller . the ui 24 may be for example formed by a program executed by a mobile device such as a pda ( personal digital assistant ), smartphone , laptop . the mobile device may be connected to the central lighting controller via a data connection 28 , for example a lan ( local area network ) or wlan . an example of a mobile device is a smartphone , which is connected to a wlan and executes a lighting system access applet , which creates the ui 24 for the lighting system 10 . since it is often a tedious task to create a lighting scene to be rendered with a complex lighting system , lighting scenes may also be received from for example professional lighting designers or lighting system vendors . since lighting scenes are datasets , they may be for example downloaded by a user via the data connection 28 from a server ( not shown ), for example a webserver , to the central lighting controller 26 . presets of lighting scenes ( either user created or downloaded ) may be stored in a preset database 16 of the lighting system controller . the presets are adapted to the instances of the concrete luminaries 14 of the lighting system 10 . this is important when a user downloads a lighting scene , since the downloaded lighting scene is usually not adapted to the concrete lighting system , but contains merely an abstract description of a lighting scene , which may then be automatically transferred to the concrete lighting system 10 . systems and methods for such an automatic transfer of an abstract lighting atmosphere or scene description into a control set for an instance of a lighting system are offered by the applicant and subject to further patent applications of the applicant . the central lighting controller 26 comprises a further luminaries data database 12 , which contains data of the luminaries 14 . the contained data particularly comprises information about the energy consumption of each luminary 14 and may contain further information such as about the functionality of each luminary 14 . a third database 20 of the central lighting controller 26 contains the actual energy costs , which may also be downloaded from a server , for example a webserver , which hosts a database with the energy costs . it should be noted that all databases 12 , 16 , and 20 must not be part of the central lighting controller 26 , but may be for example also offered by separate servers , for example webservers in the internet , home servers , or simple pcs acting as a kind of server for the central lighting controller 26 . for example , a user may execute the databases 16 and 20 in her / his pc , which may be connected to the internet , and download new lighting scenes or update the energy costs from time to time by starting a program on her / his pc for managing the databases 16 and 20 . this pc may be connected to a lan or wlan of the user in her / his home , to which also the central lighting controller 26 is connected in order to access the databases 16 and 20 on the pc . as mentioned above , the central lighting controller 26 may comprise a user interface ( ui ) 24 . over the ui 24 , a user may control for example the creation of a lighting scene with the lighting system 10 . when a user wishes to create a certain lighting scene , she / he can for example select one of the lighting scenes stored in the lighting scene database 16 . after selection of a lighting scene , a calculation module 18 of the central lighting controller 26 processes the selected lighting scene according to the following algorithm , a flowchart of which is shown in fig2 : the calculation module 18 retrieves the data of the luminaries required for the creation of the selected lighting scene from the first database 12 ( step s 10 ). then , the module 18 retrieves the lighting presets for the selected lighting scene from the preset database 16 ( step s 12 ), and retrieves the actual energy costs from the energy costs database 20 ( step s 14 ). after retrieving all of these data , the calculation module 18 begins to process a model of the lighting system &# 39 ; s behaviour ( step s 16 ) based on the retrieved lighting presets and calculates an estimated energy consumption and the costs for the selected lighting scene based on the modeling . the behaviour model is processed based on the presets contained in the lighting scene and may take static and dynamic lighting into account . thus , the model may be time dependent . the result of this estimated energy consumption calculation is then displayed on the ui 24 ( step s 18 ), before the user may finally select the lighting scene for creation . when the lighting scene is created by the lighting system 10 , the calculation module 18 may still work in the background and update the energy consumption and costs displayed with the ui 24 . the central lighting controller 26 is also adapted to create lighting programs with the lighting system 10 . a lighting program in the context of this invention is a playlist of lighting scenes . for example , a lighting program for an office space may comprise the following data : a user may also select such a lighting program via the user interface 24 with the central lighting controller 26 . the calculation module 18 may then calculate the energy consumption for the selected lighting program by calculating the energy consumption for every lighting scene contained in the program as explained above . furthermore , the calculation module 18 may calculate the energy costs by taking the time span of each lighting scene contained in the selected lighting program into account . additionally , a user may set an energy target , which should be met by a lighting created with the lighting system 10 . energy target may mean an energy consumption or energy cost target . the user selects via the ui 24 of the central lighting controller 26 the menu for energy target lighting creation and enters a given energy target , for example in terms of maximum energy costs or energy consumption of the lighting system . for example , a user may enter the total costs for lighting for a day , week or month . also , the user may enter whether a lighting scene or a lighting program should be created by the lighting system 10 . the inputted energy target serves as the starting point for lighting creation , as is described in the following : the calculation module 18 communicates to a lighting scene selector module 22 the input energy target together with the inputted selection lighting scene or program . the lighting scene selector module 22 then automatically selects one or more lighting scenes from a set of lighting scenes , which are stored in the lighting system 10 or on a server accessible over the data connection 28 . if the user selected a lighting scene selection , the module 22 selects only lighting scenes , which are suitable to meet the inputted energy target by calculating the energy consumption for each lighting scene and selecting each lighting scene with an energy consumption lower than or equal to the energy target . if the user selected a lighting program selection , the module 22 selects either a stored lighting program , which meets the energy target by calculating the energy consumption of a lighting program with the calculation module 18 and as described above , or the module 22 automatically selects a number of lighting scenes and creates a lighting program from the selected lighting scenes , with which the energy target may be met . for example , when a user inputted as an energy target a maximum cost amount per day and lighting program , the module 22 may automatically select suitable lighting scenes and create the lighting program in that it automatically determines for how long certain lighting scenes are active during the day in order to meet the energy target costs . for example , when a user inputted as energy cost target 470 euro / month for an office space , the lighting scene selector module 22 may automatically create the following playlist of lighting scenes as lighting program for a day in order to meet the energy cost target : even if all lights are switched off in the times 12 pm - 8 am and 8 pm - 12 pm , energy is consumed for example by the central lighting controller 26 so that the costs are not 0 . thus , the lighting system 10 offers a user also to create lighting scenes or programs by taking energy aspects into account . thus , the invention may improve the creation of lighting with lighting systems . the invention can be applied to all lighting system being adapted to create lighting scenes . at least some of the functionality of the invention may be performed by hard - or software . in case of an implementation in software , a single or multiple standard microprocessors or microcontrollers may be used to process a single or multiple algorithms implementing the invention . it should be noted that the word “ comprise ” does not exclude other elements or steps , and that the word “ a ” or “ an ” does not exclude a plurality . furthermore , any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention .	7
referring to fig1 an exploded view of an optical data storage device is shown . a loader assembly 160 is positioned over the spindle motor 110 within the base plate 102 . the loader assembly 160 accepts a cartridge containing a shuttle with disk , and the disk cartridge is used to minimize contamination by keeping a disk out of reach of a user at all times . in one implementation , the read / write head is a “ flying ” head which is suspended over an optical media by an air - bearing surface in a near - field recording configuration where the phasing between an exit facet of the flying head and a recording layer in the media is a fraction of a wavelength . the flying head includes a near - field lens with a high index of refraction and usually has a near - field condition . a focus beam with a spot size smaller than that obtainable from a conventional optical system is achieved due to the use of this high index solid immersion lens as the near - field lens . the optical read / write head of this embodiment is described in more detail in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 846 , 916 , entitled “ electro - optical storage system with flying head or near - field recording and reading ,” filed on apr . 29 , 1997 and issued as u . s . pat . no . 6 , 243 , 350 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herewith by reference . referring back to fig1 a data storage device base assembly 100 is shown . the assembly 100 has a base plate 102 which is adapted to receive a spindle motor 110 . the spindle motor 110 rotates one or more data storage media such as optical disks or platters ( not shown ). the spindle motor 110 is attached to the base plate 102 . also attached to the base plate 102 is the actuator assembly 150 with an actuator body 180 , arm 170 , and a “ flying ” head 178 . the flying head 178 is suspended over the optical media by an air - bearing surface in a near - field recording configuration . a rotary actuator is used as a coarse positioned for the data storage drive , although other positioning devices may also be used . an optics module containing the flying head is attached to an actuator arm 170 of the actuator assembly 150 . any user data sector on the optical media may be addressed with a read / write beam by adjusting the rotary actuator and turning a galvo mirror ( not shown ). the actuator assembly 150 is described in more detail in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 205 , 350 , entitled “ voice coil motor assembly ” filed on dec . 3 , 1998 and abandoned . the flying head 178 accesses an optical media on a platter ( not shown ) which can be writable / erasable materials ( i . e ., write - many - read - many ), write - once - read - many materials , and read - only materials . the writable / erasable materials are the magneto - optic type , including but not limited to , rare earth materials . the ramp motion mechanism 200 is attached to base plate 102 to provide a pathway for loading and unloading flying head 178 . in one embodiment , the ramp motion mechanism 200 is made of plastic . to complete the assembly 100 , a cover 190 is screwed into the base plate 102 . further , a face plate assembly 195 is mounted to the front of the base plate 102 to provide data access information to the user through light - emitting diodes ( leds ). fig2 shows a detailed blown - up view of the actuator assembly 150 and the ramp motion mechanism 200 . the ramp motion mechanism 200 includes a stationary ramp , also called the static ramp or the support base , 210 , and a dynamic ramp nose , or fork , 220 . actuator assembly 150 includes the actuator arm 170 , lifter 202 , and the read / write head 178 . read / write head 178 is described as a flying head above , but it can be a number of other commercially available read / write heads . in loading or unloading operations , lifter 202 contacts surface 680 , which is a part of the static ramp 210 , and surface 685 , which is a part of the nose 220 , as shown in fig6 a . for dual read / write heads , the bottom surface 695 of the nose 220 and a corresponding part ( not shown ) of the static ramp 210 will also be used . referring to fig3 the ramp motion mechanism 200 is shown in the top view , with ramp nose 220 in extended position . the ramp motion mechanism 200 has two stable positions , retracted and extended positions . these two positions are distinguished by the position of the ramp nose 220 relative to the static ramp 210 . ramp nose 220 slides between the two ends of the channel 320 situated on the top surface of the static ramp 210 . at end 330 of channel 320 , the ramp nose 220 is in retracted position . at end 340 of channel 320 , the ramp 220 is in extended position . in the retracted position , the ramp nose 220 is inward on the static ramp 210 . in the retracted position , the ramp motion mechanism 200 provides maximum clearance for a disk cartridge to move into a loaded position . channel end 330 stops the motion of the ramp nose 220 . in the extended position the ramp nose 220 is extended out from the static ramp 210 . the ramp motion mechanism 200 is held in this position to provide a pathway for the read / write head 178 to load smoothly onto the disk . the accurate positioning and angular orientation of the ramp nose 220 are important because they control the landing site of the read / write head 178 . the ramp nose 220 is accurately controlled by the way it “ docks ” with the static ramp 210 . the surfaces and shapes of the static ramp 210 and ramp nose 220 are such that the position and angular orientation of the ramp nose are controlled completely in all six positional and angular degrees of freedom ( the three axes and three angles ). this is accomplished by means of the applied force and reaction forces that push on the ramp nose to be explained infra . the ramp nose 220 is held in one of these two positions by the force exerted by lever 310 . lever 310 in one implementation is attached to the base plate of the disk drive and is therefore also called plate lever . at the other end of lever 310 there is a spring torsion 320 . as lever 310 moves from end 330 to end 340 , or vice versa , spring 320 passes a center position , on either side of which spring 320 produces a force to push lever 310 until lever 310 is stopped by the ramp motion mechanism 200 . in one embodiment , lever 310 is made of metal . fig4 a — 4 c show the perspective , top , and side views of the ramp motion mechanism 200 respectively . fig5 shows the top view of the ramp nose 220 . ramp nose 220 has loop 410 , which is where lever 310 applies a force . fig6 a shows the contact surface 680 , which is a part of static ramp 210 , and contact surface 685 , which a part of nose 220 . in loading and unloading , lifter 202 contacts surfaces 680 and 685 . the distal end 690 of nose 220 is at a shallow angle of 20 degrees or less for loading and unloading a read / write head 178 . fig6 b shows the ramp motion mechanism 200 in the extended position as it is ready to load into and unload from disk 610 . fig6 c shows the ramp motion mechanism 200 in the retracted position . fig7 a and 7b show a plurality of reaction pads present on the ramp nose 220 to provide reaction forces that push on the ramp nose 220 as it receives a force from lever 310 at location 710 . reaction pads 720 and 715 are on one side of the nose 220 , and reaction pads 725 , 730 , 740 , and 745 are on the other side of the nose 220 . as lever 310 applies a force to nose 220 at location 710 , reaction forces to this applied force are located at the reaction pads on both sides of nose 220 . these pads dock the ramp nose 220 in the desired position and angular orientation . the ramp nose 220 is precisely controlled by the way it “ docks ” with static ramp 210 . the surfaces and shapes of the static ramp 210 and ramp nose 220 are such that the position and angular orientation of the ramp nose 220 are controlled completely in six degrees of freedom in three dimensions . thus , the ramp motion mechanism 200 provides precise , repeatable pathway for loading and unloading read / write head 178 unto and from disk 610 . although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments therein , one ordinarily skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will appreciate that various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims . for example , the ramp motion mechanism can be used to engage two or more read / write head simultaneously attached to the actuator to access information of two or more recording disks .	6
in fig1 and 2 there is illustrated an aircraft comprising a ducted propeller unit generally indicated at 10 having a shroud indicated generally at 11 which carries a cabin 12 at a position forward of a propeller 13 within the shroud . also carried by the shroud is a mainplane 14 , a pair of fins 15 carried by twin booms 16 extending from the mainplane 14 , and a tailplane 17 . the aircraft has an undercarriage 18 . the mainplane fin and tailplane are respectively provided with roll 19 , yaw 20 and pitch 21 control surfaces , as is conventional referring now to fig3 the ducted propeller unit is seen to comprise the propeller 13 carried for rotation by and within the shroud 11 which is of streamlined , quasi - aerofoil section . to a leading portion 22 of the shroud , which includes an annular main spar 23 , the cabin 12 is attached by means of load - bearing elements 24 hereinafter referred to as cabin stator blades . the stator blades 24 are constructed with a transverse ( in the sense of the airflow through the duct ) crosssectional area as small as possible consistent with their load - bearing function and are profiled for minimum disturbance of the airflow through the duct . the illustrated arrangement of five equi - spaced , radially directed stator blades 24 is shown solely for the purpose of explanation and the actual number , spacing and orientation of stator blades to be used in any particular embodiment of an aircraft according to the invention will be dependent upon numerous factors apparent to those skilled in the art . the main spar 23 in the leading portion 22 of the shroud is contiguous with the main spar of the mainplane 14 . aft of the spar 23 , however , there is mounted on the leading portion 22 a vibration - isolating mount comprising mountings 25 , by which is carried on the leading portion 22 a trailing portion 26 of the shroud 11 . the trailing portion itself supports a nacelle 27 through aft stator blades 28 , the nacelle housing a prime mover 29 to which the propeller 13 is directly mounted . in a variant a further prime mover 30 located in the cabin 12 is connected to the propeller 13 by way of a flexible coupling 31 . in this way , the aircraft includes an &# 34 ; engine pod &# 34 ; comprising the propeller 13 , prime mover 29 , nacelle 27 , aft stator blades 28 , and shroud trailing portion 26 , which pod is carried on the shroud leading portion 22 and isolated in vibration from the remainder of the airframe by the mount , but which can vibrate as a whole thereby reducing the likelihood of the tips of the propeller blades fouling the surrounding portion of the shroud trailing portion 26 . likewise , stresses leading to elastic deformation of the leading portion 22 of the shroud , i . e . the primary shroud structure , should not be transferred to the shroud trailing portion 26 . where the further prime mover 30 is provided , it is mounted on flexible mountings ( not shown ) within the cabin 12 and the flexible coupling 31 permits it to vibrate relative to the propeller 13 . there is then provided within the hub 32 of the propeller 13 means ( not shown ) for disconnecting the drive of either one of the prime movers 29 and 30 e . g . in the event of engine failure . in use of the aircraft , the blades of the propeller 13 impel ambient air through the annular duct 33 defined between the shroud 11 , the hub 32 , the cabin 12 and the nacelle 27 thereby to generate thrust for flight . as illustrated in fig4 each vibration - isolating mounting 25 comprises a bracket 34 on the leading portion 22 of the shroud connected to a bracket 35 on the shroud trailing portion 26 by means of a nut and bolt 36 retained by a split pin 37 . while the bolt is received in a close - fitting aperture in the bracket 35 , the aperture in the bracket 34 on the leading portion 22 of the shroud is much larger than the cross - section of the bolt 36 thereby permitting a degree of movement between the leading and trailing shroud portions . this movement is controlled by a pair of annular mounting blocks 38 of tough , elastomeric material held by the brackets 34 and 35 and a spacer 39 around the bolt 36 . bonded to each of the blocks 38 is a steel flat washer 40 and a shaped collar 41 which is received snugly within the aperture of the bracket 34 . the spacer 39 prevents over - tightening of the bolt 36 . the mounting blocks 38 are supplied by the lord corporation of u . s . a . and their construction will be familiar to those skilled in the art . as best seen in fig4 in a further precaution against fouling of the shroud by the tips of the propeller blades , the portion of the shroud , which lies in the plane of the fan incorporates a substantially rigid , circular ring 42 of box - section to permit a constant close clearance to be maintained between the blade tips 43 and the surrounding shroud structure . positioned into the portion of this ring 42 which is immediately adjacent to the propeller blade tips is an annulus 44 of rigid polyurethane foam or like soft but rigid material of radial thickness about 12 mm which will not cause damage to the blade tips in the ( unlikely ) event of contact occurring under extreme aerodynamic or other loading . the working clearance between the blade tips 43 and the shroud interior skin 45 is typically in the region of 1 to 2 mm for each meter of the propeller diameter . as is apparent from fig1 and 2 , the primary load path between the mainplane and the remainder of the aircraft illustrated therein for the passage in particular of wing torsional and bending stresses is effected not between the wing roots and a fuselage structure as in prior , ducted propeller - equipped aircraft , but between the wing roots and the leading portion 22 of the streamlined shroud 11 . from fig5 it will be appreciated that the main spar 23 of the shroud and a main spar 46 of the mainplane form a continuous load - bearing structure extending inboard from one wing - tip 47 , all around the shroud 11 , and then outboard to the other wing - tip 48 , which structure is a distinctive feature of the illustrated aircraft and would be present where another type of primary structure is employed , be it of single spar , multiple spar or any other construction . in the illustrated embodiments , the main spar 23 within the shroud 11 is in the form of a built - up , circular frame with a stub 49 of a mainplane spar rigidly attached at either side . the joint at each wing root between the spar 23 and stub 49 is permanent and , if detachable wings are desired , then each mainplane spar 46 could be detachably jointed e . g . where indicated at xx in fig5 to its respective stub 49 . many of the components of the second aircraft , as shown in fig6 and 7 , are common to those of the aircraft first illustrated and like reference numerals are employed to identify such components . the aircraft has a cabin unit 50 , including the cabin 12 , forward of the propeller 13 and a single boom 51 extending aft of the shroud 11 which carries a tailplane 17 and a single fin 15 , the cabin unit 50 being connected to the shroud 11 by cabin stators as described above , the mainplane 14 being supported by the shroud 11 in like manner to that shown in fig5 and the boom 51 being carried by aft stators as described below with reference to fig8 and 9 . the propeller may be driven by any suitable type of prime mover and , as shown in fig8 and 9 , for increased power and safety by a pair of engines 29 and 30 respectively behind and one in front of the propeller 13 . in such a case there may be provision , as mentioned above with reference to fig3 for disconnecting the drive of either engine , e . g . in the event of its failure . in the variant illustrated in fig9 there are two propellers 52 and 53 in series each driven by its own engine 29 and 30 respectively in place of the single propeller 13 of fig3 and 8 . the propellers in this case may be driven in contra - rotation , a technique known per se , but it is also proposed for each propeller 52 and 53 to be driven by its respective engine 29 and 30 so as to rotate in the same sense as the other with provision for synchronising the rotation of the propellers . the latter case may have no advantages over contrarotation from the points of view of thrust production or safety , but it is believed that such an arrangement may permit quieter operation . to overcome any potential &# 34 ; vibration &# 34 ; problems , the or each propeller runs in bearings separated from the or each engine by which it is driven , the propeller being connected to the engine by way of a flexible shaft coupling ( shown as 54 and 55 in the drawing ). to maintain a constant clearance between the shroud 11 and the blade tips 43 irrespective of the deflection of the shroud , the propeller can be encompassed by a rigid ring such as is described above in connection with fig4 . it will be appreciated that an arrangement such as is shown in fig3 and 4 in which the propeller is mounted directly on to the prime mover could be employed in an aircraft as shown in fig6 and 7 by supporting the single tail boom 51 on the front portion 22 of the shroud . again , the arrangement of fig8 or 9 could replace the fig3 arrangement in the fig1 and 2 aircraft . as will be appreciated , to eliminate turbulent mainplane airflow from entering the duct 33 it is greatly to be preferred that the chord of the mainplane is no greater than that of the shroud and that the leading edge of the mainplane does not lie forward of the leading edge of the shroud . however , if circumstances dictate that the mainplane chord exceed the shroud chord , then it may be possible to employ a construction such as that illustrated in fig1 or fig1 . in fig1 , the mainplane has convergent roots 56 whilst in fig1 , which is believed to represent the more favorable of the two constructions , the chord of the mainplane is effectively maintained by the use of two aft fillets 57 , interconnecting the mainplane 14 and the boom 51 at each side thereof . the thickness of such fillets , which as shown in fig1 terminate only a short way into the duct 33 is considerably less than that of the mainplane 14 in its root regions and in this sense they are analogous to the above - mentioned aft stator blades . if structurally , they serve to replace two of the aft stator blades nevertheless they do not assume the stated function of the shroud to bear the bending and torsional stresses of the mainplane . it is also conceivable that a pair of forward fillets 58 could be provided and if so could replace two of the cabin stators . such an arrangement , however , would almost certainly generate some turbulent airflow within the duct 33 which , if significant , would render the arrangement unacceptable . the shroud 11 could be extended locally to form fences to prevent wing - induced vortices rolling into the duct 33 . in each aircraft embodiment described above , the duct 33 is free from exposure to any portion of the turbulent airflow emanating from the mainplane 14 during flight . this affords greater propulsive efficiency and lower noise generation than is possible with the prior art aircraft mentioned above . the only structure within or immediately upstream of the duct having an effect upon the airflow incident to the propeller ( s ) is the structure of the cabin stator blades 24 the smooth , inner skin 45 of the shroud 11 , the exterior surface of the cabin 12 and unit 50 and , in the example of fig7 the fillets 58 , each of which structures is configured for minimal disturbance of the duct airflow . the cumulative effect of these structures is very much less than that of a mainplane disposed upstream of the duct as in the prior art . furthermore , it is preferred that at least that portion of the cabin 12 or cabin unit 50 which is immediately upstream of the propeller duct is of smooth profile , and most preferably of circular or near - circular , cross - section , in order to minimize the effect of its presence upon the flow through the duct . the embodiment of fig1 has a ducted propeller 59 within the span of each wing 62 of the mainplane , ( only one being shown in full in the figure ). the installation of each ducted propeller between two portions of the span of the mainplane is entirely analogous to the central installation of the ducted propeller in the embodiments described above with reference to fig1 to 11 , each power plant having a nacelle 60 for an engine . unlike the earlier - described embodiments the aircraft of fig1 has a conventional fuselage 61 . repetition of description in relation to this embodiment is deemed to be unnecessary . it has previously been proposed to use a ducted propeller in substitution for a conventional , unshrouded propeller in applications where the &# 34 ; swirl &# 34 ; generated by an unshrouded propeller is unwelcome . such applications include crop spraying and training aircraft . the aircraft according to the present invention will therefore find application in these fields as well as in applications where excellent visibility is required , such as for miscellaneous ground - observing tasks .	1
referring to fig1 and 2 , the carpet film applicator of the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10 . film applicator 10 includes a frame 12 , a push handle 14 , an intermediate handle 15 and a film roll dispenser 16 which holds a film roll 18 . the film roll dispenser 16 allows the film roll 18 to freely turn to dispense the plastic film 20 . plastic film 20 may be a polyethylene film with a low - tack adhesive backing to hold the film in place once it has been applied to a carpeted or other surface . polyethylene film is widely used to protect carpeted surfaces because it is relatively thin and durable . front 22 and rear 24 rollers flatten the film 20 against the floor . a trailing roller 26 smoothes the film 20 and helps to tuck the film in against a stair . a front guide bar 28 helps keep the film 20 straight as it comes off roll 18 and is directed to roller 22 . guide bar 28 is bowed outwardly to help prevent wrinkles in the film 20 when it is dispensed from roll 18 . referring to fig2 - 5 , side stair guides 30 and 32 are each slidably attached to frame 12 by a pair of bolts or pins 34 and 36 through slots 38 and 40 . the slots 38 and 40 allow the side stair guides 30 and 32 to move between a retracted position ( fig3 and 5 ) and an extended position ( fig4 ). when in the retracted position , the bottom of wheels 42 and 44 of stair guides 30 and 32 are even with the bottoms of rollers 22 and 24 . when the guides 30 and 32 are in the extended position , the guides 30 and 32 hold the rollers 22 and 24 above the floor . a pair of latch springs 46 and 48 , one on each side of applicator 10 , are attached at one end to frame 12 and at the other end to side stair guides 30 and 32 . when the latch springs 46 and 48 pull stair guides 30 and 32 down to the extended position , spring biased latch pins 50 and 52 extend an outboard of stair guides 30 and 32 and engage notches 54 and 56 . a chain or cable 58 links latch pins 50 and 52 to a rod 60 , with a release handle 62 . rotating the handle 62 tightens the chain 58 to pull the latch pins 50 and 52 inwardly against the bias of springs 64 and 66 to disengage latch pins 50 and 52 from notches 54 and 56 . referring to fig1 and 3 , when operating the carpet film applicator 10 on a flat surface , the operator pushes on the handle 14 to move the applicator 10 . as the applicator 10 is pushed along , the plastic film 20 unrolls from film roll 18 . the plastic film 20 travels over the guide bar 28 and under front 22 and rear 24 rollers and trailing roller 28 and onto the flat surface . the operator walks over the film 20 as it is smoothly applied . referring to fig4 - 7 , when the carpet film applicator 10 is operated on stairs 70 , the front 22 and rear 24 rollers are extended over the edge of a stair such that only the trailing roller 26 is resting on the stair ( see fig7 ). when the weight of applicator 10 is no longer on the side stair guide wheels 42 and 44 , the latch springs pull the side stair guides 30 and 32 downwardly to the extended position . the spring biased latch pins 50 and 52 extend through notes 54 and 56 . the applicator 10 is then pushed over the edge of the stair 70 and lowered to rest on the next lower stair . the operator may grasp the intermediate handle 15 to help lower the applicator 10 . the applicator 10 rests on the side stair guide wheels 42 and 44 which hold the applicator 10 off of the front 22 and rear 24 rollers and trailing roller 26 . the applicator 10 may be pulled backward to tuck the film 20 into the nap of the stair 70 . the operator then grasps the release handle 62 and turns the rod 60 to release the latch pins 50 and 52 . when the latch pins 50 and 52 clear the notches 54 and 56 , the applicator drops to the rollers 24 and 26 and the film 20 may now be applied to the next stair . in the preferred embodiment , 24 , 30 and 36 - inch rolls of film may be applied , although other widths may also be applied . the front and rear rollers 22 and 24 may be constructed of rubber or other material to flatten the film 20 . handle 14 may be adjustable to allow for different positions depending on operator height or for use on stairs . additionally , the applicator 10 may include a bar ( not shown ) which may be actuated by a lever ( not shown ) or by the handle 14 , which is lowered behind the trailing roller 26 to tuck in the film against a stair . it is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described , it is not limited thereto , except in so far as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable equivalents thereof .	8
referring to fig1 and fig2 , fig1 is a flow chart illustrating one preferred embodiment of the present invention , and fig2 shows a recombinant baculovirus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention . hereinafter , the method may be described as follows . at step s 11 , a recombinant virus 1 is provided . the recombinant virus includes an inducible promoter 11 , and a reporter gene 12 positioned downstream the inducible promoter 11 . in one embodiment , the inducible promoter 11 comprises a metallothionein promoter ( hereinafter abbreviated as mt promoter ), and the reporter gene 12 comprises an enhanced green fluorescence protein ( hereinafter abbreviated as egfp ). at step s 12 , the recombinant baculovirus 1 is added to the incubating environment of a mammalian cell for transduction . at step s 13 , an inducer to promote expression of the reporter gene 12 is added into the mammalian cell . in one embodiment , the inducible promoter 11 comprises a mt promoter , and the corresponding inducer may be a zinc ion , a cadmium ion , a mercury ion , a copper ion , a bismuth ion , a nickel ion , cobalt ion , or any combination of the above - mentioned . in one embodiment , the inducer is a divalent zinc ( zn 2 + ) ion because of its highest binding affinity with the mt promoter in the mammalian cell . in the above - mentioned embodiment , the zn 2 + ion ( the inducer ) binds to the mt promoter ( the inducible promoter ) to promote the expression of the downstream egfp gene ( the reporter gene ). it should be noted that an inducible promoter is adopted in the present invention which is modulated by an inducer and thus prevents the reporter gene from over - expression ; therefore , less cellular resources are taken . next , the percentage of the mammalian cell expressing the reporter gene is analyzed to determine the transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus ( s 14 ). in one embodiment , the percentage of the fluorescent mammalian cell is analyzed to determine the transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus . the percentage of the fluorescent mammalian cells may be detected using a flow cytometer to determine the transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus 1 . it should be noted that the above - mentioned embodiments are exemplary embodiments . for example , the inducible promoter 11 may be a gre5 or a gene switch system , and the corresponding inducer is a steroid ; otherwise , the inducible promoter may be a tet - on / tet - off system , and the corresponding inducer is a tetracycline ; furthermore , the inducible promoter 11 may be a dimerizer - regulated gene expression system , and the corresponding inducer is a rapamycin . in addition , the reporter gene 12 may be a luciferase . referring to the fig2 and fig3 , a method for determining virus dosage of a baculovirus is also illustrated as follows . first of all , a recombinant baculovirus 1 ( s 31 ) is provided , wherein the recombinant baculovirus 1 includes an inducible promoter 11 and a reporter gene 12 positioned downstream the inducible promoter 11 . next , the recombinant baculovirus 1 is added to the incubating environment of a mammalian cell for transduction ( s 32 ). next , an inducer is added to promote expression of the reporter gene 12 in the mammalian cell ( s 33 ). next , the percentage of the mammalian cell expressing the reporter gene 12 is analyzed to determine the transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus 1 ( s 34 ). the steps s 31 to s 34 are the same as the above - mentioned steps s 11 to s 14 shown in the fig1 , and the detailed description is hence abbreviated . finally , the virus dosage is determined based on the transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus 1 ( s 35 ). one embodiment of the present invention , the recombinant baculovirus is serially diluted to define a transducing titer ( tt ) of the recombinant baculovirus 1 , in which the transducing titer is defined as the number of the transducible recombinant baculovirus per volume and calculated as : the virus dosage may be defined as mot ( multiplicity of transduction ), which is calculated as : the following descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustrations and description . they are not intended to be exclusive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed , and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents . referring to fig4 , in the present embodiment , a recombinant virus bac - me is constructed for the above - mentioned embodiments . recombinant virus bac - me is constructed on the basis of gibco pfastbac - dual , in which strong promoters such as polyhedrin and p10 are removed for the subsequent construction . the bac - me includes a metallothionein promoter and an egfp gene positioned downstream the metallothionein promoter ; tn7l and tn7r function as the substrate sequence for the transposase which transposes the transgene cassette into the genome of dh10bac e . coli cells . the metallothionein promoter ( mt promoter ) functions as an inducible promoter and originates from cho cells ( mt ii promoter ). the egfp functions as a reporter gene and is positioned downstream the mt promoter . the egfp expression in the mammalian cells is flexibly modulated by the mt promoter of the recombinant baculovirus , and is subsequently detected to determine the transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus . hela cells has been reported to be suitable for analyzing the transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus and are hence adopted in the present invention , in which the cell density of hela cells is 2 . 5 × 10 5 cells / ml . the transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus is determined by detecting the percentage of gfp + cells . in addition , zn 2 + ion has a better affinity with the mt promoter in mammalian cells , and znso 4 is hence adopted as the inducer in the present invention . after 12 hours culturing of hela cells in a 6 - well plate , the cells are transduced with 1 : 4 virus medium and incubating medium ( e . g . 100 μl virus medium and 400 μl pbs ) in the dark for 6 hours . the percentage gfp + cells and fluorescent intensity of cells are then analyzed with a flow cytometer . referring to fig5 a , the percentage of gfp + cells approximately reaches the highest at zn 2 + concentrations of 200 μm and 250 μm , in terms of highest transduction efficiency of the recombinant baculovirus to the mammalian cells . as shown in fig5 b , furthermore , the mean fluorescent intensity ( fi ) reaches the highest at a zn 2 + concentration of 250 μm . in addition , it shows relatively low percentage of gfp + cells ( as illustrated in fig5 a ) and mean fluorescent intensity ( as illustrated in fig5 b ) at the zn 2 + concentration of 0 μm , indicating a low background expression level of egfp in the system . referring to fig5 c and 5d , the zn 2 + concentration is chosen as 200 μm for appropriate resource planning of egfp in the cells . the cells are transduced with 100 μl virus medium in the dark for 6 hours , and the percentage gfp + cells and fluorescent intensity of cells are then analyzed . the percentage of gfp + cells ( in terms of transduction efficiency ) and the fluorescent intensity reach a saturation point at an incubation time of 24 hours , as illustrated in fig5 c and 5d . the transducing titer is defined as a number of transducible recombinant baculovirus per unit volume , and is quantified and obtained from the transducing titer plot . the present method is validated by the following serial - dilution experiment , including : serial diluting different batches of virus medium ( b 1 , b 2 , and b 3 ) with incubating medium ( tnm - fh with 10 % fbs ( fetal bovine serum )) in a volume factor of 2 ( in the order of 2 1 , 2 2 , 2 3 . . . , and 2 11 ); transducing hela cells with the diluted virus medium for 6 hours ; incubating hela cells in the preferred induction condition ( i . e . at the zn 2 + concentration of 200 μm and incubation time of 24 hours ), and analyzing the percentage of gfp + cells to determine the transduction efficiency of the different baculovirus . the transducing titer is obtained by diluting the recombinant baculovirus . as mentioned above , the transducing titer is defined as a number of transducible recombinant baculovirus per unit volume and obtained from : referring to fig6 , it shows that the transducing titer plots of different batches of baculovirus do not overlap each other , and different batches of baculovirus are thus identified with the present method . as mentioned above , the virus dosage is defined as the multiplicity of transduction ( mot ) based on the transducing titer in the present invention . therefore , the same mot may be obtained from transducing titer of different batches of baculovirus , which is obtained from the transducing titer plots . the same transduction efficiency of different batches of baculovirus ( b 1 , b 2 , and b 3 ), as illustrated in fig7 , is obtained in the basis of the same mot . to sum up , the method for determining the transduction efficiency of baculovirus of the present invention does not adopt the conventional endpoint dilution method , and has advantages of being simple , fast , and accurate . in the application of gene therapy , the present invention can determine the virus dosage to predict the gene delivering efficiency therefore reproducible experiments are thus achieved . while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms , a specific example thereof has been shown in the drawings and is herein described in detail . it should be understood , however , that the invention is not to be limited to the particular form disclosed , but to the contrary , the invention is to cover all modifications , equivalents , and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims .	2
fig3 through 5 and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit its scope . those skilled in the art will understand that these principles may be implemented in any type of suitably arranged immersion lithography apparatus . to simplify the drawings the reference numerals from previous drawings will sometimes not be repeated for structures that have already been identified . to better provide a thorough explanation of the technical advantages , a description of a prior art liquid immersion optics system will first be given . fig3 illustrates an exemplary arrangement of a prior art liquid immersion optics system 300 . in the exemplary arrangement shown in fig3 , a layer of photoresist material 310 is covered with a top coating 320 . a lens assembly 330 ( designated with the word “ lens ” in fig3 ) is positioned over the top surface of the top coating 320 in such a manner that a gap is formed between the bottom surface of the lens assembly 330 and the top surface of the top coating 320 . an immersion liquid 340 ( e . g ., water 340 ) is placed over the top coating 320 and fills the gap between the bottom surface of the lens assembly 330 and the top surface of the top coating 320 . the lens assembly 330 is capable of and operable for being moved ( or scanned ) laterally with respect to the top surface of the top coating 320 to achieve a whole field exposure . the immersion liquid 340 directly contacts the bottom surface of the lens assembly 330 and the top surface of the top coating 320 . this causes a number of physical and chemical reactions to occur during exposure to the immersion liquid 340 . these physical and chemical reactions will sometimes negatively impact the process performance in terms of focus , overlay , defects , etc . as will be seen , these problems may be avoided by using the apparatus and method of the present disclosure described below . fig4 illustrates an exemplary arrangement of a liquid immersion optics system 400 in accordance with the present disclosure . as shown in fig4 , an underlying layer of photoresist material 410 is provided ( the photoresist material is utilized for masking purposes during an integrated circuit manufacturing process ). the system 400 includes a lens hood 440 and a lens assembly 460 . the lens hood 440 includes a solid optical element 420 forming a base portion and a plurality of walls 430 attached or coupled to outer edges of the solid optical element 420 . when assembled , these components form a watertight ( or liquid impervious ) container ( i . e ., the lens hood 440 ). the solid optical element 420 forms the base of the lens hood 440 and the junctures between the walls 430 of the lens hood 440 and the solid optical element 420 are watertight ( or liquid impervious ) so that the lens hood 440 structured and operable to contain an immersion liquid 450 within the lens hood 440 without leakage . thus , the base and walls are structured to define an interior volume which holds or contains the immersion liquid 450 ( and at least a portion of the lens assembly 460 ). the lens assembly 460 ( designated with the word “ lens ” in fig4 ) is positioned above the top surface of the solid optical element 420 of the lens hood 440 , and in such a manner so as to form a gap between the bottom surface of the lens assembly 460 and the top surface of the solid optical element 420 . the immersion liquid 450 is disposed ( or contained or confined ) within the lens hood 440 to fill the gap between the bottom surface of the lens assembly 460 and the top surface of the solid optical element 420 . the lens assembly 460 is capable of being moved ( or scanned ) laterally with respect to the top surface of the solid optical element 420 to achieve a whole field exposure while the bottom portion of the lens assembly 460 is immersed in the immersion liquid 450 and moves within the lens hood 460 . the solid optical element 420 ( and lens hood 440 ) is stationary ( does not move ) during the scan exposure of the lens assembly 460 . as will be appreciated , the type or composition of the immersion liquid 450 may be any type or composition suitable for the process utilized . for example , and without limitation , the immersion liquid 450 may be water , argon fluoride , or a combination thereof . in one embodiment , the solid optical element 420 is selected to have an index of refraction that equals ( or substantially equals ) the index of refraction of the photoresist material 410 and / or that equals ( or substantially equals ) the index of refraction of the immersion liquid 450 . in other embodiments , each index of refraction for the optical element 420 , photoresist material 410 and the immersion liquid 450 may be different . for example , the optical element 420 may be caf ( calcium fluoride ), or luag ( lutetium aluminum garnet ) for high index immersion lithography . in one embodiment , the solid optical element 420 directly contacts the top surface of the photoresist material 410 . in another embodiment , the solid optical element 420 contacts a buffer layer 470 formed on top of the photoresist material 410 . the buffer layer 470 , for example , may be an organic material that blocks components leaching from the photoresist that may contaminate the lens hood . in one embodiment , the buffer layer 470 may have a thickness in the range of between about 200 to about 300 nm . one major advantage of the system 400 is that the immersion liquid 450 does not come into contact with the photoresist material 410 and remains dry . the immersion liquid 450 remains contained or confined within the lens hood 440 . this overcomes the shortcomings of the conventional liquid immersion process . another major advantage of the system 400 is that the solid optical element 420 directly contacts the top surface of the photoresist material 410 . therefore , no focus or leveling metrology is needed , and focus variation can be minimized . another major advantage of the present invention is that because the immersion liquid 470 does not come into contact with the photoresist material 410 , no top coating ( such as top coating 320 in fig3 ) is needed to protect the photoresist material 410 from leaching . this means that the cost of providing a top coating may be eliminated in the immersion process of the present invention . surface contamination may occur due to the contact between the solid optical element 420 and the underlying photoresist material 410 . this problem may be overcome by applying a thin layer of an anti - adhesion film ( e . g ., the buffer layer 470 ) on the top surface of the photoresist material 410 or the bottom surface of the solid optical element 420 . the presence of a thin layer of an anti - adhesion film minimizes the surface contamination . in one example , the anti - adhesion film may be teflon or teflon - like material . fig5 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart 500 of an advantageous embodiment of a method in which the system 400 may be utilized for liquid immersion scanning using an immersion liquid confined within a lens hood . the solid optical element 420 is provided as a base for the lens hood 440 ( step 510 ). walls 430 are attached to the solid optical element 420 to form a watertight ( or liquid impervious ) lens hood 440 ( step 520 ). the solid optical element 420 of the lens hood 440 is placed on the surface of a photoresist material ( step 530 ). the immersion liquid 450 is disposed or placed in the bottom of the watertight lens hood 440 ( step 540 ) to a level at which a bottom portion of the lens assembly 460 is or will be immersed . the lens assembly 460 is placed within the lens hood 440 and the bottom of the lens assembly 460 is immersed within the immersion liquid 450 ( step 550 ). conventional operation of the lens assembly 460 is performed , such as scanning laterally within the immersion liquid 450 contained within the lens hood 440 ( step 560 ). it will be understood that well known processes have not been described in detail and have been omitted for brevity . although specific steps ( and not necessarily occurring in the order described ), structures and materials may have been described , the present disclosure may not limited to these specifics , and others may be substituted as is well understood by those skilled in the art . while this disclosure has described certain embodiments and generally associated methods , alterations and permutations of these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art . accordingly , the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this disclosure . other changes , substitutions , and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure , as defined by the following claims .	6
with reference to fig5 , a bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n and a bank of even bit lines 515 a - 515 n feed into an exemplary bit line selection network 500 of the present invention . even and odd bit lines from the two banks are interleaved . odd selection transistors 510 a - 510 n connect the bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n to an odd junction bus 550 . even select transistors 520 a - 520 n connect the bank of even bit lines 515 a - 515 n to an even junction bus 560 . an even bank select transistor 540 connects the even junction bus 560 to a sense amplifier 595 . an odd bank select transistor 530 connects the odd junction bus 550 to the sense amplifier 595 . an odd bank discharge transistor 575 connects the odd junction bus 550 to ground . the even junction bus 560 is connected to ground by an even bank discharge transistor 585 . with reference to fig6 , an even bank select pulse 640 , of an exemplary bit line selection waveform diagram 600 , controls selection of the even junction bus 560 ( fig5 ). the bank of even bit lines 515 a - 515 n is selectable when the even bank select pulse 640 is applied to the even bank select transistor 540 . an odd bank select pulse 630 applied to an odd bank select transistor 530 selects the odd junction bus 550 . a control signal ( not shown ) applied to the gates of the odd select transistors 510 a - 510 n connects the bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n to the odd junction bus 550 . a control signal applied to the odd select transistors 510 a - 510 n and an odd bank select - bar pulse 670 applied to the odd bank discharge transistor 575 discharges the bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n . alternatively , the adjacent two odd bit lines of an even bit line to be read may be selected for discharge . the odd bank select - bar pulse 670 is the complement of the odd bank select pulse 630 . therefore , the bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n discharges when the bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n is not selected . an even bank select - bar pulse ( not shown ) operates similarly in comparison with the even bank select pulse 640 , the even select transistors 520 a - 520 n , and the bank of even bit lines 515 a - 515 n . the sense amplifier 595 ( fig5 ) drives a first bit line voltage response 650 high during the time the bit line is selected for reading which is defined by a first bit line select pulse 610 . the sense amplifier 595 performs a read operation by sensing the current in the first bit line 505 a while biased at a high voltage condition . at the end of the read operation , the odd bank select - bar pulse 670 , driving the odd bank discharge transistor 575 and a control signal to the odd select transistors 510 a - 510 n , connects the first bit line , along with the remainder of the bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n , to ground . the falling edge of the first bit line voltage response 650 depicts the discharge transition for the bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n . during the discharge of the bank of odd bit lines 505 a - 505 n , a second bit line current response 660 is detected if the sense amplifier 595 is enabled during this discharge period . the second bit line current response 660 may ascend through a sense amplifier threshold 664 . detection of this condition by the sense amplifier 595 indicates a conducting condition in the memory cell addressed on the second bit line . the width of this pulse in the second bit line current response 660 is a discharge delay 665 that defines an amount of time necessary to discharge any bit lines which may cause a cross coupling problem with the bit line about to be read . the discharge delay 665 is also a minimum of time required for delaying a second bit line select pulse 620 and for delaying activation of the sense amplifier 595 to read a succeeding location . a bit line select delay 625 is defined to be greater than a worst - case value expected for the discharge delay 665 . the bit line select delay 625 defines an amount of time the second bit line select pulse 620 ( or any even bit line select pulse ) is offset from application of the even bank select pulse 640 . the bit line select delay 625 identically defines an amount of time the first bit line select pulse 610 ( or any odd bit line select pulse ) is offset from the odd bank select pulse 630 . after the bit line select delay 625 has elapsed and the second bit line select pulse 620 is applied , the sense amplifier 595 is activated and reads the correct value within a memory cell on the second bit line 515 a . with reference to fig7 , an exemplary process flow diagram of an alternating bit line reading process 700 begins 705 a read operation at an even address with discharging 710 the bank of odd bit lines before selecting 720 the bank of even memory locations . the process 700 continues with selecting 730 an even bit line and reading 740 an even location memory cell . a determination 745 is made whether any additional memory location is to be read . if no additional memory location is to be read , the process 700 ends . if a succeeding memory location is to be read the process continues with discharging 750 the bank of even bit lines and selecting 760 the bank of odd memory locations . the process continues with selecting 770 an odd bit line and reading 780 an odd location memory cell . a determination is made whether there is an additional memory location to read 785 . if an additional memory location is to be read , the process iterates beginning with the discharging 710 of the bank of odd bit lines . otherwise the process ends . for beginning 747 a read operation at an odd address the process commences with discharging 750 the bank of even bit lines and continues as discussed supra . with reference to fig8 , an exemplary process flow diagram of a sequential read process 800 begins with reading 810 a first memory location on a first bit line and determining 820 whether an additional memory location is to be read . if there is no further memory location to be read the process ends . if there is a further memory location to be read , the process continues with selecting 830 a subsequent bit line and discharging 840 a bit line that immediately precedes the selection in time . the process proceeds with reading 860 the additional memory location . the process resumes with again making the determination 820 whether an additional memory location is to be read and proceeding accordingly . with reference to fig9 , an exemplary process flow diagram of a sequential read process 900 begins with reading 910 a first memory location on a first bit line and determining 920 whether an additional memory location is to be read . if there is no further memory location to be read the process ends . if there is a further memory location to be read , the process continues with selecting 930 a subsequent bit line and discharging 940 an immediately preceding bit line position and an immediately succeeding bit line position . the process proceeds with reading 960 the additional memory location . the process resumes with again making the determination 920 whether an additional memory location is to be read and proceeding accordingly . in further regard to the exemplary process flow diagram of fig9 , a characterization is made by two even select transistors 520 b , 520 c ( fig5 ) being selected to discharge two even bit lines 515 b , 515 c adjacent to an odd bit line 505 c before the odd bit line 505 c is read . an analogous situation is true for reading an even bit line . in an exemplary read process where two consecutive addresses to be read ( not shown ) are even ( or odd ), the first bit line read does not need discharging before reading the second bit line since the interleaved layout of even and odd bit lines prevents any coupling effects from causing a problem . the use of segregation of bit lines into banks of even and odd bit lines and alternating the reading and discharging of the banks reduces the voltage potential for coupling on adjacent bit lines . this ensures that the magnitude of the bit line select delay 625 with the present invention is significantly reduced from the cross coupling delay 465 ( fig4 ) in the prior art bit line selection network where discharging is not incorporated . a similar reasoning holds for discharging the just prior memory location from the location to be read . while the present invention has been described in terms of the use of a sensing means for reading operations , a skilled artisan in this field would readily identify the suitability of using a voltage comparator circuit , latch , sense amplifier , or cross coupled inverters to provide similar sensing capabilities . an apparatus for selection of bit lines has been described using single transistor devices in series between points to be coupled electrically . a person of skill in the art would also consider the use of a matrix of transmission gates , a crossbar switch , or a multiplexer for the same coupling purposes .	6
the compact desktop soldering dispenser of fig1 has an ergonomically shaped body for ease of operator use . the dispenser consists of the front compartment 1 , compartment for a bobbin of soldering wire 2 , the dispenser cover 3 , the power on / off switch 4 , the multi - position switch 5 and the thermal sensor window 6 . for convenience of transportation within a working space , the dispenser is provided with contoured shaped sides 7 . delivery of the soldering wire 8 to an operator occurs through the teflon shield 9 , which allows easier pickup of small doses of soldering wire by the soldering iron &# 39 ; s kern . the front compartment 1 consists of the entire mechanism for delivering a soldering wire dosage amount to an operator and the second compartment 2 is designated for a standard bobbin of soldering wire 10 from which the dose is indexed . the perspective view of the soldering wire feeding mechanism shown in fig2 illustrating two major parts : the base frame plate 10 a and the cover 3 jointed by common axes 11 . the cover 3 is rotated from a closed position to an open position disposed 90 ° to the closed position in order to have convenient access to the base frame plate 10 and insert or extract e bobbin of soldering wire from support pin 12 . the base frame plate 10 of fig3 comprises the soldering wire channel 13 with expansion mouth 14 , the specially shaped pockets or windows 15 , 16 , 17 and 18 . as best seen in fig4 the stand offs 19 , 20 and 21 , are located on opposite side of the wire channel 13 . tunnel 22 , engages the hinge elements 23 with the cover plate 3 , and the hole 24 of the cover proximity sensor . the cover 3 contains the bar 25 and the cavity 26 . the soldering wire channel 13 will accommodate soldering wire 8 with various diameters . the expansion mouth 14 allows easier access to the soldering wire 8 from the bobbin 10 . the pockets or windows 15 , 16 , 17 are provided to accommodate the soldering wire sensors 27 , 28 and 29 as best seen in fig6 . the window 18 of fig4 accommodates the roller mechanism 30 / 31 of fig5 namely grooved friction rollers 30 and 31 , between which the soldering wire 8 is guided . the roller 30 sits on the axis of the electrical motor 32 , of fig6 which is attached to the base frame plate through stand off 19 . the idle friction roller 31 sits on the axes 33 , located inside of the frame 34 . at the same time the frame 34 has the joint axes connection 35 with the base frame plate 10 using the stand off 20 . when the cover 3 is closed this action pushes a pin of the cover proximity switch located in hole 24 . the stands off 21 are designated to accommodate the electronic circuit board 41 . the tunnel 22 has special shape and designated to accommodate the plunger mechanism of fig5 . the plunger mechanism comprises the plunger 36 , spring 37 and ball 38 . the major role of the plunger mechanism is to push the idle friction roller 31 towards the roller 30 , when the cover 3 is closed . a gap between two rollers is required when the cover 3 is in the open position . for this purpose the cover 3 comprises the cam shaped ridge 39 and returning spring 40 . the cover plate 3 includes the bar 25 , which locks the soldering wire channel 13 with expansion mouth 14 and the cavity 26 designed to accommodate the friction roller mechanism . the compartment 2 for the bobbin of soldering wire 10 , as the part of the cover 3 , is made from a transparent plastic to enable the operator to easily determine when the bobbin 10 is running out of wire . the compartment 2 consists of the bobbin pin 12 , located and in combination with the shape of the cover 3 allows convenient access for a bobbin replacement . a more detailed view of the feeding mechanism and electronic board 31 without the base frame plate 9 is shown on fig6 . the electronic board 41 is located under the base plate 9 and comprises the infrared soldering wire sensors 28 , 29 and 30 , pyro - electric infrared motion sensors 42 , cover proximity switch 43 and most of the electronic components , including the multi - position switch 5 of soldering material doses . the fig7 schematic logic block - diagram of the preferred embodiment and consists of the infrared sensors of soldering wire 27 , 28 and 29 , pyroelectric infrared motion sensors 42 , electronic programmable device 44 , electrical motor 32 , multi - position switch 5 , cover proximity switch 43 and touch switch 44 , all located on the electronic circuit board 31 . dc current is provided by a separate power supply 45 . [ 0063 ] fig8 presents the electrical circuit schematic of preferred embodiment of the desktop dispenser of soldering wire . the preferred manner of operation of the compact desktop soldering wire dispenser , which references to fig1 and 3 , is as follows : the device is plugged in to ac current through a wall adapter . in order to charge the compact desktop soldering dispenser with a soldering wire , the cover 3 is opened , by rotating it 90 ° into the vertical position . this action will release the friction roller mechanism by means of spring 40 , cam shaped ridge 39 , plunger 36 and ball 38 , which accordingly will release the frame 34 from the friction roller 31 and provide access to the soldering wire channel 13 . at the same time access to bobbin compartment 2 is provided . the open cover 3 will release proximity cover sensor 43 , therefore sending the logic command “ stop ” to the programmable device 44 . the desired spool 10 of soldering wire 8 is placed on the bobbin pin 12 and soldering wire 8 is subsequently fed into the soldering wire channel 13 in such a manner that leaves the free end visible to an operator after closing of cover 3 . after closing the cover 3 the roller mechanism 30 / 31 is activated and idle friction roller 31 together with drive roller 30 index the soldering wire 8 an operator accessible position . program of the programmable device 44 and an operator &# 39 ; s setting of the multi - position switch 5 will define all the necessary steps . as many changes can be made to the preferred embodiments without departing from the scope thereof ; it is considered that all matter contained herein is illustrative of the invention but not in a limiting sense .	1
illustrative embodiments and exemplary applications are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to disclose the advantageous teachings of the present invention . referring now to the drawings wherein the reference numerals designate like elements throughout , fig1 shows the prior art spdt pin diode switch described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 109 , 205 mentioned above . this is a millimeter wave shunt - mounted switch designed to couple an rf input to one or the other of a pair of outputs , where first and second bias supplies are used to control the on / off state of the pin diodes . when a diode is forward biased , it presents a low loss to rf energy but , when reverse biased , affords a high impedance . thus , for example , if the dc biases # 1 and # 2 are such that the pin diode 1 is forward biased , while pin diode 2 is reverse biased , the rf output will appear at output # 2 because output # 1 is effectively held at rf ground potential . on the other hand , if the bias is such that diode 2 is forward biased and diode 1 is reverse biased , then the rf input will be switched to output # 1 . here four blocking capacitors c 1 - 4 are required to block the dc bias current from flowing back into the input source and the output loads , and for preventing the dc bias from source 1 from reaching pin diode 2 or vice versa . this reference does not , however , contemplate the situation where a bias failure occurs . hence , the single pin spst switches on either side are not intended to provide and will not provide enough isolation to protect a sensitive device at output 1 from a high power signal intended for output 2 . the present invention is based upon the spst switch 20 shown in fig2 in which the bias on the pin diode 24 will determine whether an rf signal entering input 28 will be passed through the switch to exit at output 29 . the signal enters via node 28 through a first transmission line segment through first blocking capacitor c 23 into a second transmission line segment . at the other end of this transmission line segment is central node 21 to which is connected third transmission line segment across from the second segment . the other end of the third transmission line segment is connected to a bias choke 26 and a second blocking capacitor c 23 which is in turn connected to a fourth transmission line segment which is connected to node 29 . also present at the central node 21 are connections to an open circuit resonant stub 22 and the inductive resonator 25 which is connected at its other end to the pin diode 24 whose other side is connected to ground . the bias for the pin diode comes from a bias connection 27 which is connected to the end of the bias choke 26 opposite to the transmission line segments . a quarter wavelength transmission line segment could be substituted for the bias choke 26 . these two equivalent elements are described as rf isolation means in the appended claims . the bias connection 27 is also connected to a bias controller , not shown , that coordinates the bias of the various pin diodes in the larger spdt switch of this invention . the circuit that makes up the bias controller is not shown but is within the capability of one of ordinary skill of the art to design . in the specific system embodiment contemplated here , an s - band radar transmitting and receiving at 3 . 1 to 3 . 4 ghz , there is a need to switch the spst assemblies between about a positive 50 - 80 volts and a negative 20 - 100 milliamps , preferably about a negative 80 milliamps . the operation of the spst switch is better understood by referring to fig3 and 4 which display the circuit equivalents to the open circuit resonant stub 22 , the inductive resonator 25 and the pin diode 24 when the pin diode is reverse biased ( or unbiased in the event of a bias failure ) or forward biased , respectively . fig3 shows the condition in which the pin diode is reverse biased with approximately 80 volts in one preferred embodiment . here the simple circuit model for the pin diode is a capacitor 35 . this capacitor is designed to series resonate with the inductive resonator 34 . the resonance results in an rf shunt to ground . in a bias failure condition , the model is very similar to the reverse bias condition . at zero bias , the pin diode equivalent capacitance is very close to the reverse bias equivalent capacitance . therefore , it will still resonate at the same frequency . the q ( quality factor ) is lower at zero bias , resulting in less isolation from each spst switch element . fig4 shows the model for a forward bias condition ( about + 1 volt ). here the pin diode is conducting between about 50 to 100 milliamps for the preferred embodiment . under this condition the model for the diode is a small inductor 45 . this small inductor is in series with the inductive resonator 44 . this series combination 44 / 45 is designed to parallel resonate with the resonating stub 43 . the length of the resonating stub 43 is carefully controlled in order to satisfy this resonance condition for the particular rf bandwidth of the radar system . this parallel resonance results in an rf open to ground and a good rf transmission path across the switch . the complete spdt switch of this invention uses two or more of these spst pin diode switches on the receive path of the radar transceiver and one in the transmit path as shown in fig5 . complementary biasing is employed for the two paths such that when the transmit path is forward biased , the receive path is reverse biased , and vice versa . the reduction in isolation of each spst switch assembly , when and if the bias fails , is compensated for by having at least three isolated spst switches in the transmit / receive paths instead of the normal one or two pin switches . in fig5 the spdt switch can be broken into two main parts , the transmit side with the single spst assembly 54 between the transmitter 52 and the primary node 50 , and the receive side with two ( as shown ) spst assemblies 55 , 56 between the receiver 53 and the primary node 50 . the main node is connected to the antenna 51 and a quarter wavelength stub 61 that is connected to ground . the stub 61 acts to short dc to ground while blocking the rf from reaching ground . the other stubs 58 and 59 serve the same functions . the isolating effect of having a total of three ( as shown ) spst assemblies between the high power transmitter 52 and the sensitive receiver 53 can be clearly seen in this view . in the event of a bias failure to one or more of the individual spst assemblies , there will always be enough isolation to shield the low noise amplifiers ( lnas ) in the receiver 53 . the bias controller 57 creates and switches the bias voltage from forward to reverse for the spst assemblies . when the transmit side spst assembly 54 is in a forward bias condition , the receive side spst assemblies 55 and 56 are in a reverse bias condition , and vice versa . the connections to the spst assemblies 55 and 56 on the receive side can be done in different ways . shown in fig5 is a parallel connection . in this specific embodiment it would be possible but not necessary to omit the blocking capacitors of the spst assemblies on the sides of these assemblies that face the transmission line element 60 . there could also be a series connection wherein the bias was supplied only to assembly 55 or 56 , with the dc bias then acting through the transmission line element 60 to bias the other pin diode 56 or 55 , respectively . in this alternate embodiment , the blocking capacitors of the spst assemblies 55 and 56 facing the transmission line element 60 should be removed in order for the dc voltage to bias both pin diodes . in either embodiment it is advantageous to configure the transmission line element at a length just slightly different than a quarter wavelength in order to increase the bandwidth of the switch . the preferred embodiment of this invention is fabricated using microstrip technology on an alumina substrate , and is preferably implemented using a power divider and three phase shifter bits in addition to the spdt switch described hereinabove . the present invention is expected to find immediate use in high power microwave circuits in which a need exists to switch the arrays in a radar antenna between transmit and receive modes , while protecting the sensitive circuits on the receiver path from damage in the event of a bias failure for the pin diodes . thus , the present invention has been described herein with reference to an illustrative embodiment and an illustrative application . those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings will recognize additional modifications , applications and embodiments within the scope thereof . for example , this spdt switch could be used with radars transmitting at different wavelengths than the embodiment described above , requiring certain routine adjustments in the circuit elements . it is therefore intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such applications , modifications and embodiments with the spirit and scope of the present invention .	7
the map shown in fig1 shows three major roads 10 , 11 , 12 meeting at a junction 13 together with minor roads 14 , 15 which lead - off from the major road 12 and another minor road 16 which links the roads 10 and 14 . if it is assumed that an accident has occurred on the road 10 at a point marked x , the subsequent build - up in the number of vehicles on either side of the point x would cause undue delay to drivers . however if the vehicles entering the local area , shown encircled by the circle 18 in fig3 could be informed of the accident at the point x , then diverting the traffic around the accident site by making use of the minor roads 14 and 16 , the delays to traffic can be reduced . it will be assumed that communication with vehicles will be by radio using geographically spaced apart transmitters and in fig2 the hatched circles represent the coverage areas ( or radio cells ) of transmitters in a cellular radio telephone network . however the location of the transmitters ( or radio cells ) is known only to the network operator who for operational reasons may reconfigure the network in the manner referred to in the preamble of this specification . in order to be able to determine which cells are to be used to notify vehicles in the encircled area ( fig3 ) of the accident at x ( fig1 ), the circle 18 is overlaid on the map shown in fig2 and the result is that the cells a to d ( fig4 ) fall at least partially within the circle 18 . comparing fig2 and 4 it will be noted that some cells partially overlap the cells a to d but the degree of overlap is sufficiently insignificant that the cell concerned can be ignored or that the cells within the circle 18 provide adequate coverage having regard to the road network itself and the loading on the cellular radio network . access to the or each cellular network is by way of gateways and information about a geographical area can be sent to the or each gateway by a traffic centre in a packet format . fig5 illustrates a number of regional , district and / or urban traffic centres tc1 to tc3 and tc11 , tc12 arranged in respective groups , the traffic centres in each group being interconnected by respective data busses db1 , db2 . by means of the pstn the data busses db1 , db2 are interconnected to form a network and gateways gw1 and gw2 of respective cellular radio networks , for example cellular telephone networks , are connected to the network so formed . each gateway gw1 , gw2 communicates with a respective mobile switching centre msc1 , msc2 which includes a network control computer c1 , c2 which stores the location of the base station radio transceivers bs1 to bs3 , bs20 and bs21 in its cellular network and the present configuration of its network . each network control computer c1 , c2 handles all the call processing on its network . also from the encoded geographical area information provided by one or more of the traffic centres , the network control computer or the gateway is able to generate numerically the shape and size of the geographical area concerned and decide which cells or transmitter coverage areas should be activated to relay the required traffic information . in order to relay geographical area information efficiently , an embodiment of the method in accordance with the present invention encodes the geographical areas in a manner which can make use of the 32 bit address length found in the widely used internet protocol ( ip ). in order to do this it is necessary to combine a longitude angle , a latitude angle and an area shape into one address which is compatible with the standard address length found in the ip . the coding scheme can be extended to describe more complicated geographical area shapes by concatenating several geographical address code words of a type to be described . a translation from this coding scheme to cellular telephone coverage areas may be carried at a suitable stage such as at the gateway of the cellular telephone network or in the network control computer . the network control computer will then be responsible for routing a packet to as many cells as necessary to achieve the desired coverage . as this is a form of routing , it will appear in a routing options list in an internetwork - layer header . in order to distinguish easily between ordinary computer addresses and these area descriptions , the area descriptions can exclusively use a different address type , in this instance class d addresses which under ip are defined for multicast and experimental use . under ip an address class is defined by the location of the first zero in the address code word reading from left to right . thus a 32 bit class d code word has the format : ## str1 ## the remaining 28 bits have to be used for describing the shape and location of a geographical area . in the presently described embodiment , a point on the earth &# 39 ; s surface will be defined by a pair of angles from the earth &# 39 ; s centre ( see fig6 ) using internationally recognised datum points -- the zero line goes through the intersection of the greenwich meridian and the equator . the resolution required to define a point is limited by the size of the coverage areas of the respective transmitters of a cellular telephone network . additionally because of the lack of inhabited landmasses beyond the 70 degree north and south parallels , in most cases these extreme areas can be ignored and 12 bits can be used to define an angle of latitude and 13 bits for an angle of longitude without loss of resolution . the remaining 3 bits , referred to as a , b and c can be used to define the shape of a geographical area . an example of the structure of an address code word is as follows , the bit numbers have been entered above the structure : ## str2 ## one advantage of this structure is that different parts of the address can be extracted with simple masking techniques in a 16 bit computer . in this structure the degrees latitude is a 12 bit number ( first bit being a sign bit ) specifying an angle north or south from the equator giving a resolution equal to 3 . 8 km . angles to the south are treated as being negative and in 2 &# 39 ; s complement format , the most significant bit equals 1 . the equator is all zeros , 70 degrees north is 0111 1111 1111 while 70 degrees south is 1000 0000 0000 . degrees longitude is a 13 bit number specifying an angle west or east of the greenwich meridian . angles to the east will always be negative and in 2 &# 39 ; s complement the most significant bit equals 1 . the resolution ( east - west ) improves towards the poles and for example on the 45 degree parallel is 3 . 45 km . the a and bc bits are used to code an area from the point defined by the latitude and longitude angles . if more complex areas have to be defined then two or more concatenated addresses are sent . the value of the a bit determines whether the address codeword relates to the last location point in a list or is the only point , that is a = 0 , or whether there are other points in a list to follow , a = 1 . if a = 0 and only one point is defined then it is treated as a description of a square centred on the point cp ( see fig7 ), the size of which is defined by the bits bc , for example , referring to fig8 bc = 00 the square is of a side equal to x 1 centred on location point cp , bc = 01 the square is of a side equal to x 2 centred on location point cp , bc = 10 the square is of a side equal to x 3 centred on location point cp , and bc = 11 the square is of a side equal to x 4 centred on location point cp . the values of x n are defined locally but could be multiples of the minimum distance between two adjacent points on the same latitude , for example x 2 , x 3 and x 4 can be any constant multiples of x 1 such as 5 , 25 and 125 . at 45 degrees north this would give values of x 2 = 3 . 45 km ., x 3 = 86 . 3 km . and x 4 = 432 km . the following table gives a summary of how the various shapes are defined by providing information about one or more points . the notation &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; in the b and c columns indicates that a null or padding bit is used . ______________________________________shape a b c notes______________________________________square 0 these two bits are only one point is ( fig7 used to define a needed . and 8 ) list of standard sizes . circle 1 1 0 first point defines ( fig9 ) centre . 0 x x second and last point . rectangle 1 0 1 defines the first ( fig1 ) corner of the rectangle . 1 x x defines the second corner of the rectangle . if this second point is not given , then the rectangle sides run north - south , east - west . 0 x x defines the last corner of the rectangle . no more points needed . corridor 1 1 1 defines centre of a ( fig1 ) square ( size given in ( formed by next address ). connecting 1 these two bits are defines centre and sizetogether used to define a list of next square and thesquares of of standard sizes . size of a square aboutdefined the previously definedshapes ) centre - this square and the previous square ( of the same size ) are connected by their outside corners . 0 these two bits are defines centre and size used to define a list of last square and the of standard sizes . size of a square about the previously defined centre - this square and the previous square ( of the same size ) are connected by their outside corners . polygon 1 0 0 defines first vertex of ( exclusive - or the polygon . filled ) 1 x x defines the next vertex ( fig1 ) of the polygon . repeat as often as necessary . 0 x x defines the last vertex of the polygon . this point is connected back to the first point to close the polygon . ______________________________________ for ease of implementation of a corridor shape all the squares are aligned north - south , east - west . using the disclosed method of , and system for , describing geographical areas a format for a routing address is obtained which complements the ip and enables transmission between computer terminals . once the location and shape of a geographical area has been described , the description may be stored in a look up table in the network control computer . thus if subsequently another incident occurs at say the location x ( fig1 and 4 ) and the coverage areas a , b , c and d are substantially the same , the need for generating a map and overlaying it on the coverage areas of the network &# 39 ; s base station transceivers can be avoided by simply deriving the required information from the look up table . another embodiment of the invention will now be described in which by sending 32 bit messages in the ip options field of the ip header rather than in an address field as described above , the need to reserve the first 4 bits for a class d code word to identify that it is class d is avoided . consequently it is possible to code any location in the world and also to have high definition area descriptions and also to have reduced length codewords without loss of definition by defining each new geographical point relative to a preceding point . fig1 illustrates the structure of a 32 bit code word in which bits 1 , 2 and 3 each serve functions to be specified , bits 4 to 16 define the angle of latitude α , bits 17 , 18 and 19 identified by the letters pqr refer to dimensional information and in that respect correspond to bc previously defined and bits 20 to 32 define the angle of longitude b . by using 13 bits to define α , angles of latitude in the range - 90 to + 90 degrees can be given . as shown in fig1 the greenwich meridian and the equator are used as zero references for the addressing method used in this embodiment . referring back to fig1 , bit 1 has a value of binary 1 if the code word relates to defining a geographical location and a value 0 if the code word relates to a location in a look up table ( to be described later ), bit 2 has a value 0 for normal resolution and a value 1 for high resolution , finally bit 3 corresponds to a , previously described , and has a value of 0 if only one point or the last of two or more points is being defined and a value of 1 if there is at least one more point to be defined . fig1 illustrates how 2 concatenated 32 bit code words are used to define one point with high resolution . the first 3 bits of the first code word have the meanings ascribed to the first 3 bits in fig1 and the bits pqr in the second code word relate to dimensions . the remaining 29 bits in each code word are used to define α and β respectively . by way of comparison , using the code word shown in fig1 , the 13 bit resolution equals a resolution of 2 . 44 km on the equator and using the code word shown in fig1 , the 29 bit resolution equals a resolution of 7 . 5 cm on the equator . the length of code words to describe a geographical area such as wxyz in fig1 can be reduced by specifying successive points relative to the previous point . thus referring to the enlarged version of the quadrilateral shown in fig1 , the specification of the central point is specified as angles α and β . however the height and breadth of the quadrilateral are specified as angles dα and dβ , which because they are relatively small can be specified using a smaller number of bits without loss of resolution . fig1 illustrates an example of a geometrical shape and n ( where n = 4 ) points being specified in normal resolution . the second to fourth code words specify the angles dα and dβ . it will be noted that these latter code words are only 16 bits long and therefore the overall number of bits to specify 4 points is reduced significantly thereby giving a more compact description . if the relative angular descriptions of dα , dβ are linear then for normal resolution 1 milli - grade corresponds to 0 . 11 km and in high resolution the resolution is expressed in terms of micro - grades and 1 micro - grade corresponds to 11 cm . as an alternative the relative angular description dα , dβ may be expressed as a power of 1 . 3 which gives a maximal relative positioning of 3406 milli - grades ( or 380 km ) in normal resolution and 3406 micro - grades ( or 380 m ) in high resolution . when specifying a geographical area in the second embodiment , the default shape is again a square and as in the first embodiment is specified by a single point plus an indication of its dimensions . thus in this particular case the angles α , β specify the latitude and longitude with width / height dimensions is given by the formula ## equ1 ## and in normal resolution pqr may have the following meanings as given in table 1 below : table 1______________________________________ box - dimensionspqr - bits ( km ) ______________________________________000 0 × 0001 0 . 5 × 0 . 5010 1 . 5 × 1 . 5011 3 . 5 × 3 . 5100 7 . 5 × 7 . 5101 15 . 5 × 15 . 5110 31 . 5 × 31 . 5111 63 . 5 × 63 . 5______________________________________ for high resolution , each of the dimensions is reduced by a factor of 10 . for other shapes of geographical areas the bits pqr define the shape for example as given in table 2 below : table 2______________________________________pqr - bits shape number ofof first point description points______________________________________000 rectangle 2001 circle 2010 ellipse 3011 n - polygon n100 m - corridor m + 1101 none -- 110 none -- 111 none -- ______________________________________ for the sake of completeness the manner of describing a rectangle , circle , ellipse , n - polygon and m - corridor in a compact form is given in fig1 to 21 . the format of the code words will be understood from the foregoing explanations . in the case of the rectangle , by aligning the sides with the lines of latitude and longitude , it can be described using two diagonally opposite points , one of which is fully defined . the letter &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; is a null or padding bit . in fig2 the first corridor segment is formed by the points ( α1 , β1 ) and ( α2 , β2 ). the width of the first segment is contained in the pqr - bits of the second point . the second corridor segment is formed by the points ( α2 , β2 ) and ( α3 , β3 ). the width of the second segment is contained in the pqr - bits of the third point , and so on . the corridor segment widths in kilometers are calculated as in table 1 above . once a geographical area has been described , especially a polygon or a corridor , the description can be stored in a look - up table and it is sufficient for a traffic control centre to send the relevant look up table address to a network control computer . the format of a 16 bit code word is shown in fig2 . the first bit of a 16 bit code word has a value 0 to indicate that a 15 bit look up table address is to follow . the look up table method could for instance be used to describe the coverage area of a base - station cell ( when known ) and store it in the addressing module ( s ) so that messages can be sent to specific cell areas . it is also possible to describe the contour of a large city and use the number to transmit messages only in that city &# 39 ; s area . from reading the present disclosure , other modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art . such modifications may involve other features which are already known in the design , manufacture and use of methods of , and systems for , transmitting descriptions of geographical areas over a communications network and component parts thereof and which may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein . although claims have been formulated in this application to particular combinations of features , it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure of the present application also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalisation thereof , whether or not it relates to the same invention as presently claimed in any claim and whether or not it mitigates any or all of the same technical problems as does the present invention . the applicants hereby give notice that new claims may be formulated to such features and / or combinations of such features during the prosecution of the present application or of any further application derived therefrom .	6
the electrochemical properties of a tubular cell illustrated in fig1 a , having developed specific surface area / roughness on both its faces s and s ′, were analysed . a ysz ( 8 mol %) dense solid electrolyte of specific surface area ( s ω , s ′ ω )/ roughness ( r , r ′) of the same type ( identical coating thicknesses : t ′= t ″); two electrodes made of strontium - doped lanthanum manganite ( lsm ), in this case la 0 . 9 sr 0 . 1 mno 3 − δ ; two current collectors based on ag - lsm ( 50 / 50 by volume ) cermet ; and two protective layers obtained from the family of lanthanum ferrocobaltites , in this case lscofe ( la 0 . 8 sro 0 . 2 co 0 . 6 feo 0 . 2 o w ). after each layer (“ tie ” layer , electrode , current collector , protective layer ) had been deposited , the tube was sintered in air at temperatures between 600 and 1500 ° c . for a few hours , with temperature holds of between 0 . 25 hours and 6 hours . the system was perfectly symmetrical in terms of deposition . fig1 b shows the structures / microstructures of the cell described above in terms of coating thicknesses , sizes and shapes of particles , interfacial states . layer ( dl ): 1 mm [ ysz ( 8 mol %)]; layer ( tl ): 1 - 100 μm surface area / roughness [ ysz ( 8 mol %)]; electrode ( pe ): 16 - 30 μm ( lsm ); current collector ( cc ): 100 - 120 μm ( ag - lsm ); covering layer ( cl ): 50 - 90 μm / protective layer ( lscofe ). influence of the architecture and structure / microstructure of ysz ( 8 mol %) ceramic cells / operating parameters — temperature : 750 - 780 ° c . ; pressure ( internal oxygen pressure ): 10 × 10 5 pa ( 10 bar ): current : 10 - 15 a several tubular electrochemical cells ( cell 1 to cell 4 ) were prepared , these consisting of : a solid electrolyte made of yttrium - stabilized zirconia [( 8 %) ysz ] of 350 mm length , 68 cm 2 active surface area and 9 mm inside diameter ; two electrodes made of strontium - doped lanthanum manganite ( lsm : la 0 . 9 sr 0 . 1 mno x ) of 15 to 30 μm thickness and 30 to 50 % porosity ; two current collectors of various compositions : silver lacquer ( thickness : 100 - 120 μm , low porosity ) ( cell 1 ) or ag - lsm ( 50 / 50 by volume ) cermet ( thickness : 100 - 120 μm ; porosity between 30 and 50 %) ( cell 2 , cell 3 , cell 4 ); and , optionally a protective layer on each of the faces of the lscofe ( la 0 . 8 sr 0 . 2 co 0 . 8 fe 0 . 2 o w ) membrane ( cell 3 , cell 4 ) ( thickness : 50 - 90 μm , porosity : 20 - 70 %) ( deposition conditions : 800 ° c ./ 0 . 5 - 2 h ). the cells had a thickness of either 0 . 5 mm , in the case of units having silver or ag - lsm cermet current collectors ( cell 1 , cell 2 ) or of 0 . 92 mm in the case of units having ag - lsm cermet current collectors and lscofe protective layers or without a “ tie ” surface ( cell 3 , cell 4 ). among the membranes tested , one of them also had ( cell 4 ) specific surface area / roughness on the surface of the ysz solid electrolyte and of the same type ( cf . fig1 a and 1b ). the tubular units were operated continuously for at least 5 days ( 120 hours ) at 10 × 10 5 pa ( 10 bar ) of oxygen at 750 or 780 ° c . ( oxygen production inside the cells ). the lifetime of the units ( from a few days to more than one month ) depended on the architectures and structures / microstructures of the ceramic membranes ( choice of current collector , presence or otherwise of a protective layer , absence or otherwise of specific surface area / roughness on the surface of the solid electrolyte ). in all situations , the coulombic efficiency ( ratio of the experimental o 2 output / theoretical o 2 output ) was 100 %. the units with no protective layer based on ferrocobaltite ( lscofe ) and no specific surface area / roughness on the surface of the solid electrolyte , degraded very rapidly ( cell potential increase of 55 % after 100 h of continuous operation in the case of the silver - lacquer - based current collector and of 18 - 20 % after 100 h in the case of the silver / lsm cermet - based current collector ). the large initial increases in cell potentials for both cells are firstly due , because of the operating conditions ( working temperature : 750 - 780 ° c . ), and to the flushing with air on the cathode side ( on the outside of the units ) and to segregation / sintering and / or evaporation phenomena occurring in the silver particles during operation . the addition of a protective layer on each side of the cell greatly reduced the rate of degradation of the unit ( increase in the cell potential of the order of 1 % in 100 h of continuous operation ) without however finally stopping it . the presence of this layer made it possible to limit the phenomena of current collector layer delamination and to greatly slow down the rate of segregation of the silver particles . the primary cause of the degradation phenomena was no longer those described above , rather the delamination of the various coatings at the interfaces , and mainly at the surface of the dense solid electrolyte . the tubular unit , having on the surface of the dense solid electrolyte a “ tie ” layer ( development of specific surface area / roughness ) of the same nature as the solid electrolyte , namely ysz ( 8 mol %), together with a “ protective ” layer , for , under severer operating conditions ( 780 ° c ./ 15 a instead of 750 ° c ./ 10 a ), a change in its cell potential of & lt ; 1 %/ 1000 h ( 42 days ) of continuous operation . the results are given in fig2 and in table 1 . fig2 shows the functions v = f ( t ) and indicates the electrochemical performance of the ysz ceramic cell having a symmetrical architecture and structures / microstructures according to the invention , compared with cells of the prior art . each of curves 1 to 4 relates to each of cells 1 to 4 , respectively : cell 1 : electrodes : lsm ; current collectors : silverlacquer ; no protective layer ; no tie layer on the ysz membrane ; cell 2 : electrodes : lsm ; current collectors : silver - lsm cermet ; no protective layer : no tie layer on the ysz membrane ; cell 3 : electrodes : lsm ; current collectors : silver - lsm cermet ; protective layer : lscofe ; no tie layer on the ysz membrane ; and cell 4 : electrodes : lsm ; current collector : silver - lsm cermet ; protective layer : lscofe ; developed surface area / roughness on the ysz membrane . the changes in the initial potentials of the various units , between 0 . 95 and 1 . 3 volts , were partly due to the thermal non - uniformity of some of the furnaces and to the thickness of the dense solid electrolyte ( 0 . 5 or 0 . 92 mm ). the various layers ( electrodes , current collectors , protective layers ) were deposited by the technique of dip coating . the “ tie ” surface was of the same nature as the dense solid electrolyte ( 8 mol % ysz ). the internal and external layers were deposited either by spray coating or by dip coating on the pre - sintered solid electrolyte . influence of the microstructures of the various coatings deposited on ysz ( 8 mol %) ceramic cells with specific surface area / roughness . operating parameters : temperature : 780 - 800 ° c . ; pressure ( internal oxygen pressure ): 10 × 10 5 pa ( 10 bar ); current : 10 - 15 - 17 a several tubular electrochemical cells ( cell 5 to cell 7 ) were prepared , these consisting of : a solid electrolyte made of yttrium - stabilized zirconia [ ysz ( 8 %)] having a length of 350 mm , an active area of 68 cm 2 and an inside diameter of 9 mm , and exhibiting specific surface area / roughness on both surfaces of the ysz solid electrolyte and of the same nature , and with a roughness r and r ′ of between 10 μm and 100 μm ; two electrodes made of strontium - doped lanthanum manganite ( lsm : la 0 . 9 sr 0 . 1 mno x ) with a thickness of 15 to 30 μm and a porosity of 30 to 50 %; two current collectors made of an ag - lsm ( 50 / 50 by volume ) cermet ; thickness : 60 to 80 μm ( cell 5 , cell 7 ) and 120 to 130 μm ( cell 6 ); porosity : between 30 and 50 %); and a protective layer on each of the faces of the lscofe ( la 0 . 8 sro 0 . 2 co 0 . 8 fe 0 . 2 o w ) membrane ( cell 3 , cell 4 ) ( thickness : 30 - 40 μm ( cell 5 , cell 7 ) and 60 - 80 μm ( cell 6 ); porosity : 20 - 70 %; deposition conditions : 800 ° c ./ 0 . 5 - 2 h ). the variable experimental parameters were the coating thicknesses and the presence or otherwise of one or more intermediate layers between the various coatings . the role of the intermediate layer between two coatings is to harmonize the tecs between the various coatings so as to limit the debonding / delamination phenomena . only one study case is presented . this involves an intermediate layer between the lsm electrode and the ag - lsm current collector ( cell 7 ). the composition of this intermediate layer is ysz / ag - lsm ( intermediate tec between the subjacent electrode layer and the superjacent current collector layer ). the operating temperature was either 780 or 800 ° c . and the temperature gradient was around ± 25 ° c . over the active region . the various layers ( tie surface , electrodes , current collectors , protective layers ) were deposited by the technique of dip coating . the ( ysz + internal and external tie surfaces ) systems , whatever the structure ( intermediate layer or not ) and the microstructure ( coating thicknesses ), were stable under the operating conditions and degraded by less than 1 % after 1 000 h of operation . the coulombic efficiency ( the ratio of the experimental output to the theoretical output ) was 100 %. the initial potential varied depending on the coating thicknesses , this being , respectively , 1 . 40 v ( current collector thickness 60 - 80 μm ; protective layer : 30 - 40 μm ) and 1 . 35 v ( current collector thickness : 120 - 130 μm ; protective layer : 60 - 80 μm ). when an intermediate layer ( thickness : 10 - 20 μm ) was added between the lsm electrode and the ag - lsm current collector ( thickness : 60 - 80 μm ), the initial potential was 1 . 50 v . these differences in the initial potentials are due either , for the same structure , to the amount of conducting particles deposited per unit volume , resulting in a lowering of the total resistivity of the coatings , or to the addition of an intermediate layer slightly more resistive than a current collector , resulting in an overvoltage . the results are given in fig3 and in table 1 . fig3 shows the functions v = f ( t ) and indicates the electrochemical performance of the ysz ceramic cell having a symmetrical architecture and structures / microstructures that include intermediate layers between the electrodes and the current collectors according to the invention , compared with cells not having intermediate layers . each of curves 1 to 3 relates to each of cells 5 to 7 , respectively : cell 5 : lsm electrode ( thickness : 15 - 30 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %); current collector : silver / lsm cermet ( thickness : 60 - 80 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %); protective layer : lscofe ( thickness : 30 - 40 μm ; porosity : 20 - 70 %); no intermediate layer between the coatings for harmonization of the tecs ; cell 6 : lsm electrode ( thickness : 15 - 30 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %); current collector : silver / lsm cermet ( thickness : 120 - 130 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %; protective layer : lscofe ( thickness : 60 - 80 μm ; porosity : 20 - 70 %); no intermediate layer between the coatings for harmonization of the tecs ; cell 7 : lsm electrode ( thickness : 15 - 30 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %); current collector : silver / lsm cermet ( thickness : 60 - 80 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %); protective layer : lscofe ( thickness : 30 - 40 μm ; porosity : 20 - 70 %); an intermediate layer present between the electrode and current collector coatings for harmonization of the tecs — ysz / ag - lsm coating ( thickness : 10 - 20 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %). a tubular electrochemical cell identical to that of example 2 , cell 5 in terms of solid electrolyte +“ tie ” layer , lsm electrode , ag - lsm cermet current collector and lscofe protective layer was used . the system was completely symmetrical . the basic electrochemical tubular cell constituting the module of ten units consisted of : a ysz ( 8 %) solid electrolyte having a length of 350 mm , an active area of 68 cm 2 and an inside diameter of 7 . 5 mm , possessing , internally and externally , a “ tie ” surface ( development of specific surface area / roughness ) with a thickness of between 10 and 100 μm ; two electrodes made of strontium - doped lanthanum manganite ( lsm : la 0 . 9 sr 0 . 1 mno x ) ( thicknesses : 15 - 30 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %); and two current collectors made of an ag - lsm ( 50 / 50 by volume ) cermet ( thickness : 60 - 80 μm ; porosity between 30 and 50 %) and a protective layer on each of the faces of the membrane made of lscofe ( la 0 . 8 sr 0 . 2 co 0 . 8 fe 0 . 2 o w ) ( thickness : 30 - 40 μm ; porosity : 30 - 50 %) ( deposition conditions : 80 ° c ./ 0 . 5 h ). the total thickness was 0 . 92 mm . the various layers ( tie layers , electrodes , current collectors , protective layers ) were deposited by dip coating . the results presented relate to a tubular system consisting of ten elementary electrochemical cells . the system operated continuously for more than 75 days ( 1 800 hours ) at 10 × 10 5 pa ( 10 bar ) of oxygen between 780 and 800 ° c . ( oxygen production in the units ). the total potential of the ten - cell system rapidly stabilized ( after a few hours ) at 15 . 25 v , i . e . about 1 . 5 v per cell on average . the coulombic efficiency was 100 %. the results are given in fig4 a and 4b and in table 3 . fig4 a shows the functions v = f ( t ) and i = f ( t ) for a module of ten ceramic membranes with an internal / external “ tie ” surface and an lsm / ag - lsm / lscofe structure . fig4 b shows the change in coulombic efficiency over the course of time of a module of ten ceramic membranes with an internal / external “ tie ” surface and an lsm / ag - lsm / lscofe structure . purity of the oxygen produced by a module of ten ysz units described in example 3 . operating parameters : temperature : 780 - 800 ° c . ; pressure ( internal oxygen pressure ): 10 × 10 5 pa ( 10 bar ); oxygen flowrate : 0 . 6 sl / min ( analysis after two months of continuous operation ) an analysis of the gas produced ( o 2 ) at a pressure of 10 bar was carried out on a 10 - unit module after more than two months of continuous operation . the gas analysis was carried out by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry . the results indicated a level of impurities , essentially nitrogen , of less than 100 ppb . the details of the analysis are given in table 4 . in the four examples , the addition of lscofe - based protective layers very greatly slows down the ageing phenomenon of ysz units at a low current density (& lt ; 0 . 15 a / cm 2 ) and at a low operating temperature ( 750 ° c . ), without , however , definitively slowing it down over periods in excess of two months . it should be pointed out that the protective layer absolutely must be chemically inert not only with respect to the current collector material but also the materials of the electrode ( s ) and the solid electrolyte . the development on the dense solid electrolyte of specific surface area / roughness allows better “ bonding ” of the successive coatings , principally the electrode and the current collector , and at the same time increases the number of what are called “ triple ” points in electrochemistry ( points of contact between the solid electrolyte , the electrode and the gas ( o 2 )). there is delocalization of the electrode reaction within the volume , and no longer only at the solid electrolyte / electrode “ plane ” interface . the consequences of the development of this tie layer , of the same nature as the solid electrolyte and / or the electrode , combined with an electrode / current collector / protective layer structure , are numerous : stabilization of the degradation of the cells to less than 1 %/ 1000 h of operation on these units for current densities of around 0 . 20 - 0 . 30 a / cm 2 , temperatures of between 750 and 800 ° c . and oxygen pressures of between 1 and 20 bar ; the operating conditions of the units , compared with “ conventional ” ceramic membrane systems without a tie layer and with a protective layer , are more severe in terms of productivity ( 1 . 5 - 2 times ) and of temperature , with markedly less degradation ( increase in cell potentials ); the constancy of the productivity ( coulombic efficiency ) at 10 bar of oxygen ; and the purity of the oxygen produced is of the n60 type , that is to say with a level of impurities of air gases ( nitrogen , etc .) of less than 100 ppb . as further examples giving the advantageous results described above , there are electrochemical cells in which : the tie layer developed on both faces of the dense solid electrolyte is formed from the same material as the latter . however , it may be made of other constituent materials of the cell , mainly of the same nature as the electrode . in general , these may be materials of ionically conducting crystal structure ( dense solid electrolyte : aurivillius , fluorite phases ) and / or mixed ( brown - millerite , perovskite , pyrochlore ) phases ; the tie layer is characterized by the fact that it may , if it is of the same nature as the dense solid electrolyte , be inseparable from the latter . the ceramic membrane is then characterized by a membrane possessing on its faces , on both sides , a specific surface area / roughness . the formation of this tie layer may be obtained either , after sintering , from a ceramic membrane , for example by isostatic pressing , or from a presintered membrane , or from a green membrane ; the intermediate layer is defined as consisting of materials resulting from the subjacent and superjacent coatings . the thermal expansion coefficient of this layer is less than that of the superjacent layer and greater than the subjacent layer . the tie layer may be defined as being an intermediate layer between the solid electrolyte and the electrode . the intermediate layer must be sufficiently porous and of controlled thickness and must not influence the electrochemical performance of the cell . it consists either of ionically conducting materials , or of hybrid conducting materials , or of electronically conducting materials or of a mixture of the aforementioned materials ; the protective layer consists of a perovskite of the lscofe or other type , possessing hybrid conductivity properties at low temperature (& lt ; 800 ° c .). it may also consist of other ionically or hybrid conducting , crystal structures ( aurivillius , brown - millerite , pyrochlore , fluorite phases ); the protective layer does not possess hybrid , ionic or electronic conduction properties . it may be an insulator . however , the layer must be sufficiently porous and of controlled thickness in order to allow oxygen to diffuse within the system and must not influence the electrochemical performance of the cell ; beads of mullite or zirconia or alumina ( diameter between 0 . 2 and 1 mm ) may fill the cell so as to chemically fasten the internal silver wire . these beads may optionally be covered with a current collector layer , of the same nature as the current collector layer deposited on the tubular system ( silver lacquer , silver - lsm ( 50 / 50 vol %) mixture , gold lacquer , etc .). the use of perovskite - type beads may be envisioned , either with the same chemical composition as the protective layer or with a different chemical composition .	2
embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig4 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a socket for testing a semiconductor integrated circuit device according to the present invention , and fig5 is a cross - sectional view showing a connection between the socket of fig4 and a circuit board 30 . fig6 is an enlarged view showing an outer connection portion of the socket lead of fig4 . this embodiment shows socket 10 and circuit board 30 for a burn - in test of a semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 in an sop ( small outline package ). as shown in fig4 and 5 , socket 10 comprises a socket body 11 and socket leads 15 . socket body 11 includes an upper body 12 and a lower body 13 , and socket leads 15 , which are integrated with lower body 13 , includes an inner connection portion 15 a , an elastic portion 15 b and an outer connection portion 15 c . in testing , semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 is placed on lower body 13 so that outer leads 22 of semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 contact respective inner connection portions 15 a of socket leads 15 . upper body 12 , which sits on lower body 13 , has a cavity for semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 and is aligned with lower body 13 by guide bars 19 . upper body 12 holds semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 and secures the contact between outer leads 22 of semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 and respective inner connection portions 15 a of socket leads 15 . in particular , upper body 12 vertically moves up and down along guide bars 19 and applies pressure to elastic portions 15 b of socket leads 15 so that inner connection portions 15 a securely contact outer leads 22 . with reference to fig5 socket lead 15 will be described hereinafter in detail . as mentioned above , each socket lead 15 comprises inner connection portion 15 a , elastic portion 15 b , and outer connection portion 15 c . inner connection portion 15 a makes a contact with outer leads 22 of semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 , and outer connection portion 15 c makes a contact with circuit board 30 . elastic portions 15 b are bent so that inner connection portion 15 a contacts outer lead 22 when upper body 12 sits on lower body 13 . that is , inner connection portions 15 a contact outer leads 22 of semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 when upper body 12 of socket 10 moves down , and disconnect from outer leads 22 when upper body 12 moves up to release semiconductor integrated circuit device 20 from socket 10 . as shown in fig6 outer connection portion 15 c of this embodiment has a shape of elliptical hook for easy insertion and removal of outer connection portion 15 c of socket lead 15 into and from a through hole 33 of circuit board 30 . in addition , this shape provides elasticity to outer connection portion 15 c of socket lead 15 . the width d 1 , between the leftmost point and the rightmost point of outer connection portion 15 c , is greater than the diameter ( d 2 in fig7 ) of through hole 33 . when socket lead 15 is inserted into through hole 33 , outer connection portion 15 c is squeezed in the direction of arrow “ b ” and pushes inner wall 32 of through hole 33 in the direction of arrow “ a ” to make a contact with through hole 33 . through hole 33 connects to a tester ( not shown ) by wiring for transferring electrical signals between the tester and circuit board 30 . when socket lead 15 is removed from through hole 33 , outer connection portion 15 c recovers its initial shape . fig7 a and fig7 b are schematic cross - sectional views respectively showing socket lead 15 before and after being inserted into circuit board 30 , respectively . with reference to fig7 a and fig7 b , the outer connection portion 15 c of socket lead 15 will be described in detail hereinafter . with reference to fig7 a , the appropriate width d 1 of the central portion of the outer connection portion 15 c is determined by inner diameter d 2 of through hole 33 of circuit board 30 . generally , width d 1 is greater than inner diameter d 2 to such a degree that outer connection portion 15 c maintains its elasticity without a plastic deformation of the elliptical hook shape of outer connection portion 15 c after an extended use of socket 10 . preferably , 0 . 1 mm difference between width d 1 and diameter d 2 can give the elasticity without plastic deformation to outer connection portion 15 c of socket lead 15 . in one embodiment of the present invention , socket lead 15 is made of a conductive material such as copper or a copper alloy , and outer connection portion 15 c is a loop of wire having a diameter of 0 . 27 mm . the loop has a width d 1 of about 0 . 86 mm and a height of about 1 . 94 mm . through hole 33 is circular with a diameter of about 0 . 75 mm and inner wall 32 is made of materials such as copper and gold that are conductive , abrasion - resistant , and oxidation - resistant . in this embodiment , when outer connection portion 15 c of socket lead 15 is in through hole 33 as shown in fig7 b , the elastic force from the compressed elliptical hook shape of outer connection portion 15 c maintains the contact between inner wall 32 of through hole 33 and outer connection portion 15 c . herein , the location and size of the contact points between outer connection portion 15 c and through hole 33 may be variously controlled by changing the shape and the degree of the bent portion of outer connection portion 15 c . another advantage of the elliptical hook shape is a minimized friction between inner wall 32 of through hole 33 and outer connection portion 15 c of socket lead 15 during insertion of socket lead 15 into through hole 33 . since the lower half of outer connection portion 15 c has a “ v ” shape , it is possible to minimize the friction which is caused when inserting outer connection portion 15 c into through hole 33 of circuit board 30 . the “ v ” shape also helps align socket lead 15 with the associated through hole 33 . in particular , if socket lead 15 is slightly misaligned , the point end of outer connection portion 15 c will guide socket lead 15 into proper alignment during insertion . the upper half of outer connection portion 15 c has an inverted “ v ” shape , which minimizes the friction when removing outer connection portion 15 c from through hole 33 of circuit board 30 . the length of outer connection portion 15 c can be such that outer connection portion 15 c does not protrude below the lower surface of circuit board 30 , when outer connection portion 15 c is inserted in through hole 33 of circuit board 30 . in the case of the conventional socket , in which outer connection portion of socket lead should be connected to a circuit board by soldering , the outer connection portion protrudes from through hole below the lower surface of the circuit board . however , in the present invention , since outer connection portion 15 c does not have to protrude from through hole 33 outside the lower surface of circuit board 30 , and the total height of circuit board 30 can be smaller than that of the circuit board for the conventional socket . further , since the lower surface of circuit board 30 of the present invention is flat and even , the operation of an apparatus that loads and unloads the socket may be improved . inner wall 32 of through hole 33 of circuit board 30 is made of conductive materials that are resistant to abrasion and oxidation , because inner wall 32 must withstand repeated insertion and removal of socket lead 15 into and from through hole 33 . preferably , a gold layer can be plated on the inner wall 32 of through hole 33 , so that inner wall 32 can sustain its conductivity after an extended use of circuit board 30 . fig8 is a cross - sectional view showing another embodiment of an outer connection portion 16 c of a socket lead 16 according to the present invention . in fig8 outer connection portion 16 c of socket lead 16 has an “ s ” shape . when socket 10 is loaded on circuit board 30 , the end of outer connection portion 16 c of socket lead 16 is inserted into through hole 33 . the dimension of “ s ” is selected to provide an elastic contact between inner wall 32 and outer connection portion 16 c . for example , the width between the rightmost point and the leftmost point of the “ s ” shape is greater than the inner diameter of through hole 33 . when being inserted into through hole 33 , outer connection portion 16 c becomes somewhat squeezed and flat and pushes inner wall 32 of through hole 33 at points e and f , because “ s ” shaped outer connection portion 16 c tries to expand against wall 32 . next , an embodiment of a sub - circuit board according to the present invention will be described hereinafter . fig9 is a cross - sectional view showing another connection method between a socket 50 and a circuit board 30 using a sub - circuit board 60 according to the present invention . sub - circuit board 60 according to the present invention electrically connects socket 50 , especially for fine - pitch packages of semiconductor integrated circuit device , to circuit board 30 . in fig9 sub - circuit board 60 includes a wiring pattern 68 , through hole 63 and connection pins 65 . wiring pattern 68 electrically connects the outer connection portion ( not shown ) of socket 50 to respective through holes 63 . solder 66 fixes connection pins 65 to respective through holes 63 . the outer connection portion of connection pin 65 is shaped for insertion into through hole 33 of circuit board 30 in the same manner as outer connection portion 15 c in fig5 . the present invention can be applied in various ways . first , the shape of the outer connection portion is not limited to an elliptical hook shape or an “ s ” shape . that is , the outer connection portion of the socket can be formed in any shape that gives elasticity to the outer connection portion of socket lead and contacts the inner wall of the associated through hole . second , the socket and the circuit board according to the present invention are not limited to those which are used for burn - in test or electrical characteristics test of semiconductor integrated circuit devices . that is , the present invention may be applied to a socket and a circuit board wherever the socket is connected to the circuit board . third , the shape of the inner connection portion of socket lead is not limited to the shape described above . the inner connection portion can have various shapes according to the type of the outline of semiconductor integrated circuit device , including but not limited to shapes for csps ( chip scale packages ) and fpbga ( fine pitch ball grid array ) packages . in the cases of csps and fpbga packages , since the solder balls of the packages are equivalent of the outer leads of conventional plastic packages , the inner connection portions of sockets contact the solder balls . an experiment was carried out to evaluate the performance of the socket according to the embodiment in fig5 . the change of the width and the contact resistance of outer connection portions of socket leads were measured after repeated insertion and removal of the socket leads into and from the circuit board under a burn - in test condition . initial widths of outer connection portion of four sockets were 0 . 86 ± 0 . 03 mm , and the diameters of the through holes of circuit board were smaller than the width of the outer connection portion by about 0 . 1 mm . after the sockets were inserted and removed twenty times , the widths of the outer connection portions decreased by only about 0 . 017 ˜ 0 . 029 mm . accordingly , this result proves that the outer connection portion of the socket can maintain its initial dimension up to twenty times of insertion and removal of the socket . table 1 shows the change of contact resistance after repeated insertion and removal of six socket leads into and from the through holes of the circuit board . as shown in table 1 , the contact resistance change after thirty insertions and removals of the socket leads was only 0 . 43 mω . in other words , the quality of electrical connection between the socket and the circuit board was not seriously affected by repeated insertion and removal of the sockets into and from the through holes of the circuit board . in summary , the present invention can eliminate the soldering process for fixing socket leads to test circuit boards and reduce the total cost for testing semiconductor integrated circuit devices due to the non - use of receptacles , compared with conventional connection methods described earlier . moreover , the present invention makes the replacement of a socket on a circuit board easy . although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail hereinabove , it should be clearly understood that many variations and / or modifications of the basic inventive concepts herein taught will still fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims .	7
the term “ yarn ( s ),” as used herein , is to be understood as including fiber ( s ), filament ( s ), and the like used to make a suture of the present invention . typically , though , yarns are comprised of fibers and / or filaments . referring to fig1 , a scanning electron micrograph of a length of suture 2 according to the present invention is shown . suture 2 is made up of a jacket 4 and a core 6 surrounded by the jacket 4 . see fig2 . strands of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene ( uhmwpe ) 8 , such as that sold under the tradenames spectra and dyneema , strands of polyester 10 , and tinted strands 12 are braided together to form the jacket 4 . core 6 is formed of twisted strands of uhmwpe . uhmwpe , used for strands 8 , is substantially translucent or colorless . the polyester strands 10 are white ( undyed ). due to the transparent nature of the uhmwpe , the suture takes on the color of strands 10 and 12 , and thus appears to be white with a trace in the contrasting color . in accordance with the present invention , trace strands 12 are preferably provided in black . the black trace assists surgeons in distinguishing between suture lengths with the trace and suture lengths without the trace . traces also assist the surgeon in identifying whether the suture is moving . the trace can extend the entire length of the suture or only on half of a length of suture , the other half of the suture length remaining plain ( white ). alternatively , the traces can form visibly distinct coding patterns on each half of the suture length . as a result , when the suture is threaded through the eyelet of a suture anchor , for example , the two legs ( halves ) of the length of suture are easily distinguished , and their direction of travel will be readily evident when the suture is pulled during surgery . details of the present invention will be described further below in connection with the following examples : made on a 16 carrier hobourns machine , the yarns used in the braided jacket are honeywell spectra 2000 , polyester type 712 , and nylon . the jacket is formed using eight strands of 144 decitex spectra per carrier , braided with six strands of 100 decitex polyester , and two strands of tinted nylon . the core is formed of three carriers of 144 decitex spectra braided at three to six twists per inch . a no . 5 suture is produced . to make various sizes of the inventive suture , different decitex values and different ppi settings can be used to achieve the required size and strength needed . in addition , smaller sizes may require manufacture on 12 carrier machines , for example . the very smallest sizes can be made without a core . overall , the suture may range from 5 % to 90 % ultrahigh molecular weight polymer ( preferably at least 40 % of the fibers are ultrahigh molecular weight polymer ), with the balance formed of polyester and / or nylon . the core preferably comprises 18 % or greater of the total amount of filament . the suture is coated with collagen ( fibracol , medifil ), a bioabsorbable material . collagen is a natural biomaterial that acts as a hemostatic agent . collagen coating , like all suture coatings , also improves the pliability and handleability of the suture without sacrificing the physical properties of the constituent elements of the suture . in one embodiment of the present invention , a suture may be coated with native collagen . first , suitable amounts of collagen are dissolved in acetic acid of about 0 . 1 % concentration to derive a stock solution having a final concentration of about 0 . 5 mg / ml . the stock solution is further diluted with water to a final concentration of about 0 . 5 mg / ml and the suture is soaked in the stock solution at 4 ° c . the suture is then dried for at least 1 hour in a laminar flow hood free of dust and debris . about 30 mg of collagen can coat about 200 ft of the suture . a collagen - coated suture may be stored at room temperature for future use . in yet another embodiment of the present invention , a suture may be coated with denatured collagen . first , suitable amounts of collagen are dissolved in acetic acid of about 0 . 1 % concentration to derive a stock solution having a final concentration of about 0 . 5 mg / ml . the stock solution is then heated in a water bath at about 50 ° c . for about 12 hours , later diluted with water to about 0 . 5 mg / ml and the suture soaked at 4 ° c . the suture is then dried for at least 1 hour in a laminar flow hood free of dust and debris . about 30 mg of collagen can coat about 200 ft of the suture . a collagen - coated suture may be stored at room temperature for future use . in an alternative embodiment of the present invention , a partially bioabsorbable suture is provided by blending a high strength material , such as uhmwpe fibers , with a bioabsorbable material , such as plla or one of the other peptides , for example . accordingly , a suture made with about 10 % spectra or dyneema blended with absorbable fibers would provide greater strength and with less stretch . over time , 90 % or more of the suture would absorb , leaving only a very small remnant of the knot . the absorbable suture can include coatings , for example collagen . the ultra high molecular weight ( uhmw ) polymer component of the present invention provides strength , and the polyester component is provided to improve tie ability and tie down characteristics . however , it has been found that the uhmw polymer provides an unexpected advantage of acting as a cushion for the polyester fibers , which are relatively hard and tend to damage each other . the uhmw polymer prevents breakage by reducing damage to the polyester when the suture is subjected to stress . in one method of using the suture of the present invention , the suture 2 is attached to a suture anchor 14 as shown in fig3 ( prepackaged sterile with an inserter 16 ), or is attached at one or both ends to a half round , tapered needle 18 as shown in fig4 a and 4 b . fig4 a also illustrates a length of suture having regularly repeating pattern of trace threads according to the present invention . sections of the length of suture 2 have tinted tracing threads woven in . the alternating patterned and plain sections aid the surgeon in determining the direction of suture travel when pulling the suture , for example . although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof , many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art .	1
the end 10 of the cable shown diagrammatically in fig1 is constituted by an electrically conductive central support 12 that is substantially cylindrical in shape . by way of example , this support may be a cable of copper wires or a metal tube of low resistivity , being made of copper or silver - plated copper , for example . two superposed layers 14 and 16 of a superconductive material surround the central support 12 . an electrically insulating sheath 18 surrounds the superconductive layer 16 . intermediate layers 20 , 22 , and 24 are interposed respectively between the support 12 and the layer 14 , between the two superconductors 14 and 16 , and between the superconductor 16 and the sheath 18 . the presence of these intermediate layers is advantageous , but nevertheless it is not essential . they may be made for example of carbon black or using stainless steel tape wound around the central support 12 and the superconductors 14 and 16 . the superconductive layers 14 and 16 may be formed by tapes or wires of superconductive material wound respectively about the intermediate layers 20 and 22 . more generally , the cable could have only one superconductor 14 or 16 . by way of example , the superconductive wires or tapes may be of the bscco ( bi 2 sr 2 ca 2 cu 3 o x ) type or of the ybacuo type . the end 10 of the cable is stripped to constitute a staircase configuration , causing the following to appear in succession starting from the cable and extending over a length that can vary : the superconductive layer 16 ; the superconductive layer 14 ; and then the central support 12 . the intermediate layers 20 , 22 , and 24 are practically not left visible , as shown in fig1 . a metal sleeve 30 ( fig2 and 3 ) is fitted over the stripped central portion 12 and the stripped superconductive layers 14 and 16 . the sleeve comprises first and second portions 32 and 34 placed end to end . the first portion 32 is in the form of a hollow cylinder of inside diameter that is very slightly greater than the diameter of the support 12 , such that the first portion 32 of the sleeve can be fastened on the visible portion of the support 12 merely by being mutually engaged or crimped . by way of example , the sleeve may be made of copper , and when the central support is also made of copper , this procures a good copper - on - copper electrical connection . the copper may also be silver - plated . the second portion 34 of the sleeve is substantially in the form of a hollow cylinder of length not less than the length of the visible strip portions of the superconductive layers 14 and 16 so as to cover them completely . the inside diameter of the second portion 34 of the sleeve is greater than the diameter of the superconductive layer 16 ( which has a diameter greater than that of the conductive layer 14 ) so that a gap is left between the inside wall of the second portion 34 of the sleeve and the superconductors 14 and 16 . an orifice 36 is pierced through the second portion 34 , which orifice is of dimensions that are sufficient to enable a powder of solder material to be poured through said orifice 36 , or to enable a molten solder alloy to be cast directly , so that the solder occupies the space between the inside wall of the second portion 34 of the sleeve and the superconductors 14 and 16 . by way of example , the orifice may be oblong in shape , as shown in fig2 to 4 . the solder material fills the space between the second portion 34 of the sleeve and the superconductors 14 and 16 , at least in part . this material is electrically conductive and advantageously possesses a melting point that is relatively low , e . g . less than about 100 ° c . by way of example , it may be an alloy of sn — bi — pb composition . this avoids damaging the superconductors by heating to too high a temperature , while also enabling a good electrical connection to be made between the superconductive layers and the sleeve 30 . the length of the sleeve is such that it covers the stripped portions 14 and 16 of the superconductors and the stripped portion 12 of the central support completely , going from the end 38 of the insulating sheath 18 and at least as far as the end 40 of the central support 12 . the sleeve 30 may include electrical contact means on the outside wall of its second portion 34 , e . g . in the form of grooves 42 machined in the outside wall of the second portion 34 of the sleeve 30 . these grooves serve to receive metal contact strips that are annular in shape . the end 10 of the cable having the sleeve 30 fitted thereon ( fig3 ) can easily be connected to one end of a conventional resistive cable , e . g . formed by an electrically conductive tube that forms the female portion of the connection , with the sleeve 30 constituting the male portion . in another embodiment shown in fig4 , the first portion 32 of the sleeve 30 comprises first and second elements 50 and 52 of cylindrical shape , the diameter of the first element 50 being smaller than the diameter of the second element 52 . an intermediate portion 54 in the form of a truncated cone interconnects the two elements 50 and 52 . the large base of the truncated cone 54 has the same diameter as the second element 52 , and the small base of the truncated cone 54 has the same diameter as the first element 50 , so that the transition between the section of the first element 50 and the larger section of the second element 52 takes place progressively . the first element 50 is hollow , and as above it can be fastened by mutual engagement on the stripped portion of the central support 12 . the second portion 34 is identical to the embodiment of fig2 and 3 . the electric contact means on the outside wall of the second portion 34 of the sleeve are not of any use in this embodiment . as above , the first and second portions 32 and 34 of the sleeve are made of metal , e . g . of copper , which is optionally silver - plated . the second element 52 may be connected to the end of a conventional cable . the above - described termination presents numerous advantages . the connections made to the superconductor ends by soldering are easy to perform and do not damage the superconductors , whether by excessive heating or by bending , so they retain all their properties . the end of the cable can be connected or disconnected to a conventional cable without difficulty , which is advantageous when the resistive portion or the superconductive portion needs to be replaced . to undo the connection , it suffices to heat the termination to a temperature higher than the melting temperature of the solder material , and then the sleeve 30 can be removed . in addition , it is easy to assemble the sleeve to the stripped end of the superconductive cable in a manner that is easily reproducible . similarly , in the event of a short circuit , the space in the sleeve that is filled with solder increases the cross - section available for conveying electric current . embodiments other than those described and shown can be devised by the person skilled in the art without going beyond the ambit of the present invention . for example , the embodiments described relate to a cable end having two superconductive layers . naturally , the cable could have only one superconductive layer . similarly , the presence of the intermediate layers such as 20 , 22 , and 24 is not essential .	7
consider first fig7 , which depicts diagrammatically a medical imaging installation comprising a gamma ray sensor 1 such as a gamma camera moving in two directions in front of the subject 2 to be observed , and capturing gamma rays 3 emitted by radio - emissive particles injected beforehand into the body of the patient 2 . the gamma ray sensor 1 sends to a calculation unit 4 the sequence of photon image signals received on each basic region or pixel of the gamma ray sensor 1 , the calculation unit 4 storing in a memory 5 the number of photons for each pixel , corresponding to the intensity of the pixel . the memory 5 therefore contains a digitized image consisting of a table t of numbers x ( i , j ) each expressing the number of photons detected ( or degree of luminosity ) of a pixel from the row i and the column j of the observed region 1 . according to the invention , the installation further comprises a program stored in the memory 5 and driving the calculation unit 4 to filter the image digitized in the above manner and to produce on a display or printing device 6 a filtered image of high quality from which high - frequency noise has been extracted . an image filtering method according to one embodiment of the present invention is described next , with reference to fig5 . note the table t already referred to and constituting the digitized image . in practice , digitized images contain a large number of pixels . to simplify the explanation , a square image is considered that comprises 8 × 8 pixels , each pixel being depicted by a small square . the first operation a ) of the noise reduction method according to the invention consists in decomposing the table t into a continuous series of p basic tables of the same size , each comprising n pixels . in the example depicted in fig5 , four basic tables t 1 , t 2 , t 3 and t 4 , each having 16 pixels , are considered . then , in a step b ), the data from the sequence of basic tables t 1 - t 4 is arranged in a processing table x of p rows and n columns , each row i being formed of the ordered sequence of the pixels of the basic table of rank i . thus pixels 1 to 16 from the table t 1 , stored in order , are repeated in the first row of the table x . similarly , the pixels stored in order from the table t 2 are repeated in the second row of the table x , and so on . thus , in this example , the processing table x has four rows each of 16 columns . in the fig5 example , the table t is decomposed into four square basic tables t 1 - t 4 . however , without departing from the scope of the invention , the table t may be divided into a sequence of rectangular tables of the same size . then , in a step c ), the processing table x is normalized to obtain a normalized matrix xn in which each element xn ij in row i and column j is weighted by a transform using the mean of the values of the elements of the row i and the mean of the elements of the column j . one example of a normalization transform tn is described later . then , in the step d ), afc statistical factor analysis processing is applied to the normalized matrix xn , taking the j columns as the variables , to extract therefrom n representative orthogonal factors . d2 ) the square matrix that is the product of the normalized matrix xn and the transposed matrix xn t is calculated , d3 ) the square matrix xn t xn is diagonalized to extract therefrom n eigenvectors u k ( with k from 1 to n ) associated with n eigenvalues vp k , d4 ) the coordinates of the p rows of the normalized matrix xn are calculated on the n eigenvectors , d5 ) the squared cosines of the p rows of the n factor axes are calculated , during a step e ), the n factors are then stored in decreasing order as a function of their respective weights . during a step f ), a reconstituted processing table xr of numbers xr ( i , j ) is generated using only the first q representative factors and restoring the original values of the pixels by means of a transform that is the inverse of the normalization transform tn . finally , the reconstituted table tr is generated , constituting the reconstituted digitized image , in which high - frequency noise , for example poissonian statistical noise , has been reduced . in one embodiment , the step c ) may apply normalization by means of the following steps : c1 ) the sum f i of each row of the processing table x is calculated , c2 ) the sum f j of each column of the processing table x is calculated , c3 ) the total sum f tot of the table is calculated , c4 ) a normalization transform is used to replace each element x ij of the table by the normalized value equal to x ij divided by the product of the square roots of f i and f j . in practice , the step d4 ) of calculating the coordinates of the p rows of the normalized matrix xn on the n eigenvectors may be executed by calculating coordinate c k ( i ) of the row i on the axis k generated by the eigenvector u k using the formula : c k ⁡ ( i ) = f tot 1 / 2 ⁢ ∑ j = 1 n ⁢ x ij ( f i ⁢ ⁢ f j ) 1 / 2 ⁢ ⁢ u k ⁡ ( j ) in which u k ( j ) is the j th coordinate of the eigenvector u k . the squared cosine may be calculated , according to the step d5 ), using the formula : the coordinates of the n columns of the n eigenvectors may be calculated during a step d6 ) from the coordinate d k ( j ) of the column j on the eigenvector of axis k using the formula : d k ⁡ ( j ) = 1 vp k 1 / 2 ⁢ ∑ i = 1 p ⁢ x ij f j ⁢ ⁢ c k ⁡ ( i ) in which vp k is the eigenvalue associated with the eigenvector u k . during the step e ), the n factors can advantageously be classed as a function of their squared cosine by applying the above formulas . according to the invention , the reconstitution of the reconstituted processing table xr is effected independently row by row , taking into account only the q factors having the maximum squared cosine for the row i . assuming that the first q factors are taken into consideration , the reconstructed value xr ij ( q ) of the element of the reconstituted processing table xr in row i and column j is calculated from the formula : xr ij ⁡ ( q ) = f i ⁢ ⁢ f j f tot ⁢ ∑ k = 1 q ⁢ c k ⁡ ( i ) ⁢ ⁢ d k ⁡ ( j ) vp k 1 / 2 from the reconstituted processing table xr , in fig5 , the reconstituted table tr is reconstructed row by row , the first row of the reconstituted processing table xr constituting the pixels of the first basic table tr 1 , and so on . according to the invention , the aim is to automate the adaptation of the filtering device to the content of the image . this automation is effected for each region of the image corresponding to one of the basic tables t 1 to t 4 . to this end the reconstituted table xr is reconstructed row by row . reconstructed values xr ij of a row i of elements of the reconstituted table xr are calculated step - by - step : the values of the elements xr ij are calculated successively for increasing values q of the number of factors taken into account , the residual variance of the row i is calculated each time , the residual variance is compared to the estimated variance of the noise to be reduced , and the calculation for the row i is stopped when the residual variance of the row i is no longer statistically greater than the estimated variance of the noise of the row i in the starting image , thus obtaining an estimated final image im_final . in practice , the residual variance var_res ( q ) is calculated as the difference between the initial variance of the row i of the processing table x and the reconstituted variance var_rec ( q ) or variance of the row i of the reconstituted processing table xr : the test of comparing the residual variance and the estimated variance of the noise may advantageously be effected by : in which xhi ( ddl ) is the value given by the χ 2 table for a risk of 5 % and a number ddl of degrees of freedom , b ) stopping reconstruction when the residual variable var_res ( q ) is less than t . if the method is applied to processing an image subject to poissonian noise , the estimated variance of the noise of the row i is taken as equal to the average of the elements x ij of the row i of the processing table x . to reduce the effect of noise on the results , the procedure described above is repeated several times on the same image , shifting the decomposition into basic tables by one pixel each time . fig5 depicts the first procedure for an offset of 0 in x and 0 in y . fig6 depicts the second procedure for an offset of 1 pixel in x and 0 pixels in y : the basic table t ′ 1 is offset by 1 pixel toward the right in the table t . for a decomposition into 4 × 4 squares , for example , the procedure is executed 16 times , with offsets in x from 0 to 3 and offsets in y from 0 to 3 . the final image ( im_final ), estimated without noise , is the mean of the 16 resulting images . this mean can take into account the number of times each pixel of the image is actually included in the afc factor analysis of correspondences processing , in order not to cause edge effects . another advantage of repetition is circumventing geometrical artifacts that may appear because of the decomposition into basic rectangles . an advantageous embodiment of the invention further chooses the level of elimination of noise , subtracting from the original image only a portion of the noise image , to obtain a so - called reduced image im_reduced . the image of the noise im_noise is the original image subtracted from the final image . accordingly , a reduced image im_reduced is produced in which the noise is partially eliminated by the following steps : calculating the image of the noise im_noise as the difference between the original image and the final image : α may range from 0 ( total elimination of the noise ) to 1 ( no elimination of the noise ). fig4 depicts the result of filtering in accordance with the invention : the left - hand view is the original image ; the middle view is the final image with the optimum filtering ; the right - hand view is the reduced image , with α = ⅓ . the present invention is not limited to the embodiments explicitly described and encompasses variants and generalizations thereof within the scope of the following claims .	6
the exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings . a crane 10 shown in fig8 is provided with a boom foot ( which constitutes an upper slewing body ) 102 slewingable around a vertical slewing shaft 101 , and an expansible boom ( which constitutes an upper slewing body ) b composed of n numbers of boom members b 1 to b n is mounted on the boom foot 102 . this boom b is designed to be rotatable ( capable of being raised and fallen ) around a horizontal rotating shaft 103 , and a hoisting load c is hoisted on the extreme end ( boom point ) of the boom b . it is noted that , in the following description , bn ( n = 1 , 2 ,. . . n ) indicates the n - th boom member counted from the boom foot 102 side . as shown in fig1 this crane is provided with a boom length sensor 12 , a boom angle sensor 14 , a hoisting load sensor 15 , a rope length sensor 16 , an angular velocity sensor 18 , an arithmetic control device 20 and a slewing drive hydraulic system 40 . the arithmetic control device 20 comprises a lateral bending evaluation coefficient setting means 21 , a slewing radius calculation means 22 , a boom inertia moment calculation means 23 , a rated load calculation means 24 , a hoisting load calculation means 25 , a load inertia moment calculation means 26 , an allowable angular acceleration calculation means 27 , a slewing angular acceleration calculation means 28 , a braking torque calculation means 29 , a motor pressure control means 30 and a hoisting load acceleration calculation means 31 , wherein the upper slewing body is controlled to be braked and stopped without leaving an oscillation of the hoisting load c in consideration of the lateral bending load generated in the boom b during the slewing braking . more specifically , the lateral bending evaluation coefficient setting means 21 sets the evaluation coefficient with respect to the lateral bending strength of the boom b . the slewing radius calculation means 22 calculates the slewing radius r of the hoisting load c according to the boom length lb and the boom angle φ detected by the boom length sensor 12 and the boom angle sensor 14 , respectively . the boom inertia moment calculation means 23 calculates inertia moments in of the respective boom members bn according to the boom length lb and the boom angle φ and also calculates an inertia moment ib of the whole boom b . the rated load calculation means 24 calculates a rated load w o from the data stored in a rated load memory 241 according to the slewing radius r calculated by the slewing radius calculation means 22 and the boom length lb . the hoisting load calculation means 25 calculates an actual hoisting load w according to the pressure &# 34 ; p &# 34 ; of a boom raising and falling hydraulic cylinder detected by the hoisting load sensor 15 , the slewing radius r calculated by the slewing radius calculation means 22 and the boom length lb . the load inertia moment calculation means 26 calculates an inertia moment iw of a load ( hoisting load c ) according to the hoisting load w calculated by the hoisting load calculation means 25 and the slewing radius r . the allowable angular acceleration calculation means 27 calculates an allowable angular acceleration β 1 on the basis of the lateral bending strength of the boom b from the load inertia moment iw , the boom inertia moment ib , the rated load wo and the lateral bending evaluation coefficient α of the boom b . the slewing angular acceleration calculation means 28 calculates a slewing angular acceleration β for actually braking and stopping the slewing according to an oscillating radius l of the hoisting load c obtained from the result detected by the rope length sensor 16 , a slewing angular velocity ω of the boom b detected by the angular velocity sensor 18 and the allowable angular acceleration β 1 . the hoisting load angular acceleration calculation means ( which constitutes a part of the hoisting load braking torque calculation means ) 31 momentarily calculates an angular acceleration βw of the hoisting load c when the upper slewing body is braked at the slewing angular acceleration according to the oscillating state of the hoisting load c during the slewing braking . it is noted that , in this embodiment , as described hereinafter , the oscillating state of the hoisting load c is obtained by the arithmetic operation on the basis of the theoretical formula . the braking torque calculation means 29 has such a functional structure as shown in fig2 to momentarily calculate a braking torque required to brake the upper slewing body according to the slewing angular acceleration and the angular acceleration βw of the hoisting load c . in fig2 the upper slewing body braking torque calculation means 291 calculates an upper slewing body braking torque ts required to brake the upper slewing body including the boom b at the slewing angular acceleration β . the hoisting load braking torque calculation means 292 calculate , according to the angular acceleration βw of the hoisting load c momentarily calculated by the hoisting load angular acceleration calculation means 31 , a braking torque tw of the hoisting load c required at each time . the whole braking torque calculation means 293 momentarily calculates the sum of the upper slewing body braking torque ts and the hoisting load braking torque tw . the resultant value is set as the whole braking torque tt required to brake the upper slewing body to output a set signal to a motor pressure control means 30 . the motor pressure control means 30 sets a braking pressure pb of a hydraulic motor corresponding to the whole braking torque tt to output a control signal to the hydraulic system 40 . subsequently , the arithmetic and control contents actually executed by the arithmetic control device 20 will be described . the slewing radius calculation means 22 first determines a slewing radius r &# 39 ; without taking account of a flexure of the boom b and a radius increment δr caused by the flexure of the boom b from the boom length lb and the boom angle φ , and calculates the slewing radius r therefrom . the boom inertia moment calculation means 23 calculates inertia moments in of the respective boom members bn , and further calculates the inertia moment ib ## equ1 ## of the whole boom b as the sum thereof . the inertia moment in of each boom member bn is determined by the following formula . , wherein ino represents the inertia moment ( constant ) around the center of gravity of each boom member bn in the state of φ = 0 , wn the dead weight of each boom member bn , &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; the gravity acceleration , and rn the slewing radius of gravity of each boom member bn . on the other hand , the load inertia moment calculation means 26 calculates a load inertia moment iw according to the hoisting load w and the slewing radius r . more specifically , the load inertia moment iw is expressed by the following formula . according to the data thus calculated , the allowable angular acceleration calculation means 27 determines the allowable angular acceleration β 1 as follows . in general , the boom b and the boom foot 102 of the crane 10 has a sufficient strength . however , when the boom length lb becomes long , a large lateral bending force acts on the boom b due to the inertia force generated during the slewing braking . the burden in terms of strength caused by the lateral bending force is maximum in the vicinity of the boom foot 102 . here , the evaluation of strength is performed on the basis of moment around the slewing shaft 101 . more specifically , let β &# 39 ; be the angular acceleration of the boom b during the slewing braking , βw &# 39 ; be the angular acceleration of the hoisting load c , and iu be the moment around the slewing shaft of all constituent elements ( such as the boom foot 102 ) of the upper slewing body other than the boom b , the moment nb acting around the slewing shaft 101 due to the above - mentioned slewing is given by on the other hand , the allowable condition with respect to the lateral bending strength of the boom b is given by the following formula . on the other hand , in the case that the upper slewing body is braked at the angular acceleration β &# 39 ; ( the procedure for calculation thereof will be described hereinafter ) without leaving the oscillation of the load in the state where both the upper slewing body and the hoisting load c are slewed at the angular velocity ωo without the oscillation of the hoisting load c , the relationship between the angular acceleration βw &# 39 ; of the hoisting load c and the angular acceleration β &# 39 ;, is obtained in the following procedure . as the hoisting load c , a model of a pendulum as shown in fig4 is taken into consideration . since a reversed inertia force acts on the hoisting load c during the slewing acceleration or deceleration , the following formula is obtained . , wherein θ represents the oscillating angle of the hoisting load c , l the length of a rope , and v the slewing speed of the boom top . let &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; ( a & lt ; 0 at the time of braking ) be the acceleration of the boom top , , wherein vo represents the slewing speed (= r · ωo ) of the boom top before braking . substituting the differentiated formula ( 5 ) in the formula ( 4 ), , where ω =√ g / l . applying the initial condition ( t = 0 , θ = 0 , and θ = 0 ) to the above formulas , thus , the displacement &# 34 ; u &# 34 ;, speed and &# 34 ; u &# 34 ; and acceleration &# 34 ; u &# 34 ; in the slewing direction of the hoisting load c are obtained as follows : ## equ2 ## the obtained acceleration &# 34 ; u &# 34 ; is the relative acceleration of the hoisting load c with respect to the upper slewing body , and therefore , the absolute acceleration ( i . e ., acceleration with respect to the ground ) &# 34 ; aw &# 34 ; of the hoisting load c is expressed by in fig6 the angular velocity ω of the boom b and the angular velocity ωw of the hoisting load c obtained according to the formula ( 6 ) are indicated at the solid lines 51 and 52 , respectively , in the case that the vibration mode number is 1 . in this figure , the angular velocity ωw of the hoisting load c shows a vibration with one period until the complete stop , and after the elapse of time t = t / 2 since the start of braking , the angular acceleration βw &# 39 ; of the hoisting load c becomes twice the angular acceleration β &# 39 ; of the boom b . on the other hand , in the case that the vibration mode number is n (≧ 2 ), the angular velocity ωw of the hoisting load c shows a vibration with n - periods during the slewing braking . however , the minimum value ( the maximum value if an absolute value is taken ) of the angular acceleration βw &# 39 ; of the hoisting load c is also 2β &# 39 ;. theoretically , the value never exceeds 2β &# 39 ;. accordingly , in this embodiment , a coefficient k , being set at more than 2 in consideration of a safety factor , is introduced and the arithmetic operation proceeds with βw &# 39 ;= kβ &# 39 ;. the maximum angular acceleration β &# 39 ; in the formula ( 7 ) is set as the allowable angular acceleration β 1 . the slewing angular acceleration calculation means 28 calculates the actual slewing angular acceleration β in the following procedure according to the allowable angular acceleration β 1 calculated in the manner as described above and the load oscillating radius l and the boom angular velocity ω o ( angular velocity before deceleration ) obtained from the results detected by the rope length sensor 16 and the angular velocity sensor 18 . as the hoisting load c , a model of the same single pendulum as that shown in fig4 is taken into consideration . then , a differential equation of this system is expressed as follows . both sides of the formula ( 5 ) are differentiated by time &# 34 ; t &# 34 ;, and the resultant value is substituted in the right side of the formula ( 4 ), which is then integrated under the initial condition ( at t = 0 , θ = 0 , θ = 0 ), thus obtaining the following formula . when this formula is expressed on a phase plane in connection with and θ / ω and θ , a circle is depicted which passes through an original point o ( 0 , 0 ) around a point a ( 0 , - a / g ). a time required to make a round of this circle , that is , a period t in which the pendulum moves from the original point o and then returns to its original state is given by t = 2π / ω , and therefore , if the angular acceleration β is set so as to completely stop after the time nt ( n is a natural number ) from the time ( o point ) at which the slewing stop control of a crane starts , the stop control of a crane without leaving an oscillation of a load is realized . since ω is a constant value determined by the gravity acceleration &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; and the oscillating radius &# 34 ; l &# 34 ;, the above angular acceleration β is obtained by ## equ3 ## on the other hand , the allowable condition of the lateral bending strength of the boom b is \| β \|≦ β 1 , and therefore , the minimum natural number &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; in the range of fulfilling the above allowable condition is selected whereby the slewing angular acceleration β for braking and stopping the slewing without leaving the oscillation of the load at the minimum time can be obtained . the braking torque calculation means 29 and the hoisting load angular acceleration calculation means 31 calculate torques required to brake the upper slewing body at the slewing angular acceleration β . this calculation procedure will be described with reference a flowchart of fig3 . first , the upper slewing body braking torque calculation means 291 in the braking torque calculation means 29 calculates a braking torque ts required to brake the main body of the upper slewing body at the slewing angular acceleration β ( step s 1 ). this upper slewing body braking torque ts is obtained by on the other hand , the hoisting load angular acceleration calculation means 31 calculates the angular acceleration βw of the actual hoisting load c in case of braking at the slewing angular acceleration β ( step s 2 ). the formula for obtaining the hoisting load angular acceleration βw is similar to the formula ( 6 ) and is expressed by the hoisting load braking torque calculation means 292 calculates a braking torque tw required to brake the hoisting load c according to the hoisting load angular acceleration βw ( step s 3 ). this hoisting load braking torque tw is obtained by the whole braking torque calculation means 293 calculates the sum of the upper slewing body braking torque ts and the hoisting load braking torque tw as the whole braking torque tt ( step s 4 ) to output it to the motor pressure control means 30 . the motor pressure control means 30 sets the braking side pressure pb of the hydraulic motor corresponding to the whole braking torque tt to output a control signal on the basis of the braking side pressure pb . in this embodiment , there is a relationship , as shown by the solid line 60 in fig7 between the whole braking torque tt and the differential pressure δp of the hydraulic motor , as expressed by the following formula . the motor differential pressure δp 1 indicates the value of δp at an intersection between a straight line expressed by the formula ( 12 ) and a straight line expressed by the formula ( 13 ). accordingly , substituting the whole braking torque tt in the formula ( 12 ) or ( 13 ), then the differential pressure δp of the hydraulic motor for obtaining the braking torque tt can be obtained . furthermore , let pa be the drive side pressure of the hydraulic motor , the braking side pressure pb of the hydraulic motor can be obtained by the operations of steps s 2 to s 5 are executed every constant control termination until the slewing stop is completed ( step s 6 ) whereby the high accurate slewing stop control in consideration of the oscillation of a load during the slewing braking can be realized , and the upper slewing body can be reliably stopped without leaving the oscillation of the hoisting load c . the present invention is not limited to the above - mentioned embodiment and the following mode , for example , can be employed . ( 1 ) while in the above - mentioned embodiment , the angular acceleration βw of the hoisting load is obtained from the theoretical formula , and the hoisting load braking torque tw is calculated on the basis thereof , it is to be noted that the present invention is not limited thereto and the oscillating state ( such as the oscillating angle θ ) of the hoisting load c during the slewing braking , for example , is momentarily detected by a sensor , and the hoisting load braking torque tw is obtained from the detected result . the concrete arithmetic operation is shown below . let &# 34 ; m &# 34 ; (= w / g ) be the mass of the hoisting load c , the relationship between the oscillating angle θ of the hoisting load c and the acceleration &# 34 ; aw &# 34 ; in the slewing direction of the hoisting load c is given by the hoisting load braking torque tw can be obtained on the basis of the oscillating angle θ from the formula ( 16 ). thus , the oscillating state of the hoisting load is detected by the sensor or the like and the slewing stop control is performed on the basis thereof , and therefore , the slewing stop control with high accuracy in well conformity with the actual circumstances can be realized . in the case of calculating the hoisting load braking torque using the theoretical formula as in the above - mentioned embodiment , a sensor is not required , thus providing the merit that the above - mentioned effect is obtained at low cost . ( 2 ) in the present invention , the braking torque of the upper slewing body and the hoisting load is obtained on the basis of a common angular acceleration similarly to the prior art , and a torque correction amount in consideration of the oscillation of the hoisting load is calculated separately therefrom so as to obtain the sum of both . also in this case , by the addition of the torque correction amount , the hoisting load braking torque is obtained as a result , thus obtaining the effect similar to that of the above - mentioned embodiment . ( 3 ) the present invention may be applied to such a construction machine irrespective of kind thereof , that is provided with a slewingable upper slewing body which hoists a load at a predetermined position . the slewing drive means employed includes a hydraulic or electric means , and the braking torque is calculated by the procedure noted above to thereby realize the high accurate control in consideration of the oscillation of the load during the slewing braking .	1
fig1 depicts a view in the xz plane , roughly to scale , of a representative ceramic dewared spinner assembly suitable for a cryomas probe . warm bearing gas may be supplied through a small metallic dewar 11 at just the rear end and ducted internally in a channel 12 between the innermost sleeve , identified as the zirconia spinner stator 13 , and the inner zirconia dewar wall 14 to the bearing orifices 15 , 16 near both ends of the ceramic rotor 17 and to the inflow bernoulli bearing orifices 18 that form the axial bearing at the lower end of the rotor . the bearing gas temperature may be well below or well above room temperature , heated and sensed according to the prior art . exhaust from the axial bearing and the lower bearing orifices 16 vents axially and then downward through a small metallic bearing exhaust dewar 19 . the ceramic rotor 17 containing the warm sample 20 is driven by warm nitrogen gas from drive nozzles 21 engaging a radial - inflow microturbine 22 attached to the upper end of the rotor 17 . the drive manifold groove 23 in the spinner stator 17 is pressurized with nitrogen via another small metallic dewar not visible in this view , as it is off to the side to keep the region below the front of the spinner assembly free for the high - power reactive circuit elements needed to double tune the outer sample solenoid 24 for the lf and mf frequencies . the inner foil high - frequency ( hf ) cross coil 25 , between the ceramic dewar outer wall 26 and the sample solenoid 24 is also not visible in this view , as it is very thin , typically about 0 . 05 mm thick , and may not have any features in the xz plane , according to the prior art . teflon , about 0 . 5 mm thick has most often been used in the prior art to insulate the cross coil from the outer solenoid ; but in the cryomas case , sapphire ( single - crystal aluminum oxide ) may be a better thermal option , as it provides the thermal conduction needed so that the cross coil may be more effectively cooled by the conduction - cooled solenoid . however , its high dielectric constant will present isolation and tuning difficulties unless it is restricted to a short portion of the insulating sleeve , preferably near the center of the coils . in this context the sample being inside a rotor near room temperature typically means the sample has a temperature significantly above the coil temperature , and in an exemplary embodiment is between 100 k and 400 k in temperature . the four small capacitors at each end used to tune the cross coil to the 1 h frequency , according to the prior art in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 130 , 537 , are also not visible in this view , as they are not in the xz plane . the inflow - bernoulli axial bearing and other important spinner assembly details , especially related to the rotor tip plug and the doty bearing , are disclosed in more detail in a co - pending application . other types of bernoulli axial bearings , such as those in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 446 , 430 or in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 940 , 942 , could also be used , though with some disadvantages . the drive gas vents up the curved rotor - loading tube 30 , through which the warm rotor may be pneumatically ejected and a new one dropped into place . a high - performance magic - angle - gradient ( mag ) coil 31 , more closely related to that of barbara and bronnimann than that of cory , but made of multi - layer windings and not constrained to a right cylinder , is supported on a mag coilform 32 surrounding the spinner assembly and made according to the public domain prior art by doty . the symmetry of the mag coil allows four symmetrically disposed windows 33 through which leads 34 may be run to the solenoid through one window and likewise to the cross coils through another window , though typically fewer than four windows are required for these leads . prior art mag coils have been mounted on ceramic cylinders lined with thin - copper - foil rf shields to minimize eddy currents , but the differential thermal stresses between the copper windings and a ceramic coilform make such an arrangement unsuitable for the cryomas probe . the preferred coilform material here is a high - resistivity , high - strength , low - susceptibility , low - outgassing alloy that can be readily electro - plated , such as c654 ( 3 % si , 1 . 5 % sn , 0 . 06 % cr , bal . cu ) and related high - silicon bronzes , including c876 ( 4 . 5 % si , 5 . 5 % zn , 0 . 2 % pb , 0 . 1 % mn , 0 . 1 % fe , bal . cu ). another adequate alloy is c925 ( 11 % sn , 1 . 2 % ni , 1 . 2 % pb , 0 . 2 % p , 0 . 1 % fe , bal cu ), and related high - tin bronzes . preferably , the coilform 32 alloy would have weight composition of at least 70 % copper , less than 20 % zinc , less than 20 % nickel , less than 8 % chromium , less than 4 % aluminum , less than 4 % pb , less than 0 . 2 % iron , less than 0 . 2 % cobalt , and at least 2 . 5 % from the set comprised of tin , silicon , aluminum , and chromium , such that rt electrical conductivity is less than 12 % that of pure copper . such an alloy is herein defined as a type d alloy . the inside surface of the coilform must then be electroplated with gold , silver , or copper to several rf skin depths for low losses in the rf currents that will be induced therein from the sample coils , but the thickness must be limited to avoid excessive gradient eddy currents . for gold at 80 k for example , the thickness should be limited to approximately 0 . 003 mm . a nitrogen - gas mag - cooling loop 35 is affixed around the mag coil for cooling to approximately 85 k . the high - conductivity copper windings and the mag coilform , though of type d alloy , provide sufficient thermal conduction to keep the entire mag coil near the temperature of the mag cooling loop 35 . the ends of the dewared ceramic spinner assembly are enclosed in thermally insulating plastic sleeves 36 , 37 that also may participate in sealing the warm nitrogen bearing , drive , and exhaust gases from the cold zone 38 external to the ceramic dewar outer wall 26 . it may be impractical to insure that there will be no gas leaks between the nitrogen and helium regions , but it is necessary to insure that no nitrogen gas leaks into the cold helium zone , where it would deposit on the cold tuning elements and degrade performance . hence , the cold helium zone 38 may preferably be maintained at a pressure greater than 1 . 1 atmosphere , via a suitable helium gas pressurization supply line , to prevent leakage from the spinner exhausts 19 , 30 and from external atmosphere into the cold zone . alternatively , if the gas leaks can adequately be eliminated , the cold zone may be evacuated to high vacuum , where satisfactory high voltage operation is possible . the intermediate vacuum regime , between about 1 mtorr and 1 atmosphere , is unsuitable for high - voltage operation . the cold zone may be pressurized to 5 atmospheres if necessary to prevent leakage flow from the bearing supply dewar 11 or drive manifold 23 . in this context , “ cold ” typically means a range of about 25 k to 35 k , preferably below 30 k , and possibly below 15 k . the substantial heat leaks from the warm exhaust ducts at both ends of the spinner assembly through the plastic sleeves 36 , 37 may be accommodated by surrounding these sleeves with a cooling jacket 40 cooled by nitrogen - gas jacket - cooling loops 41 to about 90 k . this jacket , which may be of alumina ceramic or slotted type d alloy for minimal eddy currents , may then be externally insulated with teflon ( ptfe ) foam 42 from the helium gas surrounding it , which may be slightly colder , at least in places . the rf solenoid 24 is preferably aluminum - plated copper with an aluminum core . the thin , high - purity aluminum surface plating presents lower resistance at low temperatures and high magnetic fields than copper , according to the prior art , as in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 411 , 092 b1 . the aluminum core provides magnetic compensation , according to the prior art , as in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 130 , 537 . the solenoid is conduction cooled to typically 30 k via thermally conductive sapphire - dielectric capacitors from each end to a cold ground plate , as discussed shortly . the cold solenoid 24 may be externally thermally insulated from the warmer mag coilform by filling the space surrounding the rf solenoid with fine glass wool , for example , where the glass or quartz fiber diameter is typically in the range of 5 to 15 microns . note that the solenoid and all other high - voltage circuit elements may be in a pressurized helium atmosphere . primarily because helium is monatomic , the ionization breakdown voltage ( for the typical nmr pulse conditions ) in helium at rt is about one - eighth that of air . fortunately , the breakdown field e b in a dense gas at constant pressure is generally inversely proportional to t 3 / 2 , so arcing in helium below 70 k is less of a problem than in air at rt for a given voltage . however , because of the space required for the ceramic dewar , the sample coil voltages must be higher than in conventional mas probes for similar rf field strengths , so attention must be paid to high - voltage rf design . there is also the potential for ionization in the vacuum space within the ceramic dewar if the vacuum degrades to the point that the molecular mean free path is less than the separation gap between the inner wall 14 and outer wall 26 . hence , this space may need to be continuously pumped via a very small pumpdown stem ( tube ) 43 from the vacuum space to keep its pressure below 30 mtorr . for satisfactory sealing to zirconia and subsequent soldering to a larger evacuation tube , the pumpdown stem should be of platinum or of gold - plated titanium alloy or of vanadium and have a short flexible section to reduce stresses . fig2 shows a side overview of the upper portion of the cylindrical cryomas probe , for use in a wide - bore high - field nmr magnet , including the spinner assembly as was shown in more detail in fig1 . note that the magnet &# 39 ; s field strength would usually be greater than 7 t and at least greater than 4 t , as improvements in s / n in low - field applications could more easily be obtained by simply increasing the rotor size . the cold zone 38 is sealed by o - rings 51 at the rt gas - sealing barrier 52 , where also are found o - ring seals to the outside of the small dewars 11 , 19 and cold - finger dewar 53 , which insulates the commercially available cold finger ( not shown ) containing a heat exchanger . the use of o - ring seals on the small dewars facilitates their replacement and position adjustment , as needed to accommodate minor angle adjustments of the spinner axis for precise setting at the magic angle . alternatively , flexibility for adjustment of the magic angle and alleviation of stresses may be provided by utilizing short bellows tubing connections between the small dewars and the spinner assembly . the helium - gas - cooled cold finger slides into the cold - finger dewar 53 and is attached to the second - stage cold plate , 54 , typically of copper alloy with silver or gold plate . with sufficient attention to the cryo - engineering details , the heat leak can be made sufficiently small for compatibility with commonly available small , closed - cycle , gas - cooled , cold fingers that provide 6 w cooling at 30 k , for example , or perhaps larger cold fingers providing more cooling power or lower temperatures . first - stage nitrogen cooling includes the mag - coil cooling loop 35 , the cooling jacket cooling loops 41 , and the first - stage cool plate 55 , which is thermally insulated above and below with foamed teflon 56 , 57 . a low - magnetism bell dewar 60 surrounds the cold zone and is secured firmly to the barrier 52 to withstand the pressurization forces . the dewar also includes a sealed access duct 61 in the top , suitably designed for sufficiently low heat leak , through which the rotor - loading duct 30 may pass and be sealed . the inner wall 62 of the bell dewar is made predominately of a type d alloy and plated on the inside with silver , gold , or copper to a thickness of several rf skin depths at the operating temperature . it is similarly plated on its outer surface to minimize radiative heat transfer . the high voltage passive reactive elements required for tuning are mounted above the cold plate 54 , as shown in the perspective view of some of the components in fig3 . these include at least one sapphire - dielectric co - axial capacitor 72 providing thermal contact from the cold plate 54 to one lead 34 of the sample solenoid 24 , and normally a second smaller sapphire capacitor is used at the second solenoid lead . for the case where the solenoid 24 is double - tuned for lf and mf , tuning solenoid 71 is also required , which would preferably be of either aluminum - plated copper or solid aluminum . it is preferably covered with foamed teflon 74 for thermal insulation from the warmer helium in the cold zone 38 . additional cold capacitors and inductors in the cold zone would also be used as needed to achieve the desired tuning , channel isolation , and impedance transformations from the sample coil to the rf - feed - through elements 73 which lead to the rt tuning zone 80 below the barrier 52 . as in the prior art , sample solenoid differential voltages at the lf and mf will typically be limited to about 4 kv by the dielectric sleeve between the solenoid and the cross coil , partly because it may not be practical for the solenoid to be both double tuned and balanced at the mf when the mf is greater than 150 mhz . if the mf is unbalanced , half the mf voltage may also appear on some hf cross - coil matching elements . standard circuit optimization methods , which keep the rf voltages and currents on the feed - through elements small compared to such on the sample solenoid , allow the noise contributions from the feed - through elements and the variable capacitors in the rt tuning zone to be kept to several percent of the total with adequate tuning adjustment range for normal sample loading ranges . as is well known from the prior art , the preamp , rf duplexer switch , and input filters must be cooled to around 80 k for their noise contribution to be very small compared to that of the sample coil . open - cycle nitrogen - gas first - stage cooling can easily provide the required cooling capacity down to about 80 k ; but alternatively , helium gas cooling may be used for first - stage cooling to a lower temperature . yet another possible approach is the use of cold nitrogen gas carrying droplets of liquid nitrogen . these components may be mounted in the base of the probe , according to the prior art , or in a separate compartment very near the probe if connected via very low loss transmission lines , as also in the prior art . it may also be desirable to utilize one or more plug - in hi - power ceramic capacitors in the cold zone circuit in addition to the one or more fixed sapphire capacitors to facilitate multi - nuclear tuning , according to the prior art , even though the qs of commercially available hi - power ceramic capacitors do not improve much as they are cooled and their qs even at rt are much lower than is easily obtained with sapphire - dielectric hi - power coaxial capacitors . in some cases it may be desirable to add a 2 h lock channel to triple resonance capability . this may be best accommodated by adding a second cross coil between the inner 1 h cross coil and the outer solenoid 24 , according to the prior art . in this case , the 1 h cross - coil is normally oriented with its b 1 nearly transverse to b 0 and made with optimal surface coverage for high magnetic filling factor and q , while the 2 h cross - coil , typically a 2 - turn saddle coil similar to the prior art shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 641 , 098 , is oriented orthogonally and made with low surface coverage for minimal degradation in the performance of the 1 h cross coil and outer solenoid . it is also possible to effectively utilize a single solenoid 24 without an inner cross coil for double - resonance applications at least up to 7 t and possibly at 9 . 4 t even when the hf channel is for 1 h , using circuits similar to those used for more than three decades in solids nmr . although this invention has been described herein with reference to specific embodiments , it will be recognized that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention . all such modifications and changes are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .	6
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention . examples of the preferred embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the inventive solid state control device for use with a metal sheathed heater . the inventive device may be combined with an electrical resistance heater such as a compressor heater , ( a tutco , inc . model ch compressor heater ), which is well known in the art either electrically connected to the compressor heater by means of a mechanically strong , abrasive resistant , moisture resistance , electrical insulating joint or by some other means . referring to fig2 , a heater assembly 200 is shown . heater assembly 200 includes heater 10 , as disclosed in fig1 above . features of heater 10 disclosed in fig1 have the same references numerals , except where otherwise noted . preferably , heater 10 includes an electrical resistance wire sheathed in metal for heating a material . heater assembly 200 also includes control device 30 connected to heater 10 . through lead wires 15 and 17 , control device 30 regulates output power to heater 10 . lead wire 15 from control device 30 ends in a terminal 16 . terminal 16 connects lead wire 15 to a power source . lead wire 17 connects control device 30 to heater 10 . lead wire 17 connects to heater cable 9 via joint 202 . joint 202 may be located within or outside of metal sheath 7 . the components of 202 joint may be found in the patent publication ser . no . 2005 / 0194377 noted above . other means may be used to cover joint 202 . one example is to first seal joint 202 with a waterproof , temperature resistant , electrical resistant seal or potting material , then use a heat shrinkable tube as described above , with or without an adhesive on its inside surface , to cover joint 202 . additionally , sufficiently thick , water proof , temperature resistant , electrical resistant , mechanically strong seal or potting material may be used to cover joint 202 . thus , power is supplied to heater 10 via control device 30 . when terminal 16 is connected to the power source , control device 30 allows output power to heater 10 through lead wire 17 . as disclosed in greater detail below , control device 30 also terminates output power to heater 10 under certain conditions , such that no power is provided to heater cable 9 . thus , heater 10 is not in a continuous “ on ” state to supply heat wastefully , or when it is not needed . for example , control device 30 terminates power to heater 10 based upon a sensed condition . the sensed condition may be a point in time , a temperature and the like . thus , heater 10 is off for a period of time because no output power from control device 30 is received at heater cable 9 . upon another sensed condition , control device 30 supplies output power to the heater 10 because the heat is needed . the first sensed condition and the second sensed condition may correspond to each other , such as time values , or temperature readings . fig3 a and 3b depict different configurations of heater assembly 200 when it is attached to a compressor 302 . metal sheathed heater 10 could also be combined with some other structure for placement and support . the structure , or material held by the structure , requires heating using metal sheathed heater 10 . lead wires 15 and 17 of heater assembly 200 should be of sufficient length to allow control device 30 to be positioned so as to reach heater 10 without being adversely impacted by compressor 302 . for example , referring to fig3 a , lead wire 17 allows control device 30 to be located at a distance from compressor 302 . preferably , the distance is not long . lead wire 15 also is long enough to reach a power source 304 . power source 304 may supply input power as known in the art . for example , power source 304 may be a wall outlet , a battery , generator and the like . further , control device 30 may be equipped with an appropriate means for mounting as required in a given installation . control device 30 may be mounted virtually anywhere in connection with the structure being heated , e . g ., the surrounding supports for the structure being heated . referring to fig3 a , control device 30 may be mounted on a wall , post , stand or rest on a table in the vicinity of compressor 302 . for example , mounts for control device 30 may include a plate to hold control device 30 attached by screws , nails , adhesive , glue and the like . alternatively , control device 30 may be attached directly to a wall or post using screws , nails , adhesive , glue , string wrapped around a post , and the like . for use on a table , shelf and the like , a holder may prop control device 30 into an upright position for easier viewing . the holder also may be attached to the table , shelf and the like using any of the means disclosed above . an alternate construction is to mount control device 30 to the structure being heated and connect it to heater 10 at the application by conventional termination means . referring to fig3 b , heater assembly 200 is configured with control device 30 mounted on compressor 302 . a mount 312 secures control device 30 . mount 312 may be any known mounting device known in the art . for example , mount 312 may be a plate having an adhesive strip on its back to attach to compressor 302 . alternatively , mount 312 may be a plastic or metal holder with straps or a belt that wraps around compressor 302 or is held in place by pegs or the like attached to compressor 302 with glue or adhesive . lead wires 15 and 17 include lengths to reach power source 304 and heater 10 , respectively . this configuration may be desirable when heater 10 is attached to compressor 302 on a long - term or permanent basis . control device 30 remains close enough to heater 10 and compressor 302 to take accurate readings for determining whether to supply power via lead wire 17 . further , control device 30 is located in a position to be turned on and off manually . fig4 depicts a block diagram illustrating components of control device 30 according to the disclosed embodiments . according to the preferred embodiments , control device 30 is a solid state control device . control device 30 may include a solid state relay component that acts as a switch . control device 30 acts like switch that uses low voltage to switch from an input power to an output power to heater 10 . in this embodiment , control device 30 does not have moving parts or mechanical contacts in operation , and switches “ on ” and “ off ” faster than a mechanical relay . referring to fig4 , the solid state control device 30 includes an opto - isolator 31 , a relay device 33 , and a programmable integrated circuit ( ic ) 35 that has a sensor interface 36 . preferably , the relay device 33 is a triac , but any type of device , solid state or electromechanical , which can function in a relay capacity , could be used . the opto - isolator 31 , also known as an optical coupler or optocoupler , is a semiconductor device that allows signals to be transferred between circuits or systems , while keeping those circuits or systems electrically isolated from each other . opto - isolators are used in a wide variety of communications , control , and monitoring systems . power is supplied to control device 30 at off - line supply 37 and output power to the metal sheathed heater 10 is designated as the load 39 . the input power includes a voltage at supply 37 that may be alternating current ( ac ). preferably , the voltage component of the input power is about 5 volts . the output power 401 supplied to load 39 , or heater 10 , includes a voltage component of about 240 volts . in one mode , the programmable integrated circuit ( ic ) 35 includes a timer . programmable ic 35 is powered by the off - line supply 37 , which is electrically separated from programmable ic 35 and its control signal input via the opto - isolator 31 . programmable ic 35 is initialized by the deactivation of a control voltage input 38 to the sensor interface 36 . sensor interface 36 is adapted to receive a control signal 38 based on a sensed condition . programmable ic 35 uses 60 - cycles to obtain an accurate time - base . a typical deactivation , or loss of control voltage input , action would be when compressor 302 turns off . after the timer reaches the desired delay count , the programmable ic 35 triggers the onboard triac or relay 33 , supplying current to the load 39 and powering the heater 10 . the output power 401 to load 39 remains activated until such time as both timer of the ic 35 and relay 33 are reset by the application of the control input signal 38 , i . e ., the compressor is again powered . the output power 401 to load 39 will remain deactivated as long as the control signal 38 is present , e . g ., the compressor is on . alternatively , the absence of the control signal 38 supplied to the sensor interface 36 and programmable ic 35 means that the compressor is off so that the heater should be on . once the compressor is turned off and a certain period of time elapses , the continued absence of the control voltage signal triggers the relay 33 to supply output power 401 to heater 10 . an example of a specific application for the solid state control device 30 would be when the metal sheathed heater 10 is used to heat compressor 302 . when the compressor 302 is on , there is no need to run the heater 10 . in order to accomplish this , the sensor interface 36 receives the signal 38 that represents the compressor 302 “ on ” condition or state . with this condition present , the signal 38 is received by the sensor interface 36 and causes programmable ic 35 , in turn , to trigger the relay 33 to terminate the output power 401 to the heater 10 . if the compressor 302 shuts down , then the signal 38 would cease , thus re - supplying the output power 401 to the heater 10 according to the timer sequence if present . while the present invention is illustrated so that the absence of the control signal 38 turns the heater 10 on , it could be arranged so that the presence of a control signal ( compressor off ) turns the heater 10 on , and the absence of a control signal ( compressor on ) turns the heater 10 off . also , the time period for powering the heater 10 could vary from no time lag to any predetermined period of time . in other words , heater 10 could be powered up immediately upon command , or the predetermined period may allow some time to elapse . one purpose of the timed delay when powering the heater 10 is energy efficiency . as explained above , once the compressor 302 shuts down , a period of time elapses until the heater 10 is energized . this period of time uses the inherent heat in the compressor 302 as it cools down rather than the heat supplied from the heater 10 to ensure that the refrigerant does not migrate to the oil . once the compressor 302 cools down for a sufficiently long time , then the heater 10 needs to be energized to make sure that the refrigerant does not migrate to the oil . the predetermined time period can vary widely depending on the material being heated using the heater . one example is a 120 minute delay from compressor 302 shut down to heater 10 start up . in instances where energy efficiency is not important , or the cool down period and ambient conditions may be such that heater energization upon compressor 302 shut down would be immediate , the programmable ic 35 can trigger the relay 33 immediately when the control signal 38 is present or absent . thus , the programmable ic 35 includes a timer to indicate that the relay device 33 is to supply the output power 401 to the heater 10 after a set period of time elapses from a time the sensor interface 36 senses the absence or presence of control signal 38 . the timer within programmable ic 35 may turn control device 30 to an “ on ” or “ off ” status . further , the timer within programmable ic 35 may elapse a predetermined time period on control device 30 to trigger relay device 33 to activate heater 10 on a periodic or repeating basis . alternatively , the timer within programmable ic 35 may trigger relay device 33 for a certain amount of time until compressor 302 does not need the heat any longer . at that point , relay device 33 may receive a command from the timer to terminate output power to heater 10 . while the compressor operation is one example of a condition to control the heater operation , other conditions could be used as well . for example , ambient temperature could be measured and once a certain temperature is sensed that would indicate that heating is not required , the relay 33 could be triggered to terminate the power to the heater . as noted above , the triggering based on sensed temperature could be based on either the presence or absence of a control signal . other conditions as would be known in the art could also be employed to control the heating function of the metal sheathed heater 10 . while opto - isolator 31 is shown to control the voltage to the programmable ic , other solid state devices could be employed that would provide the necessary and low voltage , e . g ., 5 volts , to the programmable ic 35 from the input power . likewise , any type of programmable ic that would have the ability to sense and receive the input control signal and trigger the relay device controlling supply of the output power to the heater , as well as having the timing function described above . the present invention offers significant improvements in the field of metal sheathed heaters , including the heaters themselves , and their methods of use . by the use of the invention , improvements are realized in operation of the metal sheathed heaters in terms of energy usage . thus , in conjunction with the invention as disclosed above , features of the invention include the following : 1 . a solid state control device for a metal sheathed electric resistance heater . 2 . a solid state control device as in 1 consisting of an electronic module featuring a programmable ic , with an optional timer as needed , opto - isolator , and a triac or relay switch device . 3 . an electrical resistance compressor heater assembly using the solid state control device . 4 . an assembly as in 3 controlled by a solid state control as in 2 . 5 . an assembly as in 4 with a solid state control attached . 6 . an assembly as in 5 with the solid state control mounted remote to the heater . 7 . an assembly as in 5 with the solid state control device sealed to prevent the entrance of moisture . 8 . an assembly as in 7 with a lead wire of the heater adequately crimped to a lead wire of the solid state control device . 9 . an assembly as in 8 with leads of sufficient length for the application . 10 . an assembly as in 9 with the solid state control having a means for mounting in the application . 11 . an assembly as in 10 with a joint sealed that is mechanically strong , abrasion resistant , sealed electrically , temperature resistant and sealed to prevent moisture penetration . 12 . an assembly as in 11 with the seal being formed by a thermally activated adhesive with a mechanically strong and abrasion resistant cover being a heat shrinkable tube also serving as a carrier of the thermally activated adhesive . 13 . an assembly as in 12 with the seal being formed by a molding or potting compound and the mechanically strong and abrasion resistant cover being a heat shrinkable tube . 14 . an assembly as in 13 with the seal being formed by a sufficiently thick , tough , mechanically strong and abrasion resistant sealer or potting material . 15 . an assembly as in 4 with the solid state control remotely mounted . 16 . an assembly as in 15 with the solid state control having means for appropriate electrical connection to the compressor heater . 17 . an assembly as in 5 with the solid state control attached to the heater so as to sense ambient conditions , such as temperature , the heater or an adjacent component . as such , an invention has been disclosed in terms of preferred embodiments thereof which fulfills each and every one of the objects of the present invention as set forth above and provides a new and improved metal sheathed heater and method of use . of course , various changes , modifications and alterations from the teachings of the present invention may be contemplated by those skilled in the art without departing from the intended spirit and scope thereof . it is intended that the present invention only be limited by the terms of the appended claims .	7
fig2 shows a toothed belt according to an embodiment of this invention . a main body 1 of the toothed belt comprises a glass cord 3 as a tension member which extends in the longitudinal direction of the belt ( i . e ., in the horizontal direction in fig2 ) and is spirally wound with a predetermined pitch in the transverse direction of the belt . the tension member is provided with a backing rubber 1a , on its outer side , extending in the longitudinal direction of the belt and having a rectangular section , and is also provided with a large number of tooth rubbers 1b , on its inner side , with a predetermined pitch in the longitudinal direction of the belt . the tooth rubbers 1b are covered with a facing fabric 2 adhered to the inner surface of the main body 1 . specifically , rubber for the main body 1 is a rubber composition including hydrogenated nitrile rubber as a main component . the facing fabric 2 includes 6 , 6 nylon yarns extending in the transverse direction of the belt and wooly finished industrial 6 , 6 nylon yarns extending in the longitudinal direction of the belt . the glass cord 3 is obtained by paralleling a predetermined number of first twist yarns 5 and finally twisting the first twist yarns 5 in the reverse direction to the first twist by a predetermined final twist number as is shown in an enlarged view of fig1 . each of the first twist yarns 5 is obtained by paralleling a plurality of fiber bundles and twisting the bundles by a predetermined first twist number . each of the fiber bundles includes a large number of glass filaments 4 , and is obtained by soaking the glass filaments with an rfl treatment liquid and then heating the resultant filaments . therefore , rubber portions made of the rfl treatment liquid are present among the glass filaments 4 of each first twist yarn 5 . this toothed belt is manufactured by a general press fitting method , and includes 133 tooth rubbers 1b disposed with a pitch of 8 mm and has a width of 19 mm . furthermore , the mating flanks of the respective tooth rubbers 1b opposing each other in the longitudinal direction of the belt are swollen in the shape of an arc . the first twist number of each first twist yarn 5 of the glass cord 3 is set at 1 . 0 time or more per inch . the first twist yarns 5 are finally twisted by a final twist number of 2 . 4 times or more per inch , so as to squeeze and substantially eliminate the spaces among the first twist yarns 5 ( see fig4 ). the total number of the glass filaments included in the glass cord 3 is set within the range between 4000 and 7000 . the glass cord 3 will now be described more specifically . ( embodiment 1 ) a glass filament 4 used in this embodiment is a non - alkaline high - strength glass filament with a diameter of 7 μm . each fiber bundle is obtained by collecting 200 glass filaments 4 . the glass cord of this embodiment is fabricated as follows : three fiber bundles are paralleled and soaked with a v p - sbr ( styrene - butadiene - vinylpyridine copolymer ) type rfl treatment liquid with a concentration of 20 wt %, and then heated at a temperature of 240 ° c . for 1 minute . the resultant bundles are twisted by a first twist number of 2 . 0 times per inch so as to obtain a first twist yarn 5 . then , eleven first twist yarns 5 are paralleled and twisted by a final twist number of 2 . 4 times per inch . in this manner , the total number of the glass filaments in the glass cord is 6600 (= 200 × 3 × 11 ). this glass cord is used as a tension member , so as to manufacture a toothed belt ( having the structure as shown in fig2 ). accordingly , in the glass cord of this embodiment , the spaces among the first twist yarns 5 are squeezed and substantially eliminated by the final twist of 2 . 4 times per inch . as a result , it is possible to prevent externally intruding water from being held within the glass cord 3 , thereby largely improving the water bending fatigue resistance of the toothed belt . a glass cord fabricated in the same manner as in embodiment 1 is soaked with a 20 wt % solution of rubber cement including chlorosulfonated polyethylene as a main component , and the resultant cord is dried at a temperature of 150 ° c . for 1 minute , thereby completing a glass cord having a rubber coat 6 of this embodiment as shown in fig5 . this glass cord is used as a tension member , so as to manufacture a toothed belt ( having the structure as is shown in fig2 ). sixteen types of glass cords are fabricated in the same manner as described in embodiment 2 except that the numbers of the first twist and final twist are different . these glass cords are used as tension members , so as to manufacture toothed belts ( each having the structure as is shown in fig2 ) as embodiments 3 through 13 and comparative examples 1 through 5 . the numbers of the first twist and final twist in each of the toothed belts of embodiments 3 through 13 and comparative examples 1 through 5 are listed in table 1 . the toothed belts of the above - described embodiments and comparative examples are evaluated for their water bending fatigue resistance and elongation as follows : a belt driving test machine as is shown in fig3 is used for the evaluation of the water bending fatigue resistance . this machine comprises four large pulleys 31 disposed in the vertical and horizontal relationship as shown in fig3 and four small pulleys 32 each having a diameter of 30 mm and disposed between the adjacent large pulleys 31 . in this test , a sample belt a is wound and stretched around the pulleys 31 and 32 , and a load of 40 kgf is applied to the sample belt a by using a weight 33 . under these conditions , the large pulleys 31 are rotated at a rotation speed of 5500 rpm with water pouring at a rate of 1 litter per hour from a water pour port 34 so as to wet the bottom land of the sample belt a , so that the sample belt a is driven until it is ruptured . a sample belt is driven by using a test machine having the same configuration as that shown in fig3 so that an elongation rate (%) of the sample belt is measured when the belt is bent 1 × 10 8 times ( the belt is bent four times per cycle ). in this test , water is not poured . the results of the evaluation are also shown in table 1 . as is obvious from the results shown in table 1 , the water bending fatigue resistance can be improved by appropriately setting the final twist number of the glass cord . for example , the water bending fatigue resistance of embodiment 13 , which is lowest among embodiments 1 through 13 , is improved by approximately 30 % as compared with that of comparative example 2 which is highest among comparative examples 1 through 5 . now , embodiments 1 through 13 are examined in more detail . first , in embodiment 5 , wherein the final twist number exceeds 3 . 5 times per inch , the water bending fatigue resistance is improved similarly to or more than those of the other embodiments , but embodiment 5 is inferior in the elongation . embodiment 13 is similarly inferior in the elongation . this reveals that the final twist number is preferably set at 3 . 5 times or more per inch . furthermore , in embodiment 12 , wherein the first twist number exceeds 4 . 0 times per inch , the water bending fatigue resistance is improved similarly to or more than those of the other embodiments , but this embodiment is inferior in the elongation . this reveals that the first twist number is preferably set at 4 . 0 times or less per inch . in other words , by setting the final twist number at 2 . 0 through 3 . 5 times per inch and the first twist number at 4 . 0 times or less per inch , and more preferably 1 . 0 through 4 . 0 times per inch , the water bending fatigue resistance of a glass cord can be effectively improved while preventing disadvantages such as the strength degradation of the glass cord due to the failure in paralleling and the elongation of the belt which can be otherwise caused by increasing the twist number . in addition , comparison between embodiments 1 and 2 reveals that the water resistance driving performance of the belt can be further improved by coating a glass cord with rubber cement . table 1______________________________________ first final water pour twist twist bending belt number number life time elongation ( times / inch ) ( times / inch ) ( times ) (%) ______________________________________embodiment 1 * 2 . 0 2 . 4 2 . 6 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 02embodiment 2 2 . 0 2 . 4 3 . 2 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 02embodiment 3 2 . 0 2 . 9 4 . 3 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 03embodiment 4 2 . 0 3 . 5 5 . 2 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 06embodiment 5 2 . 0 3 . 7 4 . 3 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 12embodiment 6 3 . 0 2 . 4 3 . 6 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 03embodiment 7 3 . 0 2 . 9 4 . 3 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 03embodiment 8 3 . 0 3 . 5 3 . 5 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 06embodiment 9 4 . 0 2 . 4 3 . 3 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 03embodiment 10 4 . 0 2 . 9 3 . 2 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 04embodiment 11 4 . 0 3 . 5 3 . 8 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 07embodiment 12 4 . 2 2 . 9 4 . 6 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 12embodiment 13 4 . 5 4 . 0 8 . 6 × 10 . sup . 6 0 . 16comparative 2 . 0 1 . 7 3 . 2 × 10 . sup . 6 0 . 01example 1comparative 2 . 0 2 . 0 6 . 6 × 10 . sup . 6 0 . 02example 2comparative 4 . 0 1 . 7 2 . 2 × 10 . sup . 6 0 . 02example 3comparative 4 . 5 2 . 0 4 . 5 × 10 . sup . 6 0 . 13example 4comparative 4 . 8 1 . 7 2 . 6 × 10 . sup . 6 0 . 15example 5______________________________________ * note : the glass cord of embodiment 1 is not covered with rubber .	3
for further background , u . s . pat . no . 3 , 969 , 993 and fig1 of the present case both show the mounting of a separator plate which is plate 10 in fig1 . one skilled in the art will readily understand that the plate 10 moves along the path of the collected stack of sheets when the plate intercepts the sheets coming in stream form onto the plate , such as shown and described in the said patent . also , one will readily understand that there is a table or collector conveyor , such as the table 11 in fig3 and the stack of sheets is formed and supported on the table which moves up and down , but at the angulation shown . the general concept is to utilize a sheet counter which controls the positioning of the separator plate 10 into the path of the sheets after a certain and selected number of sheets have passed to the stacker table mentioned . at that time , the separator plate is actuated to be inserted into the path of the stream of sheets and thereby intercept the sheets while the previously formed stack is removed . both the stacker table and the separator plate are moved upwardly to their return positions ready for receiving the next sheets , all as described in said patent which is incorporated herein to the extent necessary for that background information . the said patent shows a parallelogram type of linkage mounting for the separator plate to support and move the plate in its up and down action , and fig1 also shows a support for the separator plate 10 and it shows mechanism for moving the plate up and down . the present invention is concerned only with the manner of moving the plate 10 in its upward movement . fig1 shows the separator plate 10 to be pivotally mounted on a pin 12 on the lower end of a support 13 which is an extension of a gear rack 14 . the rack 14 is slidable up and down , at the angle shown , in a suitable frame or like support 16 , and fig2 shows a slidable cylindrical rod 17 in a conventional type of bearing mounting 18 suitably supported on the frame or the like 16 for guiding the rack 14 in its up and down movement . that is , when the separator plate 10 is in its operative position and intercepting the sheets coming toward the stacker table 11 , the rack 14 moves downwardly and thus lowers the separator plate 10 to accomodate the growing stack of sheets on the plate 10 . then , when the stack previously formed and on the table 11 is removed , then the separator plate 10 can be retracted by means of the fluid cylinder 19 attached to the separator plate 10 for extension and retraction of the plate 10 , and the plate 10 is then clear of the stack which was on the plate 10 , and the rack 14 , along with the plate 10 , can then be moved upwardly for the next cycle of action . further , it is also conventional to employ an electric solenoid 21 which actuates a latch 22 pivotal about the pin 23 on the extension 13 . the latch 22 engages a latch plate 24 affixed to the separator plate 10 to hold the separator plate against further clockwise rotation as viewed in fig1 . at any convenient time when the previously formed stack is sufficiently managed relative to the stack table 11 , then the cylinder 19 can be actuated , in any conventional arrangement of a switch , such as a switch 26 in the path of movement of the rack 14 and guide rod 17 , and that conventional switch can govern the air flow of fluid to the cylinder 19 to retract the separator plate 10 relative to the cylinder 19 , and thus allow the partial stack that was on the plate 10 to pass to the control of the table 11 , in the conventional manner . the plate 10 with the cylinder 19 are then overbalanced to where they rotate about the pin 12 in a counterclockwise direction , as viewed in fig1 and thus the plate 10 is in the next ready position for intercepting sheets . the rack 14 and the plate 10 are then moved upwardly , by means of return spring and other mechanism unshown by conventional means of a mechanism of a pinion 27 actuated through a sprocket chain 28 and a drive sprocket 29 . of course the pinion 27 was utilized for controlling the downward movement of the plate 10 when the drive sprocket 29 was rotated in the counterclockwise direction , as viewed in fig1 . upon the upward movement of the plate 10 , a dampener fluid cylinder 31 is shown attached through its rod 32 and a bracket 33 to the slide rod 17 . the cylinder 31 is mounted on the frame 16 through a bracket 34 . an extension spring of a conventional arrangement but unshown herein is suitably attached between the separator plate 10 and the frame 16 for the upward movement of the separator plate , as described , and that upward movement is dampened by the cylinder 31 . when a sufficient number of sheets have passed to the table 11 , then a sheet counter , such as the conventionally used laser counter 36 shown in fig3 actuates the solenoid switch 21 to which it is suitably connected , and the latch 22 with its notch 37 , withdrawn from the latch stop 24 and , with the extension of the plate 10 suitably arranged through the pneumatics described with cylinder 19 , the plate 10 will again rotate to the position shown in fig1 and thus its point 24 will dip into the incoming stream and again commence to intercept the incoming sheets , and the cycle is repeated . all of the foregoing is to be understood from the said patent as well as from the description and drawings incorporated herein . the contribution of the present invention is shown in fig3 and 4 where a stacker frame 41 suitably supports drive members 42 and 43 which respectively have rotatable drive sprockets or pulleys 44 and 46 . also , driven shafts 47 and 48 are suitably mounted on the frame 41 , such as by the bearing 49 shown in fig4 and these two shafts each have an electromagnetic clutch element 51 affixed to the shaft through a key 52 . a clutch plate 53 is adjacent the element 51 , and a driven sprocket or like member 54 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 48 , as shown . the sprocket 54 carries pins 56 which extend into driving relation with the plate 53 which is magnetically attracted by the element 51 when the element 51 is electrically energized , all in the conventional and well - known arrangement for an electric clutch . the shaft 48 has a pinion 57 keyed thereto , and the shaft 47 has a sprocket 58 keyed thereto . the pinion 57 is comparable to the pinion 27 in fig1 and is in gear - tooth relationship with the rack 14 for moving the rack up and down , as described in connection with fig1 . the sprocket 58 is in driving relation with the stacker table 11 which may be a sprocket chain of a conventional arrangement , and thus the chain can move up and down upon clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the sprocket 58 . therefore , the drive means 42 will rotate its driving member 44 in a counterclockwise direction , and , a sprocket chain or the like 59 is in endless driving relation with the two sprockets 54 such that , upon energizing the clutch 51 , the sprocket 54 is rotated and the sprocket chain 59 moves in the direction of the arrows marked &# 34 ; down &# 34 ;, and thus the separator plate on the rack 14 will move down , and the table 11 will also move down but at a time alternate with the downward movement of the rack 14 , as hereinafter described . another sprocket or the like 61 is mounted on each of shaft 47 and 48 , and is secured thereto by a key 62 . a drive sprocket chain or the like 63 extends endlessly over the two sprockets 62 and the drive member 46 of the drive mechanism 43 . thus , as shown by the arrows marked &# 34 ; up &# 34 ;, the separator plate 10 and the stacker table 11 are moved alternately to the upward positions . thus , the drive 43 is a retract drive , and , along with its output member 46 and the sprocket chain or the like 63 , it forms a drive means for the upward movement of the separator plate 10 and the stacker table 11 which has the usual backstop or support 64 for receiving the stack and supporting it as the table 11 moves in the direction of the arrow for its downward movement . the drive 43 can be a torque motor , eddy current clutch drive , particle clutch drive , or the like . it is constantly running , and , in actuality , it is simply overcome by the drive 42 when the drive 42 is engaged for the downward action of the separator plate 10 and the stacker table 11 . thus , the electric motor or drive 43 is running constantly and is overcome , by the fact of being a lesser powered drive compared to the electric motor or drive 42 and its drive chain 59 , when the plate 10 is driven downwardly and when the table 11 is driven downwardly at an alternate time . at the appropriate moment when it is desired to lower the completed stack , the drive 42 can be disengaged , by means of its electromagnetic clutch 51 , and the table 11 will then be rapidly lowered so that the stack theron can be moved away . subsequently , the lower support 64 is raised upwardly in response to the reverse or upward movement of the table 11 , and that upward movement for both the separator plate 10 and the table 11 is created by the drive 43 when the electromagnetic clutch 51 is disengaged . that is , the two clutches 51 on the shafts 47 and 48 are engaged only for the downward movements at which time the drive 43 is being overpowered , but is constantly running , and is available for the drive in the upward movement of both the plate 10 and the table 11 , and that upward movement occurs whenever the respective clutch 51 is disengaged . thus , when a counter , such as the counter 36 adjacent the stream of sheets and of a conventional arrangement such as in said patent , is satisfied , then the solenoid 21 which can be conventionally connected to the counter is energized and releases the plate 10 to pivot into the path of the incoming sheets and intercept them . the plate 10 continues to lower as the stack builds thereon , and , a switch , such as switch 26 could be utilized for actuating the cylinder 19 to retract the plate 10 and permit the stack to pass to the support 64 on the table 11 . at that time , the pivotting of the plate 10 about its pin 12 could actuate a switch such as in said patent , and such as switch 66 in fig3 and that switch is shown connected to the two clutches 51 by electric lines 67 and 68 . therefore , the clutch 51 on the shaft 48 would be disengaged and that would permit the drive 43 to be effective in raising the plate 10 or in its &# 34 ; up &# 34 ; movement mentioned . however , at that same time , the clutch 51 on the shaft 47 would still be engaged and would therefore be inducing the desired downward movement of the table 11 . finally , as previously mentioned , the plate 10 would again pivot clockwise , as seen in fig1 and that would again actuate the switch 66 and thereby energize the clutch 51 on shaft 48 and disconnect the clutch 51 on shaft 47 and thus create the respective downward movement of the plate 10 and the upward movement of the table 11 . the foregoing therefore discloses the invention of the system for alternately moving the separator plate and the stacker table up and down . this is accomplished by means of the constant running drive 43 and the two clutches 51 . there are also the two sprockets or like members 61 which are lift means connected with the plate 10 and the table 11 , respectively , for the upward movement of both , and they serve as two driven members operatively connected with the drive means 43 . therefore , in this novel system , there is no requirement for springs , fluid cylinders , dampeners , and other heretofore used mechanisms for returning both the separator plate 10 and the table 11 to their upward positions by inducing the upward movement with the mechanical elements just mentioned .	1
in the following , a description will be given of embodiments of the present invention with reference to drawings . fig3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a radio communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention . also , fig4 is a circuit diagram illustrating an example of a specific configuration of a receiving circuit in fig3 . the radio communication apparatus 100 of fig3 illustrates an example of a configuration of a communication apparatus including mainly a receiving system of a cellular phone using a direct conversion method . as shown in fig3 , the radio communication apparatus 100 of the present embodiment has an antenna ( ant ) 101 , switches ( sw ) 102 and 103 , duplexers ( dup ) 104 and 105 , transmission power amplifiers ( pa ) 106 and 107 , lnas ( low - noise amplifiers ) 108 and 109 , a local oscillator ( lo ) 110 , a divider ( phase shifter ) 111 , mixers ( mix ) 112 i and 112 q , low - path filters ( lpf ) 113 i and 113 q , and a baseband circuit 114 . the lnas 108 and 109 , mixers ( mix ) 112 i and 112 q constitute a receiving circuit 120 in the radio communication apparatus 100 . the receiving circuit 120 basically has a plurality of ( two in the example in fig3 ) input terminals t 1 and t 2 corresponding to a plurality of receiving bands , input terminals t 3 and t 4 of local oscillation signals sloi and sloq having a phase difference of 90 degrees , and output terminals t 5 and t 6 of baseband signals sbbi and sbbq , to the lpfs 113 i and 113 q , having a phase difference of 90 degrees . the mixer and the lna in the receiving circuit 120 of the present embodiment have a characteristic configuration as described below . the mixers 112 i and 112 q have a capacitor in the input section receiving the output of the lna , and have a configuration which prevents secondary distortion from occurring by separating an in - phase component ( i ) and a quardrature component ( q ) in direct current . also , in the bias circuit of the lnas 108 and 109 , noise of the bias signal from the current source is reduced by the lpf , and thus the lna is configured to have little nf ( noise figure ) deterioration at large input signal time . the lnas 108 and 109 have an input section with a differential configuration having two inputs or more , and a degeneration differential inductor at emitter ( source ) section , whose middle point is grounded , and have cascode - connected transistors and a load inductor in common . in the present embodiment , these circuits are implemented in an ic , and it becomes unnecessary to have a saw filter , which has been necessary between the lna and the mixer ( mxer ). also , it is possible to achieve a direct conversion receiver for communication or broadcasting , which has a characteristic of not increasing the number of parts in the case of having a multiband capability . in the receiving circuit 120 of the present embodiment , which has such a characteristic , a filter circuit is not necessary between the lna and the mixer . thus , by providing the ic with individual lna input terminals in accordance with a frequency band , it is possible to receive a plurality of frequency bands without increasing external filter parts . for a specific configuration of the receiving circuit 120 , a detailed description will be given below in relation to fig4 . here , a description will be given of two points , one point is the reason that a filter part becomes necessary between an lna and a mixer , and the other point is the performance of a circuit which does not need a filter . one of the characteristics of the third - generation cellular phone using the wcdma method is the point that a transmission signal can be output simultaneously with a receiving operation . the transmission signal is amplified by a pa ( power amplifier ), and is supplied to an antenna through a filter circuit and switch circuit called a duplexer . also , a signal transmitted from a base station and received by the antenna is supplied to a lna through the duplexer . the level of the transmission signal input into the duplexer is as high as + 20 dbm , and thus the isolation ( a signal leakage from the input terminal of the transmission signal to the output terminal of the receiving signal ) is about 50 db . accordingly , a transmission signal of about − 30 dbm is applied to the lna input . when this high - level transmission signal is applied to a mixer , a receiving signal , which is a weak signal , is suppressed , and it becomes difficult to correctly perform demodulation . it is therefore necessary to dispose a filter circuit between the lna and the mixer in order to attenuate the transmission signal so as not to cause suppression . for this purpose , a filter circuit is used . the main reason why a strong signal causes suppression in the mixer is secondary distortion of the mixer . accordingly , like the present embodiment , if the input section receiving the output of the lna has a capacitor , and has a configuration which can keep the generation level of secondary distortion within a desired value by separating an in - phase component ( i ) and a quardrature component ( q ) in direct current , it becomes possible to dispense with a filter between the lna and the mixer . next , a description will be given of a specific configuration and functions of the receiving circuit 120 according to the present embodiment with reference to fig4 . the receiving circuit 120 has an lna section ( low - noise amplifier section ) 121 and a mixer section 122 . also , in fig4 , each signal is a differential signal , and thus a mark p ( positive ) or n ( negative ) is added to terminals t 1 to t 6 . the lna section 121 has transistors q 1 to q 7 constituted by npn bipolar transistors , transistors q 8 and q 9 constituted by p - channel mos transistors , resistor elements r 1 to r 6 , capacitors c 1 to c 5 , a differential inductor for degeneration ( in the following , called a degeneration inductor ) l 1 , a load differential inductor ( in the following , called a load inductor ) l 2 , a buffer b 1 , a switch s 1 , and a current source i 1 . the mixer section 122 has transistors q 11 to q 15 constituted by n - channel mos transistors , transistors q 21 and q 28 constituted by npn bipolar transistors , capacitors c 11 to c 14 , resistor elements r 21 to r 24 , capacitors c 21 to c 24 , and a current source i 21 . also , a power source voltage vdd is supplied from the power sources v 1 and v 2 to the lna section 121 and the mixer section 122 of the receiving circuit 120 , respectively . in the lna section 121 , the emitter of the transistor q 1 is connected to one terminal of the degeneration inductor l 1 and the emitter of the transistor q 3 . the collector of the transistor q 1 is connected to the emitter of the transistor q 5 and the collector of the transistor q 3 . the base of the transistor q 1 is connected to one terminal of the resistor element r 2 , and to the input terminal t 1 p through a dc cut capacitor c 2 . the emitter of the transistor q 1 is connected to the other terminal of the degeneration inductor l 1 and the emitter of the transistor q 4 . the collector of the transistor q 2 is connected to the emitter of the transistor q 6 and the collector of the transistor q 4 . the base of the transistor q 2 is connected to one terminal of the resistor element r 3 , and to the input terminal t 1 n through a dc cut capacitor c 3 . the emitter of the transistor q 3 is connected to one terminal of the degeneration inductor l 1 and the emitter of the transistor q 1 . the collector of the transistor q 3 is connected to the emitter of the transistor q 5 and the collector of the transistor q 1 . the base of the transistor q 3 is connected to one terminal of the resistor element r 4 , and to the input terminal t 2 pn through a dc cut capacitor c 4 . the emitter of the transistor q 4 is connected to the other terminal of the degeneration inductor l 1 and the emitter of the transistor q 2 . the collector of the transistor q 4 is connected to the emitter of the transistor q 6 and the collector of the transistor q 2 . the base of the transistor q 4 is connected to one terminal of the resistor element r 5 , and to the input terminal t 2 n through a dc cut capacitor c 5 . the collector of the transistor q 5 is connected to one terminal of the load inductor l 2 , and the connection point thereof forms one node , nd 1 , of a differential output of the lna section 121 . the collector of the transistor q 6 is connected to the other terminal of the load inductor l 2 , and the connection point thereof forms the other node , nd 2 , of the differential output of the lna section 121 . the middle point of the degeneration inductor l 1 is connected to a ground line lg 1 connected to a reference voltage ( for example , a ground voltage ). also , the base of the cascode - connected transistors q 5 , q 6 and the middle point of the load inductor l 2 are connected to a power - source line lv 1 connected to a power source v 1 . the lnas 108 , 109 are constituted by the transistors q 1 to q 6 , the resistor elements r 2 to r 5 , the degeneration inductor l 1 , and the load inductor l 2 , which have such a connection relationship . in this example , the lnas 108 , 109 use ( have ) the degeneration inductor l 1 , the load inductor l 2 , and the cascode - connected transistors q 5 , q 6 in common . a switch s 1 has a fixed contact point a and operation contact points b and c . the fixed contact point a is connected to the output of the buffer b 1 , and the fixed contact point b is connected to the other terminals of the resistor elements r 2 and r 3 , and the fixed contact point c is connected to the other terminals of the resistor elements r 4 and r 5 . the sources of the transistors q 8 , q 9 are connected to the power - source line lv 1 , the drain of the transistor q 8 is connected to the collector of the transistor q 7 , one terminal of the resistor element r 1 , and one terminal of the resistor element r 6 . individual gates of the transistors q 8 and q 9 are connected to each other . the drain of the transistor q 9 is connected to the connection point of the individual bases and the current source i 1 , and the current source i 1 is connected to the ground line lg 1 . the other terminal of the resistor element r 6 is connected to the base of the transistor q 7 , and the emitter of the transistor q 7 is connected to the ground line lg 1 . the other terminal of the resistor element r 1 is connected to the input terminal of the buffer and a first electrode of the capacitor c 1 , and a second electrode of the capacitor c 1 is connected to the ground line lg 1 . a bias circuit 1211 of the lnas 108 and 109 of a current - mirror type is constituted by the transistors q 8 and q 9 , the current source i 1 , the transistor q 7 , and the resistor element r 6 , which have such a connection relationship . also , a lpf ( low - pass filter ) 1212 is constituted by the resistor element r 1 and the capacitor c 1 . in the mixer section 122 , first electrodes of the capacitors c 11 and c 12 are connected to the output node nd 1 of the lna section 121 , and first electrodes of the capacitors c 13 and c 14 are connected to the output node nd 2 of the lna section 121 . these capacitors c 11 to c 14 constitute an input section 1221 of the mixer section 122 . the sources of the transistors q 11 to q 15 are commonly connected to a ground line ( reference voltage line ) lg 2 . the gates of the transistors q 11 to q 15 are commonly connected , the connection point of the gates thereof are connected to the drain of the transistor q 11 and a current source i 21 , and the current source i 21 is connected to the power - source line lv 2 . the collector of the transistor q 12 is connected to a second electrode of the capacitor c 11 of the input section 122 i , and is commonly connected to the emitters of the transistors q 21 and q 22 , thereby forming a node nd 11 by these connection points . the drain of the transistor q 13 is connected to a second electrode of the capacitor c 13 of the input section 122 i , and is commonly connected to the emitters of the transistors q 23 and q 24 , thereby forming a node nd 12 by these connection points . the drain of the transistor q 14 is connected to a second electrode of the capacitor c 12 of the input section 122 i , and is commonly connected to the emitters of the transistors q 25 and q 26 , thereby forming a node nd 13 by these connection points . the drain of the transistor q 15 is connected to a second electrode of the capacitor c 14 of the input section 122 i , and is commonly connected to the emitters of the transistors q 27 and q 28 , thereby forming a node nd 14 by these connection points . a current source 1222 of a current - mirror type is constituted by the transistors q 11 and q 15 , and the current source i 1 , which have such a connection relationship . individual emitters of the transistors q 21 and q 22 are connected to each other , and are connected to the node nd 11 . the collector of the transistor q 21 is connected to an output terminal t 5 n of a baseband signal sbbi to the lpf 113 i , and the collector of the transistor q 23 . also , the collector of the transistor q 21 is connected to the power - source line lv 2 through the resistor element r 21 and the capacitor c 21 , which are disposed in parallel . individual emitters of the transistors q 23 and q 24 are connected to each other , and are connected to the node nd 12 . the collector of the transistor q 24 is connected to an output terminal t 5 n of a baseband signal sbbi to the lpf 113 i , and the collector of the transistor q 22 . also , the collector of the transistor q 24 is connected to the power - source line lv 2 through the resistor element r 22 and the capacitor c 22 , which are disposed in parallel . the bases of the transistors q 21 and q 24 are connected to an input terminal t 3 n of the local oscillation signal sloi , and the bases of the transistors q 22 and q 23 are connected to an input terminal t 3 p of the local oscillation signal sloi . an i - side mixer 112 i is constituted by the transistors q 21 to q 24 , the resistor elements r 21 and r 22 , the capacitors c 21 and c 22 , the transistors q 11 to q 13 , and the current source i 21 , which have such a connection relationship . individual emitters of the transistors q 25 and q 26 are connected to each other , and are connected to the node nd 13 . the collector of the transistor q 25 is connected to an output terminal t 6 p of a baseband signal sbbq to the lpf 113 q , and the collector of the transistor q 27 . also , the collector of the transistor q 25 is connected to the power - source line lv 2 through the resistor element r 23 and the capacitor c 23 , which are disposed in parallel . individual emitters of the transistors q 27 and q 28 are connected to each other , and are connected to the node nd 14 . the collector of the transistor q 28 is connected to an output terminal t 6 n of a baseband signal sbbq to the lpf 113 q , and the collector of the transistor q 26 . also , the collector of the transistor q 28 is connected to the power - source line lv 2 through the resistor element r 24 and the capacitor c 24 , which are disposed in parallel . the bases of the transistors q 25 and q 28 are connected to an input terminal t 4 p of the local oscillation signal sloq , and the bases of the transistors q 26 and q 27 are connected to an input terminal t 4 n of the local oscillation signal sloq . an q - side mixer 112 q is constituted by the transistors q 25 to q 28 , the resistor elements r 23 and r 24 , the capacitors c 23 and c 24 , the transistors q 11 , q 14 , and q 15 , and the current source i 21 , which have such a connection relationship . next , a description will be given of the operation of the receiving system of the radio communication apparatus having the configuration of fig3 and 4 . in principle , as shown in fig3 , in the radio communication apparatus 100 , an rf signal received by the antenna 101 passes through the switches 102 and 103 and the duplexers 104 and 105 , and is input into the lnas 108 and 109 of the receiving circuit 120 included in an ic . the switch s 1 is switched in accordance with the receiving frequency by a control system not shown in the figure , an amplified signal srf either by the lna 108 or the lna 109 is multiplied by the local oscillation signals sloi and sloq by the mixers 112 i and 112 q , respectively , and the signals are converted into the baseband signals sbbi and sbbq , respectively . here , the local oscillation signals sloi and sloq are obtained by dividing the oscillation signal of the local oscillator 110 into signals having ½ the original frequency , and the signals applied to the input terminals t 3 and t 4 have a phase difference of 90 degrees , thus constituting a quadrature mixer by the mixer 112 i and the mixer 112 q . accordingly , the baseband signals sbbi and sbbq having a phase difference of 90 degrees can be obtained at the output terminals t 5 and t 6 , respectively . more specifically , in the receiving circuit 120 , the lna 108 includes differential input transistors q 1 and q 2 , the degeneration inductor l 1 , the cascode - connected transistors q 5 and q 6 , and the load inductor l 2 . by employing a cascode connection in this manner , it is possible to restrain the influence of so - called mirror effect . the lna 109 receives input at the bases of the differential transistors q 3 and q 4 uses the degeneration inductor l 1 , the cascode - connected transistors q 5 and q 6 , and the load inductor l 2 by sharing the same circuit with the lna 108 . as shown in fig4 , individual duplexers 104 and 105 corresponding to the receiving frequencies are connected to the bases of the differential transistors q 1 and q 2 , and the transistors q 3 and q 4 , which constitute both input sections , through the dc cutting capacitors c 2 and c 3 , and capacitors c 4 and c 5 . in the example in fig4 , the duplexer 104 is for the band i , and duplexer 105 is for the band ii . the bias circuit 1211 of the lnas 108 and 109 is constituted by the current source i 1 , the transistors q 8 , q 9 , and q 7 , and the resistor element r 6 , which constitute a current - mirror . the lna section 121 further includes the lpf 1212 including the resistor element r 1 and the capacitor c 1 for attenuating noise generated from the bias circuit ( regulator circuit ) 1211 , and the buffer b 1 . either the lna 108 or the lna 109 is biased by the position of the switch s 1 by the bias circuit 1211 . the switch is controlled , for example , such that the fixed contact point a and the operation contact point b are connected by a switching signal from a control system not shown in the figure in the case of the band i . also , in the case of the band ii , the switch is controlled such that the fixed contact point a and the operation contact point c are connected by the switching signal from the control system not shown in the figure . a self - transmitting signal of about − 30 dbm is input to the lna 108 and the lna 109 as a blocking signal . the input of such a large input signal increases noise , in the receiving frequency band , occurred from the current regulator circuit of the bias circuit 1211 , deteriorating the nf in the receiving frequency band of the lna 108 and the lna 109 . in the present embodiment , by inserting the lpf 1212 between the regulator and the buffer b 1 , noise from the current regulator is prevented , and the deterioration of the nf in the receiving frequency band is prevented . also , the bases of the differential input transistors q 1 and q 2 , or the transistors q 3 and q 4 are biased through the bias circuit 1211 , the lpf 1212 , the buffer b 1 , and the switch s 1 . in this case , for example , 0 . 8 v is applied to the bases , and the connection side of the resistor elements r 2 and r 3 , and the resistor elements r 4 and r 5 with the switch s 1 becomes about 0 . 9 v . in response to this , 0 . 8 v is also applied to the base of the transistor q 7 of the bias circuit 1211 , and the potential of the connection point between the resistor element r 6 and the collector of the transistor q 7 becomes 0 . 9 v . that is to say , it becomes possible to apply more stable and correct bias by providing the bias circuit 1211 with the configuration to go into a substantially equivalent state to the bias state of the lna 108 or the lna 109 to be actually amplified . the signal that has been subjected to the amplification operation by the lna 108 or the lna 109 is output from the nodes nd 1 and nd 2 to the mixer section 122 . the signal that has been amplified by the lna 108 or the lna 109 in the mixer section 122 passes through the capacitors c 11 , c 12 , c 13 , and c 14 , and is input to the mixers 112 i and 112 q of grounded - emitter transistors q 21 to q 24 , and q 25 to q 28 . the signal that has passed through the capacitor c 11 is supplied to the transistor q 21 connected to the node nd 11 and the emitter of the transistor q 22 . the signal that has passed through the capacitor c 12 is supplied to the transistor q 25 connected to the node nd 13 and the emitter of the transistor q 26 . the signal that has passed through the capacitor c 13 is supplied to the transistor q 23 connected to the node nd 12 and the emitter of the transistor q 24 . the signal that has passed through the capacitor c 14 is supplied to the transistor q 27 connected to the node nd 14 and the emitter of the transistor q 28 . by inputting an rf signal from the emitter side of a mixer constituted by a so - called gilbert cell mixer , the mixer having a small inter - modulation distortion is achieved . in the mixer section 122 of the present embodiment , the coupling , together with dc cut , of the emitters of the i - side mixer 112 i and the q - side mixer 112 q with the lna output is carried out by individual capacitors ( capacitance ). the main cause of the secondary distortion that occurs in the mixers 112 i and 112 q is the voltage offset between the base and emitter ( be ) of the pair of transistors of the gilbert cell mixer . like the present embodiment , by capacity coupling of the emitters , it is possible to prevent an increase in the secondary distortion by the direct - current voltage offset impacting from the i - side to the q - side or from the q - side to the i - side . as described above , in the present embodiment , in the lna section 121 of the receiving circuit 120 , individual duplexers 104 and 105 corresponding to the receiving frequencies are connected to the bases of the differential transistors q 1 and q 2 , and transistors q 3 and q 4 , which constitute both input sections of the lnas 108 and 109 through the dc cutting capacitors c 2 and c 3 , and capacitors c 4 and c 5 . the lna 108 and the lna 109 share the degeneration inductor l 1 , the cascode - connected transistors q 5 and q 6 , and the load inductor l 2 . the bias circuit 1211 of the lnas 108 and 109 is constituted by the current source i 1 , the transistors q 8 , q 9 and q 7 , and the resistor element r 6 , which constitute a current - mirror . the lna section 121 further includes the lpf 1212 including the resistor element r 1 and the capacitor c 1 for attenuating noise generated from the bias circuit 1211 . the signal that has been amplified by the lna 108 or the lna 109 in the mixer section 122 passes through the capacitors c 11 , c 12 , c 13 , and c 14 , and is input to the mixers 112 i and 112 q of grounded - emitter transistors q 21 to q 24 , and q 25 to q 28 . thus , according to the present embodiment , in the mixer section 122 , by capacity coupling of the emitters , it is possible to prevent an increase in the secondary distortion by the direct - current voltage offset impacting from the i - side to the q - side or from the q - side to the i - side . also , in the lna section 121 , it is possible to prevent noise generated from the current regulator , and to prevent the deterioration of the nf in the receiving frequency band by inserting the lpf 1212 between the bias circuit ( regulator ) and the buffer b 1 . as a result , it is possible to dispense with filter parts disposed between the lna and the mixer , and to prevent an increase in the number of parts in the case of having a multiband capability , to be miniaturized , and to achieve receiving processing with high precision . also , the following advantages are obtained in sharing the degeneration inductor l 1 , the cascode - connected transistors q 5 and q 6 in the output section , and the load inductor l 2 by the lnas 108 and 109 . an inductor occupies an extremely larger area compared to a transistor in an ic , and it is difficult to reduce the size thereof by semiconductor miniaturization . accordingly , the benefit of sharing the degeneration inductor and the load inductor by a plurality of lnas is great , and thus there is a great benefit in the miniaturization of the receiving circuit of a cellular phone , which is requested to have a multiband capability . also , it is not necessary to dispose a filter between the lna and the mixer , and thus there is no need to increase the number of external parts . it is therefore possible to have a multiband capability , to reduce cost , and to achieve miniaturization . accordingly , a radio communication apparatus according to the present embodiment can be applied not only to a third - generation cellular phone , but also to a direct - conversion receiving circuit for broadcasting . thus , the radio communication apparatus advantageously has a broad range of applications . in this regard , the receiving circuit of fig4 has a configuration including a bipolar transistor and a field - effect transistor ( mos transistor ). however , the receiving circuit is not limited to this configuration . for example , as shown in fig5 , instead of constituting the transistors q 8 , q 9 , and q 11 to q 15 by field - effect transistors , it is possible to constitute them by bipolar transistors . in this case , the transistors q 8 and q 9 can be formed by pnp bipolar transistors , and the transistors q 11 to q 15 can be formed by npn bipolar transistors . also , as shown in fig6 , instead of constituting the transistors q 1 to q 7 and q 21 to q 26 by bipolar transistors , it is possible to constitute them by field - effect transistors . in this case , the transistors q 1 to q 7 and q 21 to q 26 can be formed by n - channel mos transistors . also , the number of signal inputs of the receiving circuit is not limited to two , and it is possible to have three inputs or more . in this case , lnas corresponding to the number of signal inputs are provided , and the number of operation contact points of the switch s 1 is set in accordance with the number of inputs . it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications , combinations , sub - combinations and alterations may occur depending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they are within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof .	7
in fig1 the venetian blind illustrated has headrail 10 , slats 12 and bottom rail 14 . tilt cord 16 is connected to tilt drive mechanism 18 , illustrated in more detail in fig5 . tilt ladders 20 are connected to the tilt mechanism which is shown in more detail in fig6 and 7a - 7c . the overall mechanism is shown in fig1 . the ends of tilt strings 16 are alternatively pulled to operate drive mechanism 18 , and adjust ladders 20 during operation of the venetian blind . this results in the opening and closing of the blinds . lift strings 22 include portions which run between ladders 20 , and thus when the lift string is pulled downward it traverses a pulley in cord lock mechanism ( not shown ) and the whole slat mechanism is raised by virtue of the two connections of lift strings 22 to bottom rail 14 . in fig2 the ends of one of the tilt ladders 20 of fig1 are shown connected to tilt bars 24 through anchor beads 26 . headrail 10 has cradle 28 positioned within it by tabs 30 . cradle 28 is utilized to position pulleys 32 , 34 and 36 which position and support tilt bars 24 and lift and ladder strings 22 , 44 , 48 and permit rolling of the lift and tilt ladder strings ( shown underneath the tilt bars 24 in fig3 and 4 ) for ease of operation . cradle 28 is also provided with keeper 39 which prevents tilt bars 24 and lift cord 36 from becoming disengaged . tilt bars 24 are connected at the left of the drawing to carrier 38 which sits in drive mechanism cradle 40 . the carrier is also provided with a threaded hole 42 which is used to cause lateral movement of carrier 38 . thus , in operation , lateral movement of carrier 38 moves tilt bars 24 . the motion of the tilt bars moves one of the anchored tilt ladder cords toward its associated pulley , and the other away from its pulley . the result is the tilting of the slats resting on the ladder . the movement of the carrier in the opposite direction , of course , results in the opposite motion . further , in operation , pulling of lift cord 22 rotates it over pulley 34 and lifts all of the slats , while releasing of the lift cord lowers them . in fig3 the side view shows the connection between anchor beads 26 and ladder 20 showing ladder string 44 passing over pulley 32 . as can also be seen , both the ladder and the lift cord pass through orifice 46 in cradle 28 , extending through headrail 10 , and headrail 10 positions cradle 28 for operation . fig4 shows the geometry of the system in more detail , with lift cord 22 traversing pulley 34 and ladder strings 44 and 48 traversing pulleys 32 and 36 and being connected to tilt bars 24 . further , traverse string 50 between ladder strings 44 and 48 to form the ladder and retain slat 12 in place is clearly shown . in fig5 headrail 10 is provided with tabs 51 for engaging slots 52 to position housing 54 in place . the housing is provided with pulley mount 56 , and slots 52 and housing 54 are positioned so that tilt string 16 passes vertically through the orifice of cord bushing 58 mounted in headrail 10 at opening 59 . further , pulley 60 is coupled to tilt string 16 and held in position in housing 54 by cover 62 . pulley 60 is also attached to threaded rod 64 which is mounted through carrier 38 at threaded orifice 42 , as described above , prior to positioning in housing 54 . carrier 38 is provided with posts 66 which position and retain tilt bars 24 in place so that they operate as described . in fig6 an exploded view of the tilt and lift assembly , cradle 28 has holes 68 which are positioned for locating pins 70 and 72 . pulleys 36 and 34 rotate about rod 70 , when in position , and pulley 32 rotates about rod 72 . the positioning of the pulleys results in pulley 34 acting as a spacer between pulleys 32 and 36 , and thus controlling the relative positioning of tilt bars 24 , since tilt bars 24 ride in the pulleys . in addition , pulleys 32 and 36 perform the function of positioning the tilt ladder strings ( see fig3 and 4 ) which pass through indentations 74 in tilt bars 24 . as described above , pulley 34 acts as the position pulley for lift cord 22 , not shown , allowing lift cord 22 to freely travel through orifice 46 in cradle 28 , while pulleys 32 , 36 perform a similar function for the tilt ladder strings . the assembled tilt mechanism is depicted in fig7 a - 7c . as shown , tilt bars 24 are positioned and retained adjacent carrier 38 through posts 66 . carrier 38 is operated by rotation of threaded rod 64 which is positioned in housing 54 . housing 54 is retained in headrail 10 through tabs 5l . to operate the tilt mechanism , one end of tilt cord 16 is pulled downward resulting in the rotation of pulley 60 in pulley cover 62 . this rotation of the pulley rotates threaded rod 64 which moves carrier 38 and associated tilt bars 24 . fig8 a and 8b are respectively plan and side elevational views of an alternative tilt drive mechanism for use in embodiments in the present invention . the overall mechanism is shown in fig9 . the depicted alternative arrangement basically comprises a carrier 73 , at least two ladder string anchor members 75 and 76 , at least one of which is configured to engage the carrier 73 , and one or more coupled spacer bars 78 . as best shown in fig8 b , the carrier 73 has an internally threaded bore for engaging a threaded shaft such as 64 of fig5 and a pair of protruding shoulders 82 for pivotably engaging the member 75 . the member 75 has downwardly depending sides 84 with shaped keyways 86 for receiving and retaining the shoulders 82 of the carrier 72 upon assembly . the members 75 and 76 are each provided with elongated central apertures 88 , thus defining elongated side portions 89 which are equivalent to the tilt bars 24 of the previously described embodiment . the ladder strings may be retained in slots 90 , as by anchor beads or the like , in the manner already described . thus , each of the ladder string retaining members 75 , 76 cooperates with the remaining structure of the venetian blind , particularly the headrail and tilt mechanism , in equivalent fashion to the operation of the tilt bar mechanism of fig2 - 4 . the members 75 , 76 are linked together for transverse movement in either direction , as driven by the carrier 73 and associated tilt drive mechanism , by means of an elongated strip or spacer bar 78 . this strip 78 is of a proper length to space the members 75 , 76 in position adjacent the respective slat support ladders . venetian blinds are manufactured in a variety of widths and therefore the spacer strip 78 may be fabricated in corresponding lengths to accommodate different spacing between adjacent ladder strings . for ease of assembly ( and disassembly ) in the manner shown , each member 75 , 76 is provided with a slot 92 for receiving and retaining the spacer strip 78 . moreover , each end 94 of the spacer strip 78 is s - shaped ( see fig8 b ) for positively engaging the adjacent members 75 or 76 in a manner which transmits force to push or pull the mechanism as the carrier 73 is driven to the right or to the left by the tilt mechanism . venetian blinds extending beyond a given width may be provided with three or more ladder string sets . to accommodate such a structure , additional string anchor members 76 may be provided beyond the portion of the mechanism shown in fig8 a and coupled therewith by means of additional spacer strips 78 extending from the right - hand slot 92 of the member 76 in the manner already described . although not shown , other means of coupling the spacer strips to the anchor members may be provided , if desired , as , for example , rivets , screws , pins , etc . provision of the alternative tilt drive mechanism of fig8 a and 8b advantageously simplifies the assembly procedure for venetian blinds employing embodiments of the present invention while reducing the extent and cost of the parts inventory which must be maintained for the production of venetian blinds of varying widths . instead of requiring pairs of tilt bars individually dimensioned for every different width of blind being manufactured , the fabricator may use the anchor members 75 , 76 which are common for all blinds , and utilize spacer bars 78 of modular dimensions for the different widths . as the venetian blinds employing more than two ladder string sets are fabricated , it is possible to use the same elements which are needed for the venetian blinds having only two ladder string sets . thus the cost of such venetian blinds may be reduced . although there have been described above specific arrangements of tilt and lift mechanisms for venetian blinds in accordance with the invention for the purpose of illustrating the manner in which the invention may be used to advantage , it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited thereto . accordingly , any and all modifications , variations or equivalent arrangements which may occur to those skilled in the art should be considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	4
referring now to the drawing , it is seen that the cap of the present invention , generally denoted by reference numeral 10 , is comprised of a generally hemispherically - shaped shell 12 , sized to fit onto a user &# 39 ; s head and worn above the wearer &# 39 ; s ears . the shell 12 may have size - adjustment means of any appropriate type , including velcro , elastic band , cooperating belt and buckle , and cooperating protrusions and receptacles , on the backside . located on the front of the shell 12 and extending outwardly , is a bill 14 . the bill 14 extends outwardly a distance that is shorter than a bill of a standard cap found in the art . as seen in fig1 the bill 14 is generally crescent - shaped having a first end 16 , a second end 18 , an outer edge 20 , and an inner edge 22 . the outer edge 20 is mostly curved having five continuous sections of differing radius . located on either end of the outer edge are straight sections 24 that are not curved . the straight sections are each about , or less than , 1 / 2 inch in length . the first curved section 26a has a radius of about 41 / 2 inches , the second curved section 26b has a radius of about , or less than , 21 / 8 inches , the third curved section 26c has a radius of about , or less than , 41 / 2 inches , the fourth curved section 26d has a radius of about , or less than , 21 / 8 inches , and the fifth curved section 26e has a radius of about , or less than , 41 / 2 inches . the inner edge 22 has a radius of about , or less than , 31 / 2 inches . the distance between the midpoint 28 of the outer edge 20 and the midpoint 30 of the inner edge 22 is about , or less than , 13 / 4 inches . the distance between the first end 16 and the second end 18 is about 71 / 2 inches . as seen in fig4 in an alternate embodiment of the cap 10 of the present invention , a first section 32 of cooperating hook and loop ( velcro ) material , in corresponding length to the length of the inner edge 22 , is located on the front of the shell 12 . the bill 14 has a small flange 34 extending along the length of the inner edge , the face of the flange in generally perpendicular orientation to the plane of the bill 14 . a second section 36 of cooperating hook and loop material is located along the length of the flange 34 . the bill 14 is fitted onto the shell 12 such that the first section 32 of hook and loop material is mated with the second section 36 of hook and loop material . this mating of the two sections of hook and loop material secures the bill 14 to the shell 12 and makes the bill 14 releasably attachable to the shell 12 . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to an embodiment thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	0
much of the simplicity and elegance of the current invention is achieved by using common mode signalling techniques between three twisted pairs to send two data signals that are produced by an audio codec . these data signals contain information about digital samples of a left and a right audio channel . consequently , to aid the reader in the understanding of the operation of the current invention , it is helpful to firstly review aspects of differential and common mode signalling using twisted pairs . differential signalling using a pair of conductors is a well understood technique and enables high speed signals to be transmitted with high noise immunity and low electromagnetic interference , particularly when used with a twisted pair of conductors . it works by applying a signal to the first conductor and an equal and opposite signal to the second conductor . the receiver takes the difference between the signals on the first and second conductors . for example , + 2v may be applied to the first conductor and − 2v may applied to a second conductor , the difference being 4v . a common mode signal appears on both conductors at the same time and is therefore the mid - point between two differential signals . in the example above the common mode signal would be 0v , half way between + 2v and − 2v . if the voltages on the conductors had been + 6v and + 2v then the differential signal would still be + 4v but the common mode signal would now be + 4v . it can therefore be seen that common mode signals may be independent of differential mode signals and provide a further independent signalling method . however , common mode signalling has some limitations compared with differential signalling . particularly , higher speed common mode signals can create significant electromagnetic emissions and cause difficultly meeting emission regulations . the signalling rates required to send the digital data signals 119 , 120 produced by the codec in the device are too high to enable simple common mode signalling to be used whilst meeting emission regulations . consequently a further technique can be used that makes use of the common mode signals of two pairs of conductors and which will be referred to as ‘ balanced common mode signalling ’. using the same general concept as differential signalling , a common mode signal is applied to a first pair of conductors and an equal and opposite common mode signal is applied to a second pair of conductors . this technique of balanced common mode signalling reduces emissions and is sufficient to enable the signal frequencies required by the invention to be transferred whilst meeting emission regulations . several techniques of balanced common mode signalling are possible as alternate embodiments of the invention . for simplicity of implementation at the transmitting end , two digital signals , a clock signal 119 and a sampled audio signal 120 , are transferred from the transmitter to the receiver using common mode signalling . however , three pairs of conductors only enable one balanced common mode signalling path at any one time . one solution to this problem uses a voltage level 2x to represent the first signal and a voltage level of − x to represent the second signal . this solution is described in greater detail below and with reference to fig5 . in summary , this technique adds the two signals together and transmits them over a single balanced common mode signalling path using two twisted pairs . voltage comparators are then used at the receiver end to detect if the resultant signal was higher than − x / 2 , x / 2 and 3x / 2 . using the results of these comparisons , the state of the original two signals can be recovered . this technique works but is less elegant than the solution implemented by the preferred embodiment of the invention which requires fewer components and so is simpler and more cost effective to implement . the preferred embodiment of the invention uses the combination of an el4543 triple transmitter and an el9111 triple receiver chip , both provided by intersil corporation . this receiver / transmitter pair is designed to encode horizontal ( hsync ) and vertical sync ( vsync ) signals using balanced common mode signalling techniques . the encoding is accomplished using common mode signals on three pairs of conductors . at any one time two of the three pairs are carrying equal and opposite balanced common mode signals . for example , if one pair is carrying + v volts then the second pair is carrying − v volts . the third pair carries a common mode signal that is the average of the other two common mode signals , the mid point signal . by varying which pair carries a positive signal , which carries a negative signal and which carries the mid - point signal , up to six states can be signalled . this technique enables the four possible states of the vsync and hsync signals to be encoded whilst still ensuring balanced common mode signalling for minimised emissions . however , the preferred embodiment of the present invention encodes the horizontal and vertical sync signals together with the video colour signals and transmits these as differential signals . consequently , the common mode signalling is not needed for transmitting these signals . the sync signalling ability of the intersil el4543 / el9111 transmitter / receiver pair is instead used to carry two data signals from the audio codec ( clock signal 119 and data signal 120 ). it has been found that the intersil transmitter / receiver pair is able to support the required bandwidth to carry these two digital signals whilst also meeting emission regulations . consequently , this arrangement provides a particularly neat and straightforward implementation for carrying digital audio signals using a balanced common mode signalling technique . the detailed operation of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to fig1 which shows a schematic block diagram of a kvma extender according to an embodiment of the invention . the preferred embodiment is a video , audio and rs232 extender , that enables rgb video , stereo audio and rs232 signals to be extended by up to 300 meters using common twisted pair cabling . the extender consists of a transmitter circuit 101 and a receiver circuit 102 . the transmitter circuit 101 is connectable to a video source 103 , a stereo audio source 104 and an rs232 serial port 105 . these sources would commonly be supplied by a conventional pc but may also be supplied by other types of equipment . the receiver circuit 102 is connectable to a display device 106 , a set of speakers 107 and an rs232 port 108 . the twisted pair cable is of the conventional type that is commonly used for ethernet and other networking applications and which consists of four twisted pairs of conductors 109 , 110 , 111 and 112 . red , green and blue colour signals and horizontal and vertical synchronisation signals are provided to the transmitter circuit 101 by the video source 103 . the vertical synchronisation signal ( vsync ) is fed into a polarity detection and conversion circuit 113 . the vsync signal may be mainly 5v and change to 0v to indicate the vertical sync period or it may be mainly 0v and change to 5v to indicate the vertical sync period . in order to be able to add the vsync signal to the green signal the vsync signal is convert into a common polarity . this is done by the circuit shown in fig2 a . a resistor plus capacitor combination 201 , 202 is used to detect the average level of the incoming vsync signal . a signal representing the detected polarity 205 is presented at the output of the exclusive or gate 204 . this signal is fed into the input of a further exclusive or gate 206 which serves to ensure that the polarity of the sync pulses presented at its output is consistent regardless of the polarity of the incoming vsync signal . this signal is then appropriately level converted using a resistor divider 207 and subtracted from the incoming green video signal 208 by feeding the signals into appropriate input pins of the intersil el4543 , 211 . appropriate termination resistors 209 , 210 are provided for the incoming green video and vsync signals . fig2 b , 2 c , 2 d and 2 e respectively show illustrative examples of incoming green 208 , vsync 203 , converted vsync 212 and the resultant summed signal 213 . a similar polarity detection and conversion circuit 114 is provided to handle the hsync signal so this may be added to the red colour signal . no synchronisation signal is applied to the blue colour signal and this is fed directly into the el4543 triple line driver chip 211 . the hsync and vsync signals could be added to any of the colours and it is an arbitrary choice to add the vsync to the green colour signal and the hsync to the red colour signal . the hysnc and vsync pulses can easily be combined with video colour signals as the colour signals always indicate a black level during the horizontal and vertical synchronisation periods . by doing this , the invention does not need to use any common mode signalling paths to signal the horizontal and vertical syncs and hence leaves these paths available for signalling audio data . analogue left and right audio signals 115 , 116 are provided to the transmitter from the audio source 104 . these are fed into a tlv320aic23 codec provided by texas instruments 117 . an external 11 . 2896 mhz crystal 118 provides a clock input to the codec 117 which is configured to sample the analogue audio signals at 44 . 1 khz at a 16 - bit resolution . the codec outputs the results of the analogue to digital conversions via a clock 119 and data signal 120 . the formats of these signals are shown in fig3 . the clock signal identifies the start of the sampled data . the audio data signal consists of 16 bits of data representing a sample of the left audio signal followed by 16 bits of data representing a sample of the right audio signal followed by 32 unused bits . the clock 119 and data 120 signals being generated by the codec 118 are fed into the vsync 120 and hsync 121 inputs of a transmitter circuit provided by an intersil el4543 triple line driver 211 . these signals are transmitted via the encoded balanced common mode signalling technique previously described over twisted pairs 109 , 110 and 111 . fig5 illustrates the way in which the common mode signals on the green 109 , blue 110 and red pairs vary according to the states of the clock 119 and data 120 signals . there are four possible states of the clock and data lines ( clock low and data low , data low and clock high , clock high and data high , clock low and data high ). these four states are indicated by the common mode signals shown in time periods 501 , 502 , 503 and 504 respectively . it can be seen that in any of time periods 501 , 502 , 503 , 504 one of the common mode signals is in the positive state , one is in the negative state and one is at the mid point level . this ensures that balanced common mode signalling requirements are maintained . for example , in time period 501 when the clock and data signals are low , this state is signalled by the green common mode signal being positive relative to the mid point level , the blue common mode signal being negative relative to the mid point level and the red common mode signal being at the mid - point level . the recovered clock 119 and data 120 signals appear at the vsync out 122 and hsync out 123 outputs of a receiver circuit , provided by an intersil el9111 triple line receiver 134 . these signals provides a continuous stream of audio sample data to the codec 124 which performs the necessary digital to analogue conversions to turn the data back into left and right analogue audio signals 125 , 126 . in order to perform this conversion , the texas instruments tlv320aic23 codec 124 is fed with suitable master clock ( mclk ) 127 and bit clock ( bclk ) 128 signals . the bit clock signal is used by the codec 124 to sample the data signal 120 . a suitable mclk frequency is double the bclk frequency . the mclk and bclk signals are not transmitted from the transmitter and are therefore generated within the receiver circuit . the bclk 128 and mclk 127 signals are derived from the clock signal 119 using a phase lock loop circuit 129 coupled with a ‘ divide by 128 ’ circuit 130 . the phase lock loop circuit consists of a 74hct4046 with associated resistor and capacitor components to create a starting frequency of the output signal 131 close to the required mclk frequency which is approximately 5 . 6448 mhz for a 44 . 1 khz sampling rate . signal 131 is fed into a ‘ divide by 128 ’ circuit 130 to create an output signal 132 . the ‘ divide by 128 ’ circuit is implemented in the current invention using two 74hct161 4 - bit counters and a tap off from this circuit gives a ‘ divide by 2 ’ function which is used to create the bclk signal which is half the frequency of the mclk signal and 64 times the frequency of the clock 119 signal . the pll circuit 129 acts to synchronise signal 132 with the clock signal 119 thus ensuring that the bclk signal 128 is synchronised to the incoming data signal so that the codec 124 knows when to sample the data 120 . fig3 shows the relationship between the bit clock signal 128 , the audio data signal 120 and the clock signal 119 . it can be seen that the current invention provides an elegant solution to the problem of sending video and audio signals over a twisted pair cable and that it can be implemented using relatively few components making it straightforward and cost effective to build . referring now to the video circuitry within the receiver circuit 102 . potentiometers 170 and 180 are provided in order to supply control signals to the el9111 triple receiver to compensate for the signal loss of the twisted pair cable . potentiometer 170 controls the sharpness of the picture and potentiometer 180 controls the brightness of the picture . the user of the extender may adjust the settings of these potentiometers to produce the best picture on the screen . these potentiometers adjust the ac and dc amplification that is applied to the received differential signals . the green + vsync signal 213 appears at the green colour output of the intersil el9111 triple receiver chip 134 and is fed into a sync extraction circuit 135 that detects signals with voltages less than the threshold level 214 shown in fig2 . by detecting voltages lower than this threshold , the vsync signal can be recovered which in turn enables the negative vsync pulses to be removed from the combined signal to recover the green colour signal 136 . the recovered vsync pulse is fed into the polarity restore circuit 137 that is in receipt of a signal 139 from the receiver &# 39 ; s microprocessor 138 that indicates the polarity of the original signal vsync 140 . using this information , the polarity restore circuit 137 restores the polarity of the vsync signal 141 to match the original polarity of vsync signal 140 . the hsync and red video signals 142 143 are extracted from the combined signal 144 using sync extraction circuit 145 and polarity restore circuit 146 in a similar manner . the preferred embodiment of the invention also implements a bidirectional serial port link between the transmitter and the receiver . incoming serial signals at the receiver 147 are level shifted 148 and periodically sampled by the pic 16f870 microprocessor 138 , as supplied by microchip inc . this microprocessor is in communication with a second pic 16f870 149 within the transmitter circuit via the twisted pair 112 and 75176 line driver / receivers 150 and 151 . a suitable data communication protocol is implemented that enables the microprocessors to exchange data . the receiving microprocessor 149 signals the state of the original signals 147 . these signals are level shifted 152 to create signals that are suitable for transmission to rs232 port 105 . similarly incoming signals 153 from rs232 port 105 are level shifted , sampled and communicated to the receiver circuit 102 via the two microprocessors 149 138 , the line diver / receivers 150 151 and the twisted pair 112 where they are level shifted back 148 for transmission to rs232 port 108 . in this way , a bidirectional rs232 signalling means is provided between the receiver and transmitter circuits . signals 154 and 155 indicating the polarity of the original hsync 157 and vsync 140 signals and derived from the polarity detection circuits 114 and 113 enable microprocessor 149 to communicate the polarity information to microprocessor 138 over the data pair 112 to create signals 139 and 156 . these signals are fed to the polarity restoration circuits 137 and 145 within the receiver circuit 102 so that the polarity of the outgoing vsync 141 and hsync 142 signals is the same as the polarity of the equivalent hsync 157 and vsync 140 input signals . fig5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the method of transferring two digital signals between a transmitter and receiver using balanced common mode signalling between two twisted pairs according to the invention . the first digital signal 401 is converted into positive signal 402 of magnitude 2x . the second digital signal 403 is converted into a negative signal 404 of magnitude x . these signals 402 and 404 are then summed to create a combined signal 405 which ranges between voltages − x and + 2x . this is then transmitted via two twisted pairs as a balanced common mode signal . comparators at the receiver are arranged to detect whether the combined signal falls above or below the threshold levels of − x / 2 , x / 2 and 3x / 2 . using this information , the receiver can determine the original signal states of signal 401 ( a ) and signal 403 ( b ) as shown in fig5 . it will readily be appreciated that the exact signal voltage levels used to implement this technique may be chosen to suit the implementation .	7
fig1 illustrates one embodiment of the invention , and fig2 illustrates an embodiment in more detail . an input voltage vin is applied to the pwm unit 10 and the ldo unit 12 . the pwm unit 10 and ldo unit 12 are shown in more detail in fig2 . an error signal from an error amplifier 14 is applied to a pwm controller 15 to adjust a switching duty cycle of a power transistor 16 . a synchronous rectifier transistor 18 conducts oppositely to the transistor 16 so that there is no direct path the ground . a diode may be used instead of a synchronous rectifier . an oscillator 20 sets the switching frequency for the pwm controller 15 . the pwm controller 15 issues switching signals to gate drive logic 24 , which ensures that the transistors 16 and 18 alternately conduct . buffers 26 and 28 provide a suitable current source / sink to the gates of the transistors for a fast response . an inductor 30 smoothes out the switched current signal and provides a triangular current waveform , the average of which is the current to the load . an output capacitor 32 smoothes out the triangular current waveform and provides a relatively constant voltage ( vout ) at the output 34 . to limit reverse current through the inductor 30 to ground , a reverse current limiting circuit , such as a differential amplifier 35 , detects a reversal of current through synchronous rectifier 18 while the synchronous rectifier 18 is conducting and overrides its control signal to shut off the synchronous rectifier 18 . a resistor divider 36 supplies a feedback voltage to the input of the error amplifier 14 ( a differential amplifier or other suitable amplifier ), and the regulator adjusts the switching duty cycle so that the regulated feedback voltage is equal to the reference voltage ( vref ) applied to the other input of the error amplifier 14 by a reference source 37 . a compensation capacitor ( not shown ) is connected to the output of the error amplifier 14 to convert a current source / sink signal into a smoothed error voltage signal . the pwm controller 15 raises the duty cycle of the power transistor 16 when the output voltage vout is below the desired voltage and lowers the duty cycle of the power transistor 16 when the output voltage vout is above the desired voltage . the duty cycle is substantially constant for a given vin and a desired value of vout . the pwm unit 10 may be any type of pwm circuit , including a voltage mode , a current mode , a resonant mode , or other type . the pwm unit may instead be a pulse frequency modulation ( pfm ) unit or any other type of switching regulator . in a low load current mode , when the ldo regulator is enabled , the ldo unit 12 varies the conduction of a series transistor 42 connected between the input voltage vin and the vout terminal . an error amplifier 44 compares a reference voltage vref , generated by a reference source 45 , to the divided output voltage to generate an error signal . a compensation capacitor ( not shown ) may be connected to the output of the error amplifier 44 . the error signal is received by a buffer 46 , which controls the conduction of the series transistor 42 . the conduction is increased to raise vout and decreased to decrease vout . during a transition between modes , discussed below with reference to fig6 and 7 , reference voltage values are changed , bias currents are changed , and the series transistor is augmented . fig3 – 5 illustrate some possible circuits for performing these functions . fig3 illustrates tapped series resistors used for generating two reference voltages . a fixed voltage v supplies a current through the series resistors . a nominal reference voltage vref ( n ) is tapped from the first node , and a higher reference voltage vref ( t ) is tapped from the second node . a simple transistor switch 50 is controlled to select the desired reference voltage . fig4 illustrates a technique for changing bias currents . a differential amplifier 54 may be the error amplifier 44 for the ldo unit 12 . the reference voltage vref is applied to one input , and the feedback voltage vfb is applied to the other input . the voltage at node 56 is an error signal whose magnitude indicates the mismatch between the reference voltage and the feedback voltage . the magnitude is used to control the duty cycle of the pwm unit 10 . the error signal controls the conductivity of transistors in a buffer 60 . the output of the buffer 46 is applied to the gate of the ldo regulator series transistor 42 ( fig2 ). current sources i 1 and i 2 provide bias currents for the differential amplifier 54 . one technique for changing the bias current is to switch in and out the current source i 2 by means of a transistor switch 62 . by increasing the bias current for the differential amplifier and / or buffer , higher control currents can be applied to the various transistors in the ldo regulator to cause the ldo regulator to react more quickly to regulate the output voltage vout and remain stable ( avoid oscillation ). fig5 illustrates a technique for augmenting the series transistor 42 of fig2 with one or more additional series transistors 65 to increase the current handling capability of the ldo during a transition to quickly compensate for voltage glitches . it is desirable to have a small transistor 42 during low current modes ( e . g ., 50 ma ) to minimize losses from controlling the transistor . however , to quickly correct large voltage glitches , a larger series transistor is needed . by temporarily coupling two or more additional transistors 65 in parallel with the series transistor 42 via a switch 66 , such extra current handling capability ( e . g ., 500 ma ) is made available during the transition . when the switch 66 couples the gate of pmos transistor 65 to the error signal , the transistors &# 39 ; 42 / 65 conduction is controlled to quickly compensate for any voltage glitch . after the transition period , the gate of the transistor 65 is coupled to its source to turn it off . fig6 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a technique to provide an improved transition from a high current mode to a low current mode , such as a standby mode . it is assumed that the pwm regulator has been operating normally and the ldo regulator has been disabled . in step 70 , a mode select signal is generated , such as a low signal for entering the low load current mode . the mode select signal may be generated externally such as by a microprocessor that generates a low signal after the powered equipment ( e . g ., a cell phone ) is not used for a period of time . the mode select signal may also be generated by detecting the actual load current ( e . g ., by detecting the voltage across a series resistor ) and comparing the load current to a threshold . when the load current goes below a threshold , the mode select signal will automatically go low . the threshold may have hysteresis to avoid oscillation between modes . in step 72 , a timer 76 issues a pwm - to - ldo transition signal to a transition logic circuit 78 . the timer 76 may be a charged capacitor that is discharged at a rate determined by a resistor . the discharging may be by actuation of a transistor switch that is turned on when the mode select signal changes state . the end of the timed period may be the time when a certain capacitor voltage threshold ( detected by a comparator ) is met . the transition logic circuit 78 may consist of simple circuitry that controls various switches in a particular sequence at particular intervals . designing such circuitry is well within the skills of those of ordinary skill in the art . in step 74 , concurrently with step 72 , the ldo unit 12 is enabled by applying power to the various ldo regulator components , such as the error amplifier 44 , voltage reference source 45 , and buffer 46 . the ldo unit 12 starts up quickly ( e . g ., 2 micro seconds ). in step 80 , the bias levels of all the relevant ldo unit circuits are raised to quicken the regulation response speed of the ldo unit 12 . for example , the transition logic circuit 78 closes switch 62 in fig4 and a switch in buffer 46 to increase the current bias . as an example , the ibias in fig2 may be raised from 8 microamps to 30 microamps . such an increase in the bias current allows the ldo unit to regulate higher load currents ( e . g ., max load current raised from 50 ma to 500 ma ) without becoming unstable . in step 81 , preferably concurrently with step 80 , one or more additional transistors 65 are enabled ( or switched in ) to augment the series transistor 42 so that the ldo regulator can handle higher currents during the transition . in step 82 , which may be concurrent with step 80 , the reference voltage vref for error amplifier 44 is increased by 2 % ( or other suitable amount ) to cause the ldo unit 12 to immediately take over the voltage regulation from the pwm unit 10 . increasing the reference voltage causes the ldo unit 12 to believe that the output voltage is too low . the ldo unit 12 regulates the output voltage by changing the conductance of the series transistor 42 . in step 84 , the pwm unit 12 is disabled by removing power from its various components ( e . g ., oscillator , buffers , error amplifier , logic , comparators , switching transistors , etc .). in step 86 , the timer 76 expires and issues a signal to the transition logic circuit 78 . the timer 76 may set a period on the order of 100 microseconds . in step 88 , transition logic circuit 78 resets the ldo reference voltage and bias levels to their nominal values and disables the additional series transistor ( s ) 65 . at this time , the ldo unit 12 uses very little power , due to the low bias currents , and regulates the output voltage for low current loads ( e . g ., 50 ma max ). fig7 is a flowchart of the transition technique when the regulator transitions from the ldo regulator mode to the pwm regulator mode . in step 90 , when the powered equipment is to come out of its standby mode , the mode select signal goes high . in step 92 , the timer 76 starts upon receiving the high mode select signal . in step 94 , the bias currents for the various ldo regulator circuits are increased ( as before ) to shorten the ldo regulator reaction time and allow the ldo regulator to handle the worst case anticipated voltage glitches during the transition and remain stable . in step 95 , preferably concurrently with step 94 , one or more additional transistors 65 are enabled ( or switched in ) to augment the series transistor 42 so that the ldo regulator can handle higher currents during the transition . in step 96 , the reference voltage for the pwm error amplifier 14 is increased by 2 % ( or other suitable value ) to cause the pwm unit 10 to take over regulation from the ldo unit once the pwm unit 10 is enabled . in step 98 , the pwm unit 10 is enabled by applying power to the various pwm components . a typical pwm regulator begins regulating on the order of 60 microseconds after being powered up . since the inductor 30 is completely deenergized at start up , a soft start routine is begun to limit the peak current through the power transistor 16 . a soft start routine ramps the duty cycle of the pwm unit 10 until the steady state duty cycle is reached . one simple type of soft start circuit is shown in fig8 . the pwm comparator 100 ( within the pwm controller 15 in fig2 ) compares the error voltage to a sawtooth oscillator signal . the power transistor 16 stays on until the sawtooth level crosses the error voltage level . the output of the comparator 100 controls the gate drive logic 24 for turning off the power transistor 16 and turning on the synchronous rectifier 18 . the gate drive logic 24 is reset each oscillator cycle , which turns on the power transistor 16 and turns off the synchronous rectifier 18 . a soft start ramped signal is generated upon pwm unit start up , such as from a charging capacitor whose ramped voltage is determined by the size of the capacitor and its charging source . the ramped voltage controls a variable clamping circuit 104 to limit the error signal so that the error signal rises gradually . the clamping circuit 104 forces the duty cycle to increase slowly and linearly until there is no more clamping , at which time the soft start circuit has no further effect . there are various type of soft start circuits , and any of them may be used . during the soft start time , the ldo unit 12 is still regulating the output voltage . to prevent the synchronous rectifier 18 from staying on too long and drawing an undesirable reverse current through the inductor 30 during the soft start time ( loading down the ldo regulator ), a reverse current limiting circuit is employed ( such as the zero crossing detector 35 in fig2 ) to force the synchronous rectifier 18 off during the remainder of the switching cycle . referring back to fig7 , in step 110 the timer 76 expires . in step 112 , the transition logic circuit 78 controls various switches ( e . g ., switch 62 in fig4 ) to reset the ldo unit &# 39 ; s bias currents , disable the additional series transistor ( s ) 65 , and disable the ldo unit 12 by removing power to its components . in step 114 , the transition logic circuit resets the reference voltage for the pwm error amplifier 14 to its nominal value . the dual mode regulator is now operating in its normal pwm regulator mode . the above - described circuitry is only one of many implementation of a dual mode regulator that can practice the invention . although various circuits are shown directly coupled to other components , such circuits may be coupled to other components through other circuitry , such as resistors , transistors , buffers , diodes , transformers , capacitors , inductors , etc . any component may be connected in parallel with a similar component for increased current handling . such parallel components are still referred to herein as a single component . having described the invention in detail , those skilled in the art will appreciate that given the present disclosure , modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and inventive concepts described herein . therefore , it is not intended that the scope of the invention be limited to the specific embodiments illustrated and described .	8
fig1 illustrates a first design of a display device according to the invention . provided at the beginning of a beam path is a luminous element 12 that , depending on how it is driven , can produce a spatially different distribution of light cones , that is to say a different emission characteristic . by way of example , fig1 shows two light cones 4 that , of course , cannot be produced simultaneously , but are illustrated jointly in fig1 merely for display . a first light cone , illustrated by points , is narrow and therefore strikes a light entrance region 2 of a light guide 14 such that only a portion of the light entrance region 2 is irradiated by the light cone 4 . formed in the light guide 14 are two light channels 5 that are optically separated from one another , for example by a reflecting layer . instead of a reflecting layer between the two light channels 5 of the light guide 14 , it is also conceivable to provide other non - transmissive or only partly transmissive layers , for example a layer that is entirely or partially light absorbing or reflecting . on the other hand , light channels can also be formed by having the light guide 14 comprise a number of bundled glass fibers . suitable glass fibers for uv light can consist of silica glass or a material resembling silica glass . in the case of the narrow light cone that is shown , the light strikes only in the lower light channel such that at a light exit region 1 of the light guide 14 a light signal is also to be detected only in the region of the lower light channel . the upper light channel , which receives no light signal from the luminous element 12 , remains unilluminated . the other light cone 4 shown is substantially larger , and comprises both light channels 5 of the light entrance region 2 , and so a signal is also to be seen on the side of the light exit region 1 in the region of the two light channels 5 . only two light channels are illustrated in fig1 , but it is obvious that the invention can also be extended to light guides having more than two light channels . also shown in fig1 is a light - shaping element 11 that is arranged between the luminous element 12 and the light guide 14 . this light - shaping element 11 serves the purpose of influencing the shape of the light cones 14 and contributing to light entering the light guide 14 in an optimum way . whereas the light guide 14 is immobile with respect to the luminous element 12 in the exemplary embodiment of fig1 , the light guide 14 is arranged moveably in the case of the display device illustrated in fig2 . a luminous element 12 emits light that is deflected by a light - shaping element 11 onto the light entrance region 2 of a light guide 14 . provided inside the light guide 14 are a number of light - deflecting elements 9 that deflect light signals transported through the light guide 14 , doing so in a defined way . in the beam path , a light signal from a first light - deflecting element is reflected into a horizontal region of the light guide 14 . provided there are two further light - deflecting elements 9 , which serve the purpose of reflecting light signals upward such that they leave the light guide 14 from light exit regions 10 . as in the case of the exemplary embodiment of fig1 , the light guide 14 itself can be divided into a number of light channels such that light that is irradiated into the light guide 14 in a specific part of the light entrance region 2 is guided inside a specific light channel . the light deflecting elements 9 , which reflect light signals in the direction of the light exit regions 10 , are specifically designed for individual light channels such that there is a fixed assignment between a specific light exit region 10 and a region of the light entrance region 2 . another design is a homogeneous light guide which is , therefore , not divided into individual channels . in the case of such a light guide 14 , as well , light can be irradiated by the luminous element 12 such that it emerges again at a specific location of the light guide 14 . this is possible because the light does not traverse the light guide 14 rectilinearly as a rule , but is reflected multiply at the boundary layers to the surroundings of the light guide . it is thereby possible to use the angle of irradiation and the knowledge of the geometrical shape of the light guide 14 to determine at which location a light signal irradiated at a specific angle emerges again . the light - deflecting elements 9 , which reflect light signals in the direction of the light exit regions 10 , can once again be arranged such that only light signals irradiated at a specific angle emerge at a specific light exit region 10 . a cover unit 8 is provided above the light guide 14 . it has sections that are formed as absorption elements 7 , and regions that are formed as display elements 6 . the display elements 6 are provided for the purpose of visualizing light signals emerging through the light exit regions 10 of the light guide 14 . for this purpose , they are formed either as transmission elements , that is to say allow the light beams to pass unimpeded , or else they are formed as projection elements . in the latter case , the surface is , for example , roughened such that the light is scattered . the projection or transmission elements can be colored in order to give the visible light a specific color . the absorption elements 7 ensure that crosstalk is prevented between different transmission and projection elements . in the further development of the invention shown in fig2 , there is also provided an additional movement unit 13 which can be used to displace or rotate the light guide 14 . it is thereby possible to drive a multiplicity of display elements 6 with the aid of a single light guide 14 . a description is given with the aid of fig3 of how a luminous element having bragg mirrors is constructed , and of how the emission characteristic can be controlled . the luminous element 12 has a light - emitting semiconductor chip 15 that is embedded in a reflector housing 17 . the semiconductor chip 15 has a cold supply and heat dissipation surface 16 that is connected to a heating element and / or cooling element 20 . it is thereby possible for the chip 15 to be kept at the desired operating temperature . the luminous element 12 has terminals 18 for the semiconductor chip 15 , and terminals 19 for the heating element 20 . the heating or cooling element 20 can be used to set the temperature of the luminous element accurately in order via the temperature to set the reflection or refraction properties of the bragg mirror , and thus to maintain the desired emission characteristic . it is shown schematically in fig4 how it is possible to design the drive of a luminous element 12 . the luminous element 12 is supplied with current by a supply device 24 . the control or the regulation of the luminous element adapted to a display interior temperature is taken over by a control device 21 . this has an interface for the purpose of being driven by a vehicle bus system 23 . as a rule , there is connected to the vehicle bus system an onboard computer that can also in this way provide information , for example relating to temperature / current value tables . known bus systems are , for example , the can bus or the networks for vehicles that are known as k - line and most .	1
the descent device ( descender ) of the present invention 10 includes a body 12 having an outer side 14 ( which faces away from user when in use , meaning when bearing a load ) and an inner side 16 ( which faces a user when in use ). the body further includes an upper ( superior ) side 18 ( generally oriented in a superior position when in use ), a lower ( inferior ) side 20 ( generally oriented in an inferior position when in use ), a left side 22 , and a right side 24 . integrally affixed to and extending from an inner portion 26 of the upper side 18 of the body 12 is a handle ( or bar ) 28 for gripping by a user . a rope clearance space for creating a gap or clearance between a climbing rope and the handle when a load is suspended is created by the distance d from the upper edge 30 of the upper portion 32 of the body 12 to the outer side 34 of the handle . the inner side 36 of the handle may be flat and is generally coplanar with the surface 14 a of the inner side 14 of the body 12 . the body next includes an attachment lug 40 integral with an outer portion of the lower side 20 of the body 12 . the upper surface 42 of the attachment lug may be coplanar with the outer surface 14 a of the outer side 14 of the body 12 . the attachment lug 42 includes a slot or hole 44 for passing a rope or lanyard , which is then employed to couple the descender to a user &# 39 ; s climbing harness or belt . the body next includes a set of through holes , each passing from the upper side to the lower side of the descender body with the respective axes of the holes each oriented generally normal to the inner and outer sides , and thus parallel to one another . the holes include a payout hole 50 having a diameter 52 and a central axis 54 located on the longitudinal axis 56 of the descender . conjoined to an upper portion 58 of the payout hole is an anchor hole 60 having a diameter 62 smaller than that of the payout hole and a central axis 64 also located on the longitudinal axis of the descender . looked at from the top and bottom plan views ( fig3 and 5 respectively ), wherein the broken circumference of each of the payout and anchor hole in the descender body side can be seen , the conjunction or intersection of the payout hole and the anchor hole comprises roughly 90 (+/− 30 degrees ) of arc of the payout hole and 150 (+/− 30 ) degrees of arc of the anchor hole . the central axis of the anchor hole is oriented parallel to the central axis 54 of the payout hole 50 . surrounding the payout hole on the outer side 14 of the descender body 12 is a chamfered opening 66 that provides a surface for inducing a gentle bend in rope disposed through the payout hole . similarly , the upper end of the anchor hole includes a chamfered opening 68 that terminates in an arcuate shelf 70 formed at a depth from the surface 14 a of the outer side 14 of the descender body 12 , such that rope sized for use in the descender will bend proud across the shelf in relation to the surface 14 a of the outer side 14 . these features are described in more detail below and may be appreciated by reference also to fig8 - 10 . right and left holes 80 , 90 , respectively , are disposed through the descender body , each having a central axis 82 , 92 normal to the longitudinal axis 56 of the body . right and left holes each include a chamfered upper opening 84 , 94 to induce gentle bends in rope . right and left holes 80 , 90 , have chamfered lower openings 86 , 96 , at the outer side 16 of the descender body 12 . disposed between each of the left and right holes and the anchor hole 60 on the inner side of the descender body are shallow channels 88 , 98 to accept and constrain a rope segment bent proud between one or the other side holes and the anchor / payout hole . the shallow channels are , respectively , longitudinally aligned with a line 80 d , 90 d , drawn between the center of the right and left holes 80 c , 90 c , and the center of the anchor hole 60 c . payout hole 50 and anchor hole 60 each have chamfered outer openings , 100 , 102 , respectively . referring next at fig6 , the descender device is shown set up for use in a rappel / descent operation . in such use , an attachment lanyard ( a loop of kevlar strap ) 110 is attached at one end to lug 40 using a cow ( or larks foot or girth ) hitch 112 . a carabiner 114 is attached to another end . a climbing belay / rappelling rope 120 is connected at an upper end 122 to an anchoring device 124 . the free end 126 is threaded through the through - holes in the descender body in a specific pattern , described below . the carabiner is attached to the user &# 39 ; s climbing harness or belt at a tie in loop or d - ring . referring now to fig7 - 9 , there is shown the threading pattern for passing a safety line or rope through the through - holes that enables a user to selectively lock or pay out safety line in a controlled manner when executing a descent . before attachment to an anchoring device , the rope upper ( anchoring ) end is passed from the inner side 16 of the descender body through either right or left hole 80 or 90 ( either work equally well ) to the outer side 14 . using right hole 80 as the illustrative example , a segment of the free end of the rope is then pulled through the right hole to provide a sufficient length for free end 126 . the upper end is then inserted into left hole 90 and passed back from the outer side 14 through the left hole 90 to the inner side , and a length of rope is pulled until a bend 130 is brought into engagement with shelf 70 , such that the outer surface of the rope at bend 130 is proud as to the descender body upper side 14 ( i . e ., disposed above it ). the anchor line , comprising the upper end of the anchoring portion of the rope 120 , is then passed through payout hole 50 and pulled until a second bend 140 is brought into engagement with channel 98 extending from left hole 90 to the payout hole 50 . the upper end is then tied to an anchor device 124 . when so configured , ( see fig6 , 10 ), when under a load , the safety line pays out controllably and increasingly freely when the user pulls the handle bar down into a generally horizontally orientation , and the safety line is brought into increasing alignment with the central axis of the payout hole 50 . when under a load , if handle 28 is not pulled downwardly by the user , the device will remain in a generally vertical orientation ( vertical as to its longitudinal axis 56 ), and bend 130 is thereby automatically brought into contact with anchor line 120 , thus causing the device to automatically brake . the anchor hole 60 is sized very slightly smaller than the selected rope diameter , thus in this vertical orientation , the safety line is prevented from free pay out and maintains alinement of the anchor portion of the line onto bend 130 , allowing a slow pay out under anticipated loads ( comprising typical body weight with gear ) simply by pulling down on the handle . then , if and as the user wishes to slow , he controls the angle of the handle and tips it up accordingly . if he then wishes to come to a complete stop in the descent , he / she simply allows the handle bar 28 to tip freely up , which is accomplished using the force of the load only . this brings the safety line fully into the anchor hole and further brings the anchor line 120 into engagement with bend 130 to prevent further rope pay out , automatically .	0
the preferred embodiment of the invention is described below in the context of a processor chip and heat sink combination mounted on a circuit board with an interposer socket . it should be noted , however , that the chip need not be a processor nor is the heat sink required . broadly , the invention is useful to reduce vibration for any type of component mounted to a circuit board . referring now to fig2 , a restraint system 30 is shown to attach a processor 40 and associated heat sink 42 to a circuit board 36 . in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention , the restraint system 30 includes a backing plate 32 from which a plurality of posts 44 protrude vertically therefrom , an insulator 34 to prevent the backing plate 32 from electrically interfering with the circuit board , an interposer socket 38 , springs 46 , and clips 48 . as shown , the posts 44 protrude upward through corresponding holes in the insulator 34 , circuit board 36 and heat sink 42 . springs 46 have an inner diameter sufficiently large to fit down over posts 44 and are held captive by clips 48 . in general , the processor 40 is sandwiched in the configuration shown under the compressive force of springs 46 . clips 48 hold the springs 46 under a desired amount of compressive force . a close - up view of a clip 48 is shown in fig3 . the clip preferably is made from a single piece of metal such as spring steel or other suitable material . as shown , one end 51 of the clip may be bent downward to prevent it from interfering with other components mounted on circuit board 36 or with proper geometries will limit the rotational movement relative to posts 44 by interference with the heat sink 42 . towards the other end of the clip , a hole 52 is formed between corresponding members 54 of the clip . because of the construction of the clip and the material from which it is made , clip members 54 are capable of being pushed apart , at least to a certain degree . then , when such a separating force is removed , the members 54 will return to their initial position as shown in fig3 . referring to fig4 , this feature permits the clip to be pushed down over post 44 with hole 52 coinciding with post end 54 . the post end 54 is shown in a generally conical shape , although other shapes are acceptable as well . in general , post end 54 comprises a tip that has a cross sectional area that increases from the most distal end of the tip towards surface 56 . as the clip is pushed down over post end 54 , the post end acts to push clip members apart until the clip engages recessed area 59 defined by post throat 58 . once at the narrower post throat 58 , the clip members 54 spring back into their unseparated position . in short , the clip “ snaps ” into place and the assembly thus is generally referred to as “ self - locking .” the surface 56 of post end 54 acts as a mechanical “ stop ” to retain the clip in place around throat 58 . the clips thus are referred to as “ self - locking clips .” referring again to fig2 , as the clips 48 are pushed down over posts 44 , springs 46 are compressed by providing the necessary compressive force to secure the processor 40 in place . this retaining mechanism advantageously does not use screws to compress the springs . because no screws are used , the problems noted above with regard , for example , to cold welding are avoided . other benefits will become apparent after reviewing the following discussion . fig5 shows an isolated view of the backing plate 32 with posts 44 protruding therefrom . as shown , there preferably are four posts 44 disposed on distal ends of four backing plate extensions 33 . the configuration shown in fig5 is exemplary only and should not be used to limit the scope of the invention or the claims which follow . fig6 shows a perspective view of self - locking mechanism 30 being assembled with a clip assembly plate 60 . clip assembly plate 60 is used to compress springs 46 . the underside of the clip assembly plate 60 is shown in fig7 and includes four clip retainer protrusions 64 protruding from a generally flat metal plate . each protrusion preferably includes a means to hold self - locking clips 48 in place as the assembly plate 60 is pressed down over posts 44 . any suitable tool ( e . g ., an arbor press ) for providing sufficient pressure to plate 60 can be used to engage and lock the restrain mechanism 30 . then , after the self - locking clips 48 have snapped into place on the posts , the assembly plate 60 can be removed and used on other sockets if desired . because the springs are compressed and the clips are snapped in place simply by pressing down on the clip assembly plate 60 , the processor 40 can be secured in place with the single act of pressing down on the plate . thus , an additional benefit of the preferred embodiment is that it permits one - step assembly which reduces assembly time and cost , is much simpler , and reduces the amount of precision needed for tensioning the socket compared to conventional interposer arrangements . all that needs to be done is press the assembly plate down until the clips engage their stops . in fact , the amount of force being exerted on the plate need not be monitored . this is in contrast to tightening the screws of conventional interposers as explained above . such screw - based tensioning generally requires the amount of torque applied to the screws to be carefully monitored to determine when the springs have been sufficiently compressed . such torque monitoring leads to relatively complex and expensive assembly tools . an alternative embodiment of the posts 44 is shown in fig8 . as shown , posts 70 include a plurality of extensions 72 each of which can serve to provide a “ stop ” for the retainer clips 48 . providing multiple stops on the posts advantageously permits the spring to be compressed to varying degrees to provide different compressive forces as desired . it should be understood that the component restraint mechanism described herein may be used in a computer system that includes a chassis , a system board , an output device ( e . g ., a display ) and an input device ( e . g ., a mouse or a keyboard ). the above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the principles and various embodiments of the present invention . numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated . it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications .	7
now , description will be given below of an embodiment of a centrifuge according to the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a function block diagram of a centrifuge according to an embodiment of the invention , fig2 is a flow chart used to carry out an imbalance detecting operation in the low speed area of the centrifuge shown in fig1 , fig3 shows the swinging amount of a drive shaft and the rotation speed of a motor or a rotor when the operation of the rotor with no sample imbalance is started in a state where the drive shaft is not swinging , and fig4 shows the swinging amount of the drive shaft and the rotation speed of the motor or rotor when the operation of the rotor with excessive sample imbalance is started in a state where the drive shaft is not swinging . as shown in fig1 , the present centrifuge 100 includes the drive shaft 3 of a motor 2 disposed in a rotor chamber 11 defined by a partition wall member 10 a including a bowl made of metal or the like and a door 10 ; a rotor 1 for storing therein samples to be centrifuged is removably mounted on the drive shaft 3 of the motor 2 ; and , the rotor 1 is structured such that it can be driven and rotated by the motor 2 . the number of rotations of the rotor 1 or motor 2 is detected as a rotation number signal by a rotation detector 4 including a magnetic sensor made of hall elements or the like , and the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 is detected by a displacement sensor 5 . a control circuit unit 6 includes an operation control portion 7 made of a cpu , a storage portion 8 having a rom , a ram and the like for storing therein a control program and data , a timer portion 13 having a timer ( which will be discussed later ), and a motor drive circuit 9 , which are respectively used as circuit functions . further , in the storage portion 8 , there are previously stored the allowable values of the swinging amounts of a drive shaft which will be discussed later . an operation panel portion 20 is connected to the control circuit unit 6 . the operation panel portion 20 includes a display portion 20 a and an input portion ( an operation switch ) 20 b . the display portion 20 a includes a rotation speed display portion 21 for displaying the rotation speed of the rotor 1 and motor 2 , an operating time display portion 22 for displaying the operating time of the rotor 1 and motor 2 , and the like . the input portion 20 b includes a rotation speed input switch 23 for instructing the input of the rotation speed of the rotor 1 or motor 2 , an operating time input switch 24 for instructing the input of the operating time of the rotor 1 or motor 2 , and a ten key 25 for instructing the desired input data ( numerical values ) of the rotation speed or operating time of these composing elements . to input the rotation speed of the rotor 1 or motor 2 , firstly , the rotation speed input switch 23 may be depressed and next the desired rotation speed may be input using the ten key 25 . the thus set rotation speed is displayed in the rotation speed display portion of the display portion 20 a . similarly , to input the operating time of the rotor 1 or motor 2 , the operating time input switch 24 may be depressed and next the desired operating time may be input and set using the ten key 25 . then , the thus set operating time is displayed in the operating time display portion 22 of the display portion 20 a . further , the input portion 20 b includes a start switch 26 which is used to instruct the control circuit unit 6 such that the operation of the motor 2 or rotor 1 is started according to the set rotation speed . on the other hand , there is provided a stop switch 27 which is used to instruct the stop of the rotation of the motor 2 . fig2 is a flow chart which is used to carry out a low speed area imbalance detecting operation according to the present embodiment . here , in the present embodiment , the term “ low speed area ” means an area up to 100 rpm . now , while referring to fig2 and 3 , description will be given below of the operation of the centrifuge 100 to be carried out when a large - scale rotor ( while samples are well balanced ) is mounted onto the drive shaft 3 , and the rotor is oscillated in error to thereby cause the drive shaft 3 to swing . the rotation speed and operating time , which are the conditions of the centrifuge , are respectively input in the above - mentioned manner using the input portion 20 b , and the rotor 1 for storing therein samples to be centrifuged is mounted onto the drive shaft 3 . in this mounting operation , there is a possibility that the rotor 1 can be oscillated in error to thereby cause the drive shaft 3 to swing . when the start switch 26 is depressed , firstly , a door opening / closing detector 12 detects the opening / closing state of the door 10 which is used to define the rotor chamber 11 . when the door 10 is found closed , the control circuit unit 4 starts the rotation of the motor 2 and the motor 2 is accelerated while the drive shaft 3 is swinging . the operation control portion 7 takes therein the signals of the rotation detector 4 and displacement sensor 5 . in step 101 , the centrifuge 100 waits until the rotation speed of the motor 2 reaches 20 rpm . when the rotation speed of the motor 2 exceeds 20 rpm , in step 102 , the operation control portion 7 compares the allowable value of the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 , which the drive shaft 3 has previously stored into the storage portion 8 , with the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 inputted by the displacement sensor 5 . as shown in fig3 , when the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 is larger than the allowable value , in step 103 , the supply of the power to the motor 2 is stopped to thereby decelerate the motor 2 ( in the present embodiment , the motor 2 is decelerated naturally without applying reverse rotation braking , dc braking or mechanical braking ). next , in step 104 , the operation control portion 7 increases the count of the counter by + 1 and stores the increased count into the storage portion 8 . the present counter is to count the number of times when the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 exceeds the allowable value . in step 105 , the operation control portion 7 checks whether the value of the counter is equal to or more than 6 or not . when it is less than 6 , the processing goes to step 106 . or , when it is 6 or more , the operation control portion 7 determines that the drive shaft 3 is caused to swing due to the sample imbalance ; and thus , in step 111 , there is displayed an imbalance alarm and the motor 2 is decelerated and stopped . in the present embodiment , the upper limit value of the counter is set for 6 . however , the upper limit value may not be always necessary to be 6 , but there can be used any arbitrary numeric value , provided that it is capable of checking the imbalance detection accurately . in step 106 , 10 seconds are set in the timer of the timer portion 13 ; and , in step 107 , the processing waits until the timer passes 10 seconds and also waits for the time when , as the rotation speed reduces , the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 decreases . although the timer is set for 10 seconds here , it is not always necessary to be 10 seconds . however , according to the results of tests , the time may preferably be twice or more than the time while the motor 2 is rotated once at the rotation speed in step 101 . ( for example , when the rotor 1 is rotating at the rotation speed of 20 rpm , the time necessary for the rotor 1 to rotate once is 3 seconds and thus twice 3 seconds is 6 seconds ; and , therefore , in the present embodiment , 10 seconds are set in the timer ). in step 101 , there is employed a method for detecting the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 at a given interval with the time as the reference . alternatively , however , there may also be employed another method which uses the given lowering speed ( for example , 5 rpm ) of the rotation speed of the motor or rotor . further , there may also be employed the number of rotations ( for example , every five rotations ). while 10 seconds pass in step 107 , in step 112 , the peak value of the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 to be input from the displacement sensor 5 is stored into the storage portion 8 . after the passage of the 10 seconds , the processing goes back to step 102 , where the peak value of the swinging amount stored in step 112 is compared with the allowable value of the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 . as described above , when the swinging motion of the drive shaft 3 has not settled down , there are carried out again the processings in step 103 to step 107 and , after then , the processing goes back to step 102 . when the drive shaft 3 is caused to swing when the rotor 1 is mounted onto the drive shaft 3 , normally , the processings in step 102 to step 107 may be carried out twice or three times , whereby the swinging motion of the drive shaft 3 is allowed to settle down . thus , the processing goes to step 108 , where the rotation speed of the motor 2 is 100 rpm or less . in step 109 , the rotation speed of the motor 2 is accelerated , and the processing goes to step 102 and step 108 . at the time when the rotation speed exceeds 100 rpm , the processing goes to step 110 , where the motor 2 is allowed to reach the set rotation speed . according to the present embodiment , the turning points of the rotation speed are set for 20 rpm and 100 rpm . the reason for this is that , when the centrifuge according to the embodiment is operated with such excessive imbalance that one or several bottles are omitted to be stored into the rotor , the drive shaft 3 is caused to swing suddenly and greatly in the range of 30 rpm to 80 rpm . that is , the turning points of the rotation speed may be determined according to the diameter dimension of the drive shaft and the like . next , description will be given below of the operation of the centrifuge according to the present embodiment when one bottle is omitted to be stored into the rotor 1 , with reference to fig2 and 4 . as shown in fig4 , the rotor 1 is mounted onto the drive shaft 3 without swinging the drive shaft 3 , and the start switch 26 is depressed . the door opening / closing detector 12 detects the opening / closing state of the door 10 . when the door 10 is found closed , the control circuit unit 4 allows the start of the rotation of the motor 2 , while the operation control portion 7 takes therein the signals of the rotation detector 4 and displacement sensor 5 . in step 101 , the processing waits until the rotation speed of the motor 2 reaches 20 rpm . when the rotation speed of the motor 2 exceeds 20 rpm , in step 102 , the allowable value stored in the storage portion 8 by the drive shaft 3 is compared with the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 input by the displacement sensor 5 . as shown in fig4 , since the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 is equal to or less than the allowable value in the vicinity of 20 rpm , the processing advances to step 108 and step 109 . then , the processing returns again to step 102 . in the vicinity of the time when the rotation speed exceeds 30 rpm , the swinging motion of the drive shaft 3 suddenly increases and thus the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 exceeds the allowable value . therefore , in step 103 , the supply of power to the motor 2 is stopped . next , in step 104 , the counter is counted up by + 1 and , in step 105 , the counter is checked whether the value thereof is 6 or more or not . when the counter value is found less than 6 , the processing moves to step 106 . in step 106 , 10 seconds are set in the timer of the timer portion 13 and , in step 107 , the processing waits until the timer passes 10 seconds and also waits until , as the rotation speed reduces , the swinging motion of the drive shaft 3 reduces . while 10 seconds pass in step 107 , the peak value of the drive shaft 3 to be taken from the displacement sensor 5 in step 112 is stored into the storage portion 8 . after the passage of the 10 seconds , the processing goes back to step 102 , where the peak value of the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 stored in step 112 is compared with the allowable value of the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 previously stored in the storage portion 8 . as described above , when an operator omits to store one bottle , since the drive shaft 3 swings suddenly and greatly , the swinging amount of the drive shaft 3 is equal to or more than the allowable value ; and , therefore , the processings in steps 103 to 107 are carried out again and , after then , the processing goes back to step 102 . normally , the processings in steps 102 to 107 may be carried out five times or so , whereby the swinging motion of the drive shaft 3 is allowed to settle down ; and thus , the processing advances to step 108 . the value of the counter at the then time provides 5 . since the rotation speed is less than 100 rpm , the motor 2 is accelerated again in step 109 , and the processing advances to step 102 . when the motor 2 is accelerated again , as shown in fig4 , similarly , the swinging motion of the drive shaft 3 is suddenly increased again in the vicinity of about 30 rpm ; and thus , in step 103 , the supply of power to the motor 2 is stopped and , in step 104 , the counter is counted up by + 1 , whereby the counter value turns to 6 . that is , in step 105 , the counter value is 6 . thus , the processing advances to step 111 , where an imbalance alarm is displayed and the motor 2 is decelerated and stopped . execution of the above operation not only can positively detect the excessive imbalance due to omission of storage of the bottle into the rotor 1 , but also can operate the centrifuge with no wrong detection of the sample imbalance even in a state where , when the rotor 1 with the balanced samples stored therein is mounted onto the drive shaft 3 , the rotor 1 is oscillated in error . according to the present embodiment , the swinging motion of the drive shaft 3 is detected using the displacement sensor 5 . however , alternatively , the imbalance can be detected similarly by detecting the swinging motion of the rotor 1 .	6
fig1 depicts an elevating scraper 10 towed by a tractor 12 . the tractor is a four - wheeled agricultural tractor having a drawbar hitch 13 and a power takeoff 14 , however , it will be appreciated that the towing vehicle is not a part of the invention . the scraper 10 has a tongue 15 pivotally connected to the tractor hitch 13 permitting articulation of the scraper relative to the tractor . the tongue 15 comprises a pair of arms 16 extending forwardly from the scraper sidewalls 18 and joined at the front by a crossbeam 19 . the crossbeam 19 carries a pair of laterally spaced sleeve bearings ( not shown ) on which is journaled a tongue extension 20 which connects with the hitch 13 . an hydraulic cylinder 22 , which is connected with the hydraulic system of the tractor 12 , has an extensible rod 23 pivotally connected to an arm 24 fixed on the crossbeam 19 such that upon extension or retraction of the cylinder rod 23 the tongue extension 20 and the tongue arms 16 jackknife or pivot relative to each other about the crossbeam 19 and in so doing pivot the scraper bowl about the main transverse axis 26 of the tandem running gear to raise and lower the scraper blade 25 . an elevator 32 is mounted on the front of the scraper 10 to break loose dirt in advance of the blade 25 when in the lowered position and to assist in filling the bowl . the elevator incorporates a design particularly suited for the smaller or utility scraper , as will be discussed below , where the power takeoff 14 of the tractor is connected to the elevator bottom drive , generally indicated at 34 , by a drive line 36 . the scraper 10 is supported on four wheels , two on each side , one behind the other , mounted on rocking beams 37 in a manner such that the rear wheels 39 track behind the front wheels 38 on each side . the tandem running gear is an important feature of the invention as discussed further below . referring now to fig2 the scraper bowl includes a pair of laterally spaced side walls 18 having a downwardly inclined front edge 40 , a horizontal top edge 41 , and a horizontal bottom edge 42 which curves upwardly at the rear portion 43 thereof . a fixed end wall 44 extends between the side walls 18 at the rear and has a lower transverse edge portion 45 the function of which will be explained below . fastened to the upper edge 41 of each side wall 18 is a sideboard extension 46 permitting the dirt to be heaped in the bowl to a level above the side walls 18 at least adjacent the top of the elevator 32 as is customary practice in the operation of elevating scrapers . extending between the side walls 18 approximately midway between the front and rear of the bowl and spaced upwardly from the bottom edges 42 is a transverse axle housing 48 secured at the opposite ends by gusset plates 49 ( fig3 ) to the innerside of side walls 18 . an axle section 50 is inserted in each end of the axle housing 48 through the side walls 18 and is journaled on laterally spaced sleeve bearings 51 in the housing 48 permitting independent oscillation of the rocking beams 37 . each rocking beam 37 carries at the forward end thereof a stub axle 52 and at the rear end a stub axle 53 on which stub axles are mounted respectively the front and rear ground engaging wheels 38 and 39 . the bottom area of the scraper bowl is closed by a front door 56 ( fig2 ), the leading edge 57 of which engages with the rear of the blade support frame 58 and the trailing edge 59 of which is met by a rear door 60 which extends rearwardly terminating in an upwardly curved portion 62 which generally follows the curvature of the edge portion 43 of the side walls 18 and closes at the rear with the bottom edge 45 of the end wall 44 . the front door 56 is pivoted on a pair of trunnions 65 in the opposite side walls 18 . a pair of skirts members 66 , one suspended from each trunnion 65 supports the front door 56 for swinging motion about the axis of the trunnion 65 from a closed position to a fully open position as shown in the partial dashed line view in fig2 . the rear door 60 is pivoted on a pair of trunnions 69 in the opposite side walls 18 to the rear and above the trunnion 65 . a pair of arms 70 , one journaled on each trunnion 69 , extend down on the outside of the side walls 18 connecting at the lower ends with the curved portion 62 of the rear door 60 such that the latter may be pivoted about the axis of trunnions 69 from a closed position to a fully open position depicted in dashed lines in fig2 . an actuating link 72 , one on each side of the bowl , is pivoted at the rear end at 73 to the arm 70 and extends forwardly where it is pivoted at 74 to a lever 75 connected by a sleeve bearing to the skirt member 66 of the front door 56 . levers 76 connect the arms 70 of the rear door 60 to cylinder rods 77 of hydraulic cylinders 78 on each side of the scraper . the blind end 79 of each cylinder 78 is pivotally connected to an anchor block 80 mounted on the exterior of side walls 18 . thus , upon actuation of the cylinders 78 retracting the rod 77 the front door 56 and the rear door 60 swing rearwardly and upwardly about the trunnion axes and in the process move toward fully open positions shown respectively for each door in fig2 . the relationship of the curvature of the rear portion 62 of door 60 with the bottom edge 45 of the end wall 44 is such that the edge 45 will scrape the inner curved surface of the door 60 removing any sticky earth material as the door is being opened . thus , the bowl has a double bottom dump capability such that the dirt pours out during the dumping cycle at two locations , first behind the blade frame 58 and second , near the center of the bowl between the doors 56 and 60 , the dumping being controlled by the amount the doors are opened . as seen in fig5 the main blade 25 and blade frame 58 extend across the front of the bowl between side wall extensions or moldboards 81 each having a laterally extending portion 82 which at the rear end is directed parallel to the side walls 18 and bolted thereto by bolts 83 . projecting through an opening 82 in the rear portion 82 of each moldboard is a push rod 85 pivotally connected at the upper end 86 to a lever 87 ( fig2 ) mounted on the rotatable sleeve portion of lever 75 . thus , upon actuation of the cylinders 78 opening the doors , the push rods 85 are extended through the moldboards along a line generally inclined downwardly and parallel to the blade 25 tending to dislodge any sticky material which may have become collected in the corners of the blade . referring now to fig5 the elevator 32 is comprised of two sections or parallel 94 - 95 , one on each side of the bowl . each section 94 - 95 is supported on an elevator frame including a center support 96 at which at the lower end carries a saddle bracket 97 supporting the elevator drive 34 and at the top has a cross member 98 . spaced below the upper cross member 98 is a cross member 99 passing through the center support 96 which together with the upper cross member 98 supports the elevator paths 94 - 95 across the front of the bowl . opposite ends of the cross members 98 - 99 are pivotally connected to the side walls 18 by links 90 - 91 ( fig2 ) allowing the elevator sections to shift in a vertical plane . each elevator section 94 - 95 includes a pair of chains 100 ( depicted by the dot - dash lines in fig5 ) which are trained over drive sprockets 103 at the bottom and over idler wheels 105 at the top . the idler wheels are in laterally spaced alignment with the drive sprockets 103 at the bottom and are mounted on a rotatable shaft 108 , the opposite ends of which are journaled in a pair of extension arms 109 projecting upwardly from the upper cross member 98 of the elevator frame . the drive sprockets 103 are mounted in laterally spaced alignment with the idler wheels 105 on drums or carriers 110 having a central , inwardly directed ring 112 which bolts to the drive hub 114 at each end of the elevator drive 34 . saddle bracket 97 supports the drive at the center housing 115 which has an input shaft carrying a u - joint 116 which is connected to drive line 36 . the elevator drive 34 , according to the preferred embodiment , will be a standard planetary truck axle , the planetary sets at each end of which are utilized to drive the two elevator sections 94 - 95 . the carriers 110 are open cage structures to permit the egress of dirt which may have a tendency to collect within the rotating carriers and in this connection slots 117 are provided . a series of flights or drags 118 are carried by the chains 100 of each elevator section 94 - 95 , being spaced from each other on opposite sides of a vertical center plane through the elevator drive 34 to provide access for the drive line 36 . referring to fig4 the drive line 36 includes a telescoping section 120 connected on one end to the tractor power takeoff 14 by means of a u - joint 121 and at the opposite end to a second drive section 122 by means of a u - joint 123 . the latter mentioned drive section 122 is coupled to the input of the bottom elevator drive by the u - joint 116 . the drive line 36 is supported on the cross beam 19 carried by the tongue 15 by a pivot bearing 125 which can swing in a vertical plane to accommodate the change of angle taken by the drive line as the tongue arms 16 and tongue extension 20 jackknife or pivot relative to each other in raising and lowering the scraper blade . bearing sleeve 126 in the upper end of the pivot bearing 125 has a pivotal mounting on a transverse axis permitting up and down shifting of the elevator bottom drive 36 . the telescoping drive section 120 , in cooperation with the u - joints 121 - 123 , permits the articulation of the tractor 12 with respect to the scraper 10 . as mentioned above , one of the important features of the invention is a design enabling the scraper to be shipped in disassembled form for assembly from a scraper kit which comprises all of the components banded or crated together enabling field assembly by the user without special jigs or fixtures . referring to fig2 in this connection it will be noted that the arms 16 of the tongue have heavy side plates 130 on each side of the scraper side wall 18 and bolt on each side of a horizontal reinforcing rib 132 permanently secured to the side walls . the blade frame 58 and moldboard 81 at the front corners of the side walls 18 also bolt on as discussed above . the end wall 44 has inwardly directed flanges 137 which bolt to the side walls 18 at the rear . between the main blade frame 58 at the front and the end wall 44 at the rear is the axle housing 48 spaced upwardly from the bottom - and extending across the bowl with the opposite ends being secured to the side walls by gusset plates 49 as in fig3 . thus , the side walls 18 are rigidly held in spaced vertical relationship . in addition , the tongue 15 with the cross beam 19 further rigidifies and supports the front ends of the side walls . of course , the bottom doors 56 - 60 and actuating linkage may be disassembled as well as the elevator 32 . likewise , the running gear is capable of being disassembled and in this connection reference is made to fig3 where the axle section 50 is seen held within the axle housing 48 by means of a bolt - on outer lug 140 secured to the horizontal rib 132 . by removal of the lugs 140 , the rocking beams 37 and axle sections 50 may be withdrawn from the axle housing 48 . it is then only necessary to unbolt the tongue , blade frame 58 , axle housing 48 and the end wall 44 in order to collapse the scraper side walls 18 so that they may be shipped in a flat , side - by - side relationship . while we have described and illustrated herein a preferred embodiment of our invention as incorporated in a particular mechanism , it will be appreciated that modifications may be made therein and that other uses may be found . therefore , it should be understood that we intend to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of our invention .	4
an aspect of the present invention provides a method for configuring phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa timing agreements between server and client which prevents prolonged service disruptions . these prolonged service disruptions are avoided by initializing timing agreements between server and client in such a way to uniformly enable the existence of a phase 1 sa during secure communication which allows recovery from a service disruption via dpd . in accordance with an aspect of the present invention , phase 1 and phase 2 lifetimes are configured using the following equation : equation ( 1 ) configures the expiration of phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa soft - lifetimes to occur simultaneously , which enables a phase 1 sa to be uniformly available during secure communications , thus enabling efficient recovery from service disruptions via dpd and further enabling the continuation of secure communications . in an example embodiment , the expiration of phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa soft - lifetimes are configured in accordance with equation ( 1 ) after every phase 2 negotiation between a client and a server . a client and a server may configure the expiration of phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa soft - lifetimes in accordance with equation ( 1 ) and adjust timing agreements as necessary . an aspect of the present invention will now be discussed below with reference to fig6 - 8 . fig6 is a functional level diagram of communication between server 606 and client 604 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention . fig6 differs from the functional level diagram of the convention communication discussed above with reference to fig4 , in that ipsec portion 412 and ipsec portion 426 have been replaced with ipsec portion 608 and ipsec portion 610 , respectively . more specifically , in accordance with an aspect of the present invention , at least one of ipsec portion 608 and ipsec portion 610 will be operable to configure phase 1 and phase 2 lifetimes using equation ( 1 ) discussed above . before client 604 can securely communicate with server 602 , a secure communication link must be established . a method of establishing a secure communication link between client 604 and server 602 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention will now be discussed . presume , in this example , that client 604 initiates communication with server 602 . first application 214 sends a first packet to os stack 216 . ipsec portion 608 intercepts the packet and initiates a negotiation with server 602 . ike protocol portion 222 of client 604 then performs negotiation with ike protocol portion 210 of server 602 . a more detailed discussion of secure communication will now be described . fig7 illustrates , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , a link communication 700 , a simplified ipsec communication exchange . a y - axis 702 represents the variable t in units of time with variable t increasing with progression from the top of the page to the bottom of the page . an x - axis 704 represents exchanges of communication between client 604 and server 602 via communication channel 310 . before conventional ipsec link communication 700 is discussed in detail , please consider the following introduction to some aspects . bi - directional vertical arrows 708 , 710 , 734 and 736 represent phase 1 sa timers . a phase 1 sa timer counts down the time value of a phase 1 sa . in the figure , bi - directional vertical arrows 708 , 710 , 734 and 736 are illustrated with the same weight to represent a similar function . bi - directional vertical arrows 738 and 740 represent soft phase 2 sa timers . a phase 2 sa timer is a hard - lifetime timer that counts down the time value of a phase 2 sa . a soft - lifetime timer is conventionally set to a portion of the hard - lifetime timer , e . g ., 80 %. in the figure , bi - directional vertical arrows 738 and 740 are illustrated with the same weight to represent a similar function . unidirectional horizontal arrows 706 and 732 represent phase 1 sa negotiation initiations . a phase 1 sa negotiation initiation is a communication protocol wherein client 604 contacts server 602 to exchange security keys , authentication information and phase 1 sa time values . in the figure , unidirectional horizontal arrows 706 and 732 are illustrated with the same weight to represent a similar function . bi - directional horizontal arrows 712 and 744 represent phase 1 sa negotiation completions . in the figure , bi - directional horizontal arrows 712 and 744 are illustrated with the same weight to represent a similar function . unidirectional horizontal arrow 748 represents a phase 2 sa negotiation initiation . a phase 2 sa negotiation initiation is a communication protocol , wherein client 604 contacts server 602 to exchange updated security keys , updated authentication information , phase 2 sa soft - lifetime time values and phase 2 sa hard - lifetime time values . bi - directional horizontal arrow 752 represents a phase 2 sa negotiation completion . bi - directional horizontal arrow 754 represents a link initiation . a link initiation is the start of a secure communication channel , wherein client 604 and server 602 may securely communicate with one another . bi - directional horizontal dotted arrow 726 represents a link completion . a link completion is the end of a secure communication channel , wherein client 604 and server 602 may no longer securely communicate with one another . a large portion of the elements of fig7 are identical to fig3 . some of the identical elements between fig3 and fig7 are not be included in the discussion of fig7 . at time 312 , client 604 communicates a phase 1 sa negotiation initiation 706 to server 602 . following phase 1 sa negotiation initiation 706 , an embodiment of this invention is deployed during the negotiation of phase 1 sa , as client 604 configures a phase 1 sa timer 708 as a positive integer multiple of soft phase 2 sa timer 332 . for this particular embodiment of the invention , phase 1 sa timer 708 is configured as two times the value , or n equal to 2 , of soft phase 2 sa timer 332 . additionally , an embodiment of this invention is deployed during the negotiation of first sa , as server 602 configures a phase 1 sa timer 710 as a positive integer multiple of soft phase 2 sa timer 334 . for this particular embodiment of the invention , phase 1 sa timer 710 is configured as two times the value , or n equal to 2 , of soft phase 2 sa timer 334 . the illustration of link communication 700 as shown in fig7 is not to scale . the value of phase 1 sa timer 708 does not appear to be twice the value of soft phase 2 sa timer 332 , however , the period of time between time 324 and time 336 is very small relative to the length of time between time 336 and time 348 as represented by soft phase 2 sa timer 332 . the phase 1 sa negotiation between client 604 and server 602 is completed at time 324 and is represented by a phase 1 sa negotiation completion 712 . in conjunction with phase 1 sa negotiation completion 712 , client 604 initiates phase 1 sa timer 708 and server 602 initiates phase 1 sa timer 710 . at time 506 , communication disruption 508 is experienced by server 602 . after server 602 recovers or reinitializes , client 604 detects communication disruption 508 using ike notify messages via phase 1 sa protocol . as a result of the ike notify messages , client 604 and server 602 initiate a dpd 714 at a time 716 in order to restore server 602 to its state or condition prior to communication disruption 508 . at a time 718 secure communications are restored between client 604 and server 602 as represented by a communication restoration 720 . during the time period between time 506 and time 718 , secure data is not communicated between client 604 and server 602 and is represented as a discarded data 722 . the length of time for discarded data 722 is significantly smaller than the length of time as represented by discarded data 516 as illustrated in fig5 . the reduction in time between discarded data 722 and discarded data 516 is a direct result of an implementation of an embodiment of this invention . following communication restoration 720 , the secure transmission of the data between client 604 and server 602 is completed at a time 724 as referenced by a successful link completion 726 . following the simultaneous expiration of phase 1 sa timer 708 , phase 1 sa timer 710 , soft phase 2 sa timer 352 and soft phase 2 sa timer 354 at a time 728 , client 604 seeks to communicate with server 602 at a time 730 . since neither a phase 1 sa nor a phase 2 sa exists at time 730 , a phase 1 sa is initiated between client 604 and server 602 at time 730 as represented by a phase 1 sa negotiation initiation 732 . following phase 1 sa negotiation initiation 732 , client 604 and server 602 negotiate the value of a phase 1 sa timer 734 and a phase 1 sa timer 736 . phase 1 sa timer 734 and phase 1 sa timer 736 are configured per an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 , or the value of phase 1 sa timer 734 being configured as twice the value of a soft phase 2 sa timer 738 and the value of phase 1 sa timer 736 being configured as twice the value of a soft phase 2 sa timer 740 . the initial values of phase 1 sa timer 734 and phase 1 sa timer 736 are identical . at a time 742 , phase 1 sa negotiation is complete as represented by a phase 1 sa negotiation completion 744 and client 604 initiates phase 1 sa timer 734 and server 602 initiates phase 1 sa timer 736 . at a time 746 , client 604 communicates a phase 2 sa negotiation initiation 748 with server 602 initiating negotiation of ipsec sa . during the negotiation of ipsec sa , client 604 and server 602 agree on the protocol for communication , the value for soft phase 2 sa timer 738 and soft phase 2 sa timer 740 . the values for soft phase 2 sa timer 738 and soft phase 2 sa timer 740 are identical and are determined per an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 . at a time 750 negotiation of ipsec sa is complete and is represented by a phase 2 sa negotiation completion 752 . in conjunction with phase 2 sa negotiation completion 752 , client 604 implements soft phase 2 sa timer 738 and server 602 implements soft phase 2 sa timer 740 . following phase 2 sa negotiation completion 752 , a link initiation 754 occurs at a time 756 and secure data communication between client 604 and server 602 ensues . as illustrated in fig7 , this invention prevents extended time periods of non - communication by rapidly reestablishing secure communication in the event of a communication disruption . the amount of time required for recovery of secure communications as a result of an embodiment of this invention as illustrated by discarded data 722 in fig7 is significantly less than the time required for recovery as illustrated in fig5 by discarded data 516 . by configuring the expiration of phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa soft - lifetimes in accordance with equation ( 1 ), the uniform recovery of secure communications is enabled . the phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa timing agreements between server and client in accordance with the present invention enable the uniform existence of phase 1 sa , thereby enabling uniform recovery from service disruptions via dpd . this eliminates time periods during which a phase 1 sa is not available for recovery of secure communications via dpd . fig8 illustrates , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , a simplified relationship diagram representing the synchronization between peers with respect to phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa . fig8 illustrates the relationship between phase 1 sa , phase 2 sa , phase 1 sa timer , soft phase 2 sa timer and hard phase 2 sa timer as embodied by this invention . fig8 illustrates how this invention enables the uniform implementation of dpd for recovery of secure communications thereby avoiding sustained periods of non - communication as a result of communication disruptions . an x - axis 800 of fig8 represents the variable t in units of time with variable t increasing with progression from left to right on the page . before fig8 is discussed in detail , please consider the following introduction to some aspects . the area located below x - axis 800 is represented by phase 1 sas . the area located above x - axis 800 is represented by phase 2 sas . rectangular blocks 804 , 810 , 822 , 832 and 846 represent phase 2 sas . horizontal arrows 816 , 826 , 836 and 852 represent soft phase 2 sa timers . horizontal arrows 806 , 812 , 824 , 834 and 850 represent hard phase 2 sa timers . rectangular blocks 802 , 818 and 842 represent phase 1 sas . horizontal arrows 710 , 736 and 840 represent phase 1 sa timers . in order to simplify fig8 , all timers will be referenced with respect to server 602 illustrated in fig7 . at time 324 , a phase 1 sa 802 is initiated between client 604 and server 602 . the lifetime of phase 1 sa 802 is negotiated between client 604 and server 602 and is represented by phase 1 sa timer 710 . the lifetime of phase 1 sa 802 and the value for phase 1 sa timer 710 are determined via an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 or twice the value of soft phase 2 sa timer 334 . at time 336 , a phase 2 sa 804 is initiated between client 604 and server 602 . the lifetime of phase 2 sa 804 is negotiated between client 604 and server 602 and is represented by a hard phase 2 sa timer 806 which initiates at time 336 and expires at a time 807 . the value for soft phase 2 sa timer 334 is derived from hard phase 2 sa timer 806 , which is negotiated between client 604 and server 602 during the negotiation of phase 2 sa 804 . the expiration of soft phase 2 sa timer 334 determines when a subsequent phase 2 sa may be initiated . the value of soft phase 2 sa timer 334 is determined via an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 . at a time 808 , soft phase 2 sa timer 334 expires enabling the start of a phase 2 sa 810 . during the negotiation of phase 2 sa 810 , client 604 and server 602 negotiate the values for a hard phase 2 sa timer 812 , expiring at a time 814 , and a soft phase 2 sa timer 816 . the value of soft phase 2 sa timer 816 is determined by an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 . phase 1 sa 802 terminates after the expiration of phase 1 sa timer 710 at time 728 . soft phase 2 sa timer 816 expires at a time 817 and since a phase 1 sa does not exist , a phase 1 sa 818 is negotiated and the value for phase 1 sa timer 736 is determined during the negotiation of phase 1 sa 818 . the lifetime of phase 1 sa 818 and the value for a phase 1 sa timer 736 are determined via an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 . at a time 820 , a phase 2 sa 822 is negotiated , wherein the value for hard phase 2 sa timer 824 is negotiated and wherein a value for soft phase 2 sa timer 826 is derived from the negotiated value for hard phase 2 sa timer 824 . hard phase 2 sa timer 824 determines the lifetime of phase 2 sa 822 , which expires at a time 828 . soft phase 2 sa timer 826 determines the time after which a new phase 2 sa may be initiated . in an example embodiment , the value for soft phase 2 sa timer 826 is set as n equal to 2 . soft phase 2 sa timer 826 expires at a time 830 enabling the initiation of a phase 2 sa 832 . the value for hard phase 2 sa timer 834 is negotiated during the negotiation of phase 2 sa 832 . a value for soft phase 2 sa timer 836 is derived from the negotiated value for hard phase 2 sa timer 834 . hard phase 2 sa timer 834 determines the lifetime of phase 2 sa 832 and soft phase 2 sa timer 836 determines the time after which a new phase 2 sa may be initiated . the value for soft phase 2 sa timer 836 is determined via an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 . phase 1 sa timer 736 expires at a time 838 terminating phase 1 sa 818 . in conjunction with the expiration of phase 1 sa 818 , soft phase 2 sa timer 836 expires enabling the initiation of a new phase 2 sa . however , since a phase 1 sa does not exist , a phase 1 sa 842 is initiated at time 838 and the value for a phase 1 sa timer 840 is negotiated . phase 1 sa timer 840 determines the lifetime of phase 1 sa 842 and expires at a time 844 . the value for phase 1 sa timer 840 is determined via an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 . a phase 2 sa 846 is negotiated between client 604 and server 602 at a time 848 and the value for hard phase 2 sa timer 850 is negotiated during the negotiation of phase 2 sa 846 . a value for soft phase 2 sa timer 852 is derived from the negotiated value for hard phase 2 sa timer 850 . hard phase 2 sa timer 850 , expiring at a time 854 , determines the lifetime of phase 2 sa 846 and soft phase 2 sa timer 852 , expiring at a time 856 , determines the time after which a new phase 2 sa may be initiated . the value for soft phase 2 sa timer 852 is determined via an embodiment of this invention with n equal to 2 . as illustrated in fig8 , this invention prevents periods of time during which a communication disruption would cause an extended period of time for non - communication . the time periods during which a communication disruption can cause non - communication as illustrated for a conventional system in fig2 and represented by unavailable dpd 218 and unavailable dpd 246 are not experienced in fig8 as a result of an embodiment of this invention . by configuring the expiration of phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa soft - lifetimes in accordance with equation ( 1 ), the relationship between phase 1 sa and phase 2 sa is configured in order to provide the uniform existence of phase 1 sa during secure communications . the uniform existence of phase 1 sa provides the ability to uniformly recover from service disruptions between server and client via dpd , as dpd can only be implemented during the existence of a phase 1 sa . a device in accordance with the present invention may be any device operable to communicate with another device within an internet protocol ( ip ) communication system . non - limiting examples of such devices include computers and phones , for example as discussed above with reference to fig1 . a communication device in accordance with the present invention may include an ike protocol portion 222 and an ipsec portion 608 . in some embodiments , ike protocol portion 222 and an ipsec portion 608 may be implemented as individual processing portions . in some embodiments , ike protocol portion 222 and an ipsec portion 608 may be implemented as a unitary processing portion . a communication device in accordance with the present invention may additionally include a transmitter portion that can transmit wireless or wireline signals . non - limiting examples of transmitter portions include transmitter portions that can transmit wireless or wireline public switched telephone network signals and transmitter portions that transmit wireless or wireline broadband internet access signals , e . g ., wimax signals . further , in accordance with an aspect of the present invention , a device readable media for use with a communication device may have device - readable instructions stored thereon . in particular , the device - readable instructions may be capable of instructing the communication device to communicate with another device within an internet protocol ( ip ) communication system such that the time value of the phase 1 security association is an integer multiple of the time value of the soft phase 2 security association in accordance with the present invention . a non - limiting example of such a device readable media includes a hardware memory portion of a processing unit , wherein the processing unit is operable to process the instructions within the hardware memory portion . the foregoing description of various preferred embodiments of the invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed , and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . the exemplary embodiments , as described above , were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto .	7
for the sake of succinctness , the system and method according to the invention and disclosed here is referred to as the “ flat mux ” since it is non - hierarchical and can directly multiplex and demultiplex several e - type channels and / or a configurable number of pdh channels into a single , composite , serial bit stream , while also making possible a variable bit - pipe of the kind used for packet traffic by using a part of the composite bandwidth . the flat mux is of course not intended to exist in isolation , but rather is a particularly efficient component of an overall telecommunications system that accommodates different channel technologies and framing formats . several numerical values are given for various aspects of the embodiment of the invention illustrated and discussed below . these are merely example of one practical implementation and can be varied by skilled telecommunications systems designers according to the needs of a given implementation . this applies even to the number of pdh channels the flat mux is configured to handle : one advantage of this invention is that the flat mux has practically no theoretical limit on the number of pdh channels it can handle . for example , in one design specification , an embodiment of the invention could support at least 72 e1s or 96 ds1s ( another known framing structure ) and at least four e3s or 2 ds3s against a single basic telecom node . fig1 is a block diagram that shows a multiplexer / demultiplexer ( mux / demux ) block 100 according to one embodiment of the invention , as well as interfaces to various external components . in fig1 , these interfaces , named for the signals they transfer , are : 110 : d control channel ( s ) ( dcc ) 112 : pdh traffic 114 : network synchronization 116 : synchronization status message ( ssm ) 118 : bit - pipe signals 120 : processor interface ( pif ) 122 : h control channel ( s ) ( hcc ) 124 : composite signal interface these various interfaces are preferably co - directional , that is , with both data and clock signals passing in both directions . the pdh interfaces are preferably bit oriented . although not specifically illustrated , when a loss of framing ( lof ) signal is detected on the composite input 124 , an alarm indication signal ( ais ) is preferably generated on the pdh traffic ports out from the demux circuitry of the unit 100 . the ais is preferably selectable between a local oscillator and the sync rate of whichever network the invention is implemented in . an illustrated basic node ( show to the left of line 150 ) may include at least one tdm switch 160 , which communicates with the mux / demux unit via interfaces 110 - 116 . between the d control channel 110 interface and the tdm switch 160 , an additional , but typical , flagstuffing block 170 for rate adaptation is interposed . a point - to - point block 180 is a source of data for the bit - pipe . communication between the ptp block 180 and the bit - pipe interface 118 will generally be necessary for both timing information and i / o data . in one specified design implementation , 16 - bit data was architected for both receive ( rx ) input data and transmit ( tx ) data . a contra - directional clock ( having timing signals with both directions of transmission directed towards the subordinate equipment ) was specified as the rx input clock , and an and co - directional clock ( clock and data having the same source ) was specified as the tx output clock . for both the rx and tx bit - pipe rates , a serial or parallel interface was specified to signal the bit - pipe rate and also changes to that rate to the ptp block 180 . these rates may be calculated in any known manner as a function of the number of pdh columns used for the bit - pipe . an acknowledge signal ( ack ) was also included to indicate that the ptp block detected the rate change , as well as conventional signals indicating various alarm states and loss of framing ( lof ). when lof was detected on the composite input 124 , and alarm was issued to the ptp block 180 . some channels for transporting control information and synchronization information will generally also be needed : the control channels are used to send control information over the chosen telecom link . synchronization signals will typically include one like ssm , which indicates the quality of the synchronization signal , and a network synchronization signal that is used for transporting synchronization from one side of the link to the other in cases where no synchronization carriers are available . accordingly , according to one specification for an embodiment of the invention , the flat mux also supported transport of at least the following miscellaneous channels : two data communication network ( dcn ) channels operating against the basic node with a minimum total capacity of 64 kbit / s per seventh tributary ( e1 / ds1 ). the interface was bit - oriented with both clock and data in both the tx and rx directions . contra - directional timing was specified in the tx direction , that is , the mux 100 decided the timing . flag - stuffing ( see component 170 ) was then used for rate justification between the incoming dcn channel and the mux rate , as well as between the demux rate and the nominal outgoing dcn channel rate . two hcc channels with approximately 64 kbits total capacity against an included modem application ( shown as a “ hitless switch ” 142 ). the application - to - mux timing was preferably also contra - directional . an ssm propagation signal against the basic node , one example of which is a 4 - bit wide ssm interface 116 between the mux 100 and tdm_switch 160 . a network signal propagation channel against the basic node ; this may be implemented using the interface 114 , which can be single - bit . the single composite interface 124 may be implemented against the “ hitless switch ” modem application or device within a wireless ( radio ) interface 140 — the context of the invention is telecommunications , such that the multiplexed and demultiplexed signals are intended for some telecom device . as is well understood in the art , a “ hitless switch ” is a device that can switch between different channels , formats , etc . ( depending on the context ) without inducing or experiencing any significant change in signal timing , phase , amplitude , etc . ( again depending on the context ). in this case , the output composite rate from the mux 100 may be sourced from the modem application , that is , contra - directional timing is preferably used since the composite rate may change suddenly , albeit it usually in predefined steps , in the presence of adaptive modulation on the radio interface , which is preferably a byte interface . one embodiment of the invention also allows for adaptive modulation rate changes . in such implementations , the interface 124 must also be provided with some signal for preparing the mux 100 for such changes . this may be implemented as a one - bit serial interface , where rate and change information is continuously coded into a serial bit - stream . fig2 illustrates one example of the composite interface and fig3 illustrates one example of a suitable timing pattern for composite rate data . in this illustrated example , the composite rate ( comprate ) interface may consist of a serial clock and data , where the serial bit stream comprises a frame with a frame - alignment word ( faw ), a frequency field indicating what the frequency should be , and an end - of - frame ( eof ) field that terminated the field so that false frame alignment can be detected and avoided . some more details of one embodiment of the invention , in particular a flat mux controller , will now be explained . as a general matter , the flat mux controller is a mux and demux frame format parser and scheduler . the controller also includes a frame sync generator ( fsg ) and at least one frame format memory that holds the frame format description . the tx input and the rx outputs include data traffic channels such as e1 , e3 and ptp data , as well as service channels as dcc and hcc . the tx output and the rx input are composite byte streams to and from the radio interface . these components are shown generally in fig1 and 2 . fig4 illustrates the general structure of one example of the flat mux controller 300 according to one embodiment of the invention . as can be seen , this example of flat mux control block 300 consists of a mux and a demux frame control block , 310 and 320 , respectively with associated format memories 312 , 322 ( alternatively labelled format memories a and b , respectively , in the various figures ). a frame sync generator 330 generates frame syncs for the mux frame controller . the blocks are configured and controlled via a wishbone bus interface 340 , which is a known interface . in this example , there are four clock domains in the flat mux control block , which are delimited in fig4 by respective dashed lines : 1 ) system clock ( clk_sys ); 2 ) tx composite clock for the mux transmit structure ( clk_tx_comp ); 3 ) rx composite clock for the demux receive structure ( clk_rx_comp ); and 4 ) wishbone interface clock ( clk_wb ). a tx fractional divider may be included for generating a time base for the various clock signals . one example of a suitable fractional divider is a numerically controlled oscillator whose function can be characterized as : where the output frequency f out is created by accumulating in the numerator at the system clock rate f sys . when the accumulator ( nominator ) becomes equal to or greater than the value of the denominator , then the value of the denominator is subtracted from the accumulator and the clock enable pulse is set during one system clock period . fig5 illustrates one example of logic that can implement the tx fractional divider . as can be seen , the inverted clock enable pulse is generated when the accumulator is greater than n + d / 2 . the numerator is added to the divided denominator to compensate for the offset that is added in the accumulator . the multi - frame pulse loads the numerator into the accumulator registers , which yields a predictable relation in time between the frame pulses and the tx clock enable signal . an example of the signal interface for the illustrated tx fractional divider is given in table 1 : in one embodiment of the invention , the frame sync generator 330 in transmitter generates and uses three synchronization signals ( syncs ) to ensure proper frame timing : 1 ) multi - frame sync ( mfs ); frame sync ( fs ); and 3 ) sub - frame sync ( sfs ). the syncs may be generated from and therefore related to the system frequency of the modem 142 transmitter . the illustrated frame sync generation comprises five counters 431 - 435 , as shown in the example logic illustrated in fig7 . the counters may be loaded with counter values from the wishbone interface , which enables a certain flexibility to use an asymmetric frame structure where the sub - frames may be of different length . the number of frames per multi - frame is also register - controlled . the counters may all loaded at reset , and pulse generated at the release of the system clock reset signal may be used a as a start signal . the illustrated counter structure also generates a multi - frame pulse and a frame pulse as shown in fig7 . these signals may be one system clock pulse and are used to synchronize data in the system clock domain . the frame header contains a phase field that is used to realign the phase relation of the composite receive clock and the system clock in the receiver . the phase counter counts the number of completed system clock periods between the frame pulse above and a positive edge ( for example ) of the composite transmit clock . these relationships are illustrated in fig8 , which illustrates a phase counter with an asynchronous relation between the system clock and the tx clock , and fig9 , which illustrates the phase counter when the tx clock is the same as the system clock . the transmitter composite clock and the system clock may be regarded as asynchronous to each other . the phase relation value may for example be calculated with a counter 702 in the system clock domain and then transferred to the transmitter clock domain . using a structure such as is illustrated in fig1 , the frame pulse may be used to synchronously reset the counter . the frame pulse may then also activate a state machine 700 ( see also fig1 ) that may be used to create a clock enable pulse to a sample - and - hold register . a tx clock feedback loop register may be used to generate a signal that changes value at the tx composite clock rate . the xor gate 710 generates a tx clock enable signal , tx_en , which is synchronous to the system clock . this pulse is used , according to the state machine , to return to the idle state and to issue the clock enable pulse as shown in fig1 . the clock enable signal is then also transferred to the tx clock domain and there used as a clock enable signal for the phase register . the phase value parity is calculated using any known logic 720 and added as any predetermined bit . an example of the signal interface for the frame sync generation block is described in table 2 : the frame control block contains a state machine with sync and frame memory format input . the frame parser input may be the same as the frame sync signals and the format description of the frame and the body size has nrows rows and ncols columns . a functional description of one example of the state machine is illustrated in fig1 . the meaning of the parameters in fig1 , which is a combined flowchart and state diagram , are either intuitive or are defined in the various tables . nonetheless , for convenience , the abbreviations used are : as is well known , the choice of logical state ( high or “ 1 ” as opposed to low or “ 0 ”) to indicate a given condition is a design choice . actions are shown in square brackets (“[ ]”). the state transitions and related actions illustrated in fig1 are as follows : the frame description is divided into three parts : header , body and uncommitted data . the frame format is expressed in records , such that each format record activates the corresponding source and enables the data path mux to form the composite data stream . the state machine is stepped each composite clock cycle to compose the composite frame format . the machine is idle in a reset state until the first multi - frame sync . the format memories are then enabled for reading . there are two frame index counters which together are used to set the start address at the start of each new sub - frame . the sub - frame counter is incremented for each new sub - frame sync and reset at frame sync or multi - frame sync . the frame sync is incremented for each frame sync and reset by the multi - frame sync . the counters are used to index the start address of the format memories for the current frame and sub - frame . the frame is started with the mandatory frame alignment word and phase information . however , the first data that is inserted into the composite stream at any multi - frame sync , frame sync or sub - frame sync is the lpad register value . this byte belongs to the previous sub - frame but should generally always be inserted into the stream previous to the faw . the header format memory contains records of the remaining header information and these records are read and executed until the end mark is reached for that header . a header record is read and analyzed each clock cycle with the exception of a dcc or a hcc record , since these records contain length fields that will inhibit the header address counter for the corresponding number of cycles . in cases where the header includes only the mandatory fields , conventional header parsing is skipped and the frame parser moves on to the next format description . the parser allows transitions to body data , uncommitted ptp data or padding . the body format description contains information about the order in which the tributary ports , ais or the ptp port are to contribute data , whether stuffing is allowed or not , as well as information on how many of the bytes , for example , rows , that are to contain data in the column . ( the remaining rows may contain padding .) the stuffing procedure may be executed over a multi - frame cycle . the stuffing is executed by assertion of two signals : stuffing control and stuffing position . assertion of the stuffing control signal instructs the tributary port to insert stuffing control information in the data stream . an assertion of the stuffing position signal informs the tributary that stuffing may be inserted . fig1 illustrates multi - frame format and stuffing control , in which k frames f ( 0 ), . . . , f ( k - 2 ), f ( k - 1 ) are illustrated along with timing diagrams for frame stuffing control and position . in fig1 , “ c ” indicates stuffing control and “ p ” indicates stuffing position . the stuffing control signal for the e1 tributary ports is asserted during the first row in all of the frames but the last frame in the multi - frame . in a similar manner , the stuffing position signal is asserted during the first row of the last frame in the multi - frame . the stuffing control and position signals are then deasserted during these intervals if the frame format disallows stuffing for the respective tributary port . the number of valid columns and rows are indicated by the ncols and nrows inputs , respectively . the number of columns may vary depending on the value of a physical mode signal phy_mode . a column counter may be used to index the format memory location until a full row is completed , whereupon the column counter is reset and the row counter is incremented . the body records are then parsed until the row counter equals the nrows input . the valid transitions are to uncommitted data or padding . an uncommitted data portion of the format memory 312 may be used to contain information on the number of additional bytes that are to be sent from the ptp bus . the last state for each sub - frame is the padding state , where the output is padded with a pad register value until one of the three syncs restarts the frame parser . the syncs are thus treated as synchronous interrupts . note that the frame syncs interrupt the frame parser regardless of the present state to maintain the frame synchronization . the start of a multi - frame or a following frame is determined by the faw0 and faw1 combination , for example according to table 3 , in which 0 = register pattern and 1 = inverted . the faw coding also allows for immediate frame format switching between the two illustrated format memories 312 , 322 . the format change may be indicated at frame sync or multi - frame sync by changing the faw patterns and the parser to switch between the format memories . the frame format may not be changed for a sub - frame . the ptp traffic may be sent either as part of the frame body or as uncommitted data or a combination of both . the frame body format description may include a column record for ptp traffic and information about the number of bytes in that column . stuffing is generally not allowed for ptp traffic so this information bit may be discarded . the ptp bus requires an estimation of the number of bytes that are sent in the body and as uncommitted data for each sub - frame . this value is dynamic and will vary with the format specifications . the number of ptp bytes in the body may be estimated during the first row at the start of each new frame , and this value will be fixed for the remaining of the frame . the number of uncommitted data bytes may be added to this number at the start of each new sub - frame respectively . capacity may be estimated according to the following formula : in this example , the capacity estimation output may be an 8 - bit unsigned value with a resolution of 2048 kbit / s . an example of a suitable signal interface is defined in table 4 : the output signal timing is shown in fig1 . the clock in this case is assumed to be faster than the composite clock and the clock enable is therefore only active every sixth clock cycle . another clock scenario is when the clock is the same as the composite clock . the clock enable will in this case be asserted all the time . the demux frame control block implements a state machine with sync and frame memory format input . a functional description of the state machine is shown in fig1 . similar to fig1 , the state transitions illustrated in fig1 are as follows : the demux frame controller arbitrates the incoming frame data in the same way as the mux frame controller with the difference that a radio protection switch ( r ps ) block decodes the frame alignment and phase information bytes in any suitable manner . the rps block therefore supplies the frame syncs and a locked indication that is used to enable the frame parser . the locked signal is used as a sync valid indicator . whenever the locked signal is deasserted the frame parser is reset to the idle state . the ais enable signal is asserted when the state machine is the idle state and the ais_on registry signal is asserted . the ais enable signal sets the tributary in ais mode . the ais enable signal may also be forced at any time via a chosen registry bit . the frame syncs from the rps are accompanied by a frame format memory signal . this signal is sampled at frame sync and may at this point switch to the whichever of the format memories 312 , 322 is currently inactive . one example of a suitable signal interface is defined in table 5 : one example of suitable output signal timing for the demux control block is illustrated in fig1 and is essentially the same as the timing for the mux control : the clock is in this case assumed to be faster than composite clock and the clock enable therefore only active every sixth clock cycle . another clock scenario is when the clock is the same as the composite clock . the clock enable will in this case be asserted all the time . in the illustrated embodiment , each format memory 312 , 322 contains frame format and constitution information . there are thus two identical memory banks where two different frame formats may be stored ; see fig1 . in fig1 , the components and memory areas marked wishbone or w are in the domain of the wishbone clock ; those marked m are in the domain of the tx clock ; and those marked d are in the domain of the rx clock . one advantage of having multiple format memories is that this allows for dynamic frame format switches at the start of a new frame . the frame formats may be stored in the memories via the wishbone interface 340 , by which they may also be read . each format memory is preferably shared between the mux and the demux . this implies that three - port asynchronous memories are required . the illustrated implementation , however , masks two dual - port block ram memories as a three - port memory . in the illustrated example , the wishbone interface 340 is the only interface that writes to the memories 312 , 322 , and may write simultaneously to both memories using the same chip select . however , a read data port on the wishbone interface need contain only data from the mux memories , as shown in fig1 . in fig1 , memory regions marked m are in the domain of the tx clock ; those marked d are in the domain of the rx clock ; and remaining regions and components ( including the wishbone and the regions marked w ) are in the domain of the wishbone clock . as illustrated , all of the block ram address and data outputs are present on the mux and demux port interfaces . this enables simultaneous accesses , which are required when the header is minimal or it is necessary to determine the amount of uncommitted data at the end of a sub - frame body . each memory 312 , 322 may be provided with a parity encoder and decoder ( not shown ) such that an interrupt to the wishbone block 340 is asserted when a parity error is detected . the header memory , that is , the memory address space used to store the frame header , contains information of the header , with the exception of the mandatory faw and phase records . the memory may be , for example , 512 × 18 bits , of which two out of 18 bits are used for parity . the memory may be divided into eight 64 × 16 - bit sections , with each section being associated with the corresponding frame in a multi - frame . each section may then be subsequently divided into four 16 × 16 - bit areas of header records , with area corresponding to a sub - frame in that frame . fig1 illustrates one possible header memory configuration . some form of parity protection is preferably provided for each memory , such that the parity bit ( s ) is encoded at memory write and decoded at memory read on either of the two read ports . an interrupt may then be asserted when a parity error is detected by either memory . the body memory , that is , the memory address space used to store the frame body , may , for example , be 256 × 18 bits , with , for example , two parity bits . the body memory contains column records for the frame body and each record state a tributary port , valid number of bytes in that column and a stuffing enable flag . when the stuffing enabled flag is set , stuffing may be inserted in that column . padding bytes from the pad register are inserted instead of data when the valid number of bytes is exceeded . as with the header memory , one or more parity bits may be encoded at memory write and decoded at memory read on either of the two read ports . an interrupt may then be asserted when a parity error is detected by either memory 312 , 322 . the uncommitted data memory , that is , the memory address space used to store uncommitted data , may be , for example , 128 × 12 bits , including at least one parity bit . this memory portion may use the same constitution as the header memory , with frame sections and sub - frame areas . each area may contain several field , for example , four fields , one for each physical mode . fig2 illustrates one possible memory configuration for uncommitted data format information . as before , parity may be arranged such that an error is detected by either memory 312 , 322 . one example of a suitable signal interface is defined in table 6 : as fig2 illustrates , the mux data path comprises a mux 1810 within the larger mux / demux block 100 for traffic data traffic , dcc , ptp data and padding . this data may be scrambled in a scrambler 1800 . a second mux 1820 inserts the frame alignment word faw0 , faw1 , the sub - frame alignment word sfaw , and a last padding byte lpad . the mux controller requests data from the various data sources and sets the mux : es 1810 , 1820 in the correct state to compose the composite output data . the hcc data is inserted in a separate mux 1830 after the mux data path as hcc is added and after a split point between the primary and redundant data stream . a scrambler 1840 is preferably included to improve the frequency spectra of the data stream . some data fields may not be scrambled , however , as they are used for synchronization in the receiver ; consequently , these bytes are added after the scrambler . the scrambler is preferably halted during the insertion of these fields to keep the scrambler and the subsequent descrambler in sync . the multi - frame sync resets the scrambler to its initial state . the scrambler 1840 may implement any known algorithm , depending on criteria that will be well know to telecommunications system designers . in one embodiment of the invention , the scrambler 1840 had three selectable polynomials : and it was also made possible to bypass the scrambler / descrambler altogether simply by setting the scrambler select to zero . the scrambler and descrambler can use the same implementation . the logical implementation of such polynomials is well understood . according to one design specification of one embodiment of the invention , the signal interface for the mux data path block was as illustrated in table 7 : as fig2 illustrates , the demux 370 comprises a descrambler 2240 and an output register 2250 ; the names of these components also indicate their functions , as will be understood by skilled telecom engineers . according to the same design specification mentioned above , the signal interface for the demux data path block was as illustrated in table 8 : as fig2 illustrates , the wishbone block 340 terminates the wishbone interface signals . the block contains a register bank 2310 and an interface — shown as the address decoder 2320 — to the format memories 312 , 322 . the address decoder block 2320 creates chip - select signals that are applied to the register bank 2310 and the format memories 312 ( a ) and 322 ( b ). the decoder block 2310 also generates bus termination signals ack_o and err_o at the appropriate time . read accesses will add a wait state due to register clocking of the data output bus , but write accesses will not require any wait states . the address decoder 2320 , the format memories a and b , and the register bank 2310 may be clocked with the wishbone clock . note that most of the signals from the register bank 2310 to the various downstream control blocks are static once the flat mux setup is completed . table 9 shows a data sheet describing certain aspects of the wishbone block 340 according to one design specification of one embodiment of the invention table 11 lists various signals included in the external interface of one embodiment of the invention . as with several of the other tables included above , it is not necessary for an understanding of any aspect of this invention to have a full description of most of the signals listed in this table 11 . on the other hand , telecommunications engineers will gain some insight into some of the aspects of one particular specified design of one implementation of the invention by considering these signals in relation to the components into or out of which they pass . table 11 is thus included here merely for the sake of completeness . of course , the digital signal widths ( in bits ), chosen values indicating various states ( such as 0 or 1 ), number of parity bits , etc ., are all design choices that may be varied according to the needs of any given implementation of the invention . the flat mux described above has several advantages over the prior art , some or all of which may be implemented in any particular chosen configuration of the invention . as already mentioned , being non - hierarchical , the flat mux can multiplex and demultiplex signals using a single mux / demux structure . in the embodiment of the invention discussed primarily above , the data from different signal sources , according to different standards , may be stored in at least one format memory in a “ matrix ” representation ( row , column ). each “ row ” included both committed and uncommitted ( if any ) data and the data is transmitted row - by - row . in other words , committed and uncommitted data is transmitted alternately . this eliminates the need found in the prior art to transmit all committed data as a block followed by all committed data as a block . one consequence of this structure is that users can switch from the pdh standard to a packet - based standard ( ethernet , sdh , etc .) gradually , with no need to replace or reconfigure hardware . prior art , standardized muxes for multiplexing several e1s into a composite rate are limited to fixed frame formats . for example , a pdh mux according to the e1 - to - e2 multiplexing scheme specified in the itu - t standard g . 742 specifies a format for multiplexing four e1 channels into one e2 channel . the flat mux according to the invention , however , is much more flexible , and sets no theoretical limit on the number of e1s and e3s that it can multiplex into a single composite signal . any combination of e1s and e3s is also possible , and it is possible to both add and reduce the number of e1s and e3s without disturbing the traffic on the already existing e1s and e3s . one other unique feature of the invention is that it makes it possible to include a variable - rate bit pipe in the composite signal . an additional advantage is that the flat mux supports adaptive modulation , such that if the composite rate changes , the bit - pipe rate will follow the composite rate so that the composite payload is most efficiently utilized . this adaptive ability can , moreover , typically be accomplished without introducing bit faults . similarly , bit faults are also reduced or eliminated during re - allocation of user bandwidth between pdh channels and the bit - pipe , at least with respect to the pdh channels not affected by the reallocation . note that control information may be transported on dedicated channels so as to avoid negatively impacting this utilization . the flat mux is also particularly error - tolerant — stuffing control may be designed so as to tolerate on the order of 50 randomly distributed errors under certain conditions . the flat mux also reduced the impact of intrinsic jitter and wander introduced on pdh rates that are caused by frequency differences between the composite rate and the mux framing rate . note also that the illustrated embodiment of the mux itself can carry ssm information . the illustrated mux has a simple design , which reduces logic consumption . moreover , the mux — only one exemplifying embodiment of which is discussed in detail above — is easily adaptable , for example , to the ansi standard .	7
referring to fig1 there is shown a decorative pond system 10 generally which includes a body of water 12 which fills an excavation . the excavation is provided with a liner 14 and appropriate rocks or gravel 16 and 18 . appropriate vegetation , 20 and 22 is also provided . the pond system includes a waterfall filtration system such as 24 and shown in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 584 , 991 . an inlet pipe 26 is shown whereby pond water is recirculated to the bottom of the waterfall 24 . a skimmer construction 28 ( which is sometimes referred to as the skimmer box and rests in an excavation ), is shown , and includes an inlet opening 30 whereby pond water enters the skimmer construction , is filtered and recirculated therefrom . a skimmer recirculation pipe 32 directs incoming pond water into the waterfall pipe 26 . it will be appreciated that this system provides a closed recirculation system whereby undesirable materials can be filtered from the water and refiltered water returned to the pond . the exterior of the skimmer construction is shown in fig2 . the construction includes a shaped and somewhat box - like housing 34 that defines a fixed inlet aperture 36 in the front wall 37 of the housing . a bottom wall 38 is also provided . the housing is hollow or box - like shaped and includes an open top which is covered by faux stone cover 40 which is intended to hide or camouflage skimmer in the vegetation - like setting . a frame 42 is provided for bolting to the housing about the fixed inlet aperture 36 . the plastic liner 14 is positioned about the aperture 36 and is trapped and bolted in place using the frame 42 . open top which is covered by faux stone cover 40 which is intended to hide or camouflage skimmer in the vegetation - like setting . a frame 42 is provided for bolting to the housing about the fixed inlet aperture 36 . the plastic liner 14 is positioned about the aperture 36 and is trapped and bolted in place using the frame 42 . referring now to fig3 , the construction 28 is shown with a fixed inlet aperture 36 and the frame 42 . a filter frame 44 is provided to rest on an interior ledge 45 ( see fig6 ) that is molded in the housing between the bottom wall 38 and the bottom edge of the fixed opening 36 . a filter mat 46 which is slightly shorter than the filter frame 44 rests on the frame . the mat is shorter than the frame at its front end . the filter frame defines a slot at its front end . it will be appreciated that in addition to components ( i . e ., ledge , filter frame and filter mat ) that define a horizontal position for the mat , those components can be modified or other components can be provided to permit the mat to be positioned vertically or at an angular position between the horizontal and vertical . the internal assembly 48 is shown in fig3 and is shown disassembled in fig4 . the faux cover 40 is shown and is fabricated of a foam material in the shape of faux stone so as to enhance the camouflaging of the skimmer construction in the vegetation setting . the internal assembly 48 is shown in exploded fashion in greater detail in fig4 . referring to fig4 , the internal assembly includes the following major components . the front face and basket assembly 52 , the adjustable or movable aperture plate 54 , the hinged weir plate 56 , the adjustment plate 58 and the adjustment or thumb screws 60 or 62 . the front surface and basket assembly includes a front face 64 or portion which has a back surface which defines an aperture 66 and a skimmer housing engaging lip 68 at the top thereof . a debris - receiving basket 70 integral with the front face is provided below the lip 68 , behind the front face 64 and surrounds the aperture 66 on three ( 3 ) sides . the adjustable aperture plate 54 defines a vertically adjustable or movable inlet aperture 72 which is smaller than each of the fixed aperture 36 and the aperture 66 . the plate 54 and the movable aperture 72 are positioned relative to the back surface of the front face 64 so as to be movable vertically the adjustment plate 58 has along each side edge , a stepped shoulder - like construction 76 or 78 . a pair of edges 80 and 82 are provided for engagement with the back surface of the front face 64 by a screw - like system . the plate also defines a large fixed aperture 86 and a plurality of vertically elongated adjustment slots 88 and 90 which are generally parallel to the edges 80 and 82 . a pair of adjustment holes 73 a and 73 b are provided on the back of the adjustable aperture plate 54 for engagement by the adjustment or thumb screws 60 and 62 . it is seen that the apertures or bosses 73 a and 73 b are open at the back end of the adjustable aperture plate , extend toward the front thereof and are closed at the front thereof . in the alternative , threaded sleeves or bosses can be positioned at the holes 73 a and 73 b to receive thumb screws 60 , 62 . the thumb screws 60 , 62 include a shank portion such as 60 a and a head portion such as 60 b . the shank portion fits through the slot such as 88 and engages an hole such as 73 a and the head engages the back of the adjustment plate so as to permit the aperture plate 54 to be moved relative to the adjustment plate 58 . when assembled , the weir plate 56 fits within the aperture 72 in the adjustable aperture plate and the adjustable aperture plate is held in position by the adjustment plate 58 which is secured ( i . e ., screwed ) to the front face along the edges 80 and 82 . the adjustable aperture plate 54 is vertically movable with respect to the front face 64 and the aperture 66 by virtue of loosening the screws 60 , 62 , moving the aperture plate 54 relative to the adjustment plate and resecuring the aperture plate by tightening the screws 60 and 62 . it is appreciated that the entire inlet assembly 48 is removably positioned in the skimmer as shown in fig5 and fig6 and relative to the inlet 36 by the skimmer lip construction 68 . in other words , the assembly 48 hangs by the lip 68 on the skimmer housing . this is best seen in fig5 . the inlet assembly 48 can also be removed by lifting the inlet assembly and disengaging the lip . referring now to fig6 , the skimmer construction 28 and internal inlet assembly 48 are seen and a horizontal pump 92 is shown resting on the skimmer bottom wall 38 . the pump outlet pipe 94 is shown exiting the pump , extending upwardly through the filter mat and out of the skimmer construction 28 . it will be appreciated that the pump outlet is connected to the skimmer pipe 32 . power is supplied to the pump 92 via line 93 . the foregoing structure describes a horizontal pump positioned on a bottom wall with a horizontal filter mat positioned horizontally above the pump . however , the skimmer can be appropriately modified and constructed for use with a vertical pump where the pump is vertically positioned . the filter mat is vertical and positioned between the incoming pond water and the pump so as to filter the incoming water before it is received by the pump . of course , angular orientations of the filter mat between the horizontal and vertical can be accommodated . in operation , pond water , indicated by arrows 96 , enters the skimmer from the pond . the water flows through the frame 42 , the fixed opening 36 , the movable or adjustable inlet aperture 72 against the weir plate 56 and the adjustment plate aperture 86 , into the debris basket 70 . at the debris basket , large floating debris such as twigs , leaves , etc ., are collected and the received pond water is filtered to some extent . the initially filtered water is indicated by arrows 98 and flows from the basket through the filter mat 46 . there the water 100 enters the horizontal pump and then exits via outlet 94 . referring now to fig7 , which is similar to fig6 , but viewed at a different angle . the same components as in fig6 are seen in fig7 . in addition there is shown the discharge assembly 102 . the discharge assembly includes a discharge port 104 in the sidewall of the skimmer housing 34 and a rotatable “ j ” shaped elbow 106 that is fitted to the aperture 104 and is rotatable between substantially horizontal and vertical positions . the aperture 104 is circular and positioned such that the bottom of the aperture 104 is about ¾ inch above the top of the fixed inlet aperture 36 . the purpose of the discharge is to permit draining of the skimmer construction and the pond in the event the water fills to an undesirably high level , such as the top edge of the housing 34 . thus , water above the top edge of the aperture 104 will flow into the discharge aperture and exit therefrom . in order to provide some control as to the water level , the rotatable or “ j ” shaped pipe 106 is provided . in the substantially horizontal position shown by the dotted lines , reference numeral 106 a , the pipe will receive water which is at or above the top of the inlet aperture . however , the elbow can be rotated to a substantially vertical position , as shown in solid line and by reference numeral 106 b . there entry to the elbow has been raised to a higher position and overflow water is permitted to rise above the top edge of the inlet aperture and exit via the discharge . as indicated above , the filter frame 44 includes a front slot defined by the peripheral frame member 44 a and the cross member 44 b . the frame thus defines a small slot - like opening between the front edge of the frame and the cross member 44 b . the slot is positioned to receive the bottom edge 108 of the front face . this stabilizes the entire internal assembly so as to hang by the lip from the housing 34 and be positioned against the front of the housing 34 and the aperture 36 . this is done by the bottom edge 108 fitting within the slot formed by 44 a and 44 b of the filter frame . turning now to fig8 , the skimmer construction 28 includes the skimmer housing 34 and internal assembly 48 . the internal assembly 48 is mounted to the skimmer housing 34 by the lip 68 . the housing fixed aperture 36 and the aperture plate or frame 42 are seen . the inlet assembly plate aperture 66 is shown and is approximately the same size as the frame 42 . the movable plate 54 is against the front face 64 . the movable plate defines the movable aperture 72 which is seen in a raised position in fig8 . the adjustment plate 58 engages the movable plate 54 and is secured to the rear of the front face 64 . the aperture for the adjustment plate 58 is shown with numeral 86 . it will be appreciated that the movable plate 54 and thus the aperture 72 can be moved up and down against the front surface and inside the skimmer construction . the bottom section 108 of the front surface 64 and basket 70 form a trough - like section that fits within the slot of the filter frame 44 and receives the movable plate 54 as it moves up and down . in the event a vertical pump and filter mat were used , the skimmer housing would be appropriately modified so as to maintain the functionality of the internal assembly . in fig8 , plate 54 is shown in a raised position near the top of the trough / bottom edge 108 . referring now to fig9 , the movable aperture 72 is shown in a lowered position . there the plate 54 extends down into the bottom section or trough 108 so as to effectively lower the aperture 72 . thus , it is appreciated that the aperture can be raised or lowered as needed and with respect to the water level of the pond itself so as to permit floating debris to enter the skimmer construction and be filtered by the basket 70 . referring now to fig1 and 11 , skimmer construction 28 is again shown along with the housing 34 . the assembly 48 is shown mounted to the skimmer housing 34 by the lip 68 . the controllable discharge 102 is shown in fig1 . there the discharge is shown as including the aperture or port 104 and the “ j ” shaped elbow 106 . the elbow 106 is in the upright or vertical position . it will be appreciated that the water level in the skimmer 28 and the pond cannot be higher than the top or inlet 106 a of the elbow . turning now to fig1 , the discharge assembly and particularly the discharge elbow 106 is shown as rotated from a vertical position , as in fig1 , to a horizontal position as in fig1 . thus , the water level in the skimmer basket and in the pond cannot be higher than the top of the inlet 106 a . thus , by rotating the elbow 106 between the vertical and horizontal position , the water level in the pond and in the skimmer can be controlled between the vertical position as shown in fig1 and a horizontal position as shown in fig1 . numerous changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments shown herein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention .	0
fig1 illustrates , in an isometric view , a bedding product generally and in particular a mattress 10 manufactured according to one embodiment of this invention . mattress 10 consists of a top sleeping surface 12 , a bottom sleeping surface 14 , a head 15 , a foot 16 , and two side edges 17 . top sleeping surface 12 and bottom sleeping surface 14 may have a topper ( not shown ) attached to each of them . the topper may contain one of more layers of fabric , batting , ticking , foam , and / or coiled springs . when present , the foam layer ( s ) of the topper may include latex and / or synthetic foam , including but not limited to polyurethane foam . although omitted for clarity , the topper may be either permanently or removably attached to sleeping surface 12 and 14 . examples of permanently attached topper , seen in the art , are those that are sewn or bonded onto the mattress cover or those that are encased within a sealed pocket in the mattress cover , yet disposed on the surface of the mattress . removable toppers are typically attached with a temporary fastener , such as a zipper or hook - and - loop fastener in one or more locations . either attachment method may be used , or no topper may be supplied . mattress 10 may also include a foam core 20 and border wires 40 . foam core 20 is , in some embodiments , a single , monolithic block of a single type of resilient foam selected from foams having a range of densities ( themselves well - known in the art ) for supporting one or more occupants during sleep . in one embodiment , foam core 20 is made of any industry - standard natural and / or synthetic foams , such as ( but not limited to ) latex , polyurethane , or other foam products commonly known and used in the bedding and seating arts having a density of 1 . 5 to 1 . 9 and 20 to 35 ild . although a specific foam composition is described , those skilled in the art will realize that foam compositions other than one having this specific density and ild can be used . for example , foams of various types , densities , and ilds may be desirable in order to provide a range of comfort parameters to the buyer . border wires 40 may consist of solid rods , 6 gauge wire , helical coils , or a combination thereof . border wires 40 may also be omitted . in an alternative embodiment , foam core 20 may comprise one or more horizontal layers of multiple types of foams arranged in a sandwich arrangement . this sandwich of different foams , laminated together , may be substituted for a homogeneous foam block of a single density and / or ild . in a further embodiment , foam core 20 may comprise one or more vertical regions of different foam compositions ( including vertical regions having multiple horizontal layers ), where the different foams are arranged to provide different amounts of support ( also referred to as “ firmness ” in the art ) in different regions of the sleeping surface . in a further alternate embodiment , foam core 20 may be entirely replaced by a conventional coil spring core , comprised of conventional helical or semi - helical springs known and used in the art today . the springs may also be encased in a fabric pocket , either individually , in groups , or pocketed in strings joined by fabric , all of which are well - known in the bedding art . accordingly , the invention is not limited to any particular type of foam density or ild or even to a homogenous density / ild throughout foam core 20 . furthermore , the invention is not limited to any particular type of core . note also that the mattresses drawn in fig1 and 2 are not drawn to scale : the overall mattress dimensions typically fall into the ranges commonly found in the trade and referred to , for example , as twin , full , king , queen , double , etc . returning to fig1 , border wires 40 of a type and construction well - known in the art are placed at the outer vertices of core 20 . border wires 40 may be used as attachment points for securing foam core 20 ( or a spring core ) with clips or metal “ hog ring ” attachment devices currently known and used in the bedding art today . ( as noted above , border wires 40 may also be omitted .) support member 50 is a metallic mesh material , including but not limited to tape , banding , webbing , open - weave , woven mesh , non - woven fibers , or a welded or stamped grid / mesh configuration . support member 50 may be attached to border wires 40 at its ends 51 by means of gluing , stitching , lacing , riveting , welding , or by other attachment means currently known or afterwards discovered for attaching fabric - like , planar materials . alternatively , support member 50 may be attached directly to core 20 by similarly conventional means . in one embodiment , support member 50 consists of a woven mesh or screen of titanium wire , where the wires are approximately 0 . 011 to 0 . 035 inches in diameter and the mesh spacing ( i . e ., the gap between adjoining wires ) is approximately 0 . 25 inches . alternatively , welded grids , rather than woven meshes , may be used for a stiffer feel . the support member could also be stamped or punched from a sheet of metal , leaving a grid or screen pattern . non - woven fibers in a plastic or fabric matrix , as well as metal wires or composite fibers ( e . g ., carbon or graphite ) woven with natural or synthetic fibers ( e . g ., cotton , kevlar , wool or nylon cloth ) may also be employed . such a configuration would resemble conventional cloth webbing or banding , but containing ( i . e ., interwoven with ) metal wires or fibers . fig2 is a partial isometric view of a mattress 200 constructed according to an alternate embodiment . spring core 210 is shown without cover or embellishment . note that , as in fig1 , spring core 210 may have attached to its perimeter border wire 220 . support member 230 may be attached to border wire 220 . in some embodiments , support member 230 consists of a conventional cloth banding material interwoven with titanium fibers or wires . the diameter of the wires forming the mesh ( wire gauge ) or diameter of the fibers used , as well as the mesh spacing , may be selected to optimize the stiffness , resiliency , weight , and cost of the product according to the needs of the consumer . wires or fibers of larger diameter and / or smaller mesh spacing may be selected for increased stiffness , just as smaller diameter wires and / or larger mesh spacing may be chosen for a softer feel . accordingly , the invention is not limited by the size of the wires or fibers used not their relative spacing . support members 50 may consist of a single piece of material or multiple strips of material placed at intervals along the length of the sleeping surface . in an exemplary embodiment , support member 50 is about three to six inches wide , though the exact width depends on the region to be supported . ( fig1 , by way of example and not limitation , shows a single support element 50 disposed in the lumbar region .) while particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspect and , therefore , the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit of this invention .	8
as shown in fig1 and 2 , the present invention provides a shelf connector comprising a sliding sleeve 1 and a locking sleeve 2 . the sliding sleeve 1 is inserted on a supporting rod 3 . one end of the locking sleeve 2 is connected to the frame body 40 of the shelf ( as shown in fig7 ). the center of the interior of the sliding sleeve 1 is formed with a hole 10 for slidably mating with the supporting rod 3 . the outer surface of the sliding sleeve 1 is formed with a locking body 12 . the locking body 12 is provided with an open groove 11 along the axial direction of the sliding sleeve 1 . the locking body 12 is provided on both sides of the open groove 11 with clasping portions 12 a or 12 c ( the clasping portion 12 c is shown in fig2 ). the clasping portion can be a recessed clasping portion 12 a or a protruding clasping portion 12 c . further , as shown in fig5 , the locking sleeve 2 can be semi - arc plate and is provided with a locking groove 21 on its plate body . after the clasping portion 12 a or 12 c is inserted into the locking groove 21 , the open groove 21 can be shrunk inwardly to reduce its width . therefore , with a locking mechanism constituted of the sliding sleeve 1 and the locking sleeve 2 , the supporting rod 3 can be firmly connected to the frame body 40 of the shelf . the locking groove 21 can be a u - shaped locking groove . after the recessed clasping portion 12 a or protruding clasping portion 12 c is locked into the locking groove , the open groove 11 shrinks inwardly to reduce its width . further , the width b of the locking groove 21 is slightly smaller than the width a of the recessed clasping portion 12 a or the protruding clasping portion 12 c . above the clasping portion 12 a or the clasping portion 12 c , introducing sections 12 b are provided respectively ( not shown in fig2 ). the introducing section 12 b is an arc transition section tapering from bottom to top ( as shown in fig2 ). as shown in fig3 and 4 , the sliding sleeve 1 can be formed into a closed or open structure . if the sliding sleeve 1 is formed into a closed structure ( as shown in fig3 ), the locking body 12 is a protruding portion radially extending from the sliding sleeve 1 . the clasping portion 12 a is provided on the protruding portion . the inner wall of the hole 10 encircling the sliding sleeve 1 is provided with positioning ribs 14 . the positioning ribs are formed into strips or grains and are intermittently arranged . the inner diameter of the positioning rib 14 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the supporting rod 3 . the outer edge of the supporting rod 3 is circumferentially provided with positioning grooves 31 ( as shown in fig7 ). the positioning ribs 14 are used to elastically engage with the positioning grooves 31 . if the sliding sleeve is formed into an open structure , the wall face opposing to the open groove 11 of the sliding sleeve 1 is axially provided with a hinge 13 functioning as a shaft - and - pin mechanism . similarly , the inner wall of the hole 10 of the sliding sleeve 1 is circumferentially provided with positioning ribs 14 . the positioning ribs are formed into strips or grains and are intermittently arranged . the inner diameter of the positioning rib 14 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the supporting rod 3 . the positioning ribs 14 are used to elastically engage with the positioning grooves 31 . further , the inner wall of the hole 10 of the sliding sleeve 1 adjacent to the hinge 13 is axially provided with ribs 15 for positioning the opening and closing actions . as shown in fig6 , the inner wall of the hole 10 encircling the sliding sleeve 1 is provided with a layer of elastic soft rubber 16 . alternatively , the whole inner wall of the hole 10 of the sliding sleeve 1 can be formed into a rough wall face . the profile and dimension of the hole 10 of the sliding sleeve 1 can mate with those of the supporting rod 3 with circular , oval or other shape . further , the locking sleeve can be a flat plane , arc plate , angled plate or the plate with other shapes . the locking groove 21 can be arranged in a vertical or transverse direction of the locking sleeve 2 . the opening of the groove is arranged in an upward , downward , leftward or rightward orientation . further , the locking sleeve 2 can also be a rod . the locking groove 21 can be formed by means of bending the rod . between the locking sleeve 2 and the frame body 40 of the shelf , a sleeve seat 22 ( as shown in fig1 ) can be provided and formed into a plate - like or disk - like shape . as shown in fig7 and 8 , the first embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a net - like shelf . the sliding sleeve 1 is a closed sleeve . the locking sleeve 2 is an arc plate . in this embodiment , the supporting rod 3 is connected with a horizontal net - like frame body 40 of the shelf . the procedure of the assembling of the shelf is as follows . after the sliding sleeve 1 is inserted into the suitable position of the supporting rod 3 , the locking sleeve 2 in the corner of the frame body 40 of the shelf is inserted into the recessed clasping portion 12 a of the sliding sleeve 1 . with the inward shrinkage of the open groove 11 , the supporting rod 3 can be fixedly connected to the frame body 40 . as shown in fig9 and 10 , the second embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a net - like shelf . the sliding sleeve 1 is an open sleeve . the locking sleeve 2 is also an arc plate . the procedure of the assembling of the shelf is as follows . the sliding sleeve 1 is radially inserted into the suitable position of the supporting rod 3 and the open sliding sleeve 1 is closed . then , the locking sleeve 2 in the corner of the frame body 40 of the shelf is inserted from the top into the clasping portion 12 a of the sliding sleeve 1 . as a result , the supporting rod 3 can be fixedly connected to the frame body 40 . as shown in fig1 and 12 , the third embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a plate - like shelf the sliding sleeve 1 can be a closed or open structure . the locking sleeve 2 is a horseshoe - shaped plate having a locking groove 21 . the back of the locking sleeve 2 is fixedly connected with a sleeve seat 22 for combining with a connecting piece 24 having a “ c - shaped ” cross section . a plate - like frame body 41 can be inserted into the opening 241 of the connecting piece 24 . the procedure of assembling the sliding sleeve 1 with the locking sleeve 2 in this embodiment is identical to that in the first embodiment . as shown in fig1 and 14 , the forth embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a hook shelf . the sliding sleeve 1 can be a closed or open structure . the locking sleeve 2 is an arc plate having a locking groove 21 . the hook shelf 42 shown in the figure is fixed to both ends of the locking sleeve 2 . the procedure of assembling the sliding sleeve 1 with the locking sleeve 2 in this embodiment is identical to that in the first embodiment . as shown in fig1 and 16 , the fifth embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a circular shelf . the sliding sleeve 1 can be a closed rectangular sleeve . the locking sleeve 2 is a right - angled groove - like plate having a locking groove 21 . on this right - angled groove - like plate , a common angled bracket ( not shown ) is provided for connecting with the circular frame body 43 . the procedure of assembling the sliding sleeve 1 with the locking sleeve 2 in this embodiment is identical to that in the first embodiment . as shown in fig1 and 18 , the sixth embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a hanger . the sliding sleeve 1 can be a closed or open structure . the locking sleeve 2 is an arc plate having a locking groove 21 . the frame body 44 of the hanger shown in the figure is fixedly connected to the outer edge of one end of the locking sleeve 2 . the procedure of assembling the sliding sleeve 1 with the locking sleeve 2 in this embodiment is identical to that in the first embodiment . as shown in fig1 and 20 , the seventh embodiment of the present invention can be applied to an annular shelf . the sliding sleeve 1 can be a closed or open structure . the locking sleeve 2 is an arc plate having a locking groove 21 . one end of the locking sleeve 2 is provided with a plate - like sleeve seat 22 for connecting with the annular frame body 45 . the procedure of assembling the sliding sleeve 1 with the locking sleeve 2 in this embodiment is identical to that in the first embodiment . as shown in fig2 and 22 , the eight embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a basket - like shelf the sliding sleeve 1 is a closed rectangular sleeve . the locking sleeve 2 is formed by means of bending a rigid rod and formed with a locking groove 21 . with the connection between the sliding sleeve 1 and the locking sleeve 2 , the frame body 46 of the basket - like shelf can be fixedly connected to the supporting rod 3 . the assembling procedure in this embodiment is identical to that in the first embodiment . as shown in fig2 and 24 , the ninth embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a fixed article . the locking sleeve 2 comprises an arc portion 20 and sleeve seats 22 on both sides . the arc portion has a locking groove 21 , and the sleeve seat 21 has a fixing hole 24 . the locking sleeve 2 can be fixedly mounted to the wall or other fixed article by screws . the opening of the locking groove 21 is arranged upwardly . the frame body 44 of the shelf is provided on the sliding sleeve 1 . in this way , by firstly connecting the sliding sleeve 1 and the locking sleeve 2 in the same manner as that in the previous embodiment , or by fixing the locking sleeve 2 onto the desired fixed article , then , the sliding sleeve 1 can be connected to the locking sleeve 2 . as a result , the frame body 44 of the shelf can be mounted on any fixed article . as shown in fig2 and 26 , the tenth embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a disk - like shelf . the sliding sleeve 1 can be a closed or open structure . the locking sleeve 2 is an arc plate having a locking groove 21 and is fixedly connected to the frame body 47 of the disk - like shelf ( e . g . by riveting or welding ). the assembling procedure in this embodiment is identical to that in the first embodiment . as shown in fig2 , the eleventh embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a rod body . the clasping portion on the sliding sleeve 1 can be a protruding clasping portion 12 c . the locking groove 21 of the locking sleeve 2 is provided with a locking edge 210 for restricting the movement of the locking sleeve 2 in the radial direction of the sliding sleeve 1 after the locking sleeve 2 is inserted into the clasping portion 12 c . the assembling procedure in this embodiment is identical to that in the first embodiment . although the present invention has been described with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiments , it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof various equivalent variations and modifications can still be occurred to those skilled in this art in view of the teachings of the present invention . thus , all such variations and equivalent modifications are also embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	5
subsea cables or umbilicals are by far the most expensive components in long distance transmission systems , e . g . for distances larger than 100 km . the embodiments described herein with reference to the figures are directed to subsea energy storage in combination with long distance power transmission in a topology that alleviates the necessity for subsea cables with an excessively large cable cross - section to achieve a constant bus bar voltage when supplying high , short - time subsea control system power . fig1 is a simplified diagram illustrating a subsea power transmission / distribution system 10 with a plurality of modular stacked power converter building blocks 12 , each load side converter configured with one or more distributed energy storage elements 14 on the load side of the system according to one embodiment of the invention . the subsea power transmission / distribution system 10 provides one option for fulfilling the peak power requirement . the distributed storage topology depicted in power transmission / distribution system 10 advantageously provides reliability benefits compared to centralized bulk storage solutions , because a defect in a single storage element 14 will not impact the remaining system storage capabilities . further , there are no significant modifications required when using a msdc control scheme due to the simplicity of the storage control scheme . with continued reference to fig1 , each load side dc - ac inverter 12 employed by power transmission / distribution system 10 comprises one or more distributed storage offshore ( dso ) elements 14 integrated therein . the plurality of dc - ac inverters 12 and respective energy storage elements 14 are distributed in an offshore facility 13 such as a watercraft or a topside platform that may be fixed or floating according to different aspects of the embodiments described herein . each dso element 14 may comprise , without limitation , one or more capacitors such as ultracapacitors or energy storage cells such as rechargeable batteries . an ultracapacitor as used herein means a capacitor that has much greater energy density and power per pound than electrostatic and electrolytic capacitors . ultracapacitors are also called “ supercapacitors .” according to another aspect , the plurality of dc - ac inverters 12 and respective energy storage elements 14 are distributed subsea in close proximity to the subsea loads to form a subsea electric power distribution system . fig2 - 5 illustrate simulated operation of the subsea power transmission / distribution system 10 depicted in fig1 , including distributed storage capabilities implemented in the load side converters 12 , according to one embodiment . with reference now to fig2 , a load increase 16 after t = 2 seconds cannot be covered by the transmission capability of the cable 18 and results in a discharge of corresponding link capacitors / dso elements 14 such as illustrated in fig3 , thus providing the requisite power to the subsea loads . the peak power is required for only 1 sec , followed immediately by a charge period of the distributed storage which is completed at t = 7 sec as depicted in fig3 . fig4 illustrates the onshore transmitted and subsea load dc voltage levels during the same time period depicted in fig2 and 3 . the voltage level on the receiving end of the cable ( subsea ) is almost constant between 3 s ≦ t ≦ 7 s indicating a constant , but increased ( as compared to t & gt ; 8 s , normal load in steady state ) power transmission during that time ( as power is proportional to voltage for constant current operation ). this additional power transmitted from the shore , used for charging the distributed storage elements 14 can also be determined as the difference between the received power 18 from the transmission system and the power 16 consumed by the subsea loads for 3 s ≦ t ≦ 7 s ( fig2 ), which is about 10 kw . it can be appreciated the minimum voltage level for the storage is not a fixed value since it depends upon the power demand subsequent to the peak period . the maximum power which can be received by the converters 12 is defined by p rec = v sub · i ring , where v sub is the subsea voltage and is linked to the dc link voltage by the duty cycle occurring during the energy storage operation at its limits . the maximum subsea voltage v sub is therefore equal to the sum of the nominal dc link voltages of the converters 12 as exemplified herein according to one embodiment . if for example , the dc link voltage of the distributed storage is discharged to 500v per module 12 , and the ring current such as depicted in fig5 is 10 a , the maximum power to be transmitted post fault with respect to five operational modules 12 is 5 · 500v · 10 a = 25 kw . the converter dc link voltage recovers , and accepts higher power levels to be transmitted from the shore . fig6 and 7 illustrate the reaction of the ac - bus voltage and output current of a single converter 12 for an applied load step from ˜ 38 kw to 100 kw for the subsea power transmission / distribution system 10 depicted in fig1 . the voltage level depicted in the center plots of fig6 and 7 at the distribution bus is decreased during the high power period 30 because the output voltage of the converters 12 was not controlled during the simulation , power factor was kept to unity , although it can be appreciated the output voltage of the converters 12 would be controlled in a real system . the current levels depicted in the bottom plots of fig6 and 7 correspond to a single converter 12 . a voltage spike 32 can be observed in the center plot of fig7 during the power sag from peak power to nominal power due to the very fast current change in corresponding line and transformer inductors . an appropriate mov device , for example , could protect the connected loads by limiting the over - voltage to acceptable values . fig8 - 11 illustrate a load profile specification that provides 100 kw peak operation for a time period of 60 s for one embodiment of the subsea power transmission / distribution system 10 depicted in fig1 . although the subsea power transmission / distribution system 10 can survive the 100 kw peak period , it will not however be able to continue operation for an infinite amount of time at the low load level (˜ 38 kw ), as the maximum load to be fed with the post peak period dc link voltage of ˜ 600v is at most 5 · 600v · 10 a = 30 kw , which is below the requested power demand . fig8 illustrates the dc link voltage is still decreasing after the peak period in which the storage is still in discharge operation . two potential solutions can be realized to prevent power outages subsequent to significant utilization of the energy storage with given limitations . one embodiment comprises increasing the transmission current reference to increase the maximum transferable power by increasing the onshore voltage / nominal voltage limit . another embodiment comprises reconfiguring a standard converter topology to provide a converter structure such as illustrated in fig1 that illustrates in more detail a power converter 40 configured with distributed storage elements 14 . converter 40 is suitable to implement the modular stacked power converter building blocks configured with distributed energy storage elements on the load side of the system 10 depicted in fig1 . more specifically , converter 40 utilizes one leg from a dc / dc stage 42 as a bidirectional buck - boost converter that decouples the storage state of charge ( soc ) from a dc link voltage 44 . the required energy for the peak load period under the assumption of a maximum transferable power ptrans = 40 kw can be calculated as e storage =( p peak − p trans )· 60 s = 60 kw · 60 s = 3 . 6 mj , which would only be sufficient with a structure fully decoupling the storage voltage level from the converter dc link voltage 44 , as depicted in fig1 . the effectively transferrable power is dependent upon the dc link voltage ; a storage coupled directly to the dc link voltage would require a higher capacity . according to one embodiment , discharging the storage to 50 % of the nominal voltage results in a 75 % usage of the storage soc ( e mod =( 1 / 2 ) cu 2 . according to one embodiment based on the 3 . 6 mj energy demand , and using predetermined commercially available ultracaps with predetermined commercially available modules , the energy per module can be determined as : energy per module ( e mod )=( 1 / 2 ) cu 2 =( 1 / 2 )( 63 ) f · 125v 2 = 0 . 49 mj . in summary explanation , embodiments of a distributed type direct current ( dc ) energy storage system that can be easily integrated with a modular stacked dc ( msdc ) topology for subsea applications have been described herein . the embodied energy storage in combination with long distance power transmission results in a topology that alleviates the necessity for subsea cables with an excessively large cable cross - section to achieve a constant bus bar voltage when supplying high , short - time subsea control system power . the distributed storage embodiments described herein provide advantages compared to a centralized storage in terms of controllability and reliability . it can be appreciated that particular distributed storage embodiments formulated according to the principles described herein may require a rating of converter modules that is equal to the specified maximum short - time power , divided by the number of converter modules configured in a series topology . while only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein , many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art . it is , therefore , to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention .	8
an example of a non - immersing lance is schematically shown in fig2 through 4 . as shown therein , the main passageway a 1 and subsidiary passageways a 2 , a 3 are arranged with the subsidiary passageways surrounding the main passageway a 1 . the exit of the subsidiary passageway for a supplementary gasifying agent is combined with a passageway for oxygen gas . a passageway for cooling water ( w ) is also provided . thus , according to this invention , through the passageway , i . e . hole a 1 , coal powder is supplied , through hole a 2 steam is supplied and through hole a 3 oxygen gas is supplied . a stream of the supplementary agent is combined with the oxygen gas stream at the junction point near the exit end of the lance and they are then blown onto the molten metal bath . as mentioned previously , the junction point is located far enough to thoroughly commingle the supplementary agent with the oxygen . it is preferable that the junction point is located at a distance l 1 from the exit end of the nozzle ( see fig2 ), which is shorter than half the distance from the starting point of the tapered inner wall of the passageway for the oxygen gas to the exit end of the nozzle ( l 0 ), namely , l 1 & lt ; l 0 × 1 / 2 . when the distance l 1 is longer than half the distance l 0 , the jet stream of the oxygen gas is sometimes disturbed . since according to this invention a supplementary gasifying agent is added to a jet of oxygen gas and is dispersed throughout the stream of the oxygen jet before injection , the supplementary agent thus entrained by the jet of oxygen gas efficiently reaches the hot spot formed in the molten metal bath . therefore , the supplementary gasifying agent is efficiently dissolved into the molten metal and is diffused thoroughly . as a result , the agent effectively serves as a cooling agent to precisely control the temperature of the molten metal bath , resulting in a remarkable increase in thermal efficiency during gasification . the supplementary gasifying agent may be any one which is endothermic when added to a high temperature molten metal . for the purpose of this invention , steam , carbon dioxide gas , and mixtures thereof may be employed advantageously as a supplementary gasifying agent . of these , steam is preferred . the finely divided carbonaceous material , e . g . powdery coal may be injected while being carried in a pressurized air as a carier gas . in a preferred embodiment , this invention employs a multihole lance such as the one shown in fig2 - 4 . take , for example , a gasification furnace with which powdery coal can be processed at a rate of 1 - 2 . 7 tons / hour while being carried in pressurized air as a carrier gas at a flow rate of 50 - 220 nm 3 / hour . oxygen gas is introduced at a rate of 900 - 2200 nm 3 / hour , and steam at 100 - 500 kg / hour . when a gasification furnace with an increased processing capacity is used , the volumes of the oxygen gas and the supplementary agent to be blown through the lance may proportionately be increased . a plurality of lances may be used for this purpose . this invention will be described in conjunction with some examples of this invention , which are presented merely for illustrative purposes and it should be understood that they do not restrict this invention in any way . a series of experiments were carried out using a 15 - ton melting furnace similar to that shown in fig1 . coal gasification was achieved by blowing coal together with oxygen gas and steam as a supplementary gasifying agent onto a molten iron bath maintained within the furnace . the lance used was similar to that shown in fig2 - 4 . the molten iron bath contained 0 . 5 - 3 % carbon and the temperature thereof was 1400 °- 1600 ° c . the coal to be blown onto the molten metal was finely divided such that 80 % of the coal was - 200 mesh . this finely divided powdery coal was blown through a hole a 1 of the lance onto the molten metal at a rate of 2 . 5 tons / hour , which is the processing capacity of the gasification furnace used . pressurized air was used as a carrier gas for the powdery coal . the oxygen gas was supplied through a hole a 3 at a rate of 8 kg / cm 2 a , i . e . 1540 nm 3 / hour . the supplementary gasifying agent , in this case steam , was blown through a hole a 2 at a rate of 6 kg / cm 2 a , i . e . 200 kg / hour . the stream of steam was combined with the jet of oxygen gas before the steam was blown out of the lance through a hole a 4 , i . e . the steam was added to the oxygen gas within the lance . for the purpose of preventing the condensation of steam within the lance , it is desirable to overheat the steam to a temperature 100 °- 200 ° c . higher than the saturation point thereof . the analysis of the coal used in these examples is shown in table 1 below . the results of the experiments are summarized in table 2 . for comparative purposes , the results obtained by using the conventional non - immersing multihole lance and immersed lance are shown in comparative examples 1 and 2 . the conventional non - immersing lance used in comparative example 1 is similar to that shown in fig2 of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 388 , 084 . the immersed lance was protected by coating the outer surface thereof with a castable refractory material . in comparative example 1 using the conventional non - immersing lance , the stream of the supplementary gasifying agent was not combined with a jet stream of oxygen before being injected from the lance . in comparative example 2 , powdery coal and oxygen gas were supplied through a non - immersing lance and steam was supplied to the molten metal bath through the immersed lance mentioned above . since it is advantageous to introduce steam through an immersed lance in view of its reactivity towards carbon in the molten iron , this comparative example is a control example with respect to the thermal efficiency of coal gasification , though , needless to say , the service life of the lance is not satisfactory . as is apparent from the data shown in table 2 , coal gasification according to this invention can produce a product gas with a large heat content and at the same time achieve a high thermal efficiency due to the addition of the supplementary gasifying agent as a cooling agent . in particular , the thermal efficiency is the same as for an immersed lance ( see comparative example 2 ). furthermore , since the lance is of the non - immersing type , it was free from severe damage during gasification , and could therefore exhibit a prolonged service life . the data regarding heat content , gas volume , thermal efficiency , and service life in table 2 are average values . table 1______________________________________analysis of coaltechnical analysis elemental analysis ( d . a . f . )(% by weight ) (% by weight ) f . c v . m ash mo c h o n s______________________________________55 . 4 34 . 4 8 . 0 2 . 2 84 . 3 5 . 2 7 . 9 1 . 8 0 . 8______________________________________ table 2__________________________________________________________________________results of operation heat volume thermal service life gas composition (% by volume ) content of gas efficiency of lance co co . sub . 2 h . sub . 2 others ( kcal / nm . sup . 3 ) ( nm . sup . 3 / hr ) (%)* ( hr ) __________________________________________________________________________this invention 62 - 64 3 - 6 27 - 30 4 - 5 2630 2125 79 . 0 4000comparative 55 - 59 6 - 8 28 - 30 4 - 5 2470 2025 70 . 0 4000example 1comparative 62 - 64 3 - 6 27 - 30 4 - 5 2630 2125 79 . 0 500example 2 ( immersed lance ) __________________________________________________________________________ ## str1 ## although the invention has been described with preferred embodiments , it i to be understood that variations and modifications may be employed without departing from the concept of this invention as defined in the following claims .	2
in the following figures , the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same components . in the following description , various operating parameters and components are described for different constructed embodiments . these specific parameters and components are included as examples and are not meant to be limiting . with respect to fig1 , a perspective fragmentary view of a portion of a prior art extruded bumper , generally illustrated as 10 , is shown . the bumper 10 , shown in partial cross - section , is illustrated in its initial , pre - impact condition . as is known in the art , the extruded bumper 10 is attached to a vehicle ( not shown ) by a pair of supporting longitudinal rails of which one , longitudinal rail 12 , is illustrated . according to known design , the bumper 10 includes a top wall 14 , a bottom wall 16 , a front wall 18 , and a rear wall 20 . extending between the front wall 18 and the rear wall 20 is an upper stiffener 22 and a lower stiffener 24 . as is known in the art the upper stiffener 22 and the lower stiffener 24 have no trigger area . the difficulty with known approaches to extruded bumpers having stiffeners but no trigger area is apparent with reference to fig2 and 3 which illustrate the results of an impacting force on the bumper . with reference first to fig2 , an impacting force , illustrated as f , is shown acting upon the extruded bumper 10 . the deformation shown in fig2 illustrates how the bumper would appear about 17 msec after the impact of the force f . as can be seen , the upper stiffener 22 and the lower stiffener 24 are beginning to deform . in fig3 the impacting force f is shown having acted further upon the extruded bumper 10 . the deformation shown in fig3 illustrates how the bumper would appear about 34 msec after the impact of the force f . as can be seen , the upper stiffener 22 and the lower stiffener 24 have substantially deformed . the prior art bumper set forth in fig1 through 3 illustrates the challenges inherent in such designs . as illustrated in fig4 , the peak crashing load of the non - triggered , extruded bumper 10 ( a typical extruded aluminum bumper ), illustrated as broken line 26 , is approximately 90 % higher than its average crash load . ( peak and average crash loads are taken at front rails centerlines .) as illustrated , load ( in klbf ) is shown on the y - axis and displacement ( in inches ) is shown on the x - axis . the extruded bumper of disclosed invention overcomes the problems of known extruded bumpers by providing an extruded aluminum bumper having dual triggering . a first preferred embodiment of the extruded bumper of the disclosed invention is set forth in fig5 through 8 . it is to be noted that the bumper illustrated in these figures is intended as being exemplary and is not intended as being limiting as variations of the disclosed bumper may be formulated without deviating from either the spirit or the scope of the disclosed invention . with reference to fig5 , an extruded bumper , generally illustrated as 30 , is shown . as in the prior art bumper 10 shown in fig1 through 3 and discussed in relation thereto , the extruded bumper 30 is attached to a vehicle ( not shown ) by a pair of supporting longitudinal rails of which one , longitudinal rail 12 , is illustrated . the extruded bumper 30 is preferably composed of base alloy aluminum although it is envisioned that the bumper 30 may also be formed from other extrudable , lightweight but strong materials as may be known to those skilled in the art . the extruded bumper 30 includes a top wall 32 , a bottom wall 34 , a front wall 36 , and a rear wall 38 . the dual extruded dual triggering mechanism of the disclosed invention is formed from an upper trigger 40 extending between the front wall 36 and the rear wall 38 and a lower trigger 46 extending between the front wall 36 and the rear wall 38 . as illustrated in fig5 , the upper trigger 40 and the lower trigger 46 each has a cross - section generally defined as an s - curve . particularly , the upper trigger 40 has a inward - curving section 42 and an outward - curving section 44 . the lower trigger 46 has an inward - curving section 48 and an outward - curving section 50 . preferably but not absolutely the inward - curving sections 42 and 48 may be adjacent the front wall 36 of the bumper 30 and the outward - curving sections 44 and 50 may be adjacent the rear wall 38 . additional triggers may be incorporated into the illustrated design . the favorable results of an impacting a force are shown in fig6 and 7 . with reference first to fig6 , an impacting force , illustrated as f , is shown acting upon the extruded bumper 30 . the deformation shown in fig6 illustrates how the bumper would appear about 17 msec after the impact of the force f . as can be seen , the upper trigger 40 and the lower trigger 46 are beginning to deform . in fig7 the impacting force f is shown having acted further upon the extruded bumper 30 . the deformation shown in fig7 illustrates how the bumper 30 would appear about 34 msec after the impact of the force f . the upper trigger 42 and the lower trigger 46 have substantially deformed . as a variant to the extruded bumper shown in fig5 through 7 and discussed in relation thereto , a second preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention is set forth in fig8 . with reference thereto , an extruded bumper , illustrated as 30 ′, is shown . according to this alternate embodiment , the extruded bumper 30 ′ includes a top wall 32 ′, a bottom wall 34 ′, a front wall 36 ′, and a rear wall 38 ′. similar to the first preferred embodiment shown in fig5 through 7 , the dual extruded dual triggering mechanism of the second preferred embodiment includes an upper trigger 40 ′ extending between the front wall 36 ′ and the rear wall 38 ′ and a lower trigger 46 ′ extending between the front wall 36 ′ and the rear wall 38 ′. as with the first preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention , the upper trigger 40 ′ and the lower trigger 46 ′ of the second preferred embodiment each has a cross - section generally defined as an s - curve . the upper trigger 40 ′ has a inward - curving section 42 ′ and an outward - curving section 44 ′. the lower trigger 46 ′ has an inward - curving section 48 ′ and an outward - curving section 50 ′. one , some or all of the inward - curving sections 42 ′ and 48 ′ and the outward - curving sections 44 ′ and 50 ′ may be thicker than the adjacent area of the curving sections as illustrated in fig8 . if thicker , the degree of thickness may be varied from one curved section to another or may be constant among the curved sections . regardless of the embodiment , the extruded bumper of the disclosed invention allows the bumper to achieve an optimum crash energy level with a crash load equal to that of the supporting longitudinal rails and without the risk of non - sequential collapse . this outcome is not likely without the embedded dual triggering stiffeners mechanism shown above in fig5 through 8 and discussed in relation thereto . as illustrated in fig4 and referring to the solid line 60 , the average crash load in the bumper of the disclosed invention without the associated crash peak of the non - triggered bumper 10 of the prior art ( line 20 ) has a dual benefit . first , the crash load configuration allows the extruded bumper of the disclosed invention to achieve an optimized square stroke in a low speed rigid barrier test . second , the crash load configuration allows the bumper to manage higher crash energy under high speed , full frontal and offset impacts . accordingly , among the advantages of the disclosed extruded bumper having the dual triggering stiffener mechanism shown in fig5 through 8 and described in conjunction therewith are an optimized square stroke under low speed rigid barrier impact , higher crash energy management under high speed impact , and a controlled peak - to - average crash load ratio . the foregoing discussion discloses and describes exemplary embodiments of the present invention . one skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion , and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes , modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the invention as defined by the following claims .	1
fig1 is a schematic of an exemplary chirp modulated laser (“ cml ”) that may be used in conjunction with the present invention . in some embodiments , the frequency modulated source of the cml may comprise a directly modulated laser ( dml ). the optical spectrum reshaper ( osr ), sometimes referred to as a frequency discriminator , can be formed by an appropriate optical element that has a wavelength - dependent transmission function , e . g ., a filter . such lasers and osr &# 39 ; s are disclosed in references cited above , which are incorporated by this reference . preferably , a digital signal modulates the laser to generate frequency modulation , where the magnitude of the frequency modulation , or chirp , is chosen to be between 25 % to 75 % of the bit rate frequency in order to increase the reach of the transmitter in dispersive optical fiber : as one nonlimiting example , chirp ˜ 2 . 5 ghz to 7 . 5 ghz for a 10 gb / s bit rate . fig2 is a schematic of a dbr laser cavity in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . as shown , an intra - cavity phase modulation section forms part of or is coupled to the dbr laser cavity . a key characteristic of the phase modulation section is that its band gap is preferably chosen so as to minimize optical absorption at the laser wavelength . the band gap of the gain section , however , is also preferably at or near the lasing wavelength . in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention , for a laser at 1550 nm , the phase modulation section band gap is in the range of 1300 nm to 1390 nm . fig3 shows the relationship between the gain section and phase modulation section of such an embodiment of the present invention . when the phase modulation section is modulated with a sinusoidal wave of a particular frequency , the fm of the laser is expressed as : where f is the wave frequency , c is the speed of the light , l c is the effective cavity length , n is the effective refractive index of the laser , α g is the chirp factor of the gain material , α p is the chirp factor of the phase modulation section , f r is the relaxation oscillation frequency of the laser , and γ is the damping factor of the laser . it can be seen from equation 1 , that if the chirp factor of the loss section ( α p ) is greater than the chirp factor of gain material ( α g ), flat fm response can be achieved from very low frequency up to beyond relaxation oscillation frequency . fig4 shows the fm response of one embodiment of the present invention using the following parameters : α p = 40 , α g = 4 , l c = 1 mm , n = 3 . 5 , f r = 6 ghz , and γ = 20 ghz . for example , from fig4 , to provide 6 ghz of chirp , which is the typical required chirp for a 10 gb / s cml , the required phase change in phase section for the 1 mm long chip is ˜ 0 . 5 rod . the fsr of the laser in this example is 43 ghz . a self - consistent theory provided by a . e . siegman , lasers , university science books , mill valley , calif ., 1986 , which is incorporated herein by this reference , shows that the ultimate modulation speed is defined by the free spectrum range ( fsr ) of the laser . according to the siegman theory the impulse response of intra - cavity phase modulation as a function of modulation frequency , ω , is given by : where τ is the finite response time of the phase modulator section , l is the total length of the laser cavity , l is the length of the phase section , and ν c is the fsr of the laser determined by cavity length . for the case of a l = 1 mm long cavity , fsr ˜ 43 ghz , and assuming a maximum frequency ω ˜ 10 ghz , the argument ˜ 0 . 12 is small enough that the sinc function in equation 3 can be approximated by 1 with 0 . 2 % error for the next higher order term . the impulse response of the chirp can then be approximated by : neglecting the overall π / 2 phase shift , it can be seen that the second term in equation 4 is a transient chirp with π / 2 phase shift relative to the first term , which is the desirable adiabatic chirp . note that a standard distributed feedback laser provides both adiabatic and transient chirp as well , but in the case of the dfb there is an accompanying amplitude modulation . in addition the frequency response of the chirp of a directly modulated dfb is limited by the laser relaxation oscillation frequency , fr , as given by eq . 2 . note that f r is 10 - 14 ghz typically in a dfb laser but that it can be reduced significantly in a tunable laser due to the reduction in longitudinal confinement factor , the ratio of gain section to the sum of gain and passive sections . in contrast , the frequency response of an in - cavity phase modulated laser is independent of the relaxation oscillation frequency . this analysis shows that the fm efficiency is proportional to the ratio of the length of the phase modulation section to the length of the laser cavity l / l . thus , a small cavity and a large phase modulation section are generally desirable . most lasers in use conventionally are so - called longitudinally integrated devices in which the gain , phase modulation and grating sections form a horizontal chain , as shown in fig1 - 3 . in these lasers , the ratio of phase to cavity length is always less than one . in a different class of lasers called vertically integrated devices , the gain , grating and phase modulation sections are stacked vertically on top of each other . one such laser is a tunable twin - guide distributed feedback ( dfb ) laser as shown in fig5 . it is an object of one particular embodiment of the present invention to directly modulate the phase modulation section of a twin - guide dfb laser to generate fm . in this embodiment of the present invention , the phase modulation section has the same length as the laser cavity , so modulation efficiency is maximized from this respect . to obtain flat fm response as a function of modulation frequency , it is advantageous to design the phase modulation section with high phase modulation efficiency and high chirp factor phase modulation . another object of some embodiments of the present invention to provide for a mechanism to generate a phase shift in the phase section of an in - cavity phase modulated laser for the chirp managed laser application by application of a modulating voltage . in a standard iii - v bulk semiconductor waveguide phase modulator , the refractive index changes with bias voltage mainly due to electric field related effects , such as the pockels effect and the kerr effect . the phase modulator has a p - i - n doping structure , where the doping level in the waveguide is generally low (& lt ; 10 16 cm − 3 ). the p - i - n structure waveguide is reverse biased to provide a static electric field across the bulk material that modulates the refractive index . the pockels effect is also known as the linear electro - optical effect . this effect is related to the biaxial birefringence induced by the presence of an electric field and is exhibited by iii - v semiconductors , such as inp and ingaasp . fig7 shows the orientation of laser growth , electrical field , and crystal plane for the device of fig6 . for conventional growth , light propagates along the ( 1 10 ) crystallographic axis of the phase modulator material ( in the x direction in fig7 ), and optical electrical field along the ( 110 ) crystallographic axis ( y direction in fig7 ) for transverse electric ( te ) mode . for non - conventional growth , light propagates along the ( 110 ) axis and optical electrical field along the ( 1 10 ) axis for te mode . the epi - layer of lasers is generally grown along the ( 001 ) axis ( z direction in fig7 ). when an electrical field is applied along z direction ( forward bias in fig7 ), the refractive index for the optical electrical field along x and y will have the values : here r 41 is the linear electro - optic coefficient , e is the applied static electric field , and n 0 is refractive index . conventionally , the light propagates along the ( 1 10 ) axis ( x direction in fig7 ), and for te mode , the optical electrical field is along the ( 110 ) axis ( y direction in fig7 ), and the refractive index will decrease if reverse bias is applied . while for the non - conventional growth , the light propagates along the ( 110 ) axis , and the optical electrical field is along the ( 1 10 ) axis , thus when reverse bias is applied , the refractive index will increase . the kerr effect is also known as franz - keldysh effect . it is an electrorefractive effect due to tilt of the band edge by the applied electrical field . for wavelengths below the band gap of the waveguide material , the refractive index change is proportional to the square of electrical field applied , as shown in equation 7 . r kerr = 1 . 5 × 10 − 15 exp (− 8 . 85δ e ) cm 2 / v 2 , where δe is the difference ( in ev ) between the photon energy of the light and the band gap of the quaternary material . significant improvement of the phase modulation efficiency can be obtained by proper doping profile of the waveguide . one such type of structure is called p - n - n structure . fig6 shows a conventional p - n - n doping structure . with the p - n - n structure , in addition to the field related effects , two carrier related effects contribute to the refractive index change , as disclosed in , for example , j . g . mendoza - alvarez , et al ., “ analysis of depletion edge translation lightwave modulators ,” journal of lightwave technology , vol . 6 , no . 6 , june 1988 , pp . 793 - 808 , which is incorporated by reference . these carrier related affects are plasma effect and band - filling effect which are also known collectively as the depletion edge effect . plasma effect and band - filling effect are well known carrier related effects . the plasma effect is due to the free carrier absorption - induced refractive index change . the band - filling effect is due to the change of the fermi level resulting from the change of carrier density , which in turn will produce a shift of the absorption edge and a change of refractive index . when reverse electrical field is applied to the pn junction , the depletion depth will increase , the carrier in the depletion region is removed by the electrical field , and change of the refractive index is induced . in both cases , the refractive index change is proportional to removal of the free carrier , thus the doping level . for n doped ingaasp with 1 . 3 um q and light at 1 . 55 um , the change of the refractive index is expressed in equations 8 and 9 below : when combining the electrical field distribution , depletion region , and optical mode profile , the effective refractive index change is expressed as equation 11 for conventional growth and equation 12 for non - conventional growth . conventional growth and non - conventional growth is shown in fig7 . equations 10 . 1 - 10 . 4 describe the index change produced by the electro - optic effect ( 10 . 1 ), kerr effect ( 10 . 2 ), plasma effect ( 10 . 3 ), and band filling effect ( 10 . 4 ): here u ( z ) is the envelope of the optical electric field , and e ( z ) is the static applied electric field . for conventional growth : it is an object of certain embodiments of the present invention to construct a modulator which has an optimum doping profile for the generation of high efficiency frequency modulation using the depletion edge effect . as it has been described above , phase modulation inside phase modulator section of the cavity of a laser leads to frequency modulation of the output of the laser . fm efficiency is defined as the frequency shift generated by an applied voltage divided by the amplitude of the applied voltage . here are provided a number of examples of doping profiles that produce high fm efficiency in - cavity phase modulated lasers . one example of such modulator is a p - n - n waveguide as shown in fig6 : the p - doping level of p - layer inp is 10 18 cm − 3 , the n - doping level of n - layer inp is 10 18 cm − 3 , and the thickness of the waveguide is set as 0 . 3 um . the doping profile is chosen to increase the magnitude of the static space charge field and to increase the overlap integral between the optical mode and the static electric space charge field . fig8 shows the mode profile and refractive index profile of this waveguide and fig9 shows the doping profile and electrical field for n - doping level of n = 2 * 10 17 cm − 3 in this waveguide . note that light doping of the normally intrinsic region , i . e . region sandwiched between the heavily p doped and heavily n doped regions , increases the peak space charge field and its overlap with the optical mode . fig1 shows the depletion depth vs . applied voltage for the profile of fig9 . fig1 shows a plot of refractive index change versus bias voltage for the doping profile of fig9 . according to one embodiment of the present invention , the normally intrinsic region of the diode can be lightly n doped in order to increase the fm efficiency . fig1 a and 12b show plots of frequency shift versus bias voltage expected with a phase modulation section length of 20 % of the laser cavity length for the doping profile of fig9 and for a laser chirp factor of 0 and 4 , respectively . note that fm efficiency is determined by the slope of the frequency shift versus voltage . in this case , as shown in fig1 a and 12 b , the slope of the curves is larger near slightly forward biased voltage . as the reverse biased voltage increases , the depletion width increases and saturates . this is because there is a finite density of free carriers that move to form the space charge field . the optimum fm efficiency can therefore be at a point where the modulator is slightly forward biased . however , the forward bias voltage is below the threshold voltage at which point the bands are flat and a forward current flows . the equations above yield refractive index change as a function of the n doping level in the normally intrinsic region of the diode ; i . e . density of the region n in the p - n - n profile . fig1 shows a plot of refractive index change versus doping level in the phase modulation section for example 1 . using this result , fig1 a and 14b show plots of laser frequency shift from 0 . 9v to − 1 . 5v for a phase modulation section length of 20 % of the laser cavity length for example 1 for chirp factor of 0 and 4 , respectively . note that the frequency shift becomes relatively insensitive to the doping level as the doping is increased above 3 × 10 17 cm − 3 . fig1 shows a plot of capacitance versus doping level at − 0 . 3v bias for a phase modulation section of 2 um wide and 200 um long for example 1 . note that the higher the doping level , the higher the laser frequency shift , thus the laser chirp under modulation , and that the capacitance increases with the doping level in this plot . the optimum doping level should also preferably consider the capacitance . a large capacitance can decrease the modulation bandwidth and limit operation at high modulation frequencies . the foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . numerous modifications and adaptations are apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention .	7
systems and methods to secure digital images or data consistent with the present encryption external storage medium may be adapted to permanent and removable memory or similar media , such as compactflash ™, smart media ™, or similar shaped housing or other small form factor housing ( such as dongle key , pcmcia , controller integrated memory devices , etc ). such memory commonly used by digital cameras but may be used in other image generating / obtaining digital devices ( such as digital radiography , ct - scan , digital video , etc ). the current embodiment will use a compactflash ™ shape that complies with the specifications of both cf / cf + card and digital camera data interface as set forth by cfa ( compactflash association ) and jeida ( japan electronic industry development association ). other embodiments may also be implemented / manufactured in different small form factor that will give more freedom in shapes , adaptabilities and functions such as powered by external / internal power source such as usb port / scsi port or other connections that can also be used as a power source . further development and application of embodiments of the invention may enable different kinds of devices that produce digital image data to share or use removable memory while securing the digital images contained on the media . compression function can be embedded as well as the encryption function to preserve more spaces . the current embodiment may fit into a digital camera &# 39 ; s compact flash card adaptor or any other digital imaging device using compact flash memory as storage media . in other embodiments , other types of removable memory media may be employed . the hardware may be a compact flash card ( in both type i and type ii ). as described in the cf + and compact flash specification revision 1 . 4 , a cf or cf + card may have a controller processor ( s ) between the host interface and the i / o modules . in the current embodiment , the validation , encryption and duplication tasks may be done in the controller processor . also the host interface for reading and writing will be 100 % compliant with the specification that may be controlled by the controller processor . every digital image validation system card is equipped with a unique serial number and encryption technology , such as a 40 , 56 , 64 , and 128 - bit encryption key and other encryption keys that may utilize either security key or public key methods . in another embodiment , identical public key method may be utilized by assigning identical key to every card . the serial number is simply a manufacturer item control number and is available to everyone , e . g . “ s / n : ec0000001 ” printed on the cover / casing of the small form factor . the encryption key may be used to perform the encryption of image data . the encryption may conform to public and / or security key algorithm such as rivest , shamir , adleman ( rsa ) algorithm ( public key based ), data encryption standard and / or advanced encryption standard ( security key based ) as set forth by nist ( national institute of standards and technologies ). the encryption key may be built into the chip so that users have no access to it . it may be preferable , that only the manufacturer knows the corresponding encryption key to each individual card , which is stored in a secure database on a digital image validation system server site . upon encryption , the binary data may undergo data compression utilizing deflate or other similar compression algorithm . the memory card with digital image validation system is available for writing information only when it &# 39 ; s residing in a camera and the camera is in the picture - taking mode . thus only the original data directly coming from the camera processor will be written onto it . this may be done through the communication between the camera and the core processor . according to jeida &# 39 ; s ( japan electronic industry development association ) digital camera specification documents , each time when a camera is powered on as picture - taking or picture - viewing , it will first check whether the desired file system is present in the memory storage media . the file system may be root / dcim / aaaa #### (‘ a ’ stands for any upper - case letter , and ‘#’ stands for any number from 0 - 9 ). if the folder is not there , the writer / reader will create one on it . there will be no specific file system checking when a memory card is working in either a universal card reader or the camera memory slot as the camera is in universal serial bus ( usb ) transmission mode . so each time when the diva card is powered on , it will be waiting for the folder - locating signal from its interface before it disables the write protector . once the card receives the signal , write protection will be disabled to allow the image data to be written until the next power off . when the image data flow through , the duplicator module in the controller will start to function . while writing the image data on the storage module , it makes a duplicate onto its own buffer . then the compressor - encryptor takes the image in the buffer , uses the encryption key to encrypt it into the div file format , and then stores it onto the memory . when transferring data out from the memory card , the user just plugs the diva card into a universal card reader and performs normal copy - and - paste to all the files , including both original and verified files . since erasing files or formatting the diva card requires information to be written on to the storage media , this task can only be done in the camera using the camera &# 39 ; s default erase / format options . the diva core processor may be a microprocessor , digital signal processor , discrete logic or analog circuits that implement a state machine , application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), or a combination of the above . the only difference is diva will need small background application to monitor flow of data from and through the image captured hardware peripheral connected directly to cpu via pcmcia / scsi / parallel / serial / usb / firewire or other type of connections . turning to fig1 , a digital image validation system in a compact flash small form factor 100 is illustrated . the compact flash form factor 100 has a standard compact flash dimension ( 42 × 36 × 3 . 5 mm ) or in other embodiments other form factor housing such as dongles / pcmcia / other embodiment with various connector type such as scsi , parallel , serial , usb , firewire , may be employed . standard compact flash standard i / o connector is a 50 pin connector 102 located along an edge of the compact flash . the form factor 100 may also have an i / o controller 103 coupled to the connector , digital image validation core processor 104 , memory 105 , and buffers 106 and 107 . image data is received from a device at the connector 102 via the i / o interface controller 103 and passed through channels 106 and 107 to the diva core processor 104 for processing . the image data is then stored or retrieved from memory 105 by the diva core processor . in other embodiments , the blocks representing processors and controllers may be combined or further broken down by function . in fig2 a core processor unit 104 of the digital image validation system of fig1 is shown . the diva access controller 206 grants or denies writing access to the memory 105 based on criteria . the reading of information / data stored in the memory 105 requires the input pin from i / o interface controller 103 send signal requesting authorization to begin reading data from memory 105 . when a digital device such as a digital camera is set to be in picture viewing mode 14 , the camera will send dcim request signal [ dcimrs ] to this pin , otherwise no dcimrs may be sent , such as signal requested by usb mode 13 . the i / o controller 103 through channel 106 to the diva core processor 104 may patch input signals from 13 , 14 , 15 and 16 . the diva access controller 206 may then grant a read . the writing of information / data to the memory 105 occurs when the input pin from i / o interface controller 103 sends a signal requesting authorization to begin writing data to memory 105 . the request may come from a camera in picture taking mode 15 or usb mode 16 . when the signal comes from the camera in picture taking mode 15 , the dcimrs will be sent , otherwise no dcimrs is sent . the i / o interface controller 103 will perform checking of the dcimrs . upon receiving dcimrs , write access will be granted ( write = enabled / 1 ) 66 , otherwise write will not be granted ( write = disabled / 0 ). in order for to be write to be enabled , i . e . for write = enabled / 1 , the write status must be checked . if write access = enabled then process will go to 69 , otherwise process will go to 68 . the write denied , ackrx = 0 21 a then the acknowledge receiving signal to the i / o interface controller 103 is disabled . if read is granted , acktx = 1 21 a is enabled and the acknowledge transmitting signal to the i / o interface controller 103 is present . granting both write and read requires that both ackrx 21 a and acktx 21 a value will be 1 ( enabled ). the core processor 104 will check the existence of dcim file system in the memory 105 upon a request being sent by process 14 and 15 after being checked and granted by the access controller 206 . if the dcim file system already exists in memory 105 then ackrx is enabled , or set to 1 , otherwise a dcim file system is created . creation of dcim file system and writing to the dcim file system to the memory 105 requires the ackrx signal 21 a . if the ackrx signal is enabled ( i . e .= 1 ), then process may continue to the security module 10 , otherwise acktx = 1 11 . each diva card , compact flash card in the present embodiment , may have cmos memory cells containing n - bit unique serial number ( s / n ) that is unique for each diva card . the n - bit s / n was stored during manufacturing of the processor by mean of writing the n - bit s / n data 22 through one time write channel 23 . in other embodiments , other permanent memory method may be employed . the security module 10 , may consist of a duplicator 10 a . the duplicator 10 makes copy of every bit of signals received . the copy of the data generated by duplicator 10 a is passed through the encryption module 10 b , which received the encryption code from 9 . the encryption module 10 b create encrypted data 10 c . the original data is then passed directly to non - encrypted data output 10 d from the duplicator 10 a . the acktx value 21 a generated by the access controller 106 controls execution of the security module . if acktx = 1 is enabled , then the reading of data from the memory 105 through channel 17 for output to digital camera lcd viewer or channel 18 for output to usb mode ( usb channel ), otherwise acktx = 1 11 will return the acktx value to the system 21 b . both channel 17 and 18 will output through the output channel 107 to the i / o interface controller 103 . turning to fig3 , another implementation of the core processor unit of fig2 embedded in a dongle form factor 301 is illustrated . the dongle may also have one or more connectors 302 for connecting the dongle to electronic devices . an i / o controller 303 interfaces between the connector 302 and the different interfaces 302 and 24 via miscellaneous circuitry including a diva core processor 304 and ram buffer / cache 305 . the secondary output channel 24 ( could be as usb , scsi , firewire etc ) acts to pass the encrypted copied data as a result of diva core processor to other storage media ( such as hard drive of a cpu where this other embodiment of diva was attached ). the dataflow synchronous adapter 25 is used to synchronize data flow between the pass through of the primary output channel ( original data 502 ) and data that will be processed / encrypted at a diva core processor 504 . the current implementation of diva for imaging peripheral devices may operate at high speed in order to handle and process massive data such as ct - scan or other 3d imaging . a clock generator 26 generates timing signals that are used to synchronize all processes especially for self - powered embodiments . in some implementations , a clear / reset button 27 may function to clear memory / buffer such that erasing the data can not be done externally and a ready led indicator may be employed to indicate when the dongle is at work ( green ), busy ( blinking green ) or not working ( red ). furthermore , an oem id chipset may store unique information as well as have a controller to link the diva card to software driver . this unique information may later be used as by firmware updates to upgrade the diva card security / encryption key as well as encryption algorithm . turning to fig4 , a flow diagram 400 of the monitoring data traffic and firmware update for the digital image validation system of fig1 is shown . the flow starts 402 with the usb oem h / w firmware being detected 404 . if the usb oem h / w firmware is detected 404 , then a determination is made as to a new installation 406 . otherwise , processing starts again 402 . if a new installation is detected 406 , then diva h / w initialization setup sequence is activated 408 . otherwise , the serial number and pin are read 410 . if data transfer activity is detected 412 , then the active i / o port , active driver and active application are detected 414 . otherwise if the data transfer activity is not detected 412 , then the process starts 402 . after step 414 , then the data flow recording is initialized as an opennew sequence of . div file 416 . the data header is written 418 and the encrypted data flow is written 420 . the active i / o port , active driver , active application is once again detected 422 . if data transfer activity is detected 424 , then the encrypted data is again written 420 . otherwise data transfer activity is not detected 424 and a parity check for the end of file is conducted 426 . in fig5 , a flow diagram 500 of decryption of digital images stored in the compact flash of fig1 is shown . the flow diagram 500 starts 502 with an attempt to open a . div file 504 . if the div file cannot be open , then the process starts again 502 . otherwise , a pin number is entered 506 and a check of parity for heading and end of file ( eof ) is conducted 508 . if the parity check equals the serial number and pin 510 , then the data header , active application , and active drive are read 512 . otherwise the data is determined to be corrupt and the file is not opened 514 and the process is ended 516 . after the data headers , active applications and active driver are read 512 , calls are made to the application and the drivers occur 518 and the data flow is read 520 . the decryption algorithm is activated 522 and the data flow is processed until the end of file 524 . if the end of file is reached , then processing is complete 516 . otherwise 524 , data is posted to the application and driver 526 and the data flow is read 520 . turning to fig6 , that figure shows diva web application 31 a allowing users to upload and decode the encrypted digital file generated by diva hardware / device as well as updating the hardware firmware in certain embodiment of the diva hardware implementation . the diva web application 31 a and its secured channel and server accepting encrypted digital image data generated by digital image captured hardware peripheral ( camera , scanner etc ). the uploaded encrypted files (. div ) are being stored in the “ image database 1 .” the diva web application 31 b may be utilized to perform comparison of an image to the encrypted “ original ” diva image stored in diva secured server database ( image database 1 ). this digital image will be stored for process in “ image database 2 .” the diva server 31 c may have a built - in image comparison algorithm which can performed but not limiting to the following tasks : structural comparison , color comparison , quantifying changes and image categorization / databasing ). in certain embodiment of diva hardware implementation ( such as in dongle key etc ), the diva web server may also provide a firmware update via a firmware update module 31 d allowing diva web server to remotely update encryption algorithm on the diva hardware as well as serial number / pin / encryption key . this feature will be useful to fight against constant effort to penetrate diva hardware encryption code by “ hackers ”. diva web application gui ( front end ) design 32 a , allows users to register , upload diva files and compared images with diva files previously uploaded in the diva secured database . diva web application back engine 32 b , composed mainly but not limiting to store and analyze exif header of digital images , image processing , structural and color changes detections . statistical analysis may also be reported based on the finding of the engine 32 b . the image databases 32 c ( image database1 and image database2 ), see 31 a and 31 b for details and functionality store image category database processed by the diva web application back engine 32 b and a clustered / distributed database for search efficiency and a mirror site and redundancy backup . the foregoing description of an implementation has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not exhaustive and does not limit the claimed inventions to the precise form disclosed . modifications and variations are possible in light of the above description or may be acquired from practicing the invention . for example , the described implementation includes software but the invention may be implemented as a combination of hardware and software or in hardware alone . note also that the implementation may vary between systems . the claims and their equivalents define the scope of the invention . other systems , methods , features and advantages of the invention will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description . in another embodiment of this invention , the diva server application may also act to update the firmware embedded in the diva secure memory card to update either it &# 39 ; s encryption algorithm , security key or unique encryption key . it is intended that all such additional systems , methods , features and advantages be included within this description , be within the scope of the invention , and be protected by the accompanying claims	7
referring now to the figures , a gift card assembly 10 is now described . as illustrated in fig1 , the gift card assembly 10 includes a gift card 12 which is supported upon a substrate 14 . generally , the substrate 14 , which also may be called a backing , comprises a single layer or multiple layers of paper or plastic material , for example , generally in the form of a relatively stiff but bendable / flexible card . in the illustrated example , the substrate 14 is a tri - fold substrate defined by fold lines 16 and 18 about which substrate 14 is foldable . in fig1 the substrate 14 is illustrated in an unfolded or open configuration which is the normal retail display configuration . when the substrate 14 is folded , with the card 10 being captured therein , a tab 20 or the like can be mated with a slot 23 or the like to maintain the substrate in the folded or closed configuration . the tab 20 or substrate 14 may also be provide a hook , opening , or the like 22 to allow the gift card assembly 10 to be displayed on a peg or the like at a merchant location , such as at the point of sale ( pos ). it will be understood that the substrate 14 may be constructed using other materials and / or fold arrangements and may include any form of indicia , e . g ., graphics and / or text , without departing from the scope of the invention . the gift card 12 supported upon the substrate 14 may be any type of card such as , but not limited to , gift cards , stored - value cards , financial - transaction cards , reservation cards , pre - paid cards , loyalty cards , merchandise return cards , employee cards , frequency cards , etc . ( collectively “ gift card ”). in the event that the gift card 12 is , for example , a card used by a merchant to issue a spending credit to a customer , the merchant would typically provide the card in exchange for money received , merchandise returned or other consideration in a conventional manner , e . g ., the gift card 12 would be “ loadable ” or “ chargeable ” with monetary value that the customer can use or give to another individual . in such a case , a record of the monetary balance on the card may be maintained on a database , other electronic or manual record - keeping system , or , in the case of “ smart ” cards , for example , on a chip or other electronics or devices on the card itself and the gift card 12 would generally include a feature , such as a barcode , magnetic strip , etc . having data that represents an account number or otherwise serves to link the gift card 12 to the database or other electronic or manual storage device or system as is also conventional . the gift card 12 is further releasably secured to the substrate 14 . more particularly , with reference to fig1 - 3 , the gift card 12 is releasably secured to a card carrying member 24 which , in turn , is releasably secured to the substrate 14 . an adhesive or an adherence layer is provided between the card carrying member 24 and the substrate 14 and the adhesive or adherence layer functions to loosely adhere a first portion 28 of the card carrying member 24 to an area 26 of the substrate 14 . similarly , an adhesive or an adherence layer is provided between the gift card 12 and the card carrying member 24 and the adhesive or adherence layer again functions to loosely adhere a second portion of the card carrying member 32 to a back side 34 of the gift card 12 . in this manner , indicia carried upon a front side 36 of the gift card 12 will be visible when the gift card assembly 10 is displayed at the merchant location . to allow the gift card assembly 10 to have a three - dimensional like appearance when displayed in the area of the retail store , the card carrying member 12 is preferably provided with at least two folds as particularly illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the illustrated example , the folds function to define the first portion 28 of the card carrying member 24 that is releasably attached to the substrate 14 , the second portion 32 of the card carrying member 24 that is releasably attached to the gift card 12 , and an intermediate portion 36 of the card carrying member 24 that functions to space the gift card 12 from the substrate 14 when the gift card assembly 10 is in a displayed configuration . more particularly , in the displayed configuration , the folds and the stiffness of the material of the card carrying member 34 cooperate such that the third portion 36 of the card carrying member 24 is disposed at generally a right angle to the first portion 28 of the card carrying member 24 thus causing the gift card 12 to be spaced from the substrate 14 while the second member 32 of the card carrying member 24 is also disposed at generally a right angle to the third portion 36 of the card carrying member 24 thus causing the gift card 12 to be generally parallel to the substrate 14 . it will be understood that the described angles and orientations of the portions of the card carrying member 24 and the gift card 10 relative to the substrate 14 need not be exactly attained and that variations are acceptable so long as , within the displayed configuration , the gift card 10 appears to be extending from and not flatly attached to the substrate 14 . similarly , it will be appreciated that more than two folds can be provided to the card carrying member 24 and / or a resilient material could be used in lieu of the paper / cardboard material described with the objective of causing the gift card 10 to be extended from the substrate 14 when in the displayed configuration still being met . it may also be desired that the arrangement and material of the card carrying member 24 be such that , when multiple gift card assemblies are stacked and forced together upon a peg or the like at the display area of the retail store , shipped or packaged together , etc ., i . e ., the gift card assembly 10 is in a stowed configuration , the gift card 12 will be moveable to a position that is generally flush against or adjacent to the substrate 14 so as to conserve space in the manner illustrated by line a in fig1 . to allow the card carrying member 24 , and accordingly , the gift card 12 to be attached to a gift or like when removed from the substrate 14 , as illustrated in fig4 , the first portion 28 of the card carrying member 24 may also include an adhesive portion 30 . by way of example , the adhesive portion 30 may be in the form of double sided tape that is applied to the first portion 28 of the card carrying member 24 where the side of the tape facing the substrate 14 , which is to be attached to the gift , is provided with a removable covering . in the example illustrated in fig3 , the adhesive portion 30 would be in addition to the adhesive or adhesion layer that allows the card carrying member 24 to be removably attached to the substrate . in this manner , the card carrying member 24 and , accordingly , the gift card 10 , could be removed from the substrate , the cover could be removed from double sided tape , and the first portion of the card carrying member 24 and , accordingly , the gift card 10 could be attached to a gift in the propped - up manner illustrated in fig4 . as additionally illustrated in fig4 , the gift card 10 can be provided within indicia , such as the picture of a bow , to provide further three - dimensional ornamentation to the present as desired . while a specific embodiment of a gift card assembly has been described in detail , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure . accordingly , the particular arrangement disclosed is meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any equivalents thereof .	1
referring now to fig1 generally designated at 10 is a partially schematic and fragmentary isometric view illustrating a prior art boat loading mechanism for a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) diffusion furnace . the system 10 includes an actuator schematically illustrated by a dashed box 12 , a diffusion furnace schematically illustrated in dashed outline 14 , and a furnace door illustrated by a dashed box 16 . a quartz paddle generally designated 18 is fastened to the actuator 12 in cantilevered fashion . the paddle 18 includes a 360 ° cylindrical portion 20 that tapers to , for example , a semi - cylindrical 120 ° portion 22 . the door 16 is mounted to the fully cylindrical portion 20 of the paddle 18 in gas - tight sealing relation . a plurality of wafers illustrated dashed at 24 are removably mounted in a boat schematically illustrated at 26 and are supported on the semi - cylindrical portion 22 of the paddle 18 . the actuator 12 is operable in well - known manner to impart a motion indicated by an arrow 26 to the paddle 18 for inserting the wafers 24 into the furnace 14 , and is operable to impart a motion indicated by an arrow 28 to the paddle 18 to remove the wafers out of the cvd furnace after intended thin film formation thereon . the paddle 18 is comparatively expensive to fabricate . it typically is produced by manually cutting a 360 ° quartz cylinder to remove , for example , 240 ° of its arc to produce the 120 ° boat - support portion 22 . paddle production is materials intensive and costly insofar as the major portion of the starting cylinder is not usable and must be thrown - away after cutting . the resulting paddle 18 , moreover , is comparatively delicate . it often breaks both during routine handling and as a result of thermally induced strain during its operation . in addition , when the paddle 18 needs to be replaced , the paddle 18 must be disconnected from both the actuator 12 and the door 16 in a manner involving considerable time and labor costs as well as significant system down - time with consequent lost system throughput . referring now to fig2 generally designated at 30 is a partially schematic and fragmentary isometric view illustrating another prior art boat loading mechanism for a cvd diffusion furnace . the system 30 includes an actuator illustrated by a dashed box 32 , a cvd diffusion furnace illustrated in dashed outline 34 , and a furnace door illustrated dashed at 36 . a cantilevered paddle assembly generally designated 38 that includes two longitudinally extending cantilevered support rods 40 is fastened to the actuator 32 . a semi - cylindrical refractory paddle 42 is permanently fastened to the ends of the rods 40 as by tack welds or any other suitable means . a plurality of semiconductor wafers illustrated dashed at 44 are mounted in a conventional boat schematically illustrated at 46 and removably positioned on the semi - cylindrical paddle 42 . the actuator 32 is operative to impart motion to the paddle 38 as indicated by an arrow 48 for loading the wafers 44 into the furnace 34 , and is operative to impart motion to the paddle 38 as indicated by an arrow 50 for unloading the wafers 44 therefrom after cvd processing . the door 36 is sealed to the cantilevered rods 40 and , as will readily be appreciated by those skilled in the art , moves with the rods in such a way that when the actuator is loading the wafers it also brings the door 36 into sealing relation with the mouth of the furnace 34 , and conversely . with each batch of wafers processed in the cvd furnace , the paddle 38 is heated and cooled successively . the change in temperature stresses the tack welds , the rods 40 , and the shell 42 . the resulting mechanical strain in the paddle 38 is such that both transverse and longitudinal cracks develop therealong , often leading to the breakage of the assembly not only in use , contaminating the wafers , but also during routine handling . furthermore , after breakage , or for routine maintenance , the paddle must be dismantled from the door assembly as well as from the actuator to effect its removal and replacement in a manner requiring considerable labor , time , material , and lost system throughput costs . the paddle assembly 38 is also comparatively delicate to handle , often breaking during fabrication , installation , and during routine handling . another prior art boat loading mechanism for a cvd diffusion furnace is illustrated generally at 51 in fig3 a . the system 51 includes an actuator 52 , a pair of spaced cantilevered support rods 54 fastened to the actuator 52 that individually extend into the reaction chamber of a diffusion furnace 56 , and a door assembly generally designated 58 mounted to the cantilevered rods 54 in gas - tight sealing engagement . the door assembly 58 includes a support plate 60 fastened to the actuator 52 . a furnace door 62 is resiliently coupled to the plate 60 by bellows - like vacuum fittings 64 . the rods 54 pass through both the plate 60 and the furnace door 62 in gas - tight sealing engagement . a shroud 66 such as a quartz tube having a sealed end is received over each of the rods 54 to prevent the material of the rods 54 , typically a refractory material such as alumina ( al 2 o 3 ), from contaminating the interior of the diffusion furnace 56 during operation of the furnace . the free ends of the shrouded support arms are tied together as schematically illustrated by a dot / dashed line 68 to prevent its oscillation . a semiconductor boat schematically illustrated dashed at 70 is removably supported on the shrouded cantilevered support rods . the actuator 52 controllably moves as indicated by a bi - directional arrow 72 for loading and unloading the batch of wafers into and out of the furnace 56 . as shown in fig3 b , the cantilevered support rods 54 and shrouds 66 therefor occupy an undesirably large portion of the usable internal volume of the diffusion furnace 56 . typically , about 60 % of the furnace volume is used for deposition , with the remaining 40 % being used both for receiving the supporting structures for the boat 70 and for receiving gas injection tubes 74 operative to inject reactant in gas phase into the furnace 56 in well known manner . another disadvantage of this type of boat loading mechanism is that pin holes or other structural flaws that tend to form in the shrouds 66 act to deplete the pressure conditions inside the diffusion furnace . in addition , paddle assemblies that need to be replaced because of defects or because of routine maintance , as in the other prior art devices discussed above in connection with the description of fig1 and 2 , must be dismantled from the door support assembly and a new or a cleaned paddle subsequently reconnected into the door assembly in a manner involving considerable labor , materials , time , and lost systems throughput costs . referring now to fig4 generally designated at 80 is a partially schematic and fragmentary horizontal sectional view of a novel cvd boat loading mechanism having a separable low - profile cantilevered paddle assembly according to the present invention . the system 80 includes an actuator 82 operable to provide bi - directional movement as illustrated by an arrow 84 . a cantilevered support assembly generally designated 86 is fastened to the actuator 82 and has a free end that extends into the vestibule of a cvd diffusion furnace 88 . a clamp assembly generally designated 90 to be described is fastened to the free end of the cantilevered support assembly 86 for removably retaining a separable low - profile cantilevered boat support paddle illustrated in dashed outline 92 to be described . the cantilevered support assembly 86 preferrably includes first and second laterally spaced and longitudinally extending rods 94 fashioned from selected metals such as stainless steel , or from high - strength refractory materials such as silicon carbide . the rods 94 are each fastened to the actuator 82 and have a length selected to allow them to extend therefrom a predetermined distance into the diffusion furnace after the actuator 82 loads a batch of wafers for cvd processing . a door mounting plate 96 is fastened to the actuator 82 for movement therewith . a furnace door 98 is flexibly mounted in gas - tight sealing engagement to the door mounting plate 96 via resilient vacuum couplings 100 in such a way that the rods 94 pass through both the door 98 and door support plate 96 in gas - tight sealing engagement . the vacuum gaskets 100 provide sufficient resiliance to readily allow for proper sealing alignment of the furance door 98 with the mouth of diffusion furnace . adjustable posts 102 are provided on the plate 96 . the posts 102 have heads 104 confronting the door 98 that may be manually adjusted to selectively abut the furnace door 98 for stabilizing it mechanically . referring now to fig5 generally designated at 106 is a preferred embodiment of a clamping assembly for removably retaining a low - profile cantilevered boat - support paddle according to the present invention . the clamping assembly 106 includes a first bracket generally designated 107 fastened to the rods 94 at a point therealong adjacent the interior wall of the furnace door 98 , and a second bracket generally designated 108 fastened to the rods 94 at a point adjacent their free ends . the bracket 107 preferably includes a metallic ring having a planar portion 110 and an integral depending arcuate portion 112 . the bracket 108 includes a planar metallic portion 114 and a depending flexible saddle portion 116 fastened to the ends of the planar portion 114 as by threaded fasteners 118 . the saddle 116 may be formed of any suitable flexible material such as a resilient metal and it preferably has a central area generally designated 118 having dimensions generally larger than the dimensions of its end regions to provide stress relief . a semi - cylindrical paddle shown dashed at 120 that is fashioned of quartz or any other suitable refractory material such as silicon carbide is slidably received through the brackets 107 , 108 . in the inserted condition , one of its ends both abuts the confronting surface of the flat portion 110 of the bracket 107 and abuts the confronting surface of the furnace door 98 and its other end , not shown , extends in cantilevered fashion into the diffusion furnace . the bottom surface of the paddle 120 confronting the bracket 108 is supported by and rests on the stress - relief portion 118 of the saddle 116 . the separable paddle 120 is readily removably inserted into the clamping assembly 106 provided therefor without necessitating dismantling of the door assembly 86 ( fig4 ). the semi - cylindrical quartz paddle 120 is inexpensive to manufacture . three such paddles are capable of being economically produced by cutting a single length of a quartz cylinder . the paddle is extremely rugged and breakage resistant and is easily wiped clean . as shown in fig6 the two - stage cantilevered paddle support assembly of the present invention has a low - profile that occupies a comparatively small volume of the reaction chamber of a cvd diffusion furnace . as is readily evident by a comparison with fig3 b , it thereby is capable of accomodating comparatively larger wafers , and when back fitted on an already existing diffusion furnace , allows for cvd processing of comparatively larger diameter wafers without requiring an expenditure for a new , and larger , cvd furnace . the paddle of the present invention is replaceable by simply re - inserting a cleaned or a new paddle into the clamping assembly provided therefor , thus eliminating paddle disconnection from the loader or furnace door as in the heretofore known devices . system throughput revenue is thereby considerably enhanced while materials , labor , and time costs are rendered substantially inconsequential . the paddle is a low - cost item to procure and it is quite rugged and breakage - resistant . the absence of tack welds and comparatively complex quartzwork eliminates the possibility of thermal stress induced cracking or other failure . many modifications of the presently disclosed invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the instant invention without departing from the scope of the appended claims .	8
fig1 illustrates a connecting rod and piston assembly of the present invention . a piston 2 in , for example , a diesel engine includes a combustion chamber 33 formed by a cavity provided in a crown surface 2a . piston rings ( not shown ) can be mounted in an outer peripheral wall of the piston 2 and the interior of a skirt portion 7 typically is hollow . the crown portion of the piston 2 defines a convex portion 4 provided with a downwardly projecting spherical surface 5 . the periphery of the convex portion 4 provides an annular space 6 adapted to be filled with lubricating oil for cooling . in addition , the spherical surface 5 of the convex portion 4 is provided with a depression 5afor retaining oil for cooling and lubrication . a bowl - shaped receiving plate 12 is formed integrally with an extreme end of a connecting rod 13 . slidably engaging the spherical surface 5 is a spherically shaped concave portion 12a on a receiving plate 12 . an annular retainer member 8 having a spherically shaped concave portion 8a engages a back surface of the receiving plate 12 to maintain engagement between the convex portion 4 and the receiving plate 12 . the retainer member 8 is supported by a tubular nut 9 threadedly engaged with the skirt portion 7 . securing the nut 9 is a split retaining ring 10 engaged with the skirt portion 7 . an axial portion at the extreme end of an arm of a crank shaft 16 ( represented by an axial center ) is connected between a semicircular depression 14a at the base end 14 of the connecting rod 13 and a semicircular depression 15a of a bearing cap 15 similar to the prior art . the receiving plate 12 at the extreme end of the connecting rod 13 supports the convex portion 4 of the crown portion and oscillates as the crank shaft 16 rotates . according to the above - described construction , the concave portion 12a of the receiving plate 12 of the connecting rod 13 is engaged with the convex portion 4 of the piston &# 39 ; s crown portion so that the concave portion 12a may be oscillated . therefore , as compared with a conventional pin connection construction , the center a of oscillation of the connecting rod 13 is moved considerably closer to the crown surface 2a and , in addition , a deep combustion chamber 33 can be disposed in the crown portion of the piston 2 . furthermore , a dimension p between a center of oscillation and the crown surface 2a is reduced so that when an arm ( length r ) of the crank shaft 16 is extended through that reduced amount , the stroke of the piston 2 is increased , and piston displacement also is increased without changing a height h of a cylinder body . illustrated in fig2 and 3 is a primary combustion chamber 33 defined by a cylindrical wall portion 34 formed in a crown portion of a piston 2 . an inwardly directed rim portion 34a slightly narrows the combustion chamber 33 . at the bottom of the combustion chamber 33 is a shallow circular recess 35 formed in an inner body portion and having a surface interrupted by a concave surface defining a cavity 36 . an insert 37 having an upwardly projecting conical column is fitted into the recess 35 and is secured to the inner piston body portion by a plurality of bolts 42 . one surface 37a of the insert 37 partially defines the primary chamber 33 while another inner surface defines a concave cavity 39 communicating with the cavity 36 . together , the first cavity 39 and the second cavity 36 form an auxiliary combustion chamber 41 . a fuel injection path is provided by an inlet port 38 formed in the upwardly projecting column portion of the insert 37 and communicating between the central portions of the primary chamber 33 and the auxiliary chamber 41 . also formed in the insert 37 are a plurality of outlet ports 40 that provide discharge paths between the auxiliary chamber 41 and the primary chamber 33 the outlet ports 40 are directed obliquely to the wall portion 34 of the combustion chamber 33 . more specifically , the bottom wall 37a of the insert member 37 is so shaped that combustion gases are directed obliquely against the cylindrical wall portion 34 . during operation of the present invention , fuel first is injected from a plurality of jets of a fuel injection nozzle ( not shown ) disposed above the piston 2 toward the wall portion 34 of the combustion chamber 33 ( refer fig9 and 10 ). subsequently , fuel from the fuel injection nozzle is injected into the auxiliary chamber 41 via the inlet port 38 in the insert member 37 . before reaching the peripheral wall portion 34 , a portion of the injected fuel is mixed with air in the primary chamber 33 and that mixture is fired and burned . the remaining fuel adheres to the peripheral wall portion 34 . fuel injected from the fuel injection nozzle to the auxiliary chamber 41 via the inlet port 38 is burned and the resulting combustion product gases are discharged through the outlet ports 40 . those gases whirl along the peripheral wall portion 34 as indicated by an arrow y ( in a direction opposite to an intake swirl x ) as a whole . the fuel adhering to the peripheral wall portion 34 is rapidly removed by the combustion gases which flow along the surface of the peripheral wall portion 34 from the auxiliary chamber 41 . after being removed by the gases the fuel is mixed with air and burned . therefore , the level of combustion at the latter period of the combustion cycle is increased in comparison with the prior art to reduce black smoke in the exhaust gases . as shown in fig5 and 6 , the shape of the auxiliary chamber 41 may be of spherical or oval section . in order to increase the volume of the auxiliary chamber 41 , the inside diameter of the cavity 36 in the inner piston body portion may be made larger than that of the cavity 39 in the insert member 37 as shown in fig2 or , if the inner body portion has not enough wall thickness , the inside diameter of the cavity 36 may be made smaller than that of the cavity 39 in the insert member 37 as shown in fig7 . in the latter case , fuel and air in the auxiliary chamber 41 are effectively stirred due to the presence of a difference in the interface between the cavity 36 and the cavity 39 . the inlet 38 port can have a shape such that its inner end is expanded into the cavity 39 , as shown in fig4 or its inner end is enlarged in a tapered fashion into the auxiliary chamber 41 , as shown in fig6 and 7 . with those arrangements , fuel and air can be well mixed even in a relatively flat auxiliary chamber 41 . while in the foregoing , a description has been made of a piston assembly having a construction shown in fig1 it is to be noted that the invention can also be employed in a conventional piston pin connected assembly as shown in fig8 . in that case , an insert member 37 is disposed on the bottom of a piston body portion having a conical projecting portion 26 . together , the insert 37 and conical projection 26 form a flat auxiliary chamber 41 . fuel again is injected into the inlet port 38 in the center of the insert member 37 . that fuel is fired in the auxiliary chamber 41 and combustion gases are directed by the outlet ports 40 against the peripheral wall portion 34 of the primary combustion chamber 33 . therefore , fuel adhered to the peripheral wall portion 34 is separated and burned . obviously , many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is to be understood , therefore , that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described .	8
a total of 2 × 10 5 mouse splenocytes per well were cultured in a humidified atmosphere at 37 ° c . and 5 % co 2 in round - bottomed 96 - well culture plates for five days with the ap compounds at 10 mm . concanavalin a ( 10 mg / ml ) and culture media were used as positive and negative controls , respectively . plates were centrifuged at 1 , 200 rpm for five minutes , and supernatants were collected . the resulting cytokine profile produced after lymphocyte stimulation was analyzed using a fluorescently - labeled protein microarray chip as indicated by the manufacturer ( raybiotech , norcross , ga ., usa ). the immunomodulatory effect of the ap compounds was assessed by in vitro stimulation of mouse lymphocytes for five days . specifically , our preliminary data shows ap - 102 , ap - 103 , ap - 104 , and ap - 205 to induce 2208 , 2575 , 2071 , and 7166 pg / ml of g - csf , respectively , and the ap - 311 , ap - 312 , ap - 102 , ap - 103 , ap - 104 , and ap - 205 induced 551 , 810 , 772 , 1125 , 782 , and 4351 pg / ml of il - 6 , respectively . these data demonstrate the immunostimulatory ability of our ap compounds . il - 6 is secreted by macrophages after a stimuli like pamps . this cytokine has an important role mediating fever and the acute phase response . the acute phase response is an early - defense system activated by the onset of infection , trauma , inflammatory processes , neoplastia , stress , and some malignant conditions . “ miller - keane encyclopedia and dictionary of medicine , nursing , and allied health ”, seventh edition , ( 2003 ) by saunders , an imprint of elsevier , inc . ; and cray et al ., “ acute phase response in animals : a review ”, comp med . 2009 december ; 59 ( 6 ): pp . 517 - 526 . it has a critical role against bacterial infections , as it is required for the resistance mechanisms against the bacteria streptococcus pneumonia . our data shows that il - 6 is produced by all the compounds tested in this project . specifically , 184 , 270 , 257 , 375 , 261 , and 1445 pg / ml of il - 6 was produced by ap311 , ap312 , ap102 , ap103 , ap104 , and ap205 . respectively . among the tested compounds , ap205 induced the highest release of il - 6 . gcsf is a glycoprotein produced by macrophages with the role of stimulating the production of granulocytes and stem cells from the bone marrow . it also has a role in the survival , proliferation , differentiation , and function of mature neutrophils and their precursors . the therapeutic role of this cytokine has been commercially exploited by several pharmaceutical corporations . specifically , cancer patients are in myelosuppression conditions , therefore , they lack of sufficient levels of white cells for disease control , making them susceptible to infections and sepsis . as gcsf has the capacity to produce granulocytes , it is used for the control of neutropenia in cancer patients , enhancing their quality of life . moreover , during the hematopoietic stem cell transplant , gcsf is administered to the transplant donor to enhance the amount of hematopoietic stem cells before collecting by leukapheresis . in our study , we observed levels of gcsf of 736 , 858 , 690 , and 2336 pg / ml , when stimulated with ap102 , ap103 , ap104 , and ap205 , respectively . this information is extremely important , as gcsf is currently used for the re - establishment of neutrophils and granulocytes in cancer patients under chemotherapy . based on this information , the compounds will perform their antitumoral activity through re - establishment of neutrophil and granulocytes . both , il - 6 and gcsf are important for the protection against several pathogenic infections . the capacity of il - 6 to promote neutrophil survival in the lung protects against h1n1 influenza . the interrelation between il - 6 and gcsf has been well documented . il - 6 and gcsf have a crucial role protecting against candida infections . interestingly , all of our compounds produce both il - 6 and gcsf , which support their potential use against infections . il - 12 is an heterodimer coded by two genes ( p35 and p40 ). the p70 heterodimer is the active form . il - 12 is involved in the differentiation of the naive t - cells to th1 . in this sense , this cytokine has the capacity of reducing the ifn - suppression mediated by il - 4 . during the innate immune response , the macrophages are the main responsible for the production of il - 12 . it stimulates the production of ifn - gamma from t and nk cells . one of the most important roles of il - 12 is its capacity to mediate the cytotoxic activity of both , the nk and the cd8 + t - cells . ifn - gamma has an anti - angiogenic activity , blocking the formation of new blood vessels , which supports tumor growth . as il - 12 induces the release of ifn - gamma , this cytokine has an indirect antineoplastic role . cultured splenocytes induced 13 , 29 , 21 , 22 , and 60 pg / ml when stimulated with ap312 , ap102 , ap103 , ap104 , and ap205 . l - 10 is mainly produced by monocytes and th2 cells . also , this is an anti - inflammatory cytokine , as in produced by treg cells . this makes il - 10 as a very important regulatory cytokine . il - 10 is a pleiotropic cytokine with several functions . it has an important role in the downregulation of the th1 - type cytokines expression . also , it promotes the survival and proliferation of b cells , with the concomitant production of antibodies . the il - 10 has an important role in the regulation of the immune response in the gastrointestinal tract , with an important anti - inflammatory role . the administration of il - 10 alleviates the undesired inflammatory effects of patients in conditions like crohn disease . also , the fact that the mastocytes also release il - 10 , suggests this cytokine to have a role in allergy control . this cytokine inhibits the production of ifn - g , il - 2 , il - 3 , tnf - a , and gm - csf produced by macrophages and treg cells . this means that it has a strong role in the regulation of the inflammatory processes . low levels of il - 10 have been correlated with several autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis . culture of splenocytes induced 14 pg / ml of il - 10 when stimulated with ap104 . no other compound induced the release of il - 10 . il - 1a is one of the major players in the induction of inflammation , fever , and in extreme cases , sepsis . it is mainly produced by macrophages , although neutrophils , epitelial cells , and endothelial cells also produce il - 1a . it is constitutively expressed in skin keratinocytes , presumably as part of the skin protective barrier mechanism . after stimulation , a precursor of this cytokine is produced by fibroblasts , macrophages , granulocytes , eosinophils , mastocytes , and basophils . also , il - 1a activates tnf - alpha . culture of splenocytes induced 20 pg / ml of il - 1a when stimulated with ap205 . no other compound induced the release of il - 1a . il - 1 beta is produced as a pro - protein by activated macrophages . in its active form , it is an important mediator of inflammation with several activities that include proliferation , differentiation , and apoptosis . it could induce undesired autoimmune effects if expressed in abnormally high amounts . culture of splenocytes induced 12 , and 19 pg / ml of il - 10 when stimulated with ap103 and ap205 , respectively . il - 2 has a critical role in important events like tolerance and activation of immunity . in the thyme it plays an important role during the development of treg cells , which has important implications in the development of tolerance . during the development of the immune response , it promotes the development of the differentiation of the naive t cells to effector cells . moreover , il - 2 promotes the differentiation of memory cells . however , one of the most important characteristics of il - 2 is its supportive role of the cell - mediated immune response , which is important against viral diseases and other intracellular pathogens . il - 2 is licensed as part of the treatment against certain types of cancers like myelomas , renal cell cancer , lymphomas , and leukemias . in clinical studies , it has been used in a vaccine formulation as an adjuvant against viral infections . culture of splenocytes induced 17 pg / ml of il - 2 when stimulated with ap102 . no other compound induced the release of il - 2 . il - 9 is produced by th - cd4 + t - cells . it stimulates cell proliferation , and prevents apoptosis . it has been found to inhibit melanomas in mouse models . culture of splenocytes induced 30 pg / ml of il - 9 when stimulated with ap205 . no other compound induced the release of il - 9 . after viral infections , il - 15 is secreted , among other cells , from mononuclear phagocytes . it induces the proliferation of nk cells . is produced as a mature protein from dendritic cells , monocytes , and macrophages . its expression could be stimulated by gm - csf and several pamps . also , monocytic herpes virus , mycobacterium tuberculosis , and candida albicans infections stimulates its expression . il - 15 regulates the activation and proliferation of t and nk cells . in the absence of the relevant antigen , it provides the signal for the survival and maintenance of memory t - cells . il - 15 and il - 2 share some receptor subunits . the balanced combination between those two cytokines is crucial for the preservation of a memory cd8 + t - cell population . culture of splenocytes induced 56 and 94 pg / ml of il - 15 when stimulated with ap311 and ap205 , respectively . il - 17 is an important mediator of the delayed - type reactions , as it increases the production of chemokines in various tissues with the intend of recruit monocytes and neutrophils to the inflammation site . this cytokine is produced by th cells , and induced by il - 23 , which result in destructive tissue damage during delayed - type reactions . the il - 17 functions as a proinflammatory cytokine that responds to the invasion of extracellular pathogens , inducing the destruction of their extracellular matrix . it acts synergistically with tnf - alpha and il - 1 . il - 17 has various regulatory functions , in which its proinflammatory activity is the most notable . this regulatory functions are associated to the response of this cytokine to allergies . it induces the production of il - 6 , gcsf , gmcsf , il1b , tnf - a , various chemokines like il - 8 , gro - alpha , y mcp - 1 , and prostaglandins like pge2 from various cell types like fibroblasts , endothelial cells , epithelial cells , keratinocytes , and macrophages . the release of these cytokines cause various effects like remodeling of the airways , which is characteristic for il - 17 . the function of the il017 is essential for the function of the th17 cells . culture of splenocytes induced 294 pg / ml of il - 17 when stimulated with ap102 . no other compound induced the release of il - 17 . similar to il - 12 , il - 23 it has a proinflammatory role . culture of splenocytes induced 27 , 58 , and 80 pg / ml of il - 23 when stimulated with ap311 , ap104 , and ap205 , respectively . ifn - gamma is mainly produced by nk and cd8 + t - cells . it plays a critical role in the differentiation lymphocytes from naive to effector t - cells , which also produce ifn - gamma . it has a critical role in both , the innate and the adaptive immune responses against an ample spectrum of infectious agents . besides activate macrophages , it induces the expression of mhc ii . it has antiviral , immunoregulatory , and anti - tumoral properties . among its capacities are : promote the activation of the nk cells , enhances antigen - presentation by macrophages , activates inos , induce the production of igg2a and igg3 from plasma cells , promotes the differentiation of the th1 cells , directing the response towards a cytotoxic immune response , increases the expression of mhc i in normal cells , and mhc ii in apcs , promotes the adhesion of lymphocytes that migrated to the inflammation site , induces the expression of the intrinsic defense mechanisms . also , it has a relevant role in the induction of granulomas . ifn - gamma is licensed for the treatment of granulomatous chronic diseases and also against osteoporosis . ap205 was the compound with the highest capacity to induce both , the highest amount and type of cytokines . it induced the release of 2336 . 49 , 20 . 29 , 19 . 45 , 1444 . 71 , 30 . 45 , 60 . 14 , 94 . 04 , and 79 . 96 pg / ml of gcsf , il - 1a , il - 1b , il - 6 , il - 9 , il - 12p70 , il - 15 , and il - 23 , respectively . from all of these cytokines , the release of gcsf is important , as in cancer patients it is used in the re - establishment of neutrophils . ap104 was the second compound with the highest capacity of inducing cytokine release . specifically , this compound induced the release of 690 . 39 , 260 . 85 , 13 . 78 , 21 . 99 , 58 . 48 , and 104 . 58 pg / ml og gcsf , il - 6 , il - 10 , il - 2p70 , il - 23 , and ifn - gamma , respectively . no other compound induced the release of ifn - g . ap - 312 induced 11 . 89 , 269 . 89 , and 27 . 89 pg / ml of il - 1b , il - 6 , and il - 12p70 , respectively . ap - 102 induced 735 . 83 , 17 . 36 , 257 . 35 , and 29 . 09 pg / ml of gcsf , il - 2 , il - 6 , and il - 12p70 , respectively . ap - 103 induced the release of 858 . 15 , 3 . 95 , 535 . 06 , and 35 . 70 pg / ml of gcsf , il - 1b , il - 6 , and il - 12p70 , respectively . our data shows that ap - 102 expresses the cytokine milieu with the highest th17 cytokine biased , followed by a close th2 biased and a smaller th1 cytokine milieu . ap - 311 and ap - 312 , induces a strong th2 cytokine milieu , followed by a th17 , and a smaller th1 cytokine profile . ap - 103 , ap - 104 , and ap - 205 showed high th2 - type cytokines , but equally comparably low th1 and th2 . it should be apparent from consideration of the above illustrative examples that numerous exceptionally valuable products and processes are provided by the present disclosure in its many aspects . viewed in light , therefore , the specific disclosures of illustrative examples are clearly not intended to be limiting upon the scope . numerous modifications and variations are expected to occur to those skilled in the art .	0
specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . this invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein ; rather , these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete , and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art . the terminology used in the detailed description of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings is not intended to be limiting of the invention . in the drawings , like numbers refer to like elements . fig1 shows an expanded , deployed frame 10 of a shelter according to one embodiment of the present invention . fig2 a shows the same frame 10 in the collapsed , non - deployed state from a side view , and fig2 b shows the same frame 10 in the collapsed , non - deployed state from a plan view . for the sake of clarity , in the figures , the present invention is shown without a canopy attached to the frame 10 . broadly speaking , the frame 10 employs posts 12 extending upward from post bases 13 to corner assemblies 14 . the corner assemblies 14 function to associate the posts 10 with side trusses 16 , peak trusses 18 , and eave assemblies 30 . fig1 is a simplified plan view of the frame 10 shown in fig1 . for the sake of clarity , an outer perimeter or envelope 72 is shown in fig1 that represents the outer boundary of the shade or shelter provided by expanded shelter having a canopy according to the present invention . it is noted that while fig1 and 14 shows the frame 10 as having an approximately rectangular footprint or floor plan , it is contemplated that the present invention may employ frames 10 that have alternative footprints such as circles , squares , or ovals . in a preferred embodiment , the posts 12 have an approximately rectangular cross - sectional shape . each post 12 has an interior side 66 , an exterior side 68 , and two intermediary sides 70 . with reference to fig1 and 14 , a peak junction 20 functions to associate the peak trusses 18 to one another at a location in the approximate center of the horizontal area occupied by the shelter at an elevation above a height of the top of the posts 12 . in this manner , the peak junction 20 forms a peak or high - point of the roof of the frame 10 . an expanded view of an underside of the peak junction 20 is shown in fig3 . as shown in fig1 , the peak trusses 18 employ peak truss hinges 22 that allow the peak trusses 18 to be folded in order that they may achieve a more compact size when the frame 10 is collapsed . fig4 shows an expanded view of the peak truss hinge 22 . the peak trusses 18 are supported by peak truss supports 19 . a proximal end 17 of the peak truss support 19 is attached to the corner assembly 14 and a distal end 21 of the peak truss support 19 is attached to the peak truss 18 . the side trusses 16 employ a scissor - like assembly spanning between posts 12 . the side trusses 16 have an upper arm 24 and a lower arm 26 that cross one another and attached to one another at a side truss hinge 28 . fig5 shows an expanded view of the side truss hinge 28 . as best shown in fig6 , the eave assembly 30 employs an eave strut 32 having a proximal end 34 attached to the corner assembly 14 and a distal end 36 extending outward from the frame 10 . the eave assembly 30 further comprises a strut support 38 having a proximal end 40 attached to the corner assembly 14 and a distal end 42 attached to the eave strut 32 . when the frame 10 is in a collapsed , non - deployed state , such as shown in fig2 , the distal end 36 of the eave strut 32 pivots towards the post base 13 . when the frame 10 is expanded to an open state , the distal end 36 of the eave strut 32 pivots outward away from the post 12 . as shown in fig6 and 7 , the corner assemblies 14 employ an upper coupling 44 fixed to a upper portion 45 of the post 12 , a lower coupling 46 slidably attached to the post 12 , and a eave slider 48 slidably attached to the post 12 between the upper coupling 44 and the lower coupling 46 . as shown in fig8 a in which the frame 10 is in the deployed , expanded state , the upper coupling 44 serves to attach and associate one post 12 with the upper arms 24 of two different side trusses 16 , one peak truss 18 , and one eave strut 32 . these components are attached to the upper coupling 44 by insertion of an end of the component , for example the proximal end 34 of the eave strut 32 , into a receiving portion 50 formed in and / or by the upper coupling 44 . the component end is secured within the receiving portion 50 by passing a member such as a bolt 52 through a first side of the receiving portion 50 , through the component end , such as the proximal strut end 34 , and through a second side of the receiving portion 50 . the bolt 52 may , for example be secured in position by threading a nut 56 over an end of the bolt 52 opposite a bolt head 54 . fig8 b shows an plan view of the upper coupling 44 when the frame 10 is in the non - deployed , collapsed state . as shown in fig9 and 10 , the lower coupling 46 employs a lower coupling post aperture 58 through which the post 12 is slidably positioned . as seen in fig9 - 11 , the lower coupling 46 serves to attach and associate one post 12 with the lower arms 26 of two different side trusses 16 and the proximal end 17 of one peak truss support 19 . these components are attached to the lower coupling 46 as described above regarding the attachment of components to the upper coupling 44 . as shown in fig5 and 6 , the lower coupling 46 further employs coupling lock 64 which functions to secure the lower coupling 46 at the desired location along the post 12 . the lower coupling lock 64 is a biased or spring - loaded pin lock that is incorporated into the body of the lower coupling 44 . the coupling lock 64 engages a receiving aperture , not shown , formed in post 12 . it will be understood that while the coupling lock 64 has been shown incorporated into an interior side of the lower coupling 46 , the coupling lock 64 may alternatively be incorporated into any of the exterior sides of the lower coupling 46 . with reference to fig6 , and 9 - 12 , the eave slider 48 is positioned on the post 12 between the upper coupling 44 and the lower coupling 46 . the eave slider 48 employs a post aperture 60 through which the post 12 is slidably positioned . the eave slider 48 serves to attached and associate the post 12 with the proximal end 40 of the eave strut support 38 . the proximal end 40 of the eave strut support 38 is attached to the eave slider 48 as described above regarding the attachment of components to the upper coupling 44 . fig1 shows a side view of the eave slider 48 when the frame 10 is in the non - deployed , collapsed state . while fig1 a , 6 , 7 , 9 , 10 , and 12 show that the proximal end 40 of the strut support 38 is attached to the eave slider 48 on the exterior side 68 of the post 12 , it will be understood that other attachment configurations are contemplated . for example , the proximal end 40 of the strut support 38 may alternatively attach to the eave slider 48 on one of the intermediary sides 70 of the post 12 , as shown in fig1 a - 15c . in another embodiment , instead of one longitudinal element , the strut support 38 comprises two longitudinal elements and the proximal ends 40 of the strut supports 38 attach to the eave slider 48 at each of the two intermediary sides 70 . in a preferred embodiment , instead of one longitudinal element , the strut support 38 comprises two longitudinal elements . the proximal ends 40 of the two longitudinal elements of the strut supports 38 pass by each of the two intermediary sides 70 of the post 12 and attach to the eave slider 48 on the interior side 66 of the post 12 , as shown in fig1 . this configuration provides at least two advantages to the frame 10 . first , by positioning the pivot point for the proximal end 40 of the strut supports 38 on the interior side of the post 12 , a sharper angle is formed at the point where the strut supports 38 attach to the eave strut 32 . this , in turn provides for smoother operation , i . e . smoother expanding and collapsing of the eave assemblies 30 and the frame 10 . second , employing two longitudinal elements of the strut support 38 increases strength of the eave assemblies 30 and , more particularly , aids in preventing the eave assemblies from moving laterally . this advantage is further enhanced by the increased rigidity provided by passing the longitudinal elements of the strut support 38 on each side of the post 12 . the post 12 serving as a lateral truss between the two longitudinal elements . in one embodiment of the present invention , the corner assembly 14 and hence the frame 10 , is further improved by employing an eave stop 62 . with reference to fig6 , 8a , 9 - 11 , and 15a , the eave stop 62 is a projection from the post 12 that is fixed at a desired distance along a length of the post 12 above which it is undesirable for the eave slider 48 to travel . as shown in the figures , in one embodiment of the present invention , the eave stop 62 employs a bolt 52 passed through the post 12 with a nut 56 threaded onto the end of the bolt 52 opposite the bolt head 54 . the eave stop 62 may be positioned on one side of the post 12 but is preferably positioned on two opposite sides of the post 12 . for example , it is contemplated that eave stops 62 be placed on both of the intermediary sides 70 of the post 12 or one eave spot 62 on the interior side 66 of the post 12 and one eave stop on the exterior side 68 of the post 12 . the eave stop 62 is particularly advantageous in that the eave stop 62 assists in securing the eave slider 48 in the desired position on the post 12 . in operation , when the frame 10 is transitioned from a collapsed state to an expanded , deployed state , the lower coupling 46 is urged upward towards the upper portion 45 of the post 12 causing expansion of the truss network comprising the peak trusses 18 and side trusses 16 . the lower coupling 46 contacts the eave slider 48 and urges the eaves slider 48 upward along the post 12 . as the eave slider 48 moves upward along the post 12 , the eave slider 48 causes the eave strut 32 to pivot outward away from the exterior side 68 of the post 12 , thereby providing support for a canopy eave , not shown , that is configured to extend beyond the perimeter of the posts 12 of the frame 10 . the lower coupling lock 64 eventually locks into place on the post 12 when the frame 10 is in the fully expanded , deployed state . in harsh environmental conditions such as high winds , there is a risk that the canopy of the shelter is caught by the wind and is caused move or deform the frame 10 that supports the canopy . this is especially problematic due to cantilever - like configuration of the eave assemblies 30 . in order to prevent the eave assemblies 30 from being forced upward in such a circumstance , the eave stop 62 is disposed on the post 12 . in the event the wind on the canopy urges the eave assembly 30 in the upwards direction , an upper surface of the eave slider 48 contacts the eave stop 62 . the eave stop 62 thereby prevents the upward movement or the eave slider 48 and , hence , the deformation of the eave assembly 30 . of particular importance to certain embodiments of the present invention is the orientation of the rectangular posts 12 relative to the other components of the frame 10 . as best shown in fig7 - 11 and particularly in fig1 , the posts 12 of the frame 10 of the present invention are rotated approximately 45 degrees relative to the envelope 84 of the deployed frame 10 . stated alternately , the posts 12 are rotated such that the peak trusses 18 attach to the upper coupling 44 which is attached to the post 12 such that a angle 72 of approximately 90 degrees is formed between the peak trusses 18 and the with the interior side 60 of the posts 12 . likewise , the eave struts 32 extend perpendicularly from the exterior side 68 of the posts 12 . in contrast , the side trusses 16 attach to the upper coupling 44 and lower coupling 46 which are attached to the post 12 such that a angle 74 of approximately 45 degrees is formed between the side trusses 16 and the with the intermediary sides 70 of the posts 12 . by way of comparison , as shown in fig1 , prior art collapsible shelter frames 80 employ posts 12 that are positioned such that the sides of the posts 12 are parallel to the sides of the shelter envelope 82 . likewise , the peak trusses 18 of the prior art shelter frames 80 attach to the posts 12 at a corner of the posts 12 and form an angle of approximately 45 degrees with the sides of the post 12 . the orientation of the posts 12 relative to the envelope 84 and other components of the frame 10 of the shelter of the present invention provides distinct advantages over the prior art shelters . for example , the rotation of the posts of the frame 10 of the present invention results in a space occurring between the exterior side 68 of the post 12 and the corner of the shelter envelope when the frame 10 is in the collapsed state . within this space , the eave strut 32 and strut support 38 of the eave assembly 30 are disposed , when the frame 10 is in the collapsed state . as a result , a collapsible shelter having an eave feature according to the present invention can be collapsed into substantially the same envelope as that of a shelter that does not provide an eave . further advantages are provided by the orientation of the post 12 of the frame 10 by imparting increased resistance to lateral forces , such as wind , to the frame 10 . one of skill in the art will understand that the frame structure 10 of the present invention may be constructed from a variety of materials known in the art to facilitate light - weight designs and foldability . for example , the posts 12 , the peak trusses 18 , the peak truss supports 19 , the side trusses 16 , the eave struts 32 , and the strut supports 38 may be formed of an alloy including , but not limited to , tubular and / or solid aluminum . the upper coupling 44 , the lower coupling 46 , the eave slider 48 , the peak junction 20 , the side truss hinges 28 , and other similar components may be formed of , for example , a solid alloy or a molded plastic . although a particular embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described , various changes may be made in the form , composition , construction and arrangement of the parts herein without departing from the scope of the invention . accordingly , the examples discussed above should be taken as being illustrative and not limiting in any sense .	4
referring now to the drawings , wherein like numerals reflect like elements , throughout the several views , fig1 shows a cold rolling train 1 comprising two reversing stands 2 , 3 — in this case with four - high stands having work rolls 4 , 4 ′; 5 , 5 ′ and backup rolls 6 , 6 ′; 7 , 7 ′. the two reversing stands 2 , 3 are disposed between two reels 8 , 9 , which can provide the necessary tension for the reeling or unreeling in reversing operation . a reel 10 serves for the taking - off hot rolled strip for the first pass and possibly for coiling the hot rolled strip of an upstream located processing line . the reel 10 can operate with a lower tensile force , compared to the reels 8 , 9 . the strip , which has to be taken - off the reel 10 during the reversing process in the course of which reels 8 and 9 are used , can be prepared to such an extent that following one rolling process , the next strip can be rolled without any large delay . fig1 ( a ) and 1 ( b ) show a partial schematic view of fig1 where the working rolls have been moved out of the backup rolls plane , in the strip travelling direction . the working rolls 4 , 4 ′ and 5 , 5 ′ are disposed to be offset relative to the vertical plan formed by the backup rolls 6 , 6 ′, 7 . 7 ′. the arrows 18 , 19 show the respective travel direction of the strip . the working rolls are horizontally displaced counter to the respective direction of the strip . during the reversing process , the displacement device 20 causes an appropriate displacement of the working rolls , counter to the respective travel direction of the strip of the following pass . it is outlined in broken dotted lines in these figures that the reversing stands can also be six high rolling stands . in that case , the rolls 6 , 6 ′, 7 , 7 ′ are used as intermediate rolls , while rolls 21 , 21 ′, 22 , 22 ′ constitute backups rolls . the displacement device can ( in case of utilizing a six high rolling stand ) if need be , also horizontally displace the intermediate rolls instead of the work rolls . herein , the displacement of the intermediate rolls must however be counter to the horizontal travel direction of the strip in the following rolling pass . fig2 depicts friction driven rolls in the work rolls 4 , 4 ′ ( 5 , 5 ′). drives 11 , 11 ′ operate through a gear box 12 and spindles 13 , 13 ′ upon the backup rolls 6 , 6 ′ ( 7 , 7 ′). a roll changing device 14 pushes , in the course of work roll changes , the new prepared set of work rolls from the changing table 15 into the stand . the work rolls present in the stand are pushed herein upon the depositing or storage table 16 . this enables a rapid change of work rolls . for instance , three to five passes can be performed with one set of work rolls and the respectively last pass ( for instance pass 4 or pass 6 ) can be performed after the work rolls have been replaced by a set of work rolls having a different roughness . fig2 a shows a cold roll stand of another embodiment of a reversing cold roll train according to the present invention , in which the work rolls 4 and 4 ′ are driven directly from the drive 11 ″ through the gear box 12 ′ and spindles 13 and 13 ′. with such directly driven work rolls , no horizontal stabilization is necessary , independent of the wear of rolls 4 , 4 ′. the rapid work roll exchange , which was described above with reference to fig2 is not any more possible , because the drive spindles 13 ″ and 13 ″′ located on the drive side prevent the positioning of a new work roll set . to this end , there is provided on the service side of the rolls and a changing device 14 ′ and a changing table 15 ′. during the work rolls exchange , the changing device 14 pulls the used work roll set out of the stand and places it on the changing table 15 ′. then , the changing table 15 ′ is operated to place a new work roll set in front of the stand , and the changing device 14 ′ pushes the new work roll set into the stand . the quick work roll exchange is used , as it has already been mentioned above , for replacing a used set with a new one having different roughness . advantageously such work roll exchange is provided for the final pass , in order to obtain a desired roughness of the strip surface . of course , the work roll exchange can be effected not only for the final pass . the rapid work roll exchange can also be used for intermediate passes which require the use of working rolls having different diameters . fig3 a and 3 b show the two - stand reversing train downstream of a push type pickling installation 17 . the reel 10 can be seen in fig3 a , which reels up the strip emerging from the pickling installation 17 , while the previous strip is rolled in the cold rolling train 1 in a reversing manner . following thereupon , the reel 10 serves for unreeling the strip into the cold rolling train . fig3 b shows that the reel 10 ′ is a tension / pay - of reel which permits a simultaneous reeling and unreeling of the strip emerging from the push type pickling installation and also permits directing of the same towards the cold rolling train 1 . while the preferred embodiment of the invention has been depicted in detail , modifications and adaptations may be made thereto , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , as delineated in the following claims :	1
fig1 is a drawing of a linear rail bar according to the present , invention , as shown in fig1 a linear rail bar comprises a track 1 , a slider body 2 , and two end caps 3 . there are grooves 11 formed o n the outer surface of the track 1 , while grooves 21 corresponding to the former grooves 11 are formed on the slider body 2 , and a returning passage 22 for balls 4 and spacers 5 is also formed on the slide r body 2 . the returning passage 22 and a turning passage 31 in the two end caps 3 form a load free passage for the balls , and the grooves 11 on the track 1 and the grooves 21 on the slider body 2 form a loaded passage of the balls . the two passages mentioned above constitute a recycling passage for a plurality of balls 4 and the spacers 5 to continuously move along when the slider body 2 moves along the track 1 . the spacer 5 is interposed between two adjacent balls 4 so as to evade collision and impact between the two balls 4 . the balls 4 rotate in the passages , while the spacers 5 do not rotate . fig2 is a three dimensional view of the spacer shown in fig1 and fig3 is a cross - sectional view of a spacer and a ball . the spacer 5 is formed into a cylindrical body having a side surface 51 and two inwardly concaved surface 52 at both ends , the contact edges of the cylindrical side surface 51 and the inwardly concaved surfaces 52 are beveled with bevel angles 53 . a let through hole 54 is formed through the spacer 5 to let out excessive lubrication oil that can exude from oil film on the ball 4 and to transfer by and impart the excess oil to other balls 4 that may lack oil so that all of the balls 4 may be lubricated uniformly . the existence of the let through hole 54 in the spacer 5 can attain a dual purpose for lubrication and cooling the linear rail bar . fig4 is a drawing showing a spacer in the turning passage of the linear rail bar . since the turning passage 31 is formed in an arcuate shape with a small curvature , the spacer 5 is forced to closely approach the inner side of the turning passage 31 , when it is passed along the turning passage 31 with the balls 4 . in this situation , the spacer 5 which is in contact with the walls of the passage 31 will urge a normal pressure thereon due to the insufficient room allowable for turning . this normal pressure to the wall surface of the passage 31 increases frictional resistance to the liner rail bar . to eliminate such a disadvantage , the cylindrical side surface 51 of the spacer 5 is formed into two truncated conical surfaces . as shown in fig4 the minimum radius of curvature of the wall of the turning passage 31 is rp , whereas the radius of the conical surface 51 at the middle portion is rs which is preferably not larger than rp . in order to minimize the contact area between the ball and the spacer so as to protect the oil film formed on the ball surface , an improvement is made as shown in fig5 . in this embodiment , the inwardly concaved surface 52 of the spacer 5 is formed into two inwardly concaved conical arcuate surfaces 521 , 522 of the same radius which are slightly larger than radius of the ball 4 so that the contact between the ball 4 and the surfaces 521 , 522 become contact points . it was discovered that when the ratio of radius rr of arcuate surfaces 521 , 522 to the diameter of the ball is at the range 0 . 5 ˜ 0 . 8 , a satisfactory result is obtained . moreover , the angle formed between the contact point and the center line is preferably in the range 20 °- 40 °. fig6 is a view similar to a cross - sectional view of fig5 cut along line a — a . to eliminate the disadvantage that the lubricating oil can not pass smoothly through the closed contact surface between the ball 4 and the spacer 5 , and instead , pass via the let through hole , the inwardly concaved surface 52 of the spacer 5 of this embodiment is formed into a sinuate shaped stripes 523 so as to divide the contact surface mentioned above into a plurality of intermittent contact points , thereby improving the flow of lubricating oil and lowering frictional resistance . those who are skilled in the art will readily perceive how to modify the invention . therefore , the appended claims are to be constructed to cover all equivalent structures which fall within the true scope and spirit of the invention .	5
the first example of a heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 to 6 . the heat exchanger shown in fig1 is configured so that a plate - shaped cooling medium flow portion 11 and a wave - shaped cooling fin 12 are alternately laminated . the cooling medium flow portion 11 is formed by laminating substantially rectangular flat panels 13 and 14 which have been subjected to drawing as shown in fig2 and brazing their outer peripheral portions and their central portions . the upper portion of the cooling medium flow portion 11 is provided with a cooling medium inlet 15 and a cooling medium outlet 16 in parallel . as the result of brazing the outer peripheral portions and the central portions of the flat plates 13 and 14 , a u - shaped type cooling medium flow path r which runs downward from a cooling medium inlet 15 and returns back at the lower end portion to pass through a cooling medium outlet 16 is formed within the cooling medium flow portion 11 . in the cooling medium flow portion 11 is formed a plurality of dimples 17 by denting the flat plates 13 and 14 which form the cooling medium flow path r from the outside , and these dimples 17 form a plurality of bulged portions ( protrusions ) 18 in the cooling medium flow path r . each of these bulged portions 18 has an elliptic shape which defines the flow w direction of the cooling medium as the major diameter when viewed in a plane view as shown in fig3 . by brazing opposed top portions 18 a of the bulged portions 18 an elliptic cross - sectioned cylindrical portion 19 is formed between the flat plates 13 and 14 . the shape of the cylindrical portion 19 is not limited to an ellipse but it may be an oval . the cooling medium inlet 15 is composed of opening portions 13 a and 14 a formed in the flat plates 13 and 14 , respectively . the cooling medium inlets 15 provided in each cooling medium flow portion 11 are butted to each other without sandwiching the cooling fin 12 as shown in fig4 so that continuous space sin on the inlet side is formed . the cooling medium inlet 15 is composed of opening portions 13 a and 14 a formed in the flat plates 13 and 14 , respectively . also , the cooling medium inlet 16 is composed of opening portions 13 b and 14 b formed in the flat plates 13 and 14 , respectively . the cooling medium inlets 16 provided in each cooling medium flow portion 11 are butted to each other without sandwiching the cooling fin 12 as shown in fig5 so that continuous space sout on the outlet side is formed . in the above - mentioned structured heat exchanger the cooling medium is distributed into each of the cooling medium flow portions 11 in the process of running through the space sin on the inlet side in the direction of the arrow in the fig4 and the distributed cooling medium is vaporized in the process of passing through the cooling medium flow path r , and the cooling is collected again in the space sout on the outlet side thereby to flow out . while the cooling medium is flows through the cooling medium flow path r the cooling medium collides as a result against the cylindrical portion 19 provided in the cooling medium flow path r , whereby turbulence occurs in the flow of the cooling medium and the thermal conductivity is enhanced by the turbulence effect . further , in the case of the heat exchanger of the present example , the bulged portions 18 are provided in such a manner that they gradually become fewer as the cooling medium flows downstream in the flow direction of the cooling medium in the cooling medium flow path r , as shown in fig6 . accordingly , the cylindrical portions 19 are provided in such a manner that they gradually become fewer ( the number of the cylindrical portions 19 is gradually reduced ) as the cooling medium flows downstream . thus , the cross - sectional area of the cooling medium flow path r is increased as the cooling medium flows downstream . in a heat exchanger used as an evaporator the dryness of a cooling medium is gradually increased ( the gas phase is further increases in proportion to the liquid phase ) as the cooling medium flows downstream in the cooling medium flow path r . accordingly , the specific volume of the cooling medium and the flow path resistance are gradually increase as the cooling medium flows downstream . on the other hand , in the present example by gradually decreasing the number of cylindrical portions 19 thereby to gradually increase the cross - sectional area of the cooling medium flow path r in accordance with the increase in the specific volume of the cooling medium along the flow direction , the flow path resistance of the cooling medium is decreased as the cooling medium flows downstream . as the result , the thermal conductivities are kept at higher values over the entire area of the cooling medium flow path r and pressure losses are kept at lower values . therefore , the heat exchangeability when used as an evaporator of a heat exchanger is enhanced . the second example of a heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig7 . in the following each example , the same reference numerals are used for the components already described in the above - described first example and the descriptions thereof are omitted . in this heat exchanger the bulged portions 18 are formed in such a manner that they gradually become smaller as the cooling medium flows downstream in the flow direction of the cooling medium as shown in fig7 . accordingly , the cylindrical portions 19 are also formed in such a manner that they gradually become smaller as the cooling medium flows downstream . thus , the cross - sectional area of the cooling medium flow path r is increased as the cooling medium flows downstream . further , in this example the bulged portions , which are diagonally adjacent to each other with respect to the flow direction of the cooling medium are arranged in zigzag pattern so that they partly overlap along the flow direction of the cooling medium . accordingly , the respective cylindrical portions 19 are arranged zigzag . in this heat exchanger , by forming the cylindrical portions 19 which become gradually smaller thereby to gradually increase the cross - sectional area of the cooling medium flow path r in accordance with increase in the specific volume of the cooling medium which flows upstream to downstream , the flow path resistance of the cooling medium is decreased as the cooling medium flows downstream . as the result , the thermal conductivities are kept at higher values over the entire area of the cooling medium flow path r and pressure losses are kept at lower values . therefore , the heat exchangeability when used as an evaporator of a heat exchanger is enhanced . further , in the cylindrical portions 19 , which are diagonally adjacent to each other with respect to the flow direction of the cooling medium , the front end portion of a cylindrical portion 19 which is positioned downstream of the rear end portion of an upstream cylindrical portion , becomes the upstream side of the flow direction . accordingly , the local thermal conductivity , which tends to be reduced at the rear end portion of a cylindrical portion 19 which is positioned upstream is compensated by the cylindrical portion 19 which is positioned downstream . as the result , the thermal conductivity of the entire cooling medium flow portion 11 is enhanced . additionally , the cylindrical portions 19 are regularly arranged along the flow direction of the cooling medium , and an extent of a joint portion which is positioned at the top portions 18 a can be generally ensured . thus , in any cross - section of the cooling flow portion 11 in the flow direction of the cooling medium , two flat plates 13 and 14 are joined to each other by adhesion of the bulged portions 18 whereby the joint strength of the cooling medium flow portion can be enhanced . therefore , even if the flat plates 13 and 14 are thin , a sufficient pressure resistance is imparted to the cooling flow portion 11 . the third example of a heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig8 to 10 . in the heat exchanger of the present example , by forming brazed portions positioned at the central portions of the flat plates 13 and 14 in positions biased to the forward path side as shown in fig8 to 10 , the flow path cross - section of the cooling flow path r corresponding to the backward path can be made larger than the flow path cross - section of the cooling flow path r corresponding to the forward path . in this heat exchanger , by making the flow path cross - section of the cooling flow path rf corresponding to the backward ( return ) path larger than the flow path cross - section of the cooling flow path rf corresponding to the forward path in accordance with the increase in the specific volume of the cooling medium which flows from the upstream toward the downstream , the flow path resistance of the cooling medium is decreased and the thermal conductivities are kept at higher values over the entire area of the cooling medium flow path r and also pressure losses are kept at lower values . therefore , the heat exchangeability when used as an evaporator of a heat exchanger is enhanced . incidentally , in the present example the sizes of the flow path cross - sections of the cooling flow paths r were differentiated between the forward path and the backward path by biasing the positions of brazed portions positioned at the central portions of the flat plates 13 and 14 . however , a difference may be imparted to the flow path cross - sections between the forward path and the backward path by changing the size of the dimple . the fourth example of a heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 to 13 . in the heat exchanger of the present example , the cooling medium outlet 16 is formed with a larger size than the cooling medium inlet 15 as shown in fig1 to 13 . in this heat exchanger , by forming the cooling medium outlet 16 in a larger size than the cooling medium inlet 15 in accordance with an increase in the specific volume of the cooling medium which flows from the upstream toward the downstream , flow path resistance of the cooling medium in the vicinity of the cooling medium outlet 16 is decreased . thus , thermal conductivities are kept at higher values over the entire area of the cooling medium flow path r and also pressure losses are kept at lower values . therefore , the heat exchangeability when used as an evaporator of a heat exchanger is enhanced . incidentally , in the present example a heat exchanger in which one space sin on the inlet side and one space sout on the outlet side are provided was described . however , by providing one space sin on the inlet side and two spaces sout on the outlet side the total opening areas of the two cooling medium outlets 16 may become larger than the opening area of the cooling medium inlet 15 . the fifth example of a heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 to 16 . in the heat exchanger of the present example , protrusions ( restricting portions ) 20 which restrict the flow of a flowing cooling medium and lead a part of the cooling medium to a cooling medium inlet 15 composed of openings 13 a and 14 a are provided in an inlet side space sin formed on the cooling medium inlet 15 side , as shown in fig1 . the protrusion 20 is integrally provided with the flat plate 13 by carrying out barring around the opening 13 a and protrudes on the upstream side of the flow direction of the cooling medium so that it is fitted to the opening 14 a of the adjacent cooling medium flow portion 11 . when the protrusion 20 which restricts the flow of the cooling medium is formed in the inlet side space sin , a flow of a part of the cooling medium which flows in the inlet side space sin is restricted so that it is obstructed with the protrusion 20 , and the cooling medium is introduced from the cooling medium inlet 15 to the cooling medium flow path r . thus , relatively much cooling medium is distributed to the cooling medium flow portion 11 positioned on the upstream side of the cooling medium flow portion 11 where a cooling medium was apt to remain . as the result , a uniform heat exchange can be carried out in all of the plurality of cooling flow portions and the heat exchangeability of the heat exchanger is enhanced . further , since the protrusion 20 can be easily formed by barring the periphery of the opening portion 13 a during drawing of the flat plate 13 , there are almost no increases in the production processes or cost which for formation of the protrusion 20 . the degree of restriction of the cooling by the protrusion 20 can be appropriately set by varying the size of the protrusion 20 and adjusting the orientation of the protrusion 20 during drawing of the flat plate 13 , whereby the cooling medium can be distributed uniformly . incidentally , in the present example the protrusion 20 was provided on the flat plate 13 . however , it can be provided on the flat plate 14 . alternatively , the protrusion 20 may be formed with another member and brazed at the same time when the flat plates 13 and 14 are brazed . alternatively , for example , as shown in fig1 and 16 , the cooling medium flow path r communicating with the space sin on the inlet may be deformed so that the flow path cross - section of it is gradually reduced toward the downstream side of the flow direction of the cooling medium at an inlet portion where the cooling medium flows from the space sin on the inlet side to the cooling medium flow path r ( corresponding to portion a in fig1 and 16 ). in this case , although the outlet portion is not shown , the region where the cooling medium flows from the cooling medium flow path r to the space sout on the outlet , is also deformed so as to gradually increase as the cooling medium flows downstream in the flow direction . these deformations are made when the flat plates 13 and 14 are subjected to drawing . by gradually reducing the flow path cross - section of the cooling medium flow path r communicating with the space sin on the inlet side as the cooling medium flows downstream in the flow direction of the cooling medium , the rapid reduction of the cooling medium flow path r is decreased , whereby the pressure loss of the cooling medium which flows from the space sin on the inlet side to the cooling medium flow path r is decreased . similarly , by gradually magnifying the flow path cross - section of the cooling medium flow path r communicating with the space sout on the outlet side as the cooling medium flows downstream in the flow direction of the cooling medium , the rapid increase of the cooling medium flow path r is decreased whereby the pressure loss of the cooling medium which flows from the cooling medium flow path r to the space sout on the outlet side is decreased . as the results , the pressure losses at the inlet and outlet of the cooling medium flow path r are decreased and the heat exchangeability of the heat exchanger is enhanced . in this example as shown in fig1 a shape of the wall surface of the cooling medium flow path r is curved . however , the wall surface shape of that portion is not limited to a curved shape . for example , as shown in fig1 the shape of the wall surface of the cooling medium flow path r may be wedge - shaped . the sixth example of a heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 to 21 . in the heat exchanger of the present example as shown in fig1 and 18 the opening portion 13 a of a flat plate 13 which forms a cooling medium inlet 15 is formed in such a manner that it is smaller than the opening portion 14 a of a flat plate 14 which also forms a cooling medium inlet 15 and the center of the opening portion 13 a is shifted from the center of the opening portion 14 a . additionally , as shown in fig1 the opening portions 14 a in the respective cooling medium flow portions 11 are arranged at the same positions . on the other hand , the openings 13 a in the respective cooling medium flow portions 11 are arranged at different positions . that is , the portion where the opening portion 13 a is formed acts as a baffle plate 21 which hinders the flow of the cooling medium into the opening portion 14 a in laminated cooling flow portions 11 . further , the opening portions 13 a formed in adjacent baffle plates 21 are arranged in such a manner that they are not overlapped in the flow direction of the cooling medium . in this heat exchanger a cooling medium flowing in the space sin on the outlet side is passed through the opening portion 13 a formed in each baffle plate 21 to flow downstream . on the other hand , a cooling medium which dose not pass through the opening portion 13 a is guided by the baffle plate 21 to flow into the cooling medium flow path r . further , since opening portions 13 a formed in adjacent baffle plates 21 are arranged in such a manner that they do not overlap in the flow direction of the cooling medium , when for example a part of a cooling medium passing through the opening portion 13 a of an upstream baffle plate 21 a passes through the opening portion 13 a of the adjacent downstream baffle plate 21 b , it is hindered from flowing by the baffle plate 21 b and cannot pass through the opening portion 13 a whereby this part of the cooling medium is guided by the baffle plate 21 b and flows into the cooling medium flow path r . as described above , by arranging the opening portions 13 a provided in the adjacent baffle plates so that they do not overlap , relatively much cooling medium is distributed to the cooling medium flow portion 11 positioned on the upstream side of the cooling medium flow portion 11 where the cooling medium was apt to remain . as the result , uniform heat exchange can be carried out by every one of the plurality of cooling flow portions , and the heat exchangeability of the heat exchanger is enhanced . incidentally , the number of opening portions 13 a formed on the baffle plate 21 is not limited . for example , as shown in fig2 a plurality of opening portions 13 a having different sizes may be provided in the baffle plate 21 . additionally , for example as shown in fig2 the opening portion 13 a of a baffle plate 22 positioned downstream in the flow direction of the cooling medium may be made smaller than that upstream . in this case , when , for example , a part of a cooling medium passing through the opening portion 13 a of the upstream baffle plate 22 a passes through the opening portion 13 a of the adjacent downstream baffle plate 22 b , it is hindered from flowing by the baffle plate 22 b and cannot pass through the opening portion 13 a , whereby this part of the cooling medium is guided by the baffle plate 22 b and flows into the cooling medium flow path r . therefore , even when the opening portion 13 a of a downstream baffle plate 22 in the flow direction of the cooling medium is made smaller than that on the upstream side , relatively much cooling medium is distributed to the cooling medium flow portion 11 positioned upstream of the cooling medium flow portion 11 where a cooling medium was apt to remain . as the result , uniform heat exchange can be carried out in every one of the plurality of cooling flow portions and the heat exchangeability of the heat exchanger is enhanced . the sixth example of a heat exchanger according to the present invention will be described with reference to fig2 to 24 a , 24 b . a cooling medium flow portion is formed by laminating substantially rectangular flat plates 13 and 14 to braze them . the actual production of the heat exchanger is not performed by laminating a plurality of brazed cooling medium flow portions and again brazing them to join them , but by arranging brazing material - clad flat plates 13 and 14 , and a cooling fin 12 in this order to laminate them , assembling them and other parts and placing the assembly in a heating oven ( not shown ) to heat and braze the respective portions . in this case the important point is registering the flat plates 13 and 14 . however , in the heat exchanger of the present example a plurality of spaced positions of outer peripheral portions to be brazed in flat plates 13 and 14 are provided with register ( positioning ) portions 23 as shown in fig2 and 23 . the register portion 23 is composed of a protrusion portion 24 formed in the flat plate 14 and a concave portion 25 formed in the flat plate 13 to be fitted to the protrusion portion 24 in a state where the flat plates 13 and 14 are laminated as shown in fig2 a and 24b . both protrusion portion 24 and concave portion 25 are formed when the flat plates 13 and 14 are subjected to drawing . in this heat exchanger , by laminating the flat plates 13 and 14 thereby to fit the protrusion portion 24 to the concave portion 25 the registering of both the flat plates 13 and 14 can be performed . that is , when this register portions 23 are used , the conventional step of closing a claw is omitted and the material which is required for forming the claw is not needed . as a result , a reduction of assembly time and production costs can be made . further , since a plurality of register portions 23 is provided at the outer peripheral portions of the flat plates 13 and 14 to be brazed , the accuracy of registering is enhanced and production errors in the heat exchanger are kept at a lower level . additionally , since the protrusion portion 24 and the concave portion 25 are formed by drawing the flat plates 13 and 14 , no excess material is needed and no excess steps for working them needed . therefore , even if the register portions 23 are provided no excess production cost is required . incidentally , in the present example the protrusion portion 24 and the concave portion 25 a are respectively formed in the flat plates 14 and 13 . however , the protrusion portion 24 and the concave portion 25 can be respectively formed in the flat plates 13 and 14 . alternatively , both protrusion portion 24 and concave portion 25 may be formed in the flat plate 13 or the flat plate 14 so that the flat plates 13 and 14 are laminated to fit to each other . further , in the present example the register portion 23 was formed by combining the protrusion portion 24 with the concave portion 25 . of course , the same effects can also be obtained by use of for example a hole instead of the concave portion 25 . in this case if this hole is formed in the step of removing the flat plate 14 from a mold , no excess production cost is required . incidentally , in examples 3 to 7 the respective bulged portions 18 diagonally adjacent to each other with respect to the flow direction of the cooling medium are arranged in a zigzag pattern as in example 2 so that parts of the bulged portions overlap along the flow direction of the cooling medium and the respective cylindrical portions 19 are arranged accordingly . therefore , in examples 3 to 7 , in the cylindrical portions 19 which are diagonally adjacent to each other with respect to the flow direction of the cooling medium , the front end portion of a cylindrical portion 19 which is downstream of the rear end portion of an upstream cylindrical portion , becomes the upstream side of the flow direction . accordingly , the local thermal conductivity which tends to be reduced at the rear end portion of the cylindrical portion 19 which is positioned upstream is compensated by the cylindrical portion 19 which is positioned downstream . as a result , the thermal conductivity of the entire cooling medium flow portion 11 is enhanced . additionally , the cylindrical portions 19 are regularly arranged along the flow direction of the cooling medium , and the joint portion of the top portions 18 a can be widely ensured . thus , the joint strength of the cooling medium flow portion can be enhanced . therefore , even if the flat plates 13 and 14 are thin , sufficient pressure resistance is imparted to the cooling flow portion 11 .	5

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