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the present invention provides a process for the preparation of c2 - fluoro substituted piperazine linked pyrrolo [ 2 , 1 - c ][ 1 , 4 ] benzodiazepines of formula ( ixa - f ) of the drawing accompanying the specification where n is 3 to 1 . 0 which comprises : methyl ( 2s )— n -[ 4 - benzyloxy - 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl ]- 4 - fluorinatedpyrrolidine - 2 - carbonate of formula i was reduced with dibal - h in presence of organic solvent like ch 2 cl 2 cooled to − 78 ° c . for a period of 45 min isolating methyl ( 2s )— n -[ 4 - benzyloxy - 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl ]- 4 - fluorinatedpyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehyde ii by conventional methods , protecting the above compound of formula ii with etsh in presence of organic solvent at room temperature isolating the methyl ( 2s )— n -[ 4 - benzyloxy - 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl ]- 4 - fluorinatedpyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal iii by known methods , reacting the above said thio compound of formula iii with known debenzylating agents in a conventional manner to give ( 2s )— n -[ 4 - hydroxy - 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl ]- 4 - fluorinatedpyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal of formula iv . accordingly , the present process provides a process for preparation for c2 - fluoro substituted piperazine linked pyrrolo [ 2 , 1 - c ][ 1 , 4 ] benzodiazepines of formula of the drawing accompanying the specification where n is 3 to 10 which comprises : reacting ( 2s )— n -[ 4 - hydroxy - 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl ]- 4 - fluorinatedpyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal of formula iv dibromoalkanes in an aprotic water miscible organic solvent like acetone , acetonitrile , thf , and dmf in presence of a mild inorganic bases like k 2 co 3 , csco 3 , and baco 3 upto refluxing temperature for a period upto 48 hours , isolating ( 2s )— n -[ 4 -( n - bromoalkoxy )- 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl ]- 4 - fluorinatedpyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthio - acetal of formula v with piperazine of formula vi in presence of mild inorganic bases like k 2 co 3 , csco 3 , and baco 3 and in the presence of aprotic water miscible organic solvent up to refluxing for a period of 48 hours isolating 1 , 1 ′-{[( bisalkane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - fluorinated - 7 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehyddiethylthioactal ] vii where n is 3 to 10 by conventional method , reducing the above nitro compound of formula vii with sncl 2 . 2h 2 o in presence of organic solvent upto a reflux temperature , isolating the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bisalkane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - fluorinated - 7 - methoxy - 2 - aminobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ] of where n is 3 to 10 by know methods , reacting the above said amino compound of formula viii with known deprotecting agent in a conventional manner to give novel 1 , 1 ′-{[( bisalkane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis [( 11as )- 2 - fluorinated - 7 - methoxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 11a - tetrahydro - 5h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 1 - c ][ 1 , 4 ] benzodiazepine - 5 - one ] of formula ix where in n are as stated above . the precursor , methyl ( 2s )— n -[ 4 - benzyloxy - 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl ]- 4 - fluorinatedpyrrolidine - 2 - carbonate of formula i ( intermediate of dc - 81 ) was prepared by literature method ( dc luca , l . ; giacomelli , g . ; porcheddu , a . org . lett . 2001 , 3 , 3041 ; demange , l . ; menez , a . ; dugave , c . tetrahedron . lett . 1998 , 39 , 1169 ; kamal , a . ; reddy , p . s . m . m . ; reddy , d . r . bioorg . med . chem . lett . 2004 , 14 , 2669 ; kamal , a . ; reddy , p . s . m . m . ; reddy , d . r . ; laxman , e . ; murthy , y . l . n . bioorg . med . chem . lett . 2004 , 14 , 5699 ; thurston , d . e . ; murthy , v . s . ; langley , d . r . ; jones , g . b . synthesis , 1990 , 81 ). same representative compound of formula ix present invention are given below these new analogues of pyrrolo [ 2 , 1 - c ][ 1 , 4 ] benzodiazepines dimers substituted at c2 - position linked at c8 position through piperazine moiety have shown promising anticancer activity in various cell lines . the molecules synthesized are of immense biological significance with potential sequence selective dna - binding property . this resulted in design and synthesis of new congeners as illustrated in scheme 1 and scheme 2 , which comprise : 1 . ether linkage at c - 8 position fluoro substituted at c2 - position of dc - 81 intermediates with piperazine moiety 2 . refluxing the reaction mixture for 24 - 48 h . 3 . synthesis of c8 - linked c2 - fluorosubstituted pbd antitumour antibiotic dimer imines . 4 . purification by column chromatography using different solvents like ethyl acetate , hexane , dichloromethane , chloromethane , and methanol . the process of preparation of new non - cross linking c2 - fluoro substituted piperazine linked pyrrolo [ 2 , 1 - c ][ 1 , 4 ] benzodiazepine is disclosed and claimed in applicant &# 39 ; s co - pending application no . the following examples are given by way of illustration and therefore should not be construed to the present limit of the scope of invention . a solution of ( 2s )— n -( 4 - hydroxy - 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl )- 4 - fluoropyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal iv ( 418 mg , 1 mmol ), 1 , 3 - dibromopropane ( 0 . 365 ml , 3 mmol ) and k 2 co 3 ( 825 mg , 5 mmol ) in dry acetone ( 40 ml ) was refluxed for 48 h . after the completion of reaction as indicated by tlc , etoac - hexane ( 6 : 4 ), the reaction mixture was poured on to the water and then extracted with ethylacetate . evaporation of the organic layer gave the crude product , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting with etoac - hexane ( 1 : 1 ) gave the pure ( 2s )— n -[ 4 -( 4 - bromopropoxy )- 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl )- 4 - fluoropyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal of formula v ( 432 mg , 82 %). 1 h nmr : ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 31 - 1 . 40 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 28 - 2 . 48 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 49 - 2 . 64 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 68 - 2 . 91 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 64 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 99 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 25 ( t , 2h , j = 6 . 0 ), 4 . 56 ( d , 1h , j = 6 . 7 ), 4 . 76 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 0 - 5 . 33 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 88 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 68 ( s , 1h ) lcms : m / z 539 . 4 ( m + + na ). a solution of ( 2s )— n -[ 4 -( 4 - bromopropoxy )- 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl )- 4 - fluoropyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal of formula v . ( 539 mg , 1 mmol ), piperazine ( 43 mg , 0 . 5 mmol ) of the formula vi and k 2 co 3 ( 1380 mg , 10 mmol ) in dry acetone ( 20 ml ) was refluxed for 48 h . after the completion of reaction as indicated by tlc , etoac , the reaction mixture was on to the water and then extracted with ethylacetate . evaporation of the organic layer gave the crude product , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting with etoac - hexane ( 9 : 1 ) gave the pure 1 , 1 ′-{[( bispropane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - fluoro7 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ] ( 441 mg , 82 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 29 - 1 . 36 ( m , 12h ), 2 . 02 - 2 . 11 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 46 - 2 . 69 ( m , 12h ), 2 . 73 - 2 . 89 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 39 - 3 . 62 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 93 - 3 . 94 ( t , 4h ), 4 . 17 ( t , 4h ), 4 . 52 ( d , 2h , j = 6 . 79 ), 4 . 72 ( q , 2h , j = 6 . 79 ), 5 . 07 - 5 . 29 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 84 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 65 ( s , 2h ) esims : m / z 1003 ( m + ). the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bispropane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - fluoro7 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ]. vii ( 1004 mg , 1 . 0 mmol ) was dissolved in methanol ( 20 ml ) and added sncl 2 . 2h 2 o ( 2 . 25 mg , 10 mmol ) was refluxed for 1 . 5 h . the reaction mixture was then carefully adjusted to ph 8 with saturated nahco 3 solution and then extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 30 ml ). the combined organic phase was dried over na 2 so 4 and evaporated under vacuum to afford the crude . the 1 , 1 -{[( bispropane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - fluoro - 7 - methoxy - 2 - aminobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal ]( 803 mg , 80 %). a solution of the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bispropane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - fluoro - 7 - methoxy - 2 - aminobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ] of formula viii ( 944 mg , 1 mmol ), hgcl 2 ( 1035 mg , 5 mmol ) and caco 3 ( 500 mg , 5 mmol ) in ch 3 cn / h 2 o ( 4 : 1 , 16 ml ) was stirred at room temperature for 12 h . until tlc ( etoac ), indicates complete loss of starting material . then organic layer is evaporated in vacuum and the residue is diluted with etoac . to this saturated nahco 3 was added slowly at room temperature and the mixture is filtered through celite and washed with ethylacetate . the filterate is evaporated in vacuum to get crude . 1 , 1 ′-{[( bispropane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis [( 11as )- 2 - fluoro - 7 - methoxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 11a - tetrahydro - 5h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 1 - c ][ 1 , 4 ] benzodiazepine - 5 - one ], of formula ixa , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting first with ethyl acetate to remove traces of mercuric salts and further eluted with chcl 3 - methanol ( 9 : 1 ) ( 613 mg , 65 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 73 - 2 . 1 ( m , 8h ), 2 . 45 - 2 . 76 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 46 - 3 . 91 ( m , 10h ), 3 . 93 ( s , 6h ), 4 . 02 - 4 . 25 ( m , 4h ), 5 . 35 - 5 . 48 ( dt , 2h ), 6 . 85 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 49 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 86 ( d , 2h , j = 3 . 66 hz ) esims : m / z 695 ( m + + 1 ). a solution of ( 2s )— n -( 4 - hydroxy - 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl )- 4 - fluoropyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal iv ( 418 mg , 1 mmol ), 1 , 4 - dibromobutane ( 0 . 35 ml 3 mmol ) and k 2 co 3 ( 675 mg , 5 mmol ) in dry acetone ( 30 ml ) was refluxed for 48 h . after the completion of reaction as indicated by tlc , etoac - hexan ( 6 : 4 ), the reaction mixture was poured on to the water and then extracted with ethylacetate . evaporation of the organic layer gave the crude product , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting with etoac - hexan ( 1 : 1 ) gave the pure ( 2s )— n -[ 4 -( 5 - bromobutanoxy )- 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl )- 4 - fluoropyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal of formula v ( 355 mg , 85 %). 1 h nmr : ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 26 - 1 . 43 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 01 - 2 . 46 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 49 - 2 . 67 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 70 - 2 . 95 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 58 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 99 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 25 ( t , 2h , j = 6 . 0 ), 4 . 55 ( d , 1h , j = 6 . 7 ), 4 . 73 - 4 . 79 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 0 - 5 . 33 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 89 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 69 ( s , 1h ) lcms : m / z 553 ( m + ). a solution of ( 2s )— n -[ 4 -( 5 - bromobutanoxy )- 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl )- 4 - fluoropyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehyde diethyl thioacetal of formula v . ( 553 mg , 1 mmol ), piperazine ( 43 mg , 0 . 5 mmol ) of the formula vi and k 2 co 3 ( 4014 mg , 10 mmol ) in dry acetone ( 30 ml ) was refluxed for 48 h . after the completion of reaction as indicated by tlc , etoac , the reaction mixture was on to the water and then extracted with ethylacetate . evaporation of the organic layer gave the crude product , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting with etoac - hexane ( 9 : 1 ) gave the pure 1 , 1 ′-{[( bisbutane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - fluoro7 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehyddiethylthioactal ] ( 447 mg , 81 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 29 - 1 . 41 ( m , 12h ), 1 . 7 - 1 . 97 ( m , 8h ), 2 . 33 - 2 . 70 ( m , 12h ), 2 . 71 - 2 . 89 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 39 - 3 . 66 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 90 - 3 . 93 ( t , 4h ), 3 . 96 ( s , 6h ), 4 . 1 ( t , 4h ), 4 . 5 ( d , 2h , j = 7 . 5 ), 4 . 2 ( q , 2h , j = 6 . 79 ), 5 . 0 - 5 . 27 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 84 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 60 ( s , 2h ). the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bisbutane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - fluoro7 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ]. vii ( 1032 mg , 1 . 0 mmol ) was dissolved in methanol ( 20 ml ) and added sncl 2 . 2h 2 o ( 2025 mg , 10 mmol ) was refluxed for 1 . 5 h . the reaction mixture was then carefully adjusted to ph 8 with saturated nahco 3 solution and then extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 30 ml ). the combined organic phase was dried over na 2 so 4 and evaporated under vacuum to afford the crude . the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bisbutane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - fluoro - 7 - methoxy - 2 - aminobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ] ( 825 mg , 80 %). a solution of the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bisbutane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - fluoro - 7 - methoxy - 2 - aminobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ]. of formula viii ( 968 mg , 1 mmol ), hgcl 2 ( 1035 mg , 5 mot ) and caco 3 ( 500 mg , 5 mmol ) in ch 3 cn / h 2 o ( 4 : 1 , 16 ml ) was stirred at room temperature for 12 h until tlc ( etoac ), indicates complete loss of starting material . then organic layer is evaporated in vacuum and the residue is diluted with etoac . to this saturated nahco3 was added slowly at room temperature and the mixture is filtered through celite and washed with ethylacetate . the filterate is evaporated in vacuum to get crude 1 , 1 ′-{[( bisbutane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis [( 11as )- 2 - fluoro - 7 - methoxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 11a - tetrahydro - 5h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 1 - c ][ 1 , 4 ] benzodiazepine - 5 - one ], of formula ixb , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting first with ethyl acetate to remove traces of mercuric salts and further eluted with chcl 3 - methanol ( 9 : 1 ) ( 580 mg , 60 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 26 - 1 . 94 ( m , 8h ), 2 . 11 - 2 . 47 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 59 - 2 . 75 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 48 - 3 . 86 ( m , 10h ), 3 . 93 ( s , 6h ), 4 . 0 - 4 . 25 ( m , 4h ), 5 . 27 - 5 . 55 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 82 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 49 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 85 ( d , 2h , j = 4 . 4 hz ). a solution of ( 2s )— n -( 4 - hydroxy - 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl )- 4 - fluoropyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal iv ( 418 mg , 1 mmol ), 1 , 5 - dibromopantane ( 0 . 5 ml , 0 . 5 mmol ) and k 2 co 3 ( 690 mg , 5 mmol ) in dry acetone ( 40 ml ) was refluxed for 48 h . after the completion of reaction as indicated by tlc , etoac - hexane ( 6 : 4 ), the reaction mixture was poured on to the water and then extracted with ethylacetate . evaporation of the organic layer gave the crude product , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting with etoac - hexane ( 1 : 1 ) gave the pure ( 2s )— n -[ 4 -( 6 - bromopentanoxy )- 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl )- 4 - fluoropyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal of formula v ( 355 mg , 85 %). 1 h nmr : ( cdcl 3 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 26 - 1 . 41 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 74 - 2 . 0 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 35 - 2 . 47 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 49 - 2 . 65 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 70 - 2 . 92 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 58 - 3 . 66 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 98 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 25 ( t , 2h , j = 6 . 0 ), 4 . 57 ( d , 1h , j = 6 . 7 ), 4 . 75 - 4 . 85 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 0 - 5 . 34 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 88 ( s , 1h ). 7 . 70 ( s , 1h ) lcms : m / z 567 ( m + ). a solution of ( 2s )— n -[ 4 -( 6 - bromopentanoxy )- 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl )- 4 - fluoropyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal of formula v . ( 567 mg , 1 mmol ), piperazine ( 43 mg , 0 . 5 mmol ) of the formula vi and k 2 co 3 ( 1380 mg , 10 mmol ) in dry acetone ( 40 ml ) was refluxed for 48 h . after the completion of reaction as indicated by tlc , etoac , the reaction mixture was poured on to the water and then extracted with ethylacetate . evaporation of the organic layer gave the crude product , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting with etoac - hexane ( 9 : 1 ) gave the pure 1 , 1 ′-{[( bipentane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - fluoro7 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ] ( 453 mg , 80 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 25 - 1 . 36 ( m , 12h ), 1 . 39 - 1 . 89 ( m , 12h ), 2 . 25 - 2 . 61 ( m , 12h ), 2 . 70 - 2 . 86 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 39 - 3 . 63 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 96 ( s , 6h ), 4 . 0 ( t , 4h ), 4 . 12 ( t , 4h ), 4 . 54 ( d , 2h , j = 6 . 79 ), 4 . 75 ( q , 2h , j = 6 . 0 ), 5 . 0 - 5 . 3 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 84 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 62 ( s , 2h ). the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bipentane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - fluoro7 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ]. vii ( 1060 mg , 1 . 0 mmol ) was dissolved in methanol ( 20 ml ) and added sncl 2 . 2h 2 o ( 2 . 25 mg , 10 mmol ) was refluxed for 1 . 5 h . the reaction mixture was then carefully adjusted to ph 8 with saturated nahco 3 solution and then extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 30 ml ). the combined organic phase was dried over na 2 so 4 and evaporated under vacuum to afford the crude . the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bispentane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - fluoro - 7 - methoxy - 2 - aminobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ] ( 837 mg , 79 %). a solution of the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bispentane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - fluoro - 7 - methoxy - 2 - aminobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ] of formula viii ( 1000 mg , 1 mmol ), hgcl 2 ( 1355 mg , 5 mmol ) and caco 3 ( 500 mg , 5 mmol ) in ch 3 cn / h 2 o ( 4 : 1 , 16 ml ) was stirred at room temperature for 12 h until tlc ( etoac ), indicates complete loss of starting material . then organic layer is evaporated in vacuum and the residue is diluted with etoac . to this saturated nahco 3 was added slowly at room temperature and the mixture is filtered through celite and washed with ethylacetate . the filterate is evaporated in vacuum to get crude 1 , 1 ′-{[( bispentane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis [( 11as )- 2 - fluoro - 7 - methoxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 11a - tetrahydro - 5h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 1 - c ][ 1 , 4 ] benzodiazepine - 5 - one ], of formula ixc , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting first with ethyl acetate to remove traces of mercuric salts and further eluted with chcl 3 - methanol ( 9 : 1 ) ( 560 mg , 56 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 44 - 2 . 09 ( m , 12h ), 2 . 30 - 2 . 51 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 52 - 3 . 0 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 47 - 3 . 87 ( m , 10h ), 3 . 93 ( s , 6h ), 4 . 0 - 4 . 1 ( m , 4h ), 5 . 27 - 5 . 58 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 9 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 49 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 9 ( d , 2h , j = 4 . 6 hz ). a solution of ( 2s )— n -( 4 - hydroxy - 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl )- 4 , 4 - difluoropyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal iv ( 436 mmol ), 1 , 3 - dibromopropane ( 0 . 3 ml , 3 mmol ) and k2co3 ( 690 mg , 5 mmol ) in dry acetone ( 40 ml ) was refluxed for 48 h . after the completion of reaction as indicated by tlc , etoac - hexane ( 6 : 4 ), the reaction mixture was poured on to the water and then extracted with ethylacetate . evaporation of the organic layer gave the crude product , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting with etoac - hexane ( 1 : 1 ) gave the pure ( 2s )— n -[ 4 -( 4 - bromopropoxy )- 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl )- 4 , 4 - difluoropyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal of formula v ( 370 mg , 85 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 36 - 1 . 42 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 39 - 2 . 47 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 62 - 2 . 95 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 48 - 3 . 58 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 64 ( t , 2h , j = 6 . 0 hz ), 3 . 96 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 26 ( t , 2h , j = 5 . 2 hz ), 4 . 82 ( d , 1h ), 4 . 89 - 4 . 96 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 77 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 72 ( s , 1h ) lcms : m / z 580 ( m + + 23 ). a solution of ( 2s )— n -[ 4 -( 4 - bromopropoxy )- 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl )- 4 , 4 - difluoro pyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal of formula v . ( 557 mg , 1 mmol ), piperazine ( 43 mg , 0 . 5 mmol ) of the formula vi and k 2 co 3 ( 1380 ring , 10 mmol ) in dry acetone ( 30 ml ) was refluxed for 48 h . after the completion of reaction as indicated by tlc , etoac , the reaction mixture was on to the water and then extracted with ethylacetate . evaporation of the organic layer gave the crude product , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting with etoac - hexane ( 9 : 1 ) gave the pure 1 , 1 ′-{[( bispropane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 , 2 - difluoro7 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ] ( 417 mg 75 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 25 - 1 . 39 ( m , 12h ), 2 . 0 - 2 . 14 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 58 - 2 . 66 ( m , 8h ), 2 . 69 - 2 . 88 ( m , 12h ), 3 . 45 - 3 . 79 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 94 ( s , 6h ), 4 . 1 ( t , 4h ), 4 . 78 ( d , 2h ), 4 . 85 - 4 . 96 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 7 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 6 ( s , 1h ) esims : m / z 1039 ( m + ). the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bispropane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 , 2 - difluoro7 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ]. vii ( 1039 mg , 1 . 0 mmol ) was dissolved in methanol ( 20 ml ) and added sncl 2 . 2h 2 o ( 2 . 25 mg , 10 . 0 mmol ) was refluxed for 1 . 5 h . the reaction mixture was then carefully adjusted to ph 8 with saturated nahco 3 solution and then extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 20 ml ). the combined organic phase was dried over na 2 so 4 and evaporated under vacuum to afford the crude . the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bispropane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - 2 - difluoro - 7 - methoxy - 2 - aminobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ] ( 779 mg , 75 %). a solution of the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bispropane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - 2 - difluoro - 7 - methoxy - 2 - aminobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ]. of formula viii ( 976 mg , 1 . 0 mmol ), hgcl 2 ( 1355 mg , 5 . 0 mmol ) and caco 3 ( 686 mg , 5 . 0 mmol ) in ch 3 cn / h 2 o ( 4 : 1 , 16 ml ) was stirred at room temperature for 12 h . until tlc ( etoac ), indicates complete loss of starting material . then organic layer is evaporated in vacuum and the residue is diluted with etoac . to this saturated nahco 3 was added slowly at room temperature and the mixture is filtered through celite and washed with ethylacetate . the filterate is evaporated in vacuum to get crude 1 , 1 ′-{[( bispropane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis [( 11as )- 2 - 2 - difluoro - 7 - methoxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 11a - tetrahydro - 5h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 1 - c ][ 1 , 4 ] benzodiazepine - 5 - one ], of formula xid , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting first with ethyl acetate to remove traces of mercuric salts and further eluted with chcl 3 - methanol ( 9 : 1 ) ( 745 mg , 55 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 45 - 1 . 92 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 99 - 2 . 20 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 48 - 2 . 99 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 1 - 3 . 88 ( m , 10h ), 3 . 96 ( s , 6h ), 3 . 98 - 4 . 24 ( m , 4h ), 6 . 80 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 49 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 82 ( d , 2h , j = 3 . 8 hz ). a solution of ( 2s )— n -( 4 - hydroxy - 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl )- 4 , 4 - difluoro pyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal iv ( 436 , mg 1 mmol ), 1 , 4 - dibromobutane ( 0 . 35 ml , 3 mmol ) and k 2 co 3 ( 690 mg , 5 mmol ) in dry acetone ( 40 ml ) was refluxed for 48 h . after the completion of reaction as indicated by tlc , etoac - hexane ( 6 : 4 ), the reaction mixture was poured on to the water and then extracted with ethylacetate . evaporation of the organic layer gave the crude product , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting with etoac - hexane ( 1 : 1 ) gave the pure ( 2s )— n -[ 4 -( 5 - bromobutanoxy )- 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl )- 4 , 4 - fluoropyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal of formula v ( 353 mg , 81 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 28 - 1 . 40 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 0 - 2 . 5 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 58 - 2 . 79 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 51 ( t , 2h ), 3 . 75 -( m , 2h ), 3 . 96 -( s , 3h ), 4 . 10 ( t , 2h ), 4 . 79 ( d , 1h ), 4 . 85 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 74 ( s , 1h ) 7 . 6 ( s , 1h ) lcms : m / z 594 ( m + + na ). a solution of ( 2s )— n -[ 4 -( 5 - bromobutanoxy )- 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl )- 4 , 4 - fluoro pyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal of formula v . ( 571 mg , 1 mmol ), piperazine ( 43 mg , 0 . 5 mmol ) of the formula vi and k 2 co 3 ( 1380 mg , 10 mmol ) in dry acetone ( 40 ml ) was refluxed for 48 h . after the completion of reaction as indicated by tlc , etoac , the reaction mixture was on to the water and then extracted with ethylacetate . evaporation of the organic layer gave the crude product , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting with etoac - hexane ( 9 : 1 ) gave the pure 1 , 1 ′-{[( bisbutane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 , 2 - difluoro7 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehyddiethylthioactal ] ( 485 mg , 85 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 33 - 1 . 48 ( m , 12h ), 1 . 66 - 1 . 98 ( m , 8h ), 2 . 40 - 2 . 50 ( m , 8h ), 2 . 63 - 2 . 94 ( m , 12h ), 3 . 42 - 3 . 83 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 92 ( s , 6h ), 4 . 11 ( t , 4h ), 4 . 77 ( d , 2h ), 4 . 83 - 4 . 94 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 72 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 62 ( s , 2h ) esims : m / z 1067 ( m + ). the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bisbutane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 , 2 - difluoro7 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ]. vii ( 1067 mg , 1 . 0 mmol ) was dissolved in methanol ( 20 ml ) and added sncl 2 . 2h 2 o ( 2 . 25 mg , 10 . 0 mmol ) was refluxed for 1 . 5 h . the reaction mixture was then carefully adjusted to ph 8 with saturated nahco 3 solution and then extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 20 ml ). the combined organic phase was dried over na 2 so 4 and evaporated under vacuum to afford the crude . the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bisbutane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - 2 - difluoro - 7 - methoxy - 2 - aminobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehyde - diethylthioacetal ] ( 810 mg , 76 %). a solution of the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bisbutane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - 2 - difluoro - 7 - methoxy - 2 - aminobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ]. of formula viii ( 1007 mg , 1 mmol ), hgcl 2 ( 1355 mg , 5 . 0 mmol ) and caco 3 ( 500 mg , 5 mmol ) in ch 3 cn / h 2 o ( 4 : 1 , 16 ml ) was stirred at room temperature for 12 h . until tlc ( etoac ), indicates complete loss of starting material . then organic layer is evaporated in vacuum and the residue is diluted with etoac . to this saturated nahco 3 was added slowly at room temperature and the mixture is filtered through celite and washed with ethylacetate . the filterate is evaporated in vacuum to get crude 1 , 1 ′-{[( bisbutane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis [( 11as )- 2 - 2 - difluoro - 7 - methoxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 11a - tetrahydro - 5h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 1 - c ][ 1 , 4 ] benzodiazepine - 5 - one ], of formula ixe , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting first with ethyl acetate to remove traces of mercuric salts and further eluted with chcl 3 - methanol ( 9 : 1 ) ( 523 mg , 52 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 56 - 1 . 94 ( m , 8h ), 1 . 99 - 2 . 35 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 49 - 2 . 99 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 29 - 3 . 87 ( m , 10h ), 3 . 93 ( s , 6h ), 3 . 98 - 4 . 37 ( m , 4h ), 6 . 89 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 46 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 83 ( d , 2h , j = 3 . 67 ). a solution of ( 2s )— n -( 4 - hydroxy - 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl )- 4 , 4 - difluoropyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal iv ( 436 mg , 1 mmol ), 1 , 5 - dibromopentane ( 0 . 37 ml 3 mmol ) and k 2 co 3 ( 1380 mg , 5 mmol ) in dry acetone ( 40 ml ) was refluxed for 48 h . after the completion of reaction as indicated by tlc , etoac - hexane ( 6 : 4 ), the reaction mixture was poured on to the water and then extracted with ethylacetate . evaporation of the organic layer gave the crude product , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting with etoac - hexane ( 1 : 1 ) gave the pure ( 2s )— n -[ 4 -( 6 - bromopropoxy )- 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitro benzoyl )- 4 , 4 - fluoropyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal of formula v ( 374 mg , 86 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 06 - 1 . 36 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 40 - 2 . 1 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 58 - 2 . 88 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 52 ( t , 2h ), 3 . 70 - 3 . 97 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 97 ( s , 3h ), 4 . 15 ( t , 2h ), 4 . 80 ( d , 1h ), 4 . 91 - 5 . 02 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 75 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 6 ( s , 1h ) lcms : m / z 608 ( m + + na ). a solution of ( 2s )— n -[ 4 -( 6 - bromopentanoxy )- 5 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoyl )- 4 , 4 - fluoropyrrolidine - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioacetal of formula v . ( 585 mg , 1 mmol ), piperazine ( 43 mg , 0 . 5 mmol ) of the formula vi and k 2 co 3 ( 1380 mg , 10 mmol ) in dry acetone ( 40 ml ) was refluxed for 48 h . after the completion of reaction as indicated by tlc , etoac , the reaction mixture was on to the water and then extracted with ethylacetate . evaporation of the organic layer gave the crude product , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting with etoac - hexane ( 9 : 1 ) gave the pure 1 , 1 ′-{[( bispentane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 , 2 - difluoro7 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ] ( 462 mg , 79 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 34 - 1 . 40 ( m , 12h ), 1 . 47 - 1 . 96 ( m , 12h ), 2 . 36 - 2 . 49 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 50 - 2 . 66 ( m , 8h ), 2 . 68 - 2 . 90 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 37 - 3 . 80 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 94 ( s , 6h ), 4 . 08 ( t , 4h ), 4 . 77 ( d , 2h ), 4 . 85 - 4 . 91 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 72 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 63 ( s , 2h ) esims : m / z 1095 ( m + ). the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bispentane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 , 2 - difluoro7 - methoxy - 2 - nitrobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ]. vii ( 1095 mg , 1 . 0 mmol ) was dissolved in methanol ( 20 ml ) and added sncl 2 . 2h 2 o ( 2 . 25 mg , 10 . 0 mmol ) was refluxed for 1 . 5 h . the reaction mixture was then carefully adjusted to ph 8 with saturated nahco 3 solution and then extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 30 ml ). the combined organic phase was dried over na 2 so 4 and evaporated under vacuum to afford the crude . the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bispentane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - 2 - difluoro - 7 - methoxy - 2 - aminobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ] ( 744 mg , 68 %). a solution of the 1 , 1 ′-{[( bispentane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis ( 11as )- 2 - 2 - di - fluoro - 7 - methoxy - 2 - aminobenzoylpyrrolidin - 2 - carboxaldehydediethylthioactal ]. of formula viii ( 1035 mg , 1 mmol ), hgcl 2 ( 1355 mg , 5 mmol ) and caco 3 ( 500 mg , 5 . 0 mmol ) in ch 3 cn / h 2 o ( 4 : 1 , 16 ml ) was stirred at room temperature for 12 h . until tlc ( etoac ), indicates complete loss of starting material . then organic layer is evaporated in vacuum and the residue is diluted with etoac . to this saturated nahco 3 was added slowly at room temperature and the mixture is filtered through celite and washed with ethyl acetate . the filterate is evaporated in vacuum to get crude 1 , 1 ′-{[( bispentane - 1 , n - diyl ) piperazine ] dioxy } bis [( 11as )- 2 - 2 - difluoro - 7 - methoxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 11a - tetrahydro - 5h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 1 - c ][ 1 , 4 ] benzo - diazepine - 5 - one ], of formula ixf , which was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel eluting first with ethyl acetate to remove traces of mercuric salts and further eluted with chcl 3 - methanol ( 9 : 1 ) ( 569 mg , 55 %). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 54 - 2 . 03 ( m , 12h ), 2 . 22 - 2 . 47 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 50 - 2 . 73 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 35 - 3 . 85 ( m , 10h ), 3 . 94 ( s , 6h ), 3 . 97 - 4 . 26 ( m , 4h ), 6 . 71 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 47 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 79 ( d , 2h j = 3 . 6 ) esims : m / z 787 ( m + + h ). biological activity : some of in vitro biological activity studies were carried out at the national cancer institute , maryland , usa . the above compounds were evaluated for in vitro anticancer activity against sixty human tumor cells derived from nine cancer types ( leukemia , non small cell cancer , colon cancer cns cancer , melanoma , ovarian cancer renal cancer , prostate cancer and breast cancer ) as per nci protocol . for each compound , dose response curves for each cell line were measured at a minimum of five concentrations at 10 - fold dilution . a protocol of 48 h continuous drug exposure was used , and a sulforhodamine b ( srb ) protein assay was used to estimate cell viability or growth . the concentration causing 50 % cell growth inhibition ( gi50 ), total cell growth inhibition ( tgi , 0 % growth ) and 50 % cell death ( lc - 50 % growth ) compared with the control was calculated . the mean graph midpoint values of log 10 tgi and log 10 lc50 as well as log 10 gi50 for ixa and ixd are listed in table 1 . as demonstrated by mean graph pattern compounds ixa and ixd are exhibit an interesting profile of activity and selectivity for various cell lines . the mean graph midpoint of log 10 tgi and log 10 lc50 showed similar pattern to the log 10 gi50 mean graph midpoints . among them ixa exhibits a wide spectrum of activity against fifty nine cell lines in nine cell panels , with gi50 value of & lt ; 95 nm . in the leukemia cell line the growth of ccrf - cem , hl - 60 ( tb ), k - 562 , molt - 4 , rpmi - 8226 and sr cell lines were affected by the . compound ixa with gi50 values as 10 , 10 , 15 , 10 , 22 , 10 . nm respectively . the gi50 values of compound ixa against non - small cell long cancer hop - 62 , hop 92 , nci - h23 , nci - h460 , nci - h522 cell lines are 12 , 96 , 32 , 10 , 10 , nm respectively . the gi50 values of compound ixa against colon cancer colo 205 , hct - 116 , sw - 620 cell lines are 40 , 28 , 56 nm respectively . the gi50 values of compound ixa against cns cancer sf - 268 , sf - 539 , snb - 19 , snb - 75 u251 11 , 11 , 28 , 33 , 15 nm respectively . the gi50 values of compound ixa against melanoma cancer lox , mvi , malme - 3m , m14 , sk - mel - 2 , sk - mel - 28 , uacc - 62 , 17 , 24 , 35 , 43 , 31 , 26 nm respectively . the gi50 values of compound ixa against ovarian cancer gi50 rov1 , ovcar - 3 , sk - ov - 3 , are in 59 , 48 , 70 nm respectively . the gi50 values of compound ixa renal cancer 786 - o , a498 , cak - 1 , sn12c , 39 , 66 , 28 , 18 , nm respectively in prostate cancer cell of compound ix a values shows against pc - 3 , du - 145 , 15 , 47 nm respectively . and the gi50 values of compound ixa against breast cancer mcf7 , hs578t , mda - mb - 435 , bt - 549 , t - 47d , mdamb - 468 10 , 48 , 34 , 95 , 13 , 10 , nm respectively in this studies the compound ixd exhibited cytotoxicity activity against fifty nine cell lines is nine cancer cell panels with gi50 values are in a range of 9 . 79 × 10 − 7 - 8 . 64 × 10 − 6 μm particularly in the compound ixd ig50 values against in leukemia cancer ccrf - cem , sr , 9 . 79 × 10 - 7 μm and 8 . 82 × 10 - 7 μm the cytotoxicity of ixa and ixd in selected cancer cell lines have been illustrated in table 2 . table 2 the average gi50 values for each cancer panel of compounds ixa and ix d have been illustrated in table 2 the dna binding affinity of the c2 - fluoro substituted piperazine linked pyrrolo [ 2 , 1c ][ 1 , 4 ] benzodiazepine dimers were subjected to thermal denaturation studies using calf thymus ( ct ) dna ( jones , g . b . ; davey , c . l . ; jenkins , t . c . ; kamal , a . ; kneale , g . g . ; neidle , s . ; webster , g . d . ; thurston , d . e . anti - cancer drug des . 1990 , 5 , 249 . mcconnaughie , a . w . ; jenkins , t . c . j . med . chem . 1995 , 38 , 3488 ). the studies for these compounds ( ixa - f ) were carried out by dna / ligand molar ratio is 1 : 5 the increase in the helix melting temperature ( δt m ) for each compound was examined at 0 h . the dna biding activity for these novel c2 - fluoro substituted piperazine linked pyrrolo [ 2 , 1c ][ 1 , 4 ] benzodiazepine dimers have been examined by thermal denaturation studies using calf thymus ( ct ) dna melting studies shows that these compounds stabilize the □ t m for ct - dna at ph 7 . 0 , incubated at 37 ° c ., were pbd / dna molar ratio is 1 : 5 interestingly , in this assay all compounds of fluoro substituted dimer ( ixa - f ) elevates the melting temperature ct - dna by margin of 11 - 38 ° c . after incubation for at 37 ° c . data for dsb - 120 and sjg - 136 are included in table - 3 for comparison . the synthetic dc - 81 dimer ( dsb - 120 ) gives a δt m 10 . 2 ° c . and sjc - 136 gives a □ t m of 25 ° c . under identical experimental condition .
2
the invention can be implemented in numerous ways , including as a process ; an apparatus ; a system ; a composition of matter ; a computer program product embodied on a computer readable storage medium ; and / or a processor , such as a processor configured to execute instructions stored on and / or provided by a memory coupled to the processor . in this specification , these implementations , or any other form that the invention may take , may be referred to as techniques . in general , the order of the steps of disclosed processes may be altered within the scope of the invention . unless stated otherwise , a component such as a processor or a memory described as being configured to perform a task may be implemented as a general component that is temporarily configured to perform the task at a given time or a specific component that is manufactured to perform the task . as used herein , the term ‘ processor ’ refers to one or more devices , circuits , and / or processing cores configured to process data , such as computer program instructions . a detailed description of one or more embodiments of the invention is provided below along with accompanying figures that illustrate the principles of the invention . the invention is described in connection with such embodiments , but the invention is not limited to any embodiment . the scope of the invention is limited only by the claims , and the invention encompasses numerous alternatives , modifications , and equivalents . numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention . these details are provided for the purpose of example , and the invention may be practiced according to the claims without some or all of these specific details . for the purpose of clarity , technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the invention has not been described in detail so that the invention is not unnecessarily obscured . techniques for lossless compression of a sequence of integer values are described herein . in some embodiments , a sequence of integer values may represent a fragment of an arbitrary image or sensor data . image data has become a dominant data type , and it is among the fastest growing segments of data generated by various sources in the digital information world . although lossy compression techniques such as jpeg have many use cases , they cannot satisfy the requirements of several important applications including medical imagery ( such as ct scan images , mri images and such ) and high definition film images . these applications require their images to be compressed and stored in a lossless manner , meaning that the compressed version can be decompressed to restore the original image in its entirety without any data loss . when data transmission and data storage systems employ compression methods to reduce network bandwidth and data storage footprint , they often require data to be divided into fragments . for example , a data transfer protocol often requires a data stream to be split into fragments in order to transfer a packet of data at a time . a de - duplication file system often requires data to be stored in relatively small units such as fixed - size blocks or variable - size segments . since an image can be quite large , it is highly desirable to have a lossless compression method that can compress small fragments of an image quickly and achieve high compression ratios and simpler hardware compression implementation . furthermore , fragments can be independently compressed and decompressed using either or both multiple computing elements ( or cores ) or multiple software elements ( or threads ). fig1 illustrates an embodiment of how a two - dimensional image is split into multiple one - dimensional fragments f i . each fragment may include a portion of one or more rows . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of how an image is laid out on disk and illustrates fragments and fragment boundaries . the lossless compression techniques disclosed herein may be used to compress each fragment efficiently in a lossless manner and may also be used to expand the compressed fragments without reference to other fragments or metadata . in various embodiments , the input to the compression algorithm is a sequence of k - tuples of integer values , originating from a fragment of image or sensor data . the sequence of values comprising the i th coordinate of every tuple is referred to as a channel ; there may be k such channels . for example , in the case of image data , each tuple may be associated with a single pixel . each channel here is a color component ( e . g ., red , green , and blue ), with the coordinates of one tuple representing the color information at a pixel . in various embodiments , the compression algorithm described herein may be used to encode the input losslessly by exploiting continuity properties within and across channels . in some embodiments , exploiting continuity properties is performed by at least performing transformations to eliminate redundancies within and across channels and losslessly encoding the resulting sequence based on statistics of the data . in some embodiments , a flexible encoding scheme that can adapt to the properties of the data but at the same time requires very little space to represent the properties of the data it depends on is used . fig3 illustrates an embodiment of an input sequence comprising tuples and showing channels comprising certain coordinates within the tuples . for example , for the first tuple of the sequence , each of a 1 , b 1 , and c 1 corresponds to a channel and is each represented as an integer value . for example , integer values of channel 1 ( a 1 , a 2 , . . . , a n ) may be associated with the red color component , integer values of channel 2 ( b 1 , b 2 , . . . , b n ) may be associated with the green color component , and integer values of channel 3 ( c 1 , c 2 , . . . , c n ) may be associated with the blue color component . in some embodiments , several transformations are performed as preprocessing prior to the performance of compression . in general , the goal of these transformations is to exploit the redundancies and continuity properties of the numeric values and convert them into smaller values that can be compressed more effectively . in various embodiments , the transformations are reversible , so that the original sequence of values may be obtained from the transformed sequence . in some embodiments , in point - wise channel transformations , redundancies across channels are eliminated by applying a reversible transformation to the channel values for a single pixel , where this transformation is applied for every pixel independently . in order to facilitate compression , optionally , the channels produced into a new set of channels may be transformed by means of a reversible transformation such that the new set of channels is better compressible than the original set . examples of transforms that may be used include ( reversible ) linear transformations as well as bit regrouping operations . as an example of the latter , the msbs ( most significant bytes ) of a few channels can be grouped together to produce a new channel to enable more efficient encoding . fig4 illustrates an embodiment of channel transformation . as shown in the given example , each integer comprises two bytes where one byte is the most significant byte while the other is the least significant byte . each original channel may comprise integers associated with the same color component . as shown in the example , the top original channel includes two byte integers associated with red , the middle original channel includes two byte integers associated with green , and the bottom original channel includes two byte integers associated with blue . the original channels may be transformed such that the top transformed channel comprises a series of most significant bytes from the original red channel and the original green channel , the middle transformed channel comprises a series of least significant bytes from the original red channel and the original green channel , while the bottom transformed channel remains the same as the original blue channel ( with its alternating most significant bytes and least significant bytes ). in some embodiments , potential channel transforms are evaluated by estimating the compressibility of the new channels they produce . in order to evaluate the potential channel transforms , a suitable function e ( x ) that estimates the number of bits required to encode a numeric value x is selected . for example , e ( x )= 1 + log 2 (| x |) may be used as an estimate of the number of bits needed to encode x . in some embodiments , in spatial data transformations , redundancies are eliminated and continuity within a channel is exploited by applying a reversible transformation to the values of a particular channel for consecutive pixels . let a be a particular ( transformed or not transformed ) channel ( i . e ., sequence of numeric values ) in a particular fragment that is desired to be compressed . then a i represents the i th element of channel a . let x represent the sequence obtained after the transformation . the following transformations could be used . differential transform : here every element is subtracted from the element preceding it . thus , xor transform : here an xor is taken of every element and the one preceding it . thus , in some embodiments , additional transformations may be considered , such as applying the differential transform twice and other such variations . having applied various transformations , compressing the sequence of values in each transformed channel is performed next . in some embodiments , the sequence of values ( for a single transformed channel ) is referred to as the “ input sequence .” in order to compress the input sequence , a variable length code that is adapted to the statistics of the values to be represented is used . then , in various embodiments , the encoding of the sequence will comprise a suitable representation of the statistics ( from which the variable length code can be reconstructed by the decoder ) followed by an encoding of the values themselves . however , since the space of possible values is very large , the statistics that are chosen to be used in designing the variable length codes should be selected such that representation of the statistics itself does not take up a lot of space . in order to do this , in some embodiments , the algorithm uses a quantization method to group numeric values . each numeric value is specified by two components : level and value bits . in some embodiments , the level specifies the high order bits and the value specifies the low order bits . later , in some embodiments , the algorithm computes the frequencies of levels in the sequence and this is used to design a variable length code for encoding levels . in some embodiments , the value bits are represented verbatim without encoding . fig5 illustrates an embodiment of mapping pixel values into the ( level , value ) form . in the given example , the levels are 2 i , and the computations of level and value for 7 and 13 are illustrated . in some embodiments , the scheme is implemented in the following way to allow for flexibility in partitioning values into level and value components and the ability to adapt to the characteristics of different data sources . in some embodiments , a sequence of thresholds is selected : 0 = t 0 & lt ; t 1 & lt ; t 2 & lt ; t 3 & lt ; . . . t i & lt ; t i + 1 & lt ; . . . , and the non - negative integers are partitioned into a collection of disjoint intervals : [ t 0 , t 1 ), [ t 1 , t 2 ), [ t 2 , t 3 ) . . . [ t i , t i + 1 ) . . . . in various embodiments , the level component specifies which interval [ t i , t i + 1 ) a value lies in , and the value component specifies a particular integer in the interval . a special case of this is when the thresholds are chosen such that for all i , ( t i + 1 − t i ) is a power of 2 . in this case , a numeric value v is encoded by indicating the interval [ t i , t i + 1 ) that v lies in ( specified by the level ) and further indicating the difference v − t i . more specifically , in order to specify non - negative value v , the unique i , such that t i ≦ v ≦ t i + 1 , is to be found . v is said to be at level i . now suppose t i + 1 − t i = 2 b . then the value bits for v are obtained by representing v − t i as a b bit integer . note that v − t i is an integer in the range [ 0 , 2 b − 1 ]. a further special case of this scheme is when consecutive thresholds are of the form t i = k · 2 b and t i + 1 =( k + 1 ) 2 b . in this case , the value bits for numbers in the interval [ t i , t i + 1 ) are simply the b least significant bits . note that in this special case , it is not necessarily the case that the same value of b applies to all consecutive thresholds . take the following example : t 0 = 0 , t 1 = 1 , t 2 = 2 , t 3 = 3 , t 4 = 4 , t 5 = 6 , t 6 = 8 , t 7 = 12 . . . . consider consecutive thresholds t 3 , t 4 : t 3 = 3 · 2 0 , t 4 = 4 · 2 0 ; here b = 0 . consider consecutive thresholds t 4 , t 3 : t 4 = 2 · 2 1 , t 5 = 3 · 2 1 ; here b = 1 . consider consecutive thresholds t 5 , t 6 : t 5 = 3 · 2 1 , t 6 = 4 · 2 1 ; here b = 1 . consider consecutive thresholds t 6 , t 7 : t 6 = 2 · 2 2 , t 7 = 3 · 2 2 ; here b = 2 . the sequence of thresholds : 0 = t 0 & lt ; t 1 & lt ; t 2 & lt ; t 3 & lt ; . . . t i & lt ; t i + 1 & lt ; . . . is adapted to the data . we could either determine these thresholds for image or sensor data of a particular kind and apply this predetermined sequence for all data of this kind ( data type adaptive ), or we could determine a sequence of thresholds adaptively for each image fragment we have to compress ( data instance adaptive ). in the former case , a threshold determination algorithm is applied on sample data to obtain a fixed sequence which is used for all data of that kind . in the latter case , the threshold determination algorithm is applied to each fragment separately to produce thresholds for use in encoding that particular fragment . here , the sequence of thresholds picked for each fragment must also be represented along with the encoding of the fragment . in some embodiments , the threshold determination algorithm selects thresholds such that ( i ) the observed distribution of values in each interval [ t i , t i + 1 ) is roughly uniform , and ( ii ) the total observed frequency of values in each interval [ t i , t i + 1 ) is at least some specified minimum . the latter property ensures that the number of thresholds selected is relatively small , which in turn controls the encoding cost . note that it may not be possible to achieve both these objectives simultaneously , so some relaxation may be used . fig6 illustrates an embodiment of a threshold selection algorithm . this algorithm additionally ensures that consecutive thresholds are of the form t i = k · 2 b and t i + 1 =( k + 1 ) 2 b . inputs into the threshold selection algorithm include the sequence of numeric values , depth d , and frequency threshold f t . the algorithm starts with all thresholds being set to powers of 2 . next , consider the interval [ 2 i , 2 i + 1 ). each such interval is split into two “ child ” intervals of equal length ( also powers of 2 ) which corresponds to adding a new threshold in the middle of the thresholds 2 i , 2 i + 1 . the new intervals produced would be [ 2 * 2 i − 1 , 3 * 2 i − 1 ) and [ 3 * 2 i − 1 , 4 * 2 i − 1 ). these intervals are further split into two children intervals each . the number of times such splitting is carried out is dictated by the depth d ( an input to the algorithm ) or until intervals of length l are obtained . typically the depth is set to 3 or 4 . note that if the depth is too high , the intervals get smaller and smaller , and the number of numeric values in the input sequence that will fall into each interval will get progressively smaller . next , analyze a sample of the sequence of numeric values and count the number of values that fall into each interval , yielding a frequency distribution over intervals . in some cases it is desired that the frequency of each interval is roughly the same and furthermore that the distribution of elements within each interval is roughly uniform . since the frequency distribution for all the smaller intervals is calculated , the frequency for all the larger intervals ( from which the smaller intervals were created ) can be easily calculated by simply summing the frequencies . it may be desirable to eliminate intervals that have very low frequencies because it is inefficient . if the frequency of a given interval is below a certain threshold f t ( another input to the algorithm ), then the interval is merged with its sibling interval , so that the resulting interval is their parent . in the example of fig6 , we start with interval [ 2 i , 2 i + 1 ). this parent interval is split into two children . the first child ends up being split again , but the second child is split and merged back so that the frequencies of all the intervals shown at the end are roughly the same . the ( unsigned ) elements of the input sequence are converted into levels using the thresholds determined by the algorithm above . henceforth , the described encoding scheme specifies the encoding for the levels . the value bits are transmitted separately ( usually without encoding ). fig7 illustrates an embodiment of a compression process 700 . let x be a sequence of values corresponding to a transformed channel ( obtained by the data transformation steps , e . g ., at 702 ) in a particular fragment . the threshold selection algorithm is executed at 704 to choose the thresholds for the compression algorithm . the absolute values of the entries in x are converted into levels at 706 as described above , to produce the sequence x l . the signs of the entries in the transformed array will be transmitted separately . the encoding of x l is performed using huffman codes at 708 . there are multiple possibilities for the creation of the huffman codes . one example technique is to have a 1 st order code which is the optimal huffman code over levels using frequencies of levels in this particular sequence . fig8 illustrates an embodiment of a 1 st order huffman code . another method is to create a 2 nd order huffman code , which consists of a code wherein each level is represented using information about the previous level in the sequence . this must be done carefully to ensure that the space required to represent the additional statistics ( required for the decoder to reconstruct the 2 nd order huffman codes ) do not swamp the space benefit achieved by using such codes . to achieve a smooth tradeoff between the representation space overhead and the encoding size of the improved codes ( and facilitate finding a sweet spot for this tradeoff ), in some embodiments , the set of levels is divided into a small number of groups and separate huffman codes are created for each of these groups . grouping of levels is done such that the total frequency of elements in each group is roughly equal . fig9 illustrates an embodiment of a process of performing a 2 nd order huffman code . the sweet spot for the aforementioned tradeoff is found by computing the total encoding cost ( including representation space overhead ) for several different choices for the number of groups . in some embodiments , the optimal value for the number of groups may either be determined based on the specific sequence of values to be encoded or may be determined based on a representative sample of the input . the encoded bits required to transmit the level information for the transformed sequence is determined based on the huffman codes . once the levels have been encoded , in some embodiments , the value bits themselves are transmitted verbatim . in other words , no additional encoding is done for these bits , and they are transmitted directly ( since it is reasonable to assume that these low order bits are random ). the signs of the elements might have to be transmitted depending upon the choice of transformation . in some embodiments , the signs can either be transmitted by combining them with the levels ( in which case , if a is a possible level , then − a would also be a possible level ) or transmitting them separately using one bit per non - zero sign element . the following are examples of applications for the disclosed compression techniques . however , nothing in this section should be interpreted as a limitation on the embodiments described above . storage systems can reduce their storage footprint by compressing their data segments or blocks . for example , a file system typically stores each file with multiple data segments or data blocks on a storage media in order to ease storage allocations and reclamations to reduce storage fragmentations . in order to store more data on the same physical storage capacity , some file systems compress data segments before storing them on storage media . a lossless compression algorithm such as gzip or lz may be applied on the data segments before storing them to storage media and a corresponding decompression algorithm is applied after the data segments are retrieved from the storage media . the compression techniques described herein may be employed in any storage tier ( primary , secondary , backup and archival , for example ). fig1 illustrates an embodiment of an archival storage system with such a compression . a hardware accelerator , sometimes called an intellectual property ( ip ) core , refers to special hardware support to implement a software algorithm . hardware accelerators can achieve much higher performance and lower power consumption than running their algorithms on a general - purpose central processing unit ( cpu ). ideal algorithms for hardware accelerators are simple and parallel , and require relatively small buffer or storage . the described techniques for compression may be implemented in hardware accelerators efficiently because each fragment requires a small data buffer ( e . g ., a few thousands of bytes ), even though an image can be quite large ( millions or billions of bytes ). a hardware accelerator may be designed to compress multiple fragments in parallel . designers have the option to implement the coordination of the parallel compression of multiple fragments either in the accelerator or in software running on the main cpu . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of the fragment compression algorithm implemented in hardware . in the media and entertainment industry , high - resolution cameras are used for capturing still and motion pictures . a common setup for much of the editing , production , and rendering software in this industry caches the individual frames ( as many as several thousand in a workstation ) from a store in which all frames are in individual files . each frame is effectively considered as a still image and can be processed as such . one trend in video capture is high definition capture . the delivery is not necessarily the same as the acquisition format , but the idea is to capture as high a resolution as possible and to down - sample in post - production . another trend for video capture is high frame rate . when the acquisition format and frame rate are the best possible , it gives that much more freedom to edit as needed in post - production . thus there is a need for cameras to support high resolution and high frame rate . by using raw sensor data output , data throughput and storage capacity of recording mediums can be limiting factors . accordingly , there is a desire to output raw sensor data with reduced throughput . one solution is to use some form of lossless compression on the frames . the techniques for compression described above lend themselves very well to satisfy all these requirements for lossless compression of the individual frames at high throughput , and the camera or chip maker can easily create chips with enough processing elements to handle very high data rates . for example , the compression algorithm may be implemented on a camera chip in a manner very similar to that depicted in fig1 . the ability to post process image and video content efficiently is a very important feature for the media and entertainment industry . it is often the case that an image has to undergo local edits in the post processing phase . however , the entire image has to be uncompressed in order to perform these edits . but because the compression techniques described herein work on fragments of images , rather than the entire image , local editing is enabled without making global changes to the compressed data . some applications for this feature are cropping of an image , highlighting a part of the image , picture within a picture and various other such effects . a further embodiment of the invention is to process an image in several repetitive steps exploiting the continuous nature of the data in more than one dimension thus improving the compression . the techniques for compression described herein may also be used in a combination of applications . for example , a post - processing movie editing software system could compress images prior to sending them over a network for backup , and the backup device could decompress the images at a future time without the use of the original software . although the foregoing embodiments have been described in some detail for purposes of clarity of understanding , the invention is not limited to the details provided . there are many alternative ways of implementing the invention . the disclosed embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive .
7
referring now to the drawings , and in particular fig1 , there is shown a water softening system , generally designated by reference numeral 10 , that incorporates the present invention . the water softening system is designed to soften water when it is delivered to a residence or business . the system as shown , is advantageously designed and operated to prevent system failure as a result of brine crystallization . the system 10 includes two resin tanks 12 , 14 proximally positioned near an upstanding brine tank 16 and a valve assembly 18 that is supported atop the tanks . the valve assembly 18 is programmed to selectively maintain one of the tanks on - line with a household water supply system . the off - line tank is subjected to a regeneration cycle and then held off - line until the on - line tank is exhausted . the frequency with which the valve assembly 18 switches the tanks 12 , 14 from on - line operation to regeneration is controlled by metering the usage of softened water or the like . the valve assembly 18 is operative to connect one of the tanks to the household water supply and also controls regeneration of an exhausted tank . the valve assembly maintains a regenerated tank “ off - line ” until the “ on - line ” tank becomes exhausted . descriptions of the construction and operation of a control valves suitable for use in the present invention along with a complete description of a dual tank water softening system are described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 891 , 522 to prior et al ., and u . s . pat . no . 4 , 298 , 025 to prior et al ., the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety . the softener tanks 12 , 14 are of known configuration and utilize common water softening chemicals . each tank typically includes cylinders 20 of glass fiber construction . the upper ends of the cylinders 20 are threaded with female 2½ inch n . p . t . threads for connection to the valve assembly 18 . riser pipes 24 , 26 depend centrally through the cylinders 20 . a pair of screens 28 , 30 communicate with the lower ends of the riser pipes 24 , 26 . suitable ion exchange softening chemicals , indicated by reference numeral 40 are positioned in the cylinders 20 , 22 surrounding the riser pipes 24 , 26 and the screens 28 , 30 . other resin tanks suitable for use in the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure . a complete description of the construction and operation of a resin tank suitable for use in the present invention can be found in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 337 , 153 to prior , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference . the water softening process takes place as hard water passes through the tanks 12 , 14 . the water is channeled into the tanks 12 , 14 and is softened during its passage downwardly through the ion exchange chemicals 40 . hard water is hereinafter defined as water that contains certain multivalent salts , such as those of calcium or magnesium , which can form insoluble deposits in boilers and precipitates with soap . the resin 40 in the tanks 12 , 14 replaces or exchanges the hard ions in the source water with soft ions . softened water then enters the risers pipes 24 , 26 through the screens 28 , 30 and is directed back out of the tanks 12 , 14 . the brine tank 16 is an open ended cylindrical drum formed of suitable metal or plastic capped by a removable cover 50 . the brine tank provides a brine supply system that utilizes common ion replacement salts to regenerate the softening chemicals 40 . an upstanding brine well 52 is laterally positioned against a wall 53 in the brine tank 16 . those skilled in the art will recognize that the brine well could easily be positioned in other locations within the brine tank , e . g ., centrally . the brine well is an open ended top tubular member formed from suitable metal or plastic . the lower region of the brine well 52 includes apertures 54 such that the brine solution from a brine reservoir 56 extends into the brine well wherein the level of solution in the well 52 is at about the same level contained in the reservoir 56 . a screen 58 extends horizontally from wall to wall in the brine tank and around the brine well 52 . the screen is position about one - fourth of the way up the walls of the brine tank 16 . the screen includes support members 60 of a fixed length for positioning the screen off the floor of the brine tank and for supporting the weight of a granular salt material disposed thereon . the granular salt material 62 is deposited in the brine tank 16 and rests atop the screen 58 . the brine solution reservoir 56 is then defined below the screen 58 . the reservoir communicates with the valve assembly 18 through a conduit 70 , the fluid communication being controlled by a brine valve , generally designated by reference numeral 80 . the brine valve 80 is positioned in the brine well 52 . the brine valve serves a dual function in that it controls both the outflow of brine solution from the reservoir 56 to the valve assembly 18 during tank regeneration and controls the inflow of water to replenish the brine solutions used during replenishment . use of the brine control valve in accordance with the present invention prevents system failure caused by crystallization of salt in the brine . for example , crystals formed as a result of inactivity , temperature fluctuation , salt saturation or in any manner are prevented from causing system failure . referring now to fig2 , there is shown an exploded side elevational view of the brine control valve 80 in the well 52 . the brine control valve assembly 80 includes the brine conduit 70 that is connected to the valve assembly 18 via a port 72 in the wall of the tank 16 and provides passage of water during brine replenishment and also permits brine to be withdrawn during regeneration of the tanks 12 , 14 . connected to conduit 70 is a tee 82 . an opening 84 of tee 82 is connected to an assembly that is used to draw brine solution from the reservoir 56 to the tank 12 or 14 selected for resin regeneration . the tee opening 84 is laterally connected by conduit 86 to an elbow 88 . the elbow 88 is further connected by conduit 90 to a check valve 100 . a rigid tube 102 extends from the check valve 100 and is connected to an air check 104 . referring now to fig3 , there is shown a cross sectional view of the check valve 100 . the check valve 100 includes a cylindrical body 110 with upper and lower openings , 112 , 114 respectively . the conduit 90 is connected to the upper opening 112 by conventional compression fittings 116 . located within the body 110 is a piston assembly that includes an umbrella check 116 , a piston 118 , a quad ring 120 and a spring 122 . the umbrella check 116 is a flexible umbrella shaped silicone seal that is positioned in the body 110 as shown . as seen best in fig3 , the piston 118 includes a plurality of bores 118 a . in the preferred embodiment , the piston 118 includes eight bores 118 a each having a diameter of 0 . 027 inches . the umbrella check 116 allows fluid flow form the bores 118 a into the conduit 90 . however , flow from the conduit 90 into the bores 118 a is substantially inhibited . an umbrella check valve 116 suitable for this application is available from vernay laboratories under the designation vl 2287 - 101 . in the preferred embodiment , the seal 116 is formed from flouro silicone and has a durometer of 57 . the piston assembly functions to allow unidirectional passage of brine solution in the reservoir 56 through the air check 104 and then through conduits 102 , 90 , 86 and 70 during the regeneration cycle . during regeneration , the piston assembly decompresses the spring and the umbrella check unseats allowing passage of solution from the reservoir . it has been found that as long as the umbrella check unseats during regeneration , passage of brine will occur . the lower opening 114 is adapted to receive a compression fitting 124 for seating the piston assembly and for connecting to rigid tube 102 . a screen , not shown , is optionally positioned within the fitting to prevent any particulate from passing through the assembly . the air check assembly 104 includes a base portion 130 and a body portion 132 . the base portion includes a fluid passageway 134 to the body portion and is connected to conduit 102 . a tubular chamber 136 is disposed interiorly along a longitudinal axis of the body and is in communication with the passageway 134 . a buoyant ball bearing 138 is disposed in the chamber 136 . a series of horizontal slots 140 extend from an exterior surface of the body and are in communication with the chamber 136 . the diameter of the passageway at the interface between the boy and base portions is of a smaller diameter than the diameter of the ball bearing thereby providing a seat 142 for the ball bearing 138 such that when the ball bearing makes contact with the seat the passage of solution is prevented . an example of a suitable air check valve for use in the present invention is model no . fl500 , commercially available from fleck controls , inc . in operation , the ball bearing 138 disposed in the chamber 136 floats in the brine solution in the reservoir 56 . during tank regeneration , the valve assembly 18 causes a pressure change within the assembly that causes brine to be withdrawn from the reservoir . once the level of the brine reservoir 56 is at about the height of the lowest horizontal slot 140 , the ball bearing will become seated within the seat 142 of the chamber thereby preventing further passage of brine from being drawn . once the ball bearing is seated , a slight vacuum on the ball bearing 136 prevents the ball bearing from being dislodged and as such , prevents further withdrawal of brine from the reservoir . after the selected tank , 12 or 14 , is regenerated with brine , the valve assembly signals the system 10 to replenish the brine expended during regeneration . during brine replenishment , the valve assembly 18 directs pressurized water into conduit 72 which causes a brief pulse of pressure to be exerted on the umbrella check 116 of the check valve 100 . the umbrella check seats and causes the piston assembly to move downward compressing the spring and exerting a counter - pressure of a small volume of solution in conduit 102 . consequently , the solution in conduit 102 pulses through the air check assembly 104 , thereby releasing the vacuum on the ball bearing 136 in seat 142 . once the vacuum is removed , the ball bearing 136 is free to float in the chamber . as such , the ball bearing 136 will rise to the height of the brine solution in the reservoir 56 as it is being replenished or to the ceiling in the air check chamber depending on the height of the reservoir . the actual brine replenishment will be discussed in greater detail below . the applicants have found that without the back pulse provided by the check valve , the water treatment system would lock up during subsequent regeneration cycles . for example , simple ball check valves have been found to be inadequate and prone to hydraulic failure during multiple regeneration cycles . the brine replenishment system is connected to the other opening 140 of tee 82 . the brine replenishing assembly includes a rod and float assembly . the rod and float assembly , which will be described in detail below , is connected to the tee opening by means of an adapter 143 having a threaded end portion and a stem portion the stem portion is conventionally connected to the tee 82 . preferably , a metal screen ( not shown ) is inserted in the tee prior to attaching the stem to the tee . a press - in check valve ( not shown ) is inserted into the threaded end of the adapter 143 . the threaded end of the adapter 143 is then connected to the rod and float assembly . a suitable press - in check valve is available from flomatic systems , inc . and has a designation of rc - 256 . the rod and float assembly 160 includes a refill valve 162 . the refill valve includes a cylindrical body 164 with a lower opening 166 and an upper opening 168 . a rod 170 extends through openings in the sidewall of the body and controls the opening and closing of a valve body ( not shown ) disposed in the refill valve . the rod 170 is pivotally attached to a rigid tube 174 wherein the distal end of the tube includes a buoyant float 176 . as the height of the reservoir 56 changes during regeneration cycles , the float 176 causes the rod 170 to move the valve body 172 upwardly or downwardly in the body thereby opening or closing the refill valve depending on the height of brine solution in the reservoir 56 . for example , if the brine reservoir is low , the float and the corresponding angle of the rod will cause the valve body to rise and provide passage of water thereby permitting replenishment of the brine . in contrast , as the brine reservoir is replenished , the valve body lowers and slowly closes the passageway , whereby passage of water is prevented . the predetermined height of the rigid tube 124 and the float 176 are factors that control the amount of brine to be replenished . the lower opening 166 of the refill valve is connected to a dual nozzle assembly by means of conduit 180 . the dual nozzle assembly includes a first spray nozzle 190 that is positioned to release water in the brine well and a second spray nozzle 200 that is positioned to release water directly onto the granular salt bed . the conduit 180 is connected to tee 182 . a threaded reducer bushing 183 is connected to the one opening of the tee 184 . the first spray nozzle 190 is connected to the bushing 183 and as such , is positioned to spray water during brine replenishment cycles within the brine well 52 . an elbow 188 is connected to an other opening 186 of tee 182 . a flexible conduit 192 is connected to the elbow 188 and extends to a port 194 in the brine well 52 . the port 194 is located above height of the granular salt material 62 . the conduit 192 is connected to a connector 196 and elbow 198 that are secured to the port 194 in the brine well wall . a threaded reducer bushing 202 is attached to the elbow . the second spray nozzle 200 is threaded into the bushing 202 and is positioned to release spray directly onto the granular salt 62 . spray nozzles suitable for this application are available from hago manufacturing company , incorporated . during the time when brine is being drawn from the reservoir , the press - in check valve ( not shown ) located within the fitting 143 inhibits the flow of air into the brine conduit 70 via the nozzles 190 , 200 . the flow rates of each individual nozzle 190 , 200 are preferably controlled wherein a flow ratio at the second nozzle 200 compared to the first nozzle 190 is from about 4 : 1 to about 8 : 1 . more preferably , the flow ratios are at about 6 : 1 . the first nozzle 190 sprays pressurized water directly into the brine well 52 and as such , dilutes the residual brine in the reservoir with water and / or dissolves any salt crystals formed . simultaneously , the second nozzle 200 sprays water over the granular salt 62 to replenish the brine reservoir 56 to a level determined by positioning of the rod and float assembly 160 . since the water from the spray material must first pass through the granular salt material 62 , it is believed that the water from the first nozzle preferentially dilutes the brine reservoir to ensure that the solution is definitely lower in saturation . the applicants have found the preferred ratio of flow rates of each nozzle are important to maintain a target concentration of brine in the reservoir and be effective in preventing recrystallization . the aforementioned range of flow rates have been found to be effective for preventing system failure as a result of salt formation in the reservoir . the granular salt material 62 preferably includes soft ion donors including , but not limited to , salts such as potassium chloride and sodium chloride . other salts suitable for use in water softening systems will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure . the use of the dual nozzle assembly with the aforementioned flow rates dilutes and / or dissolves the brine reservoir during the brine replenishment cycle prior to or simultaneous with brine replenishment . the present invention is especially advantageous with those softening salts that exhibit solubility differences over a range of temperatures , e . g ., potassium chloride . many modifications and variations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing disclosure . therefore , it is to be understood that , within the scope of the appended claims , the invention can be practiced otherwise than has been specifically shown and described .
1
fig1 shows a caller &# 39 ; s communications terminal a associated with a home communications network hplmn . from the caller &# 39 ; s communications terminal a , a communications link needs to be set up to a communications terminal b which is likewise associated with the home communications network hplmn , the communications terminal b being activated ( registered ) in a foreign communications network fkn . the caller &# 39 ; s communications terminal a sends a setup request 1 to a switching center ssp in the home communications network hplmn . in this exemplary embodiment , the home communications network hplmn has a structure associated with an “ intelligent network ,” ( in ) and the switching center ssp operates as a “ service switching point ” ( ssp ). to produce the desired communications link between the caller &# 39 ; s communications terminal a and the communications terminal b , a message n 1 is sent from the service switching point ssp to a service control point scp . the service control point scp is a network node in the home communications network hplmn which has a sequence control function for controlling the setup of the communications link . the message n 1 transmitted to the service control point scp is taken as a basis for the service control point scp to perform sequences as for setting up the communications link between the caller &# 39 ; s communications terminal a and the communications terminal b . these sequences as are shown schematically in fig1 as an element denoted “ as ”. the communications link between the caller &# 39 ; s communications terminal a and the communications terminal b can incur charges for the communications terminal b . incur of charges for the called communications terminal arises , by way of example , when the communications terminal b is not in its home communications network but rather in a foreign communications network ( e . g . abroad ). this is only one example of a communications link which incurs charges for a called communications terminal , however . it is likewise possible for communication charges to be incurred for the called subscriber in the case of communications links within just one communications network as well . in the case shown in fig1 , the sequences as comprise ga 1 for charge billing for the communication charges incurred by the communications terminal b . from the standpoint of the communications terminal b , an incoming call is assumed to arrive ( mtc = mobile terminating call ). hence , ga 1 for charge billing is also called charge billing for mtc , and the sequences as are also called mtc service logic . if a communications link 5 — shown in dashes in fig1 — between the caller &# 39 ; s communications terminal a and the communications terminal b were actually set up ( possibly using other switching centers msc in the foreign communications network ), ga 1 for charge billing would bill the communication charges incurred by communications terminal b and would debit these charges from a charge account gk - b associated with the communications terminal b . however , in the present case , a communications link 5 is not actually set up , since there is a call forwarding service for the communications terminal b . this call forwarding service has the task of connecting communications links directed to the communications terminal b not to the communications terminal b , but rather of setting up a forwarding communications link 7 to a destination communications terminal c . thus , a call forwarding service is also referred to by the abbreviation ( cf ). in the case illustrated , call forwarding is used which can always be carried out irrespective of the presence of conditions , so - called call forwarding unconditional cfu . however , the method can likewise be used for other types of forwarding services , such as for forwarding in which the communications terminal b is already being used for telephony ( call forwarding busy ), in which the communications terminal b does not take a call ( call forwarding no answer ) or in which the communications terminal b cannot be reached ( call forwarding not reachable ). the latter case can arise , by way of example , when the communications terminal is off or when the location of the communications terminal b does not have sufficient network coverage . information about the exact type of the respective call forwarding service available is stored in the home communications network hplmn in a special network node , for example in the home location register hlr . this register is not shown in fig1 . the home location register hlr transmits ( not shown in fig1 ) to the service switching point ssp information about the call forwarding service available in this example — call forwarding unconditional — and the service switching point ssp then sends a further message n 2 to the service control point scp . the service control point scp then activates its forwarding sequence control function and performs forwarding sequences w - as . these forwarding sequences w - as are shown in fig1 as an element denoted “ w - as ”. the forwarding sequences w - as include ga 2 for billing charges for the call forwarding . the forwarding sequences w - as taking place ensure that the service switching point ssp sets up the forwarding communications link 7 to the destination communications terminal c . the necessary address of the destination communications terminal c for this purpose has likewise been transmitted by the home location register hlr ( not shown ) to the service switching point ssp in advance . since the destination communications terminal c , just like the calling communications terminal a , is activated ( registered ) in the home communications network hplmn , the charges for a communications link which is to be set up within the home communications network hplmn become due . these charges are billed to the caller &# 39 ; s communications terminal a by in ga 2 for billing charges for the call forwarding in the forwarding sequences w - as , and these charges are debited from a caller &# 39 ; s charge account gk - a . however , charge billing ga 1 does not need to calculate any communication charges for the communications terminal b , since the communications link 5 has not been set up to the communications terminal b . for this purpose , the service control point scp ( which serves as memory network node in this case ) includes a flag cf - f , as binary memory element , for storing forwarding information , and additionally includes a block flag bfm - f as a further memory location . the flag lf - f can be accessed both by the sequences as and by the forwarding sequences w - as . the exact interaction between the sequences as , the flag cf - f and the forwarding sequences w - as is shown in fig2 . fig2 shows an arrow t pointing vertically downward which represents a timeline . to the left of the arrow t , the sequences as of the sequence control function are shown in the manner of a sequence chart , and to the right of the arrow t , the forwarding sequences w - as of the forwarding sequence control function are shown . the sequences as of the sequence control function ( which is also referred to as mtc service logic ) are started ( top left - hand corner of fig2 ) when the first message n 1 , mentioned in connection with fig1 , reaches the service control point scp ( cf . fig1 ). first , an operation rrb ( answer ) is performed which activates an event detection point no 7 of the basic call state model ( bcsm ). this activation is also called arming . the operation rrb ( answer )= request report bcsm event ( answer ) involves , just like operations ac = apply charging , con = connect , idp = initial detection point and erb ( answer )= event report bcsm ( answer ) mentioned later , operations which are used within the context of the communication protocol inap ( intelligent network application protocol ). next , the operation ac is used to prepare the billing of the communication charges for the communications terminal b ( cf . fig1 ). the operation con ( b ) is then performed . this operation instructs the service switching point ssp to set up the communications link 5 to the communications terminal b . however , since a call forwarding service is active for the communications terminal b , the service switching point ssp does not set up the communications link 5 ( cf . fig1 ), but rather a further message n 2 is sent to the service control point scp . this further message n 2 ensures that the forwarding sequences w - as start to be performed in the service control point scp . this is symbolized in fig2 by the top horizontal arrow 10 , whose arrow tip points to the starting point of the forwarding sequences w - as . ( the messages n 1 and n 2 can be messages of the type initial detection point ( idp ), for example . directly after the operation con ( b ) has been performed , the sequences as set the block flag bfm - f in the service control point scp . this flag ensures that the communications terminal b cannot take another call ( bfm f = block further mobile terminating calls - flag ). the sequences as then wait for the arrival of an operation erb ( answer ) from the forwarding sequences w - as . the forwarding sequences w - as shown on the right of the arrow t first set the flag cf - f when they have started . in this way , forwarding information is stored . next , a further operation ac is performed in order to prepare the charging for the forwarding communications link , and the operation con ( c ) is then used to set up the forwarding communications link 7 from the caller &# 39 ; s communications terminal a to the destination communications terminal c via the service switching point ssp . if the destination communications terminal c takes the call , the forwarding sequences w - as use an operation erb ( answer ) to notify the sequences as of this . this is symbolized in fig2 by two horizontal arrows 11 and 12 . however , the sequences as cannot tell from the operation erb ( answer ) whether the call has been taken on the destination communications terminal c or on the communications terminal b . the sequences are merely notified that the call has been taken . it is now possible to continue performing the sequences as which have waited for the arrival of the operation erb ( answer ). when the operation erb ( answer ) has arrived , the sequences reset the block flag bfm - f , so that the communications terminal b can now take other calls . the sequences as then evaluate the flag cf - f . if the flag cf - f has been set , ga 1 for charge billing does not perform charge billing for the communications terminal b , since a communications link 5 has not been set up to the communications terminal b , of course . in this case , the flag cf - f can be reset , since the forwarding information is no longer required subsequently . the sequences as are then terminated . if the flag cf - f has not been set , however , this means that no call forwarding service was available , and consequently the communications link has been set up to the communications terminal b as originally requested , and the charge billing ga 1 charges for the communications link 5 incurring charges for the communications terminal b and debits the charge account gk - b accordingly . after the charging has been carried out , the sequences as are terminated in this case . at the end of the forwarding communications link 7 ( when the forwarding communications link 7 is terminated on the destination communications terminal c , for example ), the forwarding sequences w - as reset the flag cf - f . the forwarding sequences w - as are then terminated . the forwarding sequences w - as can charge for the forwarding communications link 7 before they come to an end . this is not shown in fig2 , since this charging corresponds to the charging normally found in such communications networks . by way of example , the caller &# 39 ; s charge account gk - a can be debited . the method described above can also be applied advantageously in the situation described below ( not shown in the figures ): let us assume that the home location register ( hlr ) of the communications terminal b stores information for the latter regarding a “ call forwarding not reachable ” service submitted for the communications terminal b . this service ensures that , if the communications terminal b cannot be reached ( for example because it is turned off ), the forwarding communications link 7 is set up instead of the communications link 5 . another prerequisite is that the communications terminal b cannot be reached . if a communications link now needs to be set up to the communications terminal b , then the service switching point ssp and the home location register ( hlr ) perform “ camel 2step interrogation ”. the aim of camel 2step interrogation is to transmit to the home location register ( hlr ) a telephone number ( mobile station roaming number msrn ) on which the communications terminal b can currently be reached . after a first interrogation in the camel 2step interrogation , the sequences as are started in the service control point scp . a second interrogation in the camel 2step interrogation is then performed . in this case , the home location register hlr sends a message prn ( provide roaming number ) to that visitor location register vlr which was previously responsible for the communications terminal b . since the communications terminal b cannot be reached , however , the visitor location register vlr returns an error message instead of the expected “ mobile station roaming number msrn ”. the home location register tells from this error message that the “ call forwarding not reachable ” service now needs to be implemented and prompts the service switching point ssp to trigger the start of forwarding sequence steps w - as in the service control point scp by sending the message n 2 to the latter . in this case , the message n 2 sent is a message initialdetectionpoint idp . in the subsequent course of the sequences as and forwarding sequences w - as shown in fig2 , the method in line with the application then ensures that the sequences as do not bill any communication charges for the communications link 5 which was not set up .
7
reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts . fig1 is a block diagram showing an optical disc drive sharing switching device and associated application system , according to one preferred embodiment of this invention . the optical disc drive sharing switching device ( 100 ) comprises a reset signal generator ( 120 ), an interrupt signal generator ( 130 ) and a switch control unit ( 110 ). to control the power to the atapi interface equipment and save energy , a power control unit ( 140 ) is also incorporated . the power control unit ( 140 ) cuts off power to a device linked to an optical disc drive ( 160 ), such as an optical disc player ( 150 ), when control of the optical disc drive ( 160 ) is replaced by another device , such as a personal computer ( 170 ). in addition to the optical disc drive sharing switching device ( 100 ), the shared optical disc drive ( 160 ), and the personal computer ( 170 ) and the optical disc player ( 150 ) which share the use of the optical disc drive sharing switching device ( 100 ), are also shown in fig1 . obviously , the personal computer ( 170 ) and the optical disc player ( 150 ) must share the atapi interface in order to use or control the optical disc drive ( 160 ). in practical production , the optical disc drive ( 160 ) and the optical disc drive sharing switching device ( 100 ) may be combined with each other and incorporated either inside the optical disc player ( 150 ) or inside the personal computer ( 170 ) to form an integrated home appliance . the optical disc drive ( 160 ) can be a dvd drive , which can read and / or write a dvd disc , or a vcd drive , which can read and / or write a vcd disc , etc . the optical disc display ( 150 ) can be a dvd player or a vcd player , etc . however , these drives and players raised here are only some examples of the embodiment of the present invention , and the scope of the present invention should not be limited thereby . those skilled in the art can make some modifications or find some equivalents to use instead , or use this technique to other devices sharing the atapi interface devices , without departure from the spirit of the present invention . as shown in fig1 , the interrupt signal generator ( 130 ) generates a plurality of continuous interrupt signals ( int ) having an atapi interface format . in this embodiment , a pulse generator , such as an integrated circuit ne555 , together with a peripheral circuit may be used to produce a signal having a frequency around 230 hz . obviously , other circuits capable of generating a plurality of continuous pulse signals with a pulse width over 25 microseconds may also be used . the continuous interrupt signals ( int ) are used for maintaining a dummy optical disc drive attached to the personal computer ( 170 ) as the optical disc drive ( 160 ) is switched to the optical disc player ( 150 ) after the personal computer ( 170 ) is booted and the presence of an optical disc drive ( 160 ) is detected . hence , there is no need to re - boot the personal computer ( 170 ) and it is able to continue its normal operations . details of the integrated circuit ne555 and its peripheral circuit are illustrated in fig6 . through proper selection of resistors r 1 , r 2 and capacitors c 1 , c 2 , an operating frequency around 230 hz and a duty cycle of around 50 % is easily obtained . the reset signal generator ( 120 ) generates a reset signal ( rst ) having an atapi interface format . the reset signal ( rst ) must be greater than 25 microseconds . in this embodiment , the pulse signal generated by the integrated circuit ne555 is transmitted ; to a dual - channel mono - stable edge - triggering device , such as the device 74hc221 , to produce the reset signal ( rst ). a circuit diagram of the reset signal generator ( 102 ) and its related truth table are shown in fig7 a and 7b respectively . as shown in fig7 a and 7b , when the signal line select from the switch control unit ( 110 ) changes state ( from a logic “ 0 ” to “ 1 ” or vice versa ), the reset signal generator ( 120 ) generates a reset signal ( rst ) and transmits the signal to the optical disc drive ( 160 ). obviously , other circuits capable of generating a reset signal ( rst ) may be employed . the reset signal ( rst ) is used to reset the optical disc drive ( 160 ) while control is switched so that the optical disc drive ( 160 ) can be used by other equipments linked thereto after the switching operation . the power control unit ( 140 ) controls the power to the atapi interface equipment , such as the optical disc player ( 150 ) described in this embodiment . the power control unit ( 140 ) may comprise a relay to control the “ on - state ” and “ off - state ” of the power of the equipment . the switch control unit ( 110 ) also couples with the reset signal generator ( 120 ) and the interrupt signal generator ( 130 ) to serve as a control center . when a switch command from a switch ( not shown ) is received , the switch control unit ( 110 ) issues a select signal select to the reset signal generator ( 120 ). the reset signal generator ( 120 ) generates a reset signal ( rst ). the reset signal ( rst ) may select to connect to the optical disc drive ( 160 ) directly or via the control of the switch control unit ( 110 ) to reset the optical disc drive ( 160 ). the switch control unit ( 110 ) mainly comprises a plurality of three - channel - two - route digital analogue switches , such as a group of cd 4053 devices . the switch control unit ( 110 ) is responsible for switching the connections between a first atapi interface of the personal computer ( 170 ) and a second atapi interface of the optical disc player ( 150 ) to the optical disc drive ( 160 ), according to the switching command . the switching method is shown in fig2 to 5 . first , as shown in fig2 , the optical disc drive ( 160 ) is connected to the personal computer ( 170 ). hence , when the personal computer ( 170 ) is switched on , the optical disc drive ( 160 ) works with the personal computer ( 170 ). since the optical disc player ( 150 ) cannot operate due to a disconnection from the optical disc drive ( 160 ), power to the optical disc player ( 150 ) is cut off . note that the cutting of power to the optical disc player ( 150 ) is non - essential . however , cutting off the power allows for greater energy efficiency and an extended - lifespan for the equipment . fig3 is a block diagram showing the optical disc drive ( 160 ) in the process of switching from a connection with the personal computer ( 170 ) to a connection - with the optical disc player ( 150 ). at this moment , the optical disc drive ( 160 ) is not assigned to any one of the atapi interface devices . the switch control unit ( 110 ) inputs the continuous interrupt signals ( int ), generated by the interrupt signal generator ( 130 ), to the personal computer ( 170 ) so that the personal computer ( 170 ) still detects a virtual optical disc drive ( 160 ) and continues to operate as usual . the reset signal ( rst ), generated by the reset signal generator ( 120 ), is transmitted to the optical disc drive ( 160 ) so that the optical disc drive ( 160 ) is reset . the power source to the optical disc player ( 150 ) is also turned on to prepare for operation of the optical disc drive ( 160 ) once the connections with the optical disc player ( 150 ) are in place . fig4 is a block diagram showing the optical disc drive ( 160 ) fully connected to the optical disc player ( 150 ). at this moment , the interrupt signal generator ( 130 ) continues to send a plurality of continuous interrupt signals ( int ) to the personal computer ( 170 ) so that the personal computer ( 170 ) still detects the presence of a virtual optical disc drive ( 160 ) and maintains its normal operations . the main power source continues to provide power to the optical disc player ( 150 ). since the atapi bus of the optical disc drive ( 160 ) now connects with the optical disc player ( 150 ) and the optical disc drive ( 160 ) is formally assigned to the optical disc player ( 150 ), the playback of pictures and music through the optical disc drive ( 160 ) under the control of the optical disc player ( 150 ) is now possible . fig5 is a block diagram showing the optical disc drive ( 160 ) in the process of switching from operating with the optical disc player ( 150 ) to the personal computer ( 170 ). at this moment , the optical disc drive ( 160 ) is not assigned to any one of the atapi interface devices . meanwhile , the input of a plurality of continuous interrupt signals ( int ), produced by the interrupt signal generator ( 130 ), to the personal computer ( 170 ) is continued so that the personal computer ( 170 ) is still able to detect the presence of a virtual optical disc drive and continues to function normally . a reset signal ( rst ), generated by the reset signal generator ( 120 ), is again transmitted to the optical disc drive ( 160 ) for resetting the drive ( 160 ) and preparing the connection with the personal computer ( 170 ). furthermore , power to the optical disc player ( 150 ) is cut off to increase energy efficiency . as soon as the optical disc drive ( 160 ) switches from a connection to the optical disc player ( 150 ) to a connection to the personal computer ( 170 ), the connective configuration is the same as described in fig2 . in this way , actual connection of the optical disc drive ( 160 ) can be selected on demand . aside from the obvious fact that equipment disconnected from the optical disc drive ( 160 ) is unable to use the optical disc drive ( 160 ), equipment functions are unaffected . in other words , no complicated switching programs are required for sharing the optical disc drive ( 160 ). accordingly , a method for switching the connection with an optical disc drive between a first atapi interface and a second atapi interface can be devised . the method includes the following steps . first , a reset signal ( rst ) and a plurality of continuous interrupt signals ( int ) both having the atapi format are provided . upon receiving a switching command , connection wires linking the optical disc drive with the first atapi interface and the second atapi interface are switched . during the switching process , the reset signal ( rst ) is used to reset the optical disc drive . furthermore , the input of a plurality of continuous interrupt signals ( int ) to the first atapi interface is continued when the first atapi interface is switched to the second atapi interface so that the equipment containing the first atapi interface may continue to function normally . the switching method may further include cutting off power to the equipment containing the second atapi interface when the optical disc drive connected to the second atapi interface is switched back to the first atapi interface . in conclusion , the application of the optical disc drive sharing switching device and method in information processing appliances facilitates the integration of a personal computer with an optical disc player and the shared usage of an optical disc drive . here , no complicated switching programs are required and the personal computer may continue to function normally despite the switching on or off of the connection with the optical disc drive . furthermore , power to equipment not in connection with the optical disc drive may be temporarily cut off to increase energy efficiency and prolong the lifespan of the equipment . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . in view of the foregoing , it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents .
6
in the following description , similar features in the drawings have been given similar reference numerals . turning to the drawings , in particular , fig1 , illustrating a front perspective view of the atv floats as adapted to an atv in a float arrangement wherein , a pair of pontoons 2 attached to a common frame work , which said framework and pontoons 2 are also attached to an atv 6 by means of tensile straps 4 wrapped over a structural member at the front and rear of an atv 6 . turning to fig2 , which illustrates a rear perspective view of the atv floatation device in a trailer arrangement wherein cross tubes 10 of a fixed length protrude a pair of watertight tunnel 11 each traversing a pontoon 2 when said pontoons 2 are in a collapsed position . wheel frame members 20 are fixedly and releasably secured to said cross tubes 10 wherein a pair of wheels 25 are rotationally attached to an axle member 26 of the wheel frame member 20 so as to raise the atv floatation device above the ground surface thus allowing towing of the whole assembly . seat mounts 30 are fixedly attached to the central region of the framework and adapted to each receive therein , a seat 41 having a downwardly protruding stem . additionally , angled fishing rod holders 35 are also fixedly attached to the central region of the framework near the seat mounts 30 . lastly , a motor mount 45 is provided at the rear portion of the framework so as to allow the mounting of a small outboard motor . turning now to fig3 , a right side elevation view of a pontoon of the atv floatation device of the present invention illustrating the arrangement of a pair of watertight tunnels 11 traversing the hollow body of each pontoon 2 . the pontoon &# 39 ; s 2 side portion is slightly recessed to accommodate bolt - on flange plates 16 , which provide the attachment means for said watertight tunnels 11 . two eyebolts 13 , also slightly recessed within the pontoon &# 39 ; s 2 side portion , are provided to allow attaching means of a tensile strap thereto . referring now to fig4 and 5 , both cross - sectional views taken from fig3 of a pontoon 2 of the present invention wherein it can be seen that the pontoons 2 are hollow and have a flattened recessed portion at both sides to better fit flanged tubular inserts thus forming a tunnel 11 through said pontoon 2 . an inner flanged tube 18 has a total length , including both end flanges , equal to that of the inner dimension between said flattened recessed side portions . two outer equally flanged plates 16 have a central opening generally equal to the opening within the inner flanged tubes 18 . the pontoons 2 are bored to have an opening in alignment with both the inner flanged tube 18 and the outer flanged plates 16 . additionally , the pontoons 2 , the inner flanged tube 18 and the outer flanged plates 16 have a plurality of perforations around the central openings of same to accept an equal number of fasteners therethrough in order to tightly assemble the pontoons 2 , the inner flanged tube 18 and the outer flanged plates 16 together so as to form a watertight seal between the pontoon &# 39 ; s 2 inner body volume and ambient air . again from fig4 & amp ; 5 , it can be seen how a cross member 10 traverses the tunnel formed by the above assembly . said cross member 10 , has an outside diameter only slightly lesser than that of the tunnel &# 39 ; s inner diameter so as to enable longitudinal motion between the cross member 10 and the tunnel . in fig4 , the illustration depicts the arrangement of the above in a state where the pontoons 2 would be in a collapsed position such as when in a trailer arrangement . the cross member 10 protrudes outwardly thus enabling sufficient material to releasably attach a later mentioned wheel frame member . a bore 17 is provided through and near each end of the cross member 10 so as to allow fastening the wheel frame member to said cross member 10 . longitudinal motion between the cross member 10 and the tunnel 11 is thereby disabled when a cotter pin 15 is inserted through both a bore 14 in the cross member 10 and the outer flange plate 16 proximal to the center of the floatation device . in fig5 , similar to fig4 but the pontoon 2 is displaced along cross member 10 thereby separating both pontoons 2 so as to widen the stance as a whole . two sets of perforations 14 are bored through the cross member 10 to allow the insertion of the cotter pin 15 therethrough and through the outer flange plate 16 proximal to the center of the floatation device . therefore , the extremities of the cross members 10 are concealed within the tunnel 11 and a seal between the pontoon &# 39 ; s 2 inner body volume and ambient air is maintained . referring now to fig6 , a partial right side elevation view of the atv floatation device of the present invention in a trailer arrangement wherein , a wheel frame member 20 is depicted having a rear seat 50 , a front seat 51 , a curved strut 52 , a support strut 53 , and an axle flange 54 . the assembly comprises two sets of a curved strut 52 , a support strut 53 , and an axle flange 54 both of which are fixedly and perpendicularly attached to each end portion of both the rear seat 50 , and the front seat 51 . a wheel axle traverses the axle flange 54 and a wheel 25 . the assembly thereby mounts quickly to the cross members 10 by first placing the front seat 51 over the front cross member then placing the rear seat 50 under the rear cross member . the wheel 25 center , being behind the rear cross member 10 thereby exerts upward force behind the rear cross member thus the front seat 51 exerting a downward force onto the front cross member . cotter pins again retain this positioning securedly yet releasably . referring now to fig7 , illustrating a sectional view taken from fig8 of the framework to which all components rely on . the tongue generally comprises an inner tube 38 and an outer tube 39 slidably engaged to each other , the inner tube 38 adapted with a hitch adapter 37 . a cotter pin 44 provides a locking member to disable said sliding motion . a motor mount 45 having an extension member 46 is fixedly attached to the top - rear portion of the outer tube 39 . seat mounts 30 and fishing rod holders 35 are also fixedly attached to the top central portion of the outer tube 39 . cross members 10 are secured to the framework by frictionally engaging within a pair of bar retainers 40 wherein the framework rests atop the cross member 10 , and the bar retainers 40 fixedly attached to the lower surface of the outer tube 39 and spaced equally to the space between the cross members 10 thereby preventing the framework and cross members 10 from separating . turning to fig8 , a top plan view of the atv floatation device of the present invention in a trailer arrangement wherein the arrangement can be better seen illustrating the pontoons 2 closer together , and the cross members 10 extending outwardly from said pontoons 2 thus providing attaching means of the wheel frame members 20 . it can also be seen that the framework having seat mounts 30 , fishing rod holders 35 and a motor mount 45 fit comfortably in a narrow space between the pontoons 2 . the tongue is shown recessed into the outer tube 39 and held in place with a cotter pin 44 . in a trailer arrangement , one would simply remove said cotter pin 44 , pull out the inner tube 38 until a secondary bore in the inner tube 38 aligns with the bore of the outer tube 39 , and re - insert the cotter pin 44 through the tube assembly . pontoon access ports 23 are provided in each pontoon 2 . these ports 23 serve two major functions ; one , to give access to the inside of the pontoons 2 for assembly of the through - tunnels , and two , as a storage compartment wherein a ringed bag is inserted at the opening , which is then covered with a lid . referring now to fig9 illustrating a top plan view of the atv floatation device of the present invention in a float arrangement wherein when the pontoons 2 are separated as shown , one can simply drive the atv between the pontoons 2 and over the cross members 10 until the cross members 10 are generally centrally placed under the atv . now the pontoons are ready to be lifted and strapped to the atv using the eyebolts 13 provided at each inner end of the pontoons 2 . as the cross members 10 connect with the atv &# 39 ; s belly area , and the tensile straps are tightened , the floats are then secured firmly with the atv . turning now to fig1 , one can see that once the pontoons are mounted as described in fig9 using the tensile straps 4 , the atv wheels 26 protrude downwardly below the pontoons 2 . this allows the user to ride the atv on both the ground and water bodies . furthermore , on water , the treads 27 of the atv wheels 26 serve as a propulsion system for the floating atv . accordingly , one can also mount a small outboard motor to the atv &# 39 ; s rear cargo rack for added propulsion . finally , in referring to fig1 , a front perspective view from above of the all - terrain vehicle float device of the present invention in a pontoon boat arrangement wherein , the pontoons 2 , slidably engaged with cross members 10 are spaced apart to the extent of the cross members 10 and fixed in place with a cotter pin 44 at each extremity of both cross members 10 . said cross members 10 are frictionally engaged with bar retainers 40 further depicted in fig7 , thus preventing the separation of the framework and the cross members 10 . a tensile strap 4 , secured to the front inner eyebolts on the pontoons 2 is wrapped around the first seat stem 30 so as to ensure the cross members 10 do not disengage front the bar retainers 40 . therefore , the pontoon structure fitted with seats 41 in the seat stems 30 , and a small outboard motor 43 onto the motor mount 45 , along with other features of the present invention , can provide a very useful , and versatile watercraft for the user .
1
with reference now to the drawings , and in particular to fig1 through 8 thereof , a new odor - less toilet system embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described . more specifically , it will be noted that the odor - less toilet system 10 comprises air intake ports 27 integrally formed in a toilet bowl rim 12 in fluid flow communication with an exhaust chamber 30 . with reference to fig1 there is shown a toilet comprising a toilet bowl 15 including a toilet bowl outside surface 13 and a toilet bowl inside surface 18 . the toilet bowl 15 has an upper rim portion and a lower rim portion . the upper rim portion has a lower surface disposed outwardly from a top of the lower rim portion . the toilet bowl 15 further comprises a toilet bowl rim 12 having an air chamber 26 having a plurality of air intake ports 27 in fluid flow communication with an inside of the toilet bowl 15 and a conventional water chamber 28 disposed thereunder having a plurality of water outlet ports 29 ( fig7 ). the toilet is shown equipped with a toilet seat 11 , toilet seat lid 14 , and water tank 16 supplied with water from water supply 17 . with reference to fig2 and 3 the air chamber 26 is shown in fluid flow communication with conduit means 20 formed from polyvinyl chloride or other suitable material . conduit means 20 is disposed in front of the toilet and runs up inside a wall ( not shown ) to an exhaust chamber 30 located in an attic . conduit means 20 is in fluid flow communication with the exhaust chamber 30 . preferably , the toilet bowl is structured to have an air duct in fluid communication with the hollow upper rim interior . the air duct leads away from the hollow upper rim interior to a conduit 20 . the conduit 20 leads to an air exhaust port 30 . the exhaust chamber 30 includes a fan 35 electrically connected to a source of power by means of an electrical power cord 34 . the exhaust chamber 30 mounts to a ceiling beam 33 by means of mounting bracket 32 ( fig4 ). an exhaust port 36 is provided to exhaust the air into the atmosphere . an on / off switch 24 ( fig5 ) controls the operation of the fan and is located within reach of the toilet . alternatively , the fan can be controlled by means of well known motion sensing devices such as infra - red sensors and microwave sensors or by means of a pressure sensitive switch 22 shown disposed under the toilet seat 11 which is switched upon a downward pressure being exerted upon the toilet seat 11 ( fig6 ). in use , a person using the odor - less toilet system switches on the fan located in the exhaust chamber 30 by means of either the on / off switch 24 or by exerting pressure upon the toilet seat 11 which switches pressure sensitive switch 22 . alternatively , an automatic motion sensing device senses that the toilet is in use and turns on the fan . the fan draws air from inside the toilet bowl through air intake ports 27 , air chamber 26 , conduit 20 , exhaust chamber 30 and out into the atmosphere through exhaust port 36 . as to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention , the same should be apparent from the above description . accordingly , no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided . with respect to the above description then , it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention , to include variations in size , materials , shape , form , function and manner of operation , assembly and use , are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art , and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention . therefore , the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . further , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described , and accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to , falling within the scope of the invention .
4
the following detailed description illustrates the invention by way of example and not by way of limitation . the description clearly enables one skilled in the art to make and use the invention , describes several embodiments , adaptations , variations , alternatives , and uses of the invention , including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the invention . referring to fig1 , there is shown a vehicle wheel 10 of an automotive vehicle , to which a vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 12 is mounted by means of a suitable conventional wheel clamp 14 . the wheel alignment sensor unit 12 is pendulously mounted to the wheel 10 through wheel clamp 14 on a mounting shaft 15 so as to swing freely about an axis which is approximately coaxial with the axis of rotation 16 of the wheel 10 . the sensor unit 12 carries a first angle sensor 18 which develops an electric signal representative of the angular position of the sensor unit 12 relative to the vertical plane . a second angle sensor 20 , also carried by the sensor unit 12 , develops an electric signal representative of the angular position of the sensor unit 12 relative to the horizontal plane . the angle sensors 18 and 20 are conventional in the wheel alignment art for making camber and toe measurements , and additional sensors ( not shown ) are commonly carried by the sensor unit 12 for making other angle measurements used in the alignment of the wheels of a vehicle . it is well known that any wobble of the wheel 10 or of the sensor unit 12 during rotation about the axis of rotation affects the measurements made by the angle sensor 18 and 20 . as can be seen in fig2 , wobble or runout present may be represented as a sinusoidal waveform , where the amplitude of the waveform at a given rotational position of the wheel and / or sensor represents the amount of runout present at that rotational position . it is necessary , therefore , either to eliminate the wobble or runout , or to compensate for it . since in many cases it is impractical to eliminate the wobble , the usual practice is to compensate the acquired toe angle and camber angle measurements to correct for the wobble or runout at a corresponding rotational position at which the measurement was acquired . a suitable method for calculating and utilizing runout present at each rotational position is described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 052 , 111 to carter , et al . turning to fig3 , an absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 is illustrated generally . the absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 includes a two - axis hall effect sensor 24 disposed coaxially about an axis φ with a single pole pair magnet 26 coupled to a rotating shaft 28 . the magnet 26 is magnetized diametrically , so that by rotating the shaft 28 , the magnetic field generated by the magnet 26 also rotates . the rotation of the magnetic field through the two - axis hall effect sensor 24 results in two generated voltages , vx and vy , which represent the sine and cosine of the magnetic field direction . as shown in fig4 , calculating a ratio of vx to vy yields a representation of the rotational position of the rotating shaft 28 relative to the two - axis hall effect sensor 24 from an initial position , i . e . provides an absolute rotational position of the rotating shaft 28 . a suitable two - axis hall effect sensor is available from sentron ag , of zug , switzerland , or gmw of san carlos , calif ., and sold under the product identification 2sa - 10 . as shown in fig5 , the two - axis hall effect sensor 24 preferably includes an x - axis hall effect sensor 30 , a y - axis hall effect sensor 32 , a pair of offset cancellation circuits 34 a , 34 b , amplification circuits 36 . programming circuits 38 are provided for enabling and setting a bias circuit 40 for the hall effect sensors , offset parameters , and amplification parameters . preferably , signals from the hall effect sensors 30 , 32 are routed through the offset cancellation circuits 34 a , 34 b and modulated in a modulator circuit 42 prior to amplification . after the modulated signal is amplified , a demodulator circuit 44 separated the corresponding x and y axis signal , which are then routed through corresponding filters and buffering circuits 46 a , 46 b for output . input signals to the two - axis hall effect sensor 24 shown in fig5 include a supply voltage ( vdd ), a supply ground ( gnd ), a clock signal ( pc ), a programming voltage signal ( pv ), and a programming data signal ( pd ). output signals include a common output signal ( co_out ), an x - channel analog output ( x_out ), and a y - channel analog output ( y_out ). those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the two - axis hall effect sensor 24 may be implemented as an integrated circuit component , or as two discrete hall effect sensors mounted in suitable configuration to provide sine and cosine representative values of the rotating magnetic fields . optionally , a single hall effect sensor may be employed to provide 180 ° of rotational resolution , combined with a suitable mechanism to identify within which half - circle of a complete rotation of the mounting shaft the rotational position measurement has been acquired . turning to fig6 , a vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 of the present invention is shown with an absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 operatively associated with an alignment sensor mounting shaft 102 . housing components which surround and support the mounting shaft 102 , and which comprise the body of the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 are shown in phantom in fig6 for purposes of clarity . the absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 is disposed on a supporting structure 104 coaxial with , and adjacent an end of , the mounting shaft 102 . a magnet 106 which is magnetized across a diameter is disposed on the end of the mounting shaft 102 , parallel to the absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 , such that rotation of the mounting shaft 102 will result in a corresponding rotation of the magnet 106 and an associated magnetic field . as shown in fig7 , output signals from the absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 are routed to a micro - processor or logic circuit 110 in the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 . in addition to receiving signals from the absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 , the micro - processor or logic circuit 110 is configured to communicate with the conventional components of the wheel alignment sensor unit 100 . these include the angle sensors 18 and 20 , a sensor memory 112 , a communications transceiver 114 , such as a radio - frequency or infra - red communications unit , and one or more conventional operator i / o devices 116 such as buttons or leds disposed on the wheel alignment sensor unit 100 . the sensor memory 112 is preferably linked to a short - term power supply 113 , such as an internal battery or a super - capacitor , capable of providing sufficient power to maintain stored data in the sensor memory 112 during interruption or shutdown of a normal power supply ( not show ). alternatively , sensor memory 112 may be a form of re - writable persistent memory , such as mram , which does not require a continuous supply of power to maintain stored data values . in addition to being configured to perform the conventional functions of a vehicle wheel alignment sensor , the micro - processor or logic circuit 110 is configured to utilize the signals received from the absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 to identify an absolute rotational position of the mounting shaft 102 relative to the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 . the absolute rotational position sensor 22 provides two pieces of information to the micro - processor or logic circuit 110 , a rotational distance and a direction of rotation . using a known or identified mounting shaft parameter correlated with one or more absolute rotational positions stored in a persistent sensor memory 118 such as an rom , eprom , or eeprom , the micro - processor or logic circuit 110 determines an absolute rotational position of the mounting shaft 102 relative to the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 and the vehicle wheel 10 , or to a vertical ( gravity ) orientation . subsequent rotation of the mounting shaft 102 relative to the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 is tracked in a conventional manner by the micro - processor or logic circuit 110 using signals received from the absolute rotational position sensor 22 , once the initial absolute rotational position has been identified . during use , a vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 incorporating the absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 of the first embodiment is secured to a vehicle wheel , such as through the use of a wheel clamp 14 . prior to the obtaining the first vehicle wheel alignment measurements , the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 must be compensated for any runout or wobble present in the mounting to the vehicle wheel 10 . a runout compensation procedure is completed , and data representative of , or sufficient to reconstruct , a sinusoidal pattern of runout present for a complete rotation about the mounting shaft 102 is obtained and stored in the sensor memory 112 . as previously described , to compensate a vehicle wheel alignment measurement for runout between the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 and the vehicle wheel 10 , it is necessary to know the rotational position of one relative to the other about the mounting shaft 102 , as well as the corresponding runout value for that rotational position . upon completion of the runout compensation procedure , the micro - processor or logic circuit 110 continuously tracks all subsequent rotational movements of the mounting shaft 102 relative to the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 through signals obtained from the absolute rotational position sensor 22 . in addition , upon completion of the runout compensation procedure , the absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 of the present invention is utilized by the micro - processor or logic circuit 110 to identify an absolute rotational position rc 1 of the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 associated with at least one point on the runout compensation sinusoidal waveform . position rc 1 is stored in the sensor memory 112 , together with sufficient information to reconstruct the runout sinusoidal waveform for each rotational position of the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 . upon restoration of power following an interruption in power supplied to the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 , such as may be caused by a battery discharge , poor electrical contact with the battery leads , or an intentional operator shutdown while in use , which results in a discontinuity in the tracking of the rotational movements or position of the mounting shaft 102 relative to the wheel alignment sensor unit 100 , the micro - processor or logic circuit 110 is configured to utilize the data stored in the sensor memory 112 , together with a new absolute rotational position measurement , to resume normal sensor operation without the need to repeat the runout compensation procedures . assuming that the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 has not been dismounted from the vehicle wheel 10 during the interruption in power or shutdown , the runout compensation values previously obtained and stored in the sensor memory 112 remain valid for all rotational positions of the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 . what is unknown immediately after restoration of the power or restart of the system is , the current rotational position of the mounting shaft 102 relative to the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 . for example , it is possible that the mounting shaft 102 was rotated relative to the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 during the time the power was interrupted , or the vehicle wheel 10 was rolled forward or backwards . to re - synchronize the current rotational position of the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 and the stored runout compensation values , the micro - processor or logic circuit 110 is configured to utilize the absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 of the present invention to obtain a current absolute rotational position rc 2 for the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 . once the current absolute rotational position rc 2 of the mounting shaft 102 relative to the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 is obtained by the micro - processor or logic circuit 110 , the current absolute rotational position rc 2 is utilized together with the stored data representative of the sinusoidal runout pattern and previous absolute rotational position rc 1 to re - synchronize the rotation of the mounting shaft 102 relative to the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 with the previously determined runout compensation sinusoidal waveform . subsequent rotation of the mounting shaft 102 relative to the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 is tracked by the absolute rotation position sensor 22 , and an associated runout compensation value obtained by the micro - processor or logic circuit 110 using the stored runout sinusoidal waveform data . using the absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 of the present invention further permits the micro - processor or logic circuit 110 to identify a specific or predetermined absolute rotational position of the mounting shaft 102 , such as a “ zero ” position , “ gravity referenced ” position , or other operator identified rotational position , and to guide an operator to return the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 to the identified absolute rotational position at any point during a vehicle wheel alignment procedure , including subsequent to a loss of power to the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 or system shut down . turning to fig8 , an alternate embodiment vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 200 of the present invention is shown with a pair of absolute rotational position sensor assemblies 22 a and 22 b for providing increased absolute rotational position measurements . the first absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 a is operatively disposed adjacent to , and coaxial with , and end of the mounting shaft 202 of the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 200 . the second absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 b is operatively disposed parallel to , and adjacent , the mounting shaft 202 . housing components which surround and support the mounting shaft 202 , and which comprise the body of the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 200 are shown in phantom in fig8 for purposes of clarity . the first absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 a is disposed on a supporting structure 204 coaxial with , and adjacent an end of , the mounting shaft 202 . a magnet 206 which is magnetized across a diameter is disposed on the end of the mounting shaft 202 , parallel to the absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 a , such that rotation of the mounting shaft 202 will result in a corresponding rotation of the magnet 206 and an associated magnetic field . the second absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 b is disposed on a second supporting structure 208 oriented adjacent to , and perpendicular with , the axis 16 of the mounting shaft 202 . an annular magnet 210 is fixed about the mounting shaft 202 , coplanar with the second absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 b on the second supporting structure 208 . the annular or ring magnet 210 includes four or more equally spaced pole pairs 210 n , 210 s . rotation of the mounting shaft 202 will result in a corresponding rotation of the ring magnet 210 about the axis 16 and the oscillation of an associated magnetic field at the location of the second absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 b . the oscillations of the magnetic field associated with the annular magnet 210 results in “ n ” electrical cycles of sine and cosine voltage signals from the second absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 b , where “ n ” is the number of pole pairs 210 n , 210 s in the annular magnet 210 . as shown in fig9 , output signals from the first and second absolute rotational position sensor assemblies 22 a and 22 b are routed to a micro - processor or logic circuit 211 in the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 200 . output signals from the first absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 a provide one cycle of sine and cosine voltage signals per rotation of the mounting shaft 202 , identical to the operation of absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 as previously described in connection with embodiment 100 . in contrast to the output signals from the second absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 b , the output signals from the first sensor assembly 22 a are considered “ coarse ” rotational position measurements . the “ coarse ” rotational position measurement is utilized by the logic circuit or micro - processor 211 to identify which pole pair 210 n , 210 s of the ring magnet 210 is currently disposed adjacent to the second absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 b . since each pole pair 210 n , 210 s of the annular or ring magnet 210 is equally sized and spaced , i . e . occupies an equal arc about the circumference of the annular or ring magnet 210 , identification of a single pole pair 210 n , 210 s identifies a arcuate range within which the rotational position of the mounting shaft 202 is currently disposed . output signals from the second absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 b may then be used to identify a highly accurate or “ fine ” rotational position of the mounting shaft 202 within the “ coarse ” arcuate range ( 360 °/ n ) identified by the output signals from the first absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 a . the degree of accuracy within the “ fine ” range is limited to the measurement precision of the second absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 b . exemplary output signals from the pair of absolute rotational position sensor assemblies 22 a and 22 b are shown in fig1 . in addition to receiving signals from each absolute rotational position sensor assembly 22 a , 22 b , the micro - processor or logic circuit 211 is configured to communicate with the conventional components of the wheel alignment sensor unit 200 . these include the angle sensors 18 and 20 , a sensor memory 212 , a communications transceiver 214 , such as a radio - frequency or infra - red communications unit , and one or more conventional operator i / o devices 216 such as buttons or leds disposed on the wheel alignment sensor unit 200 . the sensor memory 212 is preferably linked to a short - term power supply 213 , such as an internal battery or a super - capacitor , capable of providing sufficient power to maintain stored data in the sensor memory 212 during interruption or shutdown of a normal power supply ( not show ). alternatively , sensor memory 212 may be a form of re - writable persistent memory , such as mram , which does not require a continuous supply of power to maintain stored data values . in addition to being configured to perform the conventional functions of a vehicle wheel alignment sensor , the micro - processor or logic circuit 211 is configured to utilize the signals received from the absolute rotational position sensor assemblies 22 a and 22 b to identify a high precision absolute rotational position of the mounting shaft 202 relative to the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 200 . using a known or identified mounting shaft parameter correlated with one or more absolute rotational positions stored in a persistent sensor memory 218 such as an rom , eprom , or eeprom , the micro - processor or logic circuit 211 determines an absolute rotational position of the mounting shaft 202 relative to , the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 200 and the vehicle wheel 10 , or to a vertical ( gravity ) orientation , to a high degree of precision . subsequent rotation of the mounting shaft 202 relative to the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 200 is tracked in a conventional manner by the micro - processor or logic circuit 211 using signals received from the absolute rotational position sensors 22 a and 22 b , once the initial absolute rotational position has been identified . use of the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 200 is substantially identical to that embodiment 100 described above , but with a greater degree of precision in the absolute rotational position measurements . in an alternate method of use , a vehicle wheel alignment sensor 100 or 200 of the present invention may be mounted to a conventional “ no - compensation ” type wheel adapter . a no - compensation wheel adapter , such as shown in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 427 , 346 b1 to stieff et al , herein incorporated by reference , is designed to facilitate attachment of a wheel alignment sensor unit 100 , 200 to a vehicle wheel 10 without the need for any runout compensation . this type of wheel adapter operates on the assumption that the runout of the vehicle wheel is negligible , and that the manufacturing process of the wheel adapter itself does not induce any additional runout in the system , hence there is no need to rotate the vehicle wheel 10 or the wheel alignment sensor unit 100 , 200 to different positions to compensate for runout within the system . these no - compensation wheel adapters are configured to minimize orientation errors . by configuring the wheel adapter to contact a vehicle wheel 10 ( or other suspension component ) in a reliable and repeatable manner , and by choosing points on the vehicle wheel 10 ( or other suspension component ) that provide a reference which closely represents that plane of rotation of the vehicle wheel 10 , mounting errors incurred by the wheel adapter can be minimized . careful fabrication of the wheel adapter itself to minimal tolerances minimizes any position and orientation errors between the mounting shaft 102 , 202 and the wheel adapter , and the wheel adapter contact points on the vehicle wheel 10 ( or other suspension component ). during mounting of the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 , 200 to a no - compensation type wheel adapter , a technician is required to determine when the wheel alignment sensor unit 100 , 200 is aligned with the scribed mark on the mounting shaft 102 , 202 at the top - dead - center position , thereby mounting the wheel alignment sensor unit 100 , 200 to the no - compensation adapter in a repeatable manner . by predetermination of an absolute rotational position of the mounting shaft 102 , 202 relative to the vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit 100 , 200 at the scribed mark , the logic circuit or micro - processor 110 , 211 of the present invention may be configured to guide an operator with electronic guidance to correctly mount the wheel alignment sensor unit 100 , 200 on a no - compensation type wheel adapter . signals from the absolute rotational position sensor 22 identify to the micro - controller or logic circuit 110 , 211 when the wheel alignment sensor unit 100 is rotational aligned to the desired position . the micro - processor or logic circuit 110 , 211 may be configured to provide led illumination or a directional indication identifying the rotational position or direction to which the operator should rotate the wheel alignment sensor unit 100 , 200 for mounting on the no - compensation type adapter at the top - dead - center or desired position . the present invention can be embodied in the form of computer - implemented processes and apparatuses for practicing those processes . the present invention can also be embodied in the form of computer program code containing instructions embodied in tangible media , such as floppy diskettes , cd - roms , hard drives , or an other computer readable storage medium , wherein , when the computer program code is loaded into , and executed by , an electronic device such as a computer , micro - processor or logic circuit , the device becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention . the present invention can also be embodied in the form of computer program code , for example , whether stored in a storage medium , loaded into and / or executed by a computer , or transmitted over some transmission medium , such as over electrical wiring or cabling , through fiber optics , or via electromagnetic radiation , wherein , when the computer program code is loaded into and executed by a computer , the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention . when implemented in a general - purpose microprocessor , the computer program code segments configure the microprocessor to create specific logic circuits . in view of the above , it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results are obtained . as various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense .
6
referring now to the drawings , fig1 depicts a schematic overview of a database security model 10 . in this illustrative embodiment , data is stored in two schemas , as “ locked ” data 34 that contain encrypted private data , e . g ., protected personal information ( ppi ), and as non - private application or “ open ” data 36 ( collectively , the “ database ”). locked data 34 include private data that remains encrypted and are not readily available as plain text while open data 36 include data that is readily available . for example , open data 36 may include the job title of a set of individuals , while the locked data 36 include social security numbers ( ssns ), etc . as detailed herein , locked data 34 can only be decrypted with a pair of keys , referred to herein as a private key 50 and a public key 52 . the pair of keys 50 , 52 are kept separate in order to ensure that no single person has access to both keys to access the locked data 34 . in general , application users 42 interface with a front - end database ( db ) application 32 , in which they submit queries and receive back results . for retrieving non - private information , the db application 32 simply interfaces directly with tables in the open data 36 to obtain the necessary information . if it necessary to retrieve private data to execute an inputted query , the db application 32 is not allowed to directly access the locked data 34 . instead , the db application 32 must instead make a call to encr system 30 , which includes one or more encr routines 44 ( also referred to herein as encr_code ) specifically implemented to handle the request . thus , as described herein , although the db application 32 cannot directly access and return private data from the locked data 34 , the db application 32 can provide functionality that allows an application user 42 to interface with private data in a limited fashion indirectly via an encr routine 44 . for example , a user 42 may be able to enter an ssn to the db application 32 to determine if there is a match in the locked data 34 , which will in turn call an encr routine 44 and , e . g ., return a yes or a no . when private data is required to handle a query , the db application 32 submits an encr request to encr system 30 which processes the request and returns an encr result . in some cases , the encr result may include a simple yes / no ( e . g ., a match exists ) or may return actual decrypted private data ( e . g ., a date of birth ). to handle encr requests , encr routines 44 can be implemented in two ways : ( 1 ) in a first approach , the encr routine 44 can use encryption code 45 along with a retrieved public key 52 to encrypt an inputted data record ( e . g ., an ssn ). the encrypted data can then be , e . g ., compared to an encrypted record or records in the locked data 34 to determine if a match exists . using this approach , no data is ever decrypted — instead processing is done by comparing encrypted data records only . ( 2 ) in a second approach , the encr routine 44 can submit a decrypt request , along with the public key , to crypto system 28 . crypto system 28 includes decryption code and private key 50 that can be used ( along with the inputted public key 52 ) to decrypt one or more locked data records . once decrypted , the decrypted data is passed back to the encr system 30 . note that the public key 52 is not stored in the crypto system 28 , but just temporarily used for the decryption request . note that the database application 32 , encr system 30 and crypto system 28 are implemented in operationally distinct spaces or realms ( i . e ., first level and second level , respectively ), such that access to files and processes in one space by a user does not allow for access to another . each system 28 , 30 may comprise its own physical or virtual server space . note also that the security model 10 may be implemented such that either or both the db application 32 automatically retrieves the public key 52 from storage and passes it to encr system 30 and / or a qualified and authorized resource such as the project lead 22 manually retrieves the public key 52 from storage and passes it to the encr system 30 when access to private data is required from the db application 32 or a qualified and authorized resource directly . note that direct access with an account other than app users 42 ( such as the encr user acct ) requires activation of a user account by the gate keeper 18 and authorization from a qualified 3 rd party such as the key master 20 . thus , using this multi - level security approach , once an encr routine 44 is deployed to the encr system 30 , developer resources can easily add functionality to the front - end db application 32 to access private data without having decryption capabilities . thus , neither the application user 42 nor internal developer resources can ever compromise the private data . equally important security issues also arise for higher level administrators who traditionally have system level access to all data . for example , it may be determined that the application users 42 require some additional limited private data access to perform their roles in an organization . in this case , a developer resource under the project lead 22 must write a new encr routine 44 , which may require decryption access to the private data . as discussed in further detail herein , the present approach contemplates at least three different administrative roles , none of which are given unfettered access to the locked data 34 . these roles include a gate keeper 18 , a key master 20 and a project lead 22 . accordingly , rather than provide that developer resource with , e . g ., a key , to allow for decryption , the illustrative security model 10 provides a platform to ensure that no single actor can access locked data 34 . ( 1 ) bifurcated key — the key used to encrypt or lock the data is comprised of at least two separate pieces ( private key 50 and public key 52 ). any actors who have access to part of the key must never be able to access all the other parts of the key to combine all of the pieces together and have the complete key . for example , if the gate keeper 18 and key master 20 have access to the private key 50 then the project lead 22 must not be allowed to access the private key . further , in this example the gate keeper 18 and key master 20 must not be allowed to access or compromise the public key ( 2 ) separation of duties — security duties are broken out into multiple roles creating a system of checks and balances . each actor in the model has at least one other actor that can perform a check or block against that actor individually compromising protected resources . also , an established process for requesting , authorizing , and completing system needs is utilized . for example , a database administrator cannot complete a request from a developer resource to have a secure account activated ( or any request that was not approved by an established role within the organization ). in order for any action to be taken , that action must be authorized by at least one and possibly two other qualified roles . ( 3 ) encryption — the sensitive data is encrypted using a robust algorithm so that the protected resources on their own cannot be read directly — a separate key is needed to unlock the data . ( 1 ) gate keeper 18 , which is responsible for user access to the crypto system 28 and encr system 30 . the gate keeper 18 controls user creation , privileges , and access to objects contained therein . the gate keeper 18 may play a role in managing the private key , but does not have access to public key 52 . ( 2 ) key master 20 , which is either fully or partially responsible for the private key 50 , and storing the private key in the crypto system 28 . the key master 20 also performs a very import audit function and can act as a qualified authorizer of requests whose approval is required for any action to proceed within the model . the key master 20 does not have access to the public key 52 . ( 3 ) project lead 22 , which is responsible for the public key 52 . the project lead 22 can request actions to be performed by the gate keeper 18 ( e . g ., allow access to the encr system 30 ) but these requests may require the authorization of at least one other qualified role such as the key master 20 . the project lead 22 does not have access to the private key 50 . ( 4 ) developer ( s ), which are responsible for application development and maintenance . the developer does not have access to either key , and cannot access live files or servers . instead , the developer must provide updates and changes to the project lead 22 . note that this role is optional and these duties may be performed directly by the project lead 22 . note also that the developer role may include one or many resources of varying levels ( e . g ., senior developer , technical lead , etc .). ( 5 ) security oversight , which is responsible for reviewing application code for back doors and other intentional breach attempts within the db application 32 . note that this role is optional but recommended in cases where , e . g ., sensitive data must be rendered in plain text in the db application 32 . accordingly , as shown in the illustrative embodiment of fig1 , the key master 20 is the only person authorized to temporarily access the crypto system 28 via a crypto user account when allowed by the gate keeper 18 . similarly , the project lead 22 is the only person authorized to temporarily access the encr system 30 via an encr user account when allowed by the gate keeper 18 . as such , access to the crypto system 28 and encr system 30 is highly regulated , and requires at least two people aware of the access . this helps to ensure that no individual can for example install code on either system to capture the public or private key . fig2 depicts a summary of the process of setting up the security model 10 . initially at s 1 , the gate keeper 18 creates user accounts , including crypto user account and encr user account . additional accounts may include an application user account ( e . g ., appuser ) and a locked table user account ( e . g ., lbx_user ). at s 2 , the gate keeper 18 creates database objects including the locked data 34 and open data 36 and at s 3 the key master 20 ( or optionally the gate keeper 18 ) generates a private key 50 and stores it in the crypto system 28 . at s 4 , the project lead 22 provides an obfuscation script to the key master 20 to hide the private key 50 and at s 5 the gate keeper 18 provides login information ( e . g ., crypto_user credentials ) to the key master 20 and at s 6 , the key master logs in , embeds the private key 50 and creates encrypt and decrypt code functions . at s 7 , the project lead 22 verifies that the private key 50 is hidden . note that the role of providing the script could be done by another entity , such as the gate keeper . fig3 summarizes an illustrative process for deploying new encr routines ( encr_code ) 44 . at s 10 , the developer resource provides a script for creating a new encr routine 44 to the project lead 22 . the project lead 22 reviews the script to ensure that no ( or only limited ) private data can be returned at s 11 , and at s 12 the project lead 22 requests a create session for an encr user account ( encr_user ) and requests credentials from the gate keeper 18 . at s 13 , the gate keeper 18 activates the session and provides the credentials and at s 14 the project lead 22 logs on as encr_user and creates the encr routine 44 and inserts seed values into the locked data 34 as needed . at s 15 , the project lead 22 notifies the gate keeper 18 to end the session for encr_user and deploys the code . at s 16 , the project lead 22 generates a public key 52 in a secure storage region and at s 17 , requests access for appuser as needed . the public key 52 is passed as needed . finally , at s 18 , seed values are inserted into the database as needed . the project lead 22 instructs the developer resources on the best use of plain text sensitive information in the application with a goal of minimizing or eliminating the retrieval of plain text sensitive data to the greatest extent possible : a . mask data unless it is absolutely necessary to display in plain text ; b . bulk pulls of plain text sensitive data ( reports ) will run under special accounts that can be made active during specific time windows ; and c . token ids are to be used instead if personal information based ids . search algorithms may be written within the encr routine ( s ) 44 and return masked results and the developer role has no access to the public key 52 . since the developer provides code to the project lead 22 for deployment , the project lead 22 can review the code for attempts to compromise the public key 52 . also , the project lead 22 can utilize a separate repository that is not accessible by the developer to embed the public key 52 inside the application . since the developer cannot access the encr system 30 where the public key 52 is deployed , it is difficult for the developer to compromise the public key 52 . the use of a cypher key allows the public key 52 to be protected as well as the data . note that this offers additional protection since the crypto system 28 code must now accommodate processing a protected public key 52 , so the public key 52 does not necessarily need to be un - encrypted for it to be useful . the added benefit would be more related to cases where the data values were extracted from the database without the corresponding crypto routines . in this scenario , someone with the two keys but not the crypto routines would not be able to convert the data to plain text . the security oversight role may be implemented , particularly when plain text data needs to be returned to the database application 32 . security oversight must not be allowed access to accounts in the database that can access the private key 52 . finally , in one illustrative embodiment , the developer role does not need to have access to the appuser database account . the following checks and balances are provided by the security model 10 . ( 1 ) the key master 20 does not have access to the public key 52 . even with the public key 52 , the key master 20 cannot make calls to decrypt the locked data 34 and cannot access the locked data 34 . best practice dictates , however , that care is taken to keep the public key 52 from the key master 20 . ( 2 ) the developer does not have access to either of the keys and can only connect to the database with the appuser account in lower environments — not live or production environments . the developer could theoretically include surreptitious code in the application intended to compromise the public key and / or unencrypted data returned from encr_code . the following checks serve to prevent these threats from becoming realized vulnerabilities : a . the developer cannot deploy code . the project lead manages deployments and can review the code for backdoors that may try to compromise data b . the developer cannot access the public key . the project lead manages the public key and keeps it stored in a secure repository not accessible by developers . the project lead can look at every instance in the code where the public key is utilized and verify that it is not compromised . c . a security oversight role can be incorporated to serve as a second set of eyes backing up the project lead checks d . the developer cannot connect to the database using accounts that can call the crypto routines . since the gate keeper only processes requests initiated by the project lead , the developer is blocked from requesting access to these accounts e . note that compromised developer credentials can serve as a very powerful attack tool to compromise secure data . therefore , the developer role may not be allowed to have accounts that can access production or live servers , file shares , databases , repositories , etc . : i . a compromised developer account could be susceptible to elevated privileges allowing a threat agent to install malicious code to intercept the public key or detect packets on the wire to gain access to plain text and route this information to an accessible location . to counter this , effective patching , firewall , and network monitoring strategies are recommended . effective personnel management is also important to make sure old or unused user accounts to not remain active . also , plain text sensitive data should only be passed when absolutely necessary . time policies and limit filters are available in some database applications that allow accounts to access data only during certain time windows . network monitors can be set to a higher level of vigilance during these windows . ii . a compromised developer account could be susceptible to elevated privileges allowing the theft of production application files ( including operating system and database files ) to an accessible location . to counter this , it is recommended that the public key be stored in a quality hsm appliance so that it is read and passed by the application at runtime . this way , the public key would not be included in the stolen information and the sensitive data could not be decrypted 3 . security oversight has limited access in that it can only view application code . they may gain access to the public key if it is stored in the code , but because the role cannot access the database code ; these users cannot access the private key . also , because this role cannot connect to the database , they cannot attempt to utilize the public key to try and call encr_code that may return plain text sensitive data . since they may be able to review configuration files that contain connection information , these strings would ideally be stored in an encrypted format to prevent unauthorized attempts to connect to the database . 4 . project lead 22 is one of the most difficult roles to lock down because typically this is the role whose job most requires access to the information that needs to be secured . moreover , this is the one role that can directly access the public key 52 . all that would be needed to view encrypted data would be a connection to the database . in applications that do not return plain text data in the encr routines 44 , the check against the project lead 22 is that a formal request must be entered and approved by a qualified 3 rd party such as the key master 20 in order for the session privilege to be turned to on for the encr_user account , which can directly call the encr routines 44 ( encr_code ) and potentially , if enabled by the gate keeper with proper authorization , the lbx_user account , which could directly call the crypto system routines 28 . when business needs dictate that plain text sensitive data needs to be returned from the encr_code , the project lead 22 could simply connect to the database using the appuser account and pass the public key 52 directly to return unencrypted data . additionally , a malicious agent who compromised the project lead 22 credentials could do the same . consequently , the following are recommended in cases where plain text sensitive data needs to be returned to the front - end application : a . take every step possible mask this data . for instance , searches can be coded into the encr_code in such a way as to mask potential matches but still allow the human to identify the correct match ; b . for reports and other functions that may require multiple records of plain text data , set up a separate account under which these functions run . seek ways to limit and monitor the times when this account can actively connect to the data ; c . employ a security oversight actor to monitor the application code for potential vulnerabilities ; d . investigate network monitoring utilities that can monitor and report on specific types of network traffic and usage ; e . investigate data store application policies limiting connectivity by ip address to prevent the project lead from making a direct connection with the appuser account . 5 . the gate keeper can be the most difficult role to block from compromising the data . since the main check against the gate keeper is that they do not possess the public key , preventing the gate keeper from obtaining the public key is crucial . since the gate keeper 18 is typically a sys level user in the database , there are inherently many means by which the gate keeper 18 can exploit the code to capture the public key 52 . a database running on sis processors in a secure framework will be very difficult for a malicious agent to leverage to compromise the public key 52 from the network or volatile memory . so the principle means of exploit for the gate keeper role is modifying the database code where the public key is passed as a parameter . it is very difficult to completely block the gate keeper role ( and consequently a malicious actor who has compromised the gate keeper credentials ) from modifying the object definitions that compromise the code . but it is possible to detect when this has occurred . for this reason , it is strongly recommended that the key master and project lead set up crypto sentry code checks on all database code where the public key is passed . further , there needs to be an effective and timely response mechanism when these alterations are detected . since the public key will only be passed to certain database routines , the crypto sentry can be focused on only these routines . additional features that can optionally be incorporated to enhance security include the following . items passed in plain text on the wire are vulnerable to breach . hardware and network protections can be used to mitigate this risk . for example , the unencrypted plain text values returned from a call to decrypt sensitive data for use in the front - end application are susceptible to being compromised by network sniffers . securing the network can help mitigate these risks the process of encrypting and / or decrypting data occurs in the random or volatile memory within the data store application . while in - process , there is a potential vulnerability for a malicious agent to scrape the ram in order to compromise the key . utilizing data store applications that incorporate software in silicon ( sis ) hardware that prevents external reads ( scrapes ) will mitigate this risk . likewise , the operating systems that process the public key and pass the value to the data store application can employ the same protections . any time the public key is passed on the wire ( network ), the connection would ideally be encrypted ( i . e . ssl or vpn ). this will ensure the key is encrypted in transit and prevent breach via packet sniffing . keys ( public and private ) will ideally be stored outside of the application . care will need to be taken that these keys are not stored in such a way that it would be easy for a malicious actor to compromise the backup where the keys are stored . strong encryption tools such as advanced encryption standard with a 256 bit key ( aes256 ) are recommended . a strong source code repository is recommended for storing the code that will house the public key . most data store applications possess filter policy roles that only allow connectivity from specific ip addresses . this functionality can be utilized to prevent compromised credentials from being used to connect to the database from unauthorized entry points . the application connection information will ideally be stored in a secured manner such as encrypting the connection string if stored in a configuration file . vulnerabilities may lie within the integrity of the overall architecture ( outside the security model 10 ). for example , unhandled exceptions within an application can be sources of vulnerability . these can be mitigated by runtime application self protection ( rasp ) components , strong firewalls , good software patching practices , network monitoring , etc . since most data store applications provide a mechanism to detect the user id , ip address , server name , etc ., from the calling entity , additional security can be achieved by adding platform specific code to the encr and crypt routines that check for these properties and raise an exception if the server meta data is incorrect . some data store applications provide utilities for separating the duties of accounts within the data store . these utilities can help make it more difficult for the gate keeper and other sys level users in the data store to compromise the data and / or the keys . the keys would ideally be changed every 12 months or less . one means to accomplish this is to write a code routine in the encr_code that takes both the new and the prior public key and makes a call to the crypto_code routine to decrypt using prior key passing the prior public key and then taking the result and calling the crypto_code routine to encrypt the data passing the new public key . the newly encrypted values would overwrite the pre - existing values . for applications that need to display plain text sensitive information from the database , system level application user accounts would be able to log in to the application and view data . consequently , it is most secure if these accounts are disabled and can only be enabled by a project lead request approved by an authorized 3 rd party such as the key master . sensitive data can be tokenized to add an additional layer of anonymity . for example , random ids can be created for each client record , and the random id can then be utilized by the application to represent an applicant , using that id to process sensitive data only when needed . since the id on its own could not be used to identify a given person , it is much safer than using personal information as the record identifier . an alternative approach may be implemented as follows , again with reference to fig1 . the gate keeper 18 creates the crypto_user , encr_user , appuser and lbx_user accounts . note that it is recommended that accounts be created under the ‘ least privilege ’ doctrine . in other words , the accounts will be given the least amount of privilege necessary to perform the needs of the account . additional privileges can be added later if needed if authorized , but it is better to have the account ask for additional privileges rather than automatically have them . 1 ) the gate keeper 18 creates the crypto_read_user account and grants select privileges on the core table that lists objects within the database ( i . e . obj $) 2 ) the gate keeper 18 grants the crypto_user account privileges to connect to the database and to create packages / procedures / functions 3 ) the key master 20 then provides the gate keeper 18 with the private key . 4 ) the gate keeper 20 logs in with the crypto_user account and creates the crypto_code in the crypto system 28 embedding the private key 50 . here is sample code for crypto_code : 6 ) the gate keeper 18 then removes the session privilege from crypto_user so that it cannot connect to the db 7 ) the key master 20 uses the crypto_read_user account to ensure that only one object exists for the crypto_user user account in the crypto system 28 . for example : 8 ) the key master uses the crypto_read_user account to verify the contents of the crypto_code function in the crypto system 28 to ensure that code and private key 50 and public key 52 that will passed in from the encr system 30 are not compromised . for example : 9 ) the key master uses the crypto_read_user account to log a hash value for the crypto_code routine in the crypto system 28 . for example : -- chunk clob inot string blocks of 4000 to ensure consistent hash 10 ) the key master then creates the anomaly detection routine using the hash value returned from above . for example : -- chunk clob inot string blocks of 4000 to ensure consistent hash 11 ) the gate keeper 18 then grants execute privileges on crypto_code in the crypto system 28 to the encr_user account 12 ) the gate keeper 18 then grants the session privilege to encr_user so that it can connect to the db 13 ) the gate keeper 18 grants the encr_user account with privileges to create packages / procedures / functions in the encr system 30 and provides credentials to project lead 22 14 ) the project lead 22 then leads the creation of the encr_code functions in the encr system 30 . in this example , the decrypt routines are not publicly accessible by calls to encr_code routines in the encr system 30 . this ensures that the code cannot be used to compromise the sensitive data . note that decrypt routines are included as calls nested within the public routines , but so long as these nested decryption values are not returned directly ( only true / false is returned ) they do not pose a security threat . note that the script in this example that creates the encr_code routines in the encr system 30 returns an immediate hash value that can be provided to the key master 20 to ensure no tampering occurred by the gate keeper 18 ( or some other malicious actor ) while the encr_user account is active . here is example code : -- chunk clob into string blocks of 4000 to ensure consistent hash value 15 ) the project lead 22 provides the hash value to the key master 20 16 ) the gate keeper 18 then removes the session privilege from encr_user so that it cannot connect to the db 17 ) the gate keeper 18 then grants execute privileges on encr_code in the encr system 30 to any application accounts that will need to utilize the crytpo functionality such as an appuser account 18 ) the key master 20 uses the crypto_read_user account to ensure that only the appropriate number of objects exists for the encr_user user account in the encr system 30 . for example : 19 ) the key master uses the crypto_read_user account to verify the contents of the encr_code function to ensure that no back doors or other breaches have been coded into the routine in the encr system 30 . for example : 20 ) the key master uses the crypto_read_user account to log a hash value for the encr_code routine in the encr system 30 . for example : -- chunk clob inot string blocks of 4000 to ensure consistent hash 21 ) if the hash value returned from above does not match the hash value provided by the project lead 22 , then the deployment is halted as tampering may have occurred and will need to be investigated 22 ) the key master 20 then creates the anomaly detection routine using the hash value returned from above . for example : -- chunk clob inot string blocks of 4000 to ensure consistent hash 23 ) note that typically , the gate keeper 18 can activate either of the code user accounts at any time and modify the crypto and encr code in the crypto system 28 and / or the encr system 30 . by modifying the code , the gate keeper 18 could subvert decrypted data and / or compromise the public key 52 as it is passed in and then be in possession of both keys . in most cases , these code changes would not be detected by either the project lead 22 or the key master 20 . in the tsm ™, the measure that prevents this action from becoming a threat event is the comparison of the code signatures in the anomaly detection routines . if the gate keeper 18 role were to attempt this type of breach , the signature of the modified code would be different than that logged by the key master 20 . consequently , the key master 20 has the ability to serve as a crypto sentry to detect and prevent this type of breach . the frequency of the crypto sentry checks will determine the size of the window available for a gate keeper 18 role to compromise the code . for instance , if the anomaly check routine is performed on every call to an encr system 30 or crypto system 28 routine , then the breach window would be zero . if the call is performed intermittently , then the time window between checks becomes the maximum breach window . regardless of the frequency , the crypto sentry routines become an important check against the gate keeper 18 acting unilaterally to compromised locked data . the anomaly detection routines in the crypto sentry it will need to run in such a manner that the gate keeper 18 cannot deactivate , override or modify . for example , the crypto sentry can be setup to run as an application outside the domain of the gate keeper ( as well as the project lead ). this would be represented in fig1 as a separate realm or space accessible only by the key master 20 , which would have read access to the crypto system 28 and encr system 30 . 24 ) the project lead 22 then creates a public key 52 . note that the ideal place to store the public key 52 is in a hardware security management ( hsm ) appliance with the code that passes the public key 52 to the encr system 30 routines in the database pulling the public key 52 at runtime from the hsm . 25 ) the project lead 22 embeds a routine to manage and pass the public key 52 into the db app 32 . note , that upon successfully authorized request the gate keeper 18 could potentially enable session on a specified account such as lbx_user to call either the crypto system 28 or encr system 30 directly by manually pulling the public key 52 and passing it as a parameter 26 ) note that it is good practice for the project lead 22 to test encr system 30 routines to make sure encryption works properly — particularly if the public key 52 is cypher protected . before testing , however , it is best to ensure that the public key 52 will not be compromised when it is passed in to the crypto system 28 and / or encr system 30 routines . in a further embodiment , the private key 50 is stored both in the crypto system 28 and in a hardware security module ( hsm ). note that if the public key 52 is stored in an hsm it would need to be kept separate from the private key 50 . in this scenario , no decrypted data is returned from encr system 30 . instead , encrypted values are returned and then passed into the hsm along with the public key 52 to decrypt at the point of display . in still a further embodiment , gate keeper 18 manages private key 50 separately from key master 20 . in this scenario the key master 20 becomes a sentry only role ( and potentially the additional authorizer besides the project lead 22 ). in still a further embodiment , the key master 20 role is eliminated . in this scenario , the gate keeper 18 manages the private key 50 and creates crypto system 28 . without the key master 20 to serve as crypto sentry , the gate keeper 18 will need be perform anomaly detection on the encr system 30 and the project lead 22 will need do the same on both the crypto system 28 and encr system 30 . since the project lead will now be able to view the crypto system 28 , the private key 50 will need to be extracted and stored under an account separate ( but accessible ) by crypto system 28 user account . for example , the gate keeper 18 could create a crypto_key_user that creates an object or crytpo key code routine ( preferably obfuscated to prevent over - the - shoulder breaches ) that simply returns the private key 50 , and then grant execute privileges to crypto_user on this new routine . this routine call could be placed in the crypto system 28 , but since the project lead 22 can only view the code ( not execute ) they will not be able to see the private key 50 even as they are checking the crypto system 28 code for anomalies . note that without the key master 18 it will be much more difficult to monitor cases where the project lead 22 is requesting the ability to call the crypto system 28 directly or put public decrypt routines in the encr system 30 . for example , a malicious actor spoofing the project lead 22 role and having the public key 52 could directly request access the crypto system 28 routines from the gate keeper 18 . if granted , this malicious actor would have all the resources needed to compromise locked data . in this scenario , additional 3 rd party oversight and / or approval is recommended . in still a further embodiment , salting can be incorporated into some or all of the locked data 34 values for added security in still a further embodiment , the public key 52 can be cypher protected using the crypto system 28 routines so that it is not stored or passed as plain text . this would involve the gate keeper 18 allowing session connect on the crypto_user account so the project lead 22 could pass the public key 52 to the crypto system 28 cypher routine to get back an encrypted value for the public key 52 . calls in the encr system 30 routines would need to account for the encrypted public key 52 and utilize routines in the crypto system 28 routines that decrypt the public key before combining with the private key 50 . since the cypher value of the public key 52 can still be used to call the crypto system 28 routines to unlock locked data 34 , this only adds protection for cases where the locked data has been exfiltrated along with the private key 50 but without the crypto system 28 . in this scenario , the cyphered public key 52 could not be combined manually with the private key 50 to decrypt the locked data 34 . in still a further embodiment , private key 50 embedded outside of crypto system 28 . the key master 20 executes a script under a separate account ( i . e . crypto_key_user ) to store the private key 50 in a separate object or routine ( preferably obfuscated to prevent over - the - shoulder breaches ) that returns the private key 50 . once this script is executed , the separate account is deactivated . the key master 20 then provides the script to create the crypto system 28 routines to the gate keeper 18 . this crypto system 28 script will contain a call to retrieve the private key 50 from the new object or routine created by the key master 20 . the crypto_user would be granted execute or select privileges on the private key 50 store , but would not be able to view it . in this scenario , the project lead 22 could perform the crypto sentry duties because the project lead 22 can only view the code ( not execute or select from an object )— they will not be able to see the private key 50 even as they are checking the crypto system 28 for anomalies . in still a further embodiment , the crypto system 28 can be written to store previous private keys and have routines to utilize these prior keys . this would allow the keys to be changed periodically without the loss of any locked data . in still a further embodiment , key master 20 can incorporate crypto sentry checks to see if any non - authorized code is making calls to the encryption libraries or the crypto system 28 routines . for example : in still a further embodiment , project lead 22 can temporarily be given access to an account such as lbx_user that can directly connect to the database and execute crypto system 28 routines . for example : 1 ) the project lead 22 requests access to connect to an execute crypto system 28 routines . 2 ) the request is authorized by a qualified 3 rd party such as the key master 20 3 ) the gate keeper 18 gives execute privileges on crypto system 28 to the lbx_user account and sets session privilege for this account to on 4 ) the gate keeper 18 provides user credentials directly to the project lead 22 ession privilege for lbx_user is set back to off immediately following the completion of the work by the project lead 22 fig4 depicts an illustrative computing system 50 for implementing a database security system 70 to implement to above described database security model 10 for an application database 68 . database security system 70 generally includes an account management system 60 for establishing the crypto system 28 and encr system 30 . as noted , the gate keeper role is largely responsible for creating accounts and establishing privileges . as such the account management system 60 would allocate the necessary resource for the gate keeper . application management system 62 is responsible for establishing and managing the db application 32 . associated permissions , firewalls , etc ., may be handled by the application management system 62 . data management system 64 is responsible for setting up database tables and determining which data belongs in locked data 34 and which belongs in app data 36 . communication system 66 provides a platform through which the different roles can communicate with each other . for example , if a developer wanted to deploy a new encrypted code function 44 ( fig1 ), the developer could pass the code or an associated request to the project lead via the communication system 66 . it is understood that database security system 70 may be implemented as a computer program product stored on a computer readable storage medium . the computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device . the computer readable storage medium may be , for example , but is not limited to , an electronic storage device , a magnetic storage device , an optical storage device , an electromagnetic storage device , a semiconductor storage device , or any suitable combination of the foregoing . a non - exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium includes the following : a portable computer diskette , a hard disk , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), a static random access memory ( sram ), a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cd - rom ), a digital versatile disk ( dvd ), a memory stick , a floppy disk , a mechanically encoded device such as punch - cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon , and any suitable combination of the foregoing . a computer readable storage medium , as used herein , is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se , such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves , electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media ( e . g ., light pulses passing through a fiber - optic cable ), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire . computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing / processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network , for example , the internet , a local area network , a wide area network and / or a wireless network . the network may comprise copper transmission cables , optical transmission fibers , wireless transmission , routers , firewalls , switches , gateway computers and / or edge servers . a network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing / processing device . computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions , instruction - set - architecture ( isa ) instructions , machine instructions , machine dependent instructions , microcode , firmware instructions , state - setting data , or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages , including an object oriented programming language such as java , python , smalltalk , c ++ or the like , and conventional procedural programming languages , such as the “ c ” programming language or similar programming languages . the computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user &# 39 ; s computer , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer , as a stand - alone software package , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server . in the latter scenario , the remote computer may be connected to the user &# 39 ; s computer through any type of network , including a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the connection may be made to an external computer ( for example , through the internet using an internet service provider ). in some embodiments , electronic circuitry including , for example , programmable logic circuitry , field - programmable gate arrays ( fpga ), or programmable logic arrays ( pla ) may execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry , in order to perform aspects of the present invention . aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods , apparatus ( systems ), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , can be implemented by computer readable program instructions . these computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . these computer readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer , a programmable data processing apparatus , and / or other devices to function in a particular manner , such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer , other programmable data processing apparatus , or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer , other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process , such that the instructions which execute on the computer , other programmable apparatus , or other device implement the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture , functionality , and operation of possible implementations of systems , methods , and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention . in this regard , each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module , segment , or portion of instructions , which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function ( s ). in some alternative implementations , the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures . for example , two blocks shown in succession may , in fact , be executed substantially concurrently , or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order , depending upon the functionality involved . it will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration , and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration , can be implemented by special purpose hardware - based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions . computing system 50 that may comprise any type of computing device and for example includes at least one processor 52 , memory 56 , an input / output ( i / o ) 54 ( e . g ., one or more i / o interfaces and / or devices ), and a communications pathway 57 . in general , processor ( s ) 52 execute program code which is at least partially fixed in memory 56 . while executing program code , processor ( s ) 52 can process data , which can result in reading and / or writing transformed data from / to memory and / or i / o 54 for further processing . the pathway 57 provides a communications link between each of the components in computing system 50 . i / o 54 can comprise one or more human i / o devices , which enable a user to interact with computing system 50 . computing system 50 may also be implemented in a distributed manner such that different components reside in different physical locations . furthermore , it is understood that the data security system 70 or relevant components thereof ( such as an api component , agents , etc .) may also be automatically or semi - automatically deployed into a computer system by sending the components to a central server or a group of central servers . the components are then downloaded into a target computer that will execute the components . the components are then either detached to a directory or loaded into a directory that executes a program that detaches the components into a directory . another alternative is to send the components directly to a directory on a client computer hard drive . when there are proxy servers , the process will select the proxy server code , determine on which computers to place the proxy servers &# 39 ; code , transmit the proxy server code , then install the proxy server code on the proxy computer . the components will be transmitted to the proxy server and then it will be stored on the proxy server . the foregoing description of various aspects of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed , and obviously , many modifications and variations are possible . such modifications and variations that may be apparent to an individual in the art are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims .
6
fig1 illustrates the system which uses a combustor 16 to both burn hydrocarbon components from a gas stream 14 exiting the main processor 12 and also to supply heat back to the processor 12 . in this embodiment , main processor 12 is operated for the purpose of heating coal . it will be appreciated , however , that the present invention may be used with any process requiring the burning of hydrocarbons in a gas stream and the recovery of sensible heat . the first process gas stream 14 , is the lean hydrocarbon gas stream produced by picking up volatile components evolved as the coal is heated in main pyrolysis process 12 . hydrocarbon gas stream 14 enters the combustor 16 . combustor 16 includes a burner system 17 . a second process gas stream , indicated by reference numeral 18 , is a hot gas stream exiting from combustor 16 , which contains no hydrocarbons . gas stream 18 has a low oxygen content , approximately 0 . 2 % to 0 . 8 %, and is therefore , practically speaking , inert . gas stream 18 is directed back to main processor 12 to heat a coal bed , not shown , consequently , the recovered heat generated by combustion of the coal volatiles is used as an integral part in main processor 12 . this improves the overall efficiency of main processor 12 by reducing the amount of auxiliary fuel 19 , i . e . natural gas , burned for heating the coal bed in main process 12 . as a result of the present invention , 70 % to 90 % of main processor 12 heat required is provided by the combustion of volatiles in hydrocarbon gas stream 14 while 10 % to 30 % of the heat is provided by the combustion of natural gas . in the system of the present invention the temperature and oxygen concentration within combustor 16 are controlled for efficient and trouble free operation . the temperature is maintained by controlling the ratio of auxiliary fuel 19 and air from a primary air source 21 entering burner system 17 of combustor 16 . it should be noted that primary air source 21 can be a variable speed blower . the air / natural gas flow ratio is typically maintained at 9 : 1 to 15 : 1 , by volume , while hydrocarbons are being burned . in the present embodiment , burner system 17 is a 17 million btu per hour natural gas burner . upon startup of the equipment and before hydrocarbons are available from the main process 12 , the natural gas burner 17 will typically fire at a rate in the range of 3 to 17 million btu / hour . when hydrocarbons are available in hydrocarbon gas stream 14 , natural gas burner 17 typically will fire at a rate in the range of 3 to 8 million btu / hour . oxygen concentration within the system is controlled by a two stage air flow control system 23 . control system 23 has a first flow valve 25 and a second flow valve 27 . the temperature in combustor 16 is measured by a temperature transmitter 29 . the error between the desired temperature ( set point ) and the actual temperature is used to calculate an output for first flow valve 25 . when a higher combustor temperature is desired , more air is sent to burner 17 through flow valve 25 . if a lower temperature is desired , less air is sent . the actual flow of air is measured by an air flow transmitter 31 . auxiliary gas 19 flows through a fuel flow valve 33 . the rate of flow of auxiliary gas is measured by a fuel flow transmitter 35 . the flow of air as measured by air flow transmitter 31 is compared to the auxiliary fuel flow as measured by the fuel flow transmitter 35 . an output is then calculated for the fuel flow valve 33 . by this feedback control , a strict air - to - fuel ratio is maintained . second air flow valve 27 and a trim air flow valve 37 function together with a post - combustor oxygen concentration analyzer 39 to control the proper amount of primary combustion air added to the incoming hydrocarbon gas stream 14 directly into combustor 16 . valves 27 and 37 flow through flow transmitter 38 . the oxygen concentration in gas stream 18 is measured by oxygen concentration analyzer 39 . the error between the desired oxygen concentration ( set point ) and the actual or measured oxygen concentration is used to calculate a position for trim flow valve 37 . valve 37 makes small adjustments in primary air flow to maintain the set point oxygen concentration in the combustor closely to a desired set point . second air flow valve 27 supplies the largest quantity of primary air . air flow valve 27 operates in a slave mode to trim air valve 37 . when trim air valve 37 opens to a predetermined position , air flow valve 27 slowly opens to supply more air . conversely , when trim air flow valve 37 closes to a predetermined position , air flow valve 27 slowly closes to supply less air to the combustor . for example , in main processor 12 for heating coal , valve 27 is a 16 inch diameter actuated butterfly valve used to supply most of the primary air . trim air valve 27 is an 8 inch actuated butterfly valve . when trim valve 37 reaches 60 % open , valve 27 starts to step open from its current position and continues to step open until either : a ) valve 37 closes to less than or equal to 60 % open ; or , b ) the measured oxygen concentration in the combustor exceeds the set point oxygen concentration . conversely , when trim valve 37 closes to a position less than 30 % open , valve 27 starts to step closed and continues to step close until either : a ) trim valve 37 opens to greater than or equal to 30 % open ; or b ) the measured oxygen concentration in the combustor becomes less than the set point oxygen concentration . typical oxygen concentration set points for the coal heating process 12 are in the range of 0 . 2 % to 0 . 8 %. it will be appreciated that , because neither the flow nor the hydrocarbon concentration of hydrocarbon stream 14 can be reliably measured , the amount of additional air required to burn the hydrocarbons cannot be calculated . with the two stage air flow control system 23 , the exact amount of air flow is maintained without the need to know the incoming flow or gas composition of hydrocarbon gas 14 . the staging between valve 27 and valve 37 is necessary to provide accurate air flow control over a wide range of flows . the combustion range for incoming hydrocarbon components from main process 12 was from 0 to 36 million btu / hour . in addition to the primary controls just described , several anticipatory control functions are used to maintain combustion stability . the pressure and flow of hydrocarbon gas stream 14 entering combustor 16 may vary due to changes in the coal bed depth in the main process 12 , gas density changes caused by temperature fluctuations , and due to interactions between the multiplicity of process controls . furthermore , changes in the hydrocarbon concentration are caused by variations in main process 12 conditions and in coal quality . changes in the pressure of hydrocarbon gas stream 14 tend to change the air flow into combustor 16 by applying more or less back pressure to valves 25 , 27 and 37 . air pressure is controlled by pressure control valve 40 . the main processor 12 pressure is measured by a pressure analyzer 42 . from this measurement , a desired air pressure is calculated so that a constant pressure differential is maintained across valves 27 and 37 and across the nozzles 44 , where the air enters combustor 16 . pressure control valve 40 is opened or closed to maintain this calculated pressure at a second pressure analyzer 46 . this provides a repeatable and stable relationship between air flow and valve position for valves 25 , 27 and 37 and minimizes changes and corrections in the air flow . thus , potential air flow changes are anticipated by pressure changes in the process and corrective action is taken by adjusting one valve , i . e . pressure valve 40 . alternatively , the air pressure in the system could be adjusted by the activation of the primary air source , i . e . variable speed blower 21 , activated by a feed back from the pressure analyzer 46 . frequent adjustments to and possible interactions between valves 25 , 27 and 37 are avoided . a surge of lean hydrocarbon gas stream 14 to the combustor will cause rapid quenching of the combustion reaction . a temperature drop or &# 34 ; crater &# 34 ; of over 700 ° f . may be seen in less than 30 seconds . a crater typically has an initial downward drift followed by a rapid temperature plunge . following the temperature plunge , restart of combustion may not be possible without bringing down and restarting main processor 12 . the method of the present invention monitors combustor 16 temperature by the thermocoupler and temperature transmitter 29 . when a drop of a predetermined number of degrees below a set point is detected , an incremental increase in burner air and auxiliary fuel is provided by the opening of burner air valve 25 . fuel valve 33 automatically is opened to maintain the proper air - to fuel ratio . this initial pulse of heat to combustor 16 is followed by a stepwise closing of air valve 25 , which is followed by fuel valve 33 , back to a valve position determined by temperature transmitter 29 . this action typically will reverse the temperature drop in combustor 16 . however , the condition usually associated with a crater is observed to be an excess of hydrocarbon components in hydrocarbon gas stream 14 resulting in a rich condition in combustor 16 resulting in sluggish recovery of the combustor temperature . occasionally a second crater can occur . therefore , in addition to the just described burner pulse , the combustion oxygen is monitored at oxygen analyzer 39 just after a crater . if the oxygen concentration stays a 0 % for a set period of time , air valve 27 is stepped open to provide a step increase of primary air flow . this increase is repeated if the concentration remains at 0 for another period of time . in the main process 12 for heating coal , a crater is anticipated when a temperature drop of 50 ° f . below set point is detected . at this point , valve 25 is opened to 70 % open to provide a sensible heat pulse to the combustor . this is followed immediately by a 1 % closing of the valve every five seconds until the valve reaches the position currently called for at the temperature transmitter 29 . additionally , if the oxygen concentration remains at 0 for 15 seconds after the crater is detected , valve 27 is opened an additional 10 % to raise the primary air flow . this action will repeat if the oxygen concentration remains at 0 for an additional 15 seconds . alternatively , if an optional combustibles detector 50 is connected to combustor 16 , a low oxygen / high combustibles ratio ( i . e . 0 oxygen /& gt ; 0 . 5 % combustibles ) may be used to trigger the opening of valve 27 . it will be appreciated that the combustibles detection device can be combined with the oxygen detector 39 in one device . a final control scheme involves varying the burner air to auxiliary air ratio to improve combustion stability at high primary fuel combustion rates . during initial equipment heat - up , before hydrocarbons are available from main process 12 , a stoichiometric air to auxiliary fuel ratio is maintained to provide oxygen deficient gas to preheat the processing equipment . below 1450 ° f ., this is accomplished by adjusting the relative positions of auxiliary fuel valve 33 and air supply valve 25 in response to the oxygen concentration detector 39 . above 1450 ° f ., the temperature at which combustion of residual hydrocarbons from main process 12 can be accomplished safely , the air / auxiliary fuel ratio in burner 17 is maintained at a slight excess air condition . the oxygen concentration is then maintained by adjusting trim air valve 37 in response to the oxygen concentration detector 39 . for example , in main process 12 for heating coal , the air / auxiliary fuel ratio is stepped up from 9 . 2 : 1 to 15 . 0 : 1 when primary air flow reaches 120 , 000 scfh , or about 12 million btu per hour firing rate . this step is reversed when the primary air flow drops below 100 , 000 scfh . combustion of a lean hydrocarbon gas stream with a heating value of 30 btu / std . ft 3 and an incoming temperature of 200 ° f . combustion of this stream with a resulting gas temperature of 1750 ° f . and resulting oxygen concentration of 0 . 25 %. fuel value of incoming gas stream 20 to 80 btu / std . ft . 3 it will be appreciated that the various changes and modifications may be made in the system of the present invention without departing from the scope of the appended claims . therefore , the foregoing description and accompanying drawing are intended to be illustrative only and should not be construed in a limiting sense .
5
in a part - sectional view , fig1 shows an exemplary embodiment of an internal combustion engine 1 having a fuel injection system 2 according to the present invention . fuel injection system 2 includes a cylinder block having a cylinder wall 13 , in which a piston 6 is guided . a connecting rod 14 guides piston 6 in its up - and - down movement along cylinder wall 13 . a cylinder head 3 seals off cylinder wall 13 at its extremity . cylinder wall 13 , piston 6 and cylinder head 3 enclose a combustion chamber 7 . a fuel injector 5 is positioned in cylinder head 3 , preferably in its center . a spark plug 4 is inserted in a bore of cylinder head 3 at a slight lateral offset . moreover , at least one intake valve 11 and at least one discharge valve 12 are present . when fuel injection system 2 is in operation , injection jets ( sprays ) 10 , which together form a cone - shaped fuel jet , are injected into combustion chamber 7 through spray - discharge openings present in fuel injector 5 . a mixture cloud 9 is formed by mixing fuel and air in combustion chamber 7 . mixture cloud 9 is ignited by spark plug 8 . the shape of the cone - shaped fuel jet according to the present invention is explained in greater detail with the aid of fig2 and 3 . it can be inferred from fig1 that combustion chamber 7 of internal combustion engine 1 is designed in the form of a roof - shaped combustion chamber 7 in cylinder head 3 , which includes ridge slopes 15 and a ridge 16 . fuel injector 5 is located at ridge 16 , whereas gas - exchange valves 11 and 12 are located in ridge slopes 15 . this is particularly advantageous when more than two gas exchange valves 11 , 12 are used , since internal combustion engine 1 is more optimally supplied with air in this manner when operated at full load . in order to be able to utilize combustion chamber 7 in an optimal manner and take the position of intake and discharge valves 11 , 12 into account , the present invention provides for fuel injector 5 to be designed in such a way that injection jets 10 , injected into combustion chamber 7 by fuel injector 5 , are injected at an angle that is greater in a longitudinal direction of internal combustion engine 1 than in a transverse direction of internal combustion engine 1 . to illustrate this measure , fig2 a shows a heavily schematized longitudinal section through an exemplary internal combustion engine 1 having four cylinders , while fig2 b shows a section through one of the cylinders in a transverse direction of internal combustion engine 1 . as can be inferred from fig2 a , injection jets 10 are injected with the aid of fuel injector 5 under a maximum opening angle α , which is determined by the position of the spray - discharge orifices of fuel injector 5 . in a transverse direction of internal combustion engine 1 , injection jets 10 , as shown in fig2 b , are injected in accordance with ridge slopes 15 , which delimit combustion chamber 7 , at an angle β , which is smaller than angle α . gas - exchange valves 11 and 12 and also spark plug 4 ( not shown in fig2 b ), thus , are only tangentially grazed by injection jets 10 and are not directly exposed to injection jet 10 . this is advantageous in particular in the case of spark plug 4 , since the thermal shock load and deposit formation on the electrodes are reduced in this manner and the service life of spark plug 4 is extended . a view of a section through injected mixture cloud 9 shows the elliptical form , which is due to the sizes of opening angles α and β differing from each other in two orthogonal spatial directions . because of the lateral flattening of mixture cloud 9 , it is optimally adapted to the shape of combustion chamber 7 . the jet angles that are between the maximum opening angle α and the minimum opening angle β may then be continually approximated to the extreme values by using an arbitrary number of individual injection jets 10 . fig3 shows , by way of example , a mixture cloud 9 made up of ten individual injection jets 10 . maximum opening angle α is not assumed , but merely approximated by two adjacently located injection jets 10 . such a configuration may be advantageous , for instance , when two spark plugs 4 are provided , which should not be exposed to a direct injection so as to avoid the stress of thermal shock , spark plugs 4 being disposed in the sides of the roof ridge . if spark plug 4 is located in the “ roof ridge ”, for example , minimum opening angle β is not assumed , but likewise approximated by two adjacently located injection jets . by using any desired number of spray - discharge orifices of fuel injector 5 , virtually any configuration of injection jets 10 may be generated . jet clearance angle y of individual injection jets 10 may be identical or differ with respect to one another . the configuration of jet clearance angles y is independent of the configuration of opening angles α and β of mixture cloud 9 . the present invention is not restricted to the exemplary embodiment shown and , for instance , is also applicable to fuel injection systems 2 that have more or fewer injection jets 10 , gas - exchange valves 11 , 12 and , in particular , a plurality of spark plugs 4 as well as variable displacement volumes .
8
fig1 shows the basic elements of the well - known system by which an electrophotographic printer or laser printer uses digital image data to create a dry - toner image on plain paper . there is provided in the printer a photoreceptor 10 , which may be in the form of a belt or drum , and which comprises a charge - retentive surface . the photoreceptor 10 is here entrained on a set of rollers and caused to move ( by means such as a motor , not shown ) through process direction p . moving from left to right in fig1 there is illustrated the basic series of steps by which an electrostatic latent image according to a desired image to be printed is created on the photoreceptor 10 , subsequently developed with dry toner , and transferred to a sheet of plain paper . the first step in the electrophotographic process is the general charging of the relevant photoreceptor surface . as seen at the far left of fig1 this initial charging is performed by a charge source known as a &# 34 ; scorotron &# 34 ;, indicated as 12 . the scorotron 12 typically includes an ion - generating structure , such as a hot wire , to impart an electrostatic charge on the surface of the photoreceptor 10 moving past it . the charged portions of the photoreceptor 10 are then selectively discharged in a configuration corresponding to the desired image to be printed , by a raster output scanner or ros , which generally comprises laser source 14 and a rotatable mirror 16 which act together , in a manner known in the art , to discharge certain areas of the charged photoreceptor 10 . although a laser source is shown to selectively discharge the charge - retentive surface , other apparatus that can be used for this purpose include an led bar , or , conceivably , a light - lens system . the laser source 14 is modulated ( turned on and off ) in accordance with digital image data fed into it , and the rotating mirror 16 causes the modulated beam from laser source 14 to move in a fast - scan direction perpendicular to the process direction p of the photoreceptor 10 . the laser source 14 outputs a laser beam of laser power pl which charges or discharges the exposed surface on photoreceptor 10 , in accordance with the specific machine design . after certain areas of the photoreceptor 10 are ( in this specific instance ) discharged by the laser source 14 , remaining charged areas are developed by a developer unit such as 18 causing a supply of dry toner to contact the surface of photoreceptor 10 . the developed image is then advanced , by the motion of photoreceptor 10 , to a transfer station including a transfer scorotron such as 20 , which causes the toner adhering to the photoreceptor 10 to be electrically transferred to a print sheet , which is typically a sheet of plain paper , to form the image thereon . the sheet of plain paper , with the toner image thereon is then passed through a fuser 22 , which causes the toner to melt , or fuse , into the sheet of paper to create the permanent image . the idea of &# 34 ; print quality &# 34 ; can be quantified in a number of ways , but two key measurements of print quality are ( 1 ) the solid area density , which is the darkness of a representative developed area intended to be completely covered by toner and ( 2 ) a halftone area density , which is the copy quality of a representative area which is intended to be , for example , 50 % covered with toner . the halftone is typically created by virtue of a dot - screen of a particular resolution , and although the nature of such a screen will have a great effect on the absolute appearance of the halftone , as long as the same type of halftone screen is used for each test , any common halftone screen may be used . both the solid area and halftone density may be readily measured by optical sensing systems which are familiar in the art . as shown , a densitometer generally indicated as 24 is here used after the developing step to measure the optical density of a solid density test patch ( marked sd ) or a halftone density test patch ( hd ) created on the photoreceptor 10 in a manner known in the art . systems for measuring the true optical density of a test patch are shown in , for example , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 989 , 985 or u . s . pat . no . 5 , 204 , 538 , both assigned to the assignee hereof and incorporated by reference herein . however , the word &# 34 ; densitometer &# 34 ; is intended to apply to any device for determining the density of print material on a surface , such as a visible - light densitometer , an infrared densitometer , an electrostatic voltmeter , or any other such device which makes a physical measurement from which the density of print material may be determined . in accordance with the present invention , special test patterns , in particular ramp functions with pixel values uniformly varying between 255 to 0 within a confined space are allocated to a single test patch . the sensor is usually stationary in printers , whereas the photoreceptor belts or drums are allowed to move . if the pixel values of the test pattern are varied in the process direction , then the sensor will pass over the image with all combinations of background , halftone levels and solid area patches . that is , ramp function pixel values are allowed to vary along the process direction . pixel values are held to a constant value along the slow scan direction so that the pattern looks like a wedge in two dimensional space . a one dimensional representation for this type of ramp function is shown in fig2 solid curve ( curve 1 ). the x - axis in this figure represents the spatial distance along the process direction in pixels . this wedge corresponds to a total of 510 pixels , which is equal to 1 . 32 inches of length on the photoreceptor drum . the above test pattern was printed with a known tone reproduction curve . the sensor used was a trek model 565 esv . it should be noted that this technique applies equally well to any thoroughly characterized sensor . it should also be understood that the slope of the wedge pattern can be increased to cover a much smaller length such as 1 inch , 0 . 66 inches and 0 . 33 inches of the photoreceptor . the reading of the sensor is shown by dashed curve # 3 in fig2 . the sensor such as an esv , etac or paper densitometer has an effective aperture of a few millimeters that represents the view area . this view area not only depends on the physical aperture but also is a function of how far it is located above the photoreceptor surface and a function of its response profile . the sensitivity of the sensor may also vary within its aperture . by measuring all these parameters accurately , a very good knowledge of the sensor is gained . the procedure for extracting the tone reproduction curve involves simply convoluting pixel values of the wedge pattern with the sensor model and then plotting the convoluted pixel values with the sensor reading at each sample point along the process direction . curve # 2 , the dotted curve , in fig2 represents the pixel values of the wedge after convoluting with the sensor model . in fig3 solid curve # 1 shows the actual tone reproduction curve . the dotted curve , curve # 2 , shows the measured curve after convoluting with the sensor model respectively for a 1 . 32 &# 34 ;, long wedge pattern . dashed curve # 3 in this figure is shown to represent the trc data when the sensor model is not considered , i . e ., when the input byte values of the wedge pattern are plotted against the sensor reading before convoluting with the sensor model . clearly , an accurate measurement of the trc requires convolution with the sensor model . the notion described above becomes clear if one thinks of a hypothetical long test patch . if a wedge pattern were printed to sweep pixels from 255 to 0 along a 10 inch length and use a sensor with an aperture of a few millimeters like an esv , then the trc obtained by simply plotting the pixel values of the wedge pattern with that of the sensor reading will be very close to the actual curve . this is because the sensor view area is insignificant relative to a 10 inch long wedge pattern , since it covers only 1 - 2 % of the sweep . as the test patch length becomes smaller , the sensor aperture becomes significant compared to the length of the test patch . by using the sensor model , compensation is made for the effects due to the aperture and the sensitivity of the sensor within the aperture . the technique presented has been demonstrated to adequately measure the entire tone reproduction curve when the patch length is down to 0 . 6 inches in length . to implement this technique the convoluted wedge pattern can be stored in the printer memory . as the data from the sensor is read , this data is used along with the data on the convoluted wedge pattern to generate the entire tone reproduction curve as often as after each printed page without additional processing hardware . the number of points on the curve depends merely on how many points can be sampled from the sensor output . with reference to fig4 there is illustrated a flow chart of the measurement of a tone reproduction curve in accordance with the present invention . in particular , there is a background routine illustrated by blocks 202 , 204 , and 206 , in which a sensor profile is initially read , the patch data is initially obtained , and a normalization factor calculated . in particular , in block 202 , the characteristics or profile of any suitable sensor such as an infrared densitometer is read and stored to be factored with the sensed patch data . in block 204 the patch data is sensed and a normalization factor is determined in block 206 . in block 208 , the scan of the inter document test patch is begun and at block 210 , each patch segment is multiplied by the sensor profile and the results accumulated as the interdocument patch moves across the sensor . decision block 212 determines whether or not the end of the patch has been sensed . if not , the sensing and summing operation continues until there is a determination that the end of the patch has been reached . once the patch has traversed the sensor , the summed results are normalized by the normalization factor determined in block 206 and the results stored as shown in block 216 . while there has been illustrated and described what is at present considered to be a preferred embodiment of the present invention , it will be appreciated that numerous changes and modifications are likely to occur to those skilled in the art , and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all those changes and modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention .
6
at least some embodiments described herein relate to a system that efficiently performs actions ( such as recording and / or broadcasting ) of an online conference that involves video and audio and potentially other forms of media as well . in some cases , this performing of actions is performed by taking advantage of the mechanisms a user may already be familiar with , such as joining an individual into an online conference . the system includes a user interface presentation component that causes , at least under one circumstance , a user interface to be presented on a display of the system . the user interface includes an online conversation portion that shows each of at least some participants in an online conversation that involves at least audio and video . the user interface further includes a contacts portion that shows multiple contacts that each represent entities that may be joined into the online conversation . traditionally , the entities represent individuals that may be joined into the online conversation . however , in accordance with the principles described herein , the entities may also be executable components . for instance , the entities may include one or more recording components and / or one or more broadcasting components . a joining instruction detection component detects instructions to join one or more entities associated with one or more of the plurality of contacts to the online conversation . for instance , such instructions may be caused by the user interacting in particular ways with the user interface . in some embodiments , the user interaction may be quite similar regardless of whether the entity being joined is an individual or an executable component . accordingly , a participate may perform actions to record and / or broadcast the online conversation using mechanism already familiar to the participant , allowing for efficient performance of the action . a joining component responds to such instructions by joining an entity within the online conversation . if the entity is an executable component that performs an action , the executable component responds to the joining by performing the associated action ( such as recording and / or broadcasting ). in some embodiments , after joining an executable component , a visualization of the executable component may appear in the online conversation portion of the user interface , thereby giving everyone notice that the action is being taken . some introductory discussion of a computing system will be described with respect to fig1 . then , the system for efficiently triggering actions with respect to an online conversation will be described with respect to fig2 through 6 . computing systems are now increasingly taking a wide variety of forms . computing systems may , for example , be handheld devices , appliances , laptop computers , desktop computers , mainframes , distributed computing systems , datacenters , or even devices that have not conventionally been considered a computing system , such as wearables ( e . g ., glasses ). in this description and in the claims , the term “ computing system ” is defined broadly as including any device or system ( or combination thereof ) that includes at least one physical and tangible processor , and a physical and tangible memory capable of having thereon computer - executable instructions that may be executed by a processor . the memory may take any form and may depend on the nature and form of the computing system . a computing system may be distributed over a network environment and may include multiple constituent computing systems . as illustrated in fig1 , in its most basic configuration , a computing system 100 typically includes at least one hardware processing unit 102 and memory 104 . the memory 104 may be physical system memory , which may be volatile , non - volatile , or some combination of the two . the term “ memory ” may also be used herein to refer to non - volatile mass storage such as physical storage media . if the computing system is distributed , the processing , memory and / or storage capability may be distributed as well . the computing system 100 also has thereon multiple structures often referred to as an “ executable component ”. for instance , the memory 104 of the computing system 100 is illustrated as including executable component 106 . the term “ executable component ” is the name for a structure that is well understood to one of ordinary skill in the art in the field of computing as being a structure that can be software , hardware , or a combination thereof . for instance , when implemented in software , one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the structure of an executable component may include software objects , routines , methods , and so forth , that may be executed on the computing system , whether such an executable component exists in the heap of a computing system , or whether the executable component exists on computer - readable storage media . in such a case , one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the structure of the executable component exists on a computer - readable medium such that , when interpreted by one or more processors of a computing system ( e . g ., by a processor thread ), the computing system is caused to perform a function . such structure may be computer - readable directly by the processors ( as is the case if the executable component were binary ). alternatively , the structure may be structured to be interpretable and / or compiled ( whether in a single stage or in multiple stages ) so as to generate such binary that is directly interpretable by the processors . such an understanding of example structures of an executable component is well within the understanding of one of ordinary skill in the art of computing when using the term “ executable component ”. the term “ executable component ” is also well understood by one of ordinary skill as including structures that are implemented exclusively or near - exclusively in hardware , such as within a field programmable gate array ( fpga ), an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), or any other specialized circuit . accordingly , the term “ executable component ” is a term for a structure that is well understood by those of ordinary skill in the art of computing , whether implemented in software , hardware , or a combination . in this description , the terms “ component ”, “ agent ”, “ manager ”, “ service ”, “ engine ”, “ module ”, “ virtual machine ” or the like may also be used . as used in this description and in the case , these terms ( whether expressed with or without a modifying clause ) are also intended to be synonymous with the term “ executable component ”, and thus also have a structure that is well understood by those of ordinary skill in the art of computing . in the description that follows , embodiments are described with reference to acts that are performed by one or more computing systems . if such acts are implemented in software , one or more processors ( of the associated computing system that performs the act ) direct the operation of the computing system in response to having executed computer - executable instructions that constitute an executable component . for example , such computer - executable instructions may be embodied on one or more computer - readable media that form a computer program product . an example of such an operation involves the manipulation of data . the computer - executable instructions ( and the manipulated data ) may be stored in the memory 104 of the computing system 100 . computing system 100 may also contain communication channels 108 that allow the computing system 100 to communicate with other computing systems over , for example , network 110 . while not all computing systems require a user interface , in some embodiments , the computing system 100 includes a user interface system 112 for use in interfacing with a user . the user interface system 112 may include output mechanisms 112 a as well as input mechanisms 112 b . the principles described herein are not limited to the precise output mechanisms 112 a or input mechanisms 112 b as such will depend on the nature of the device . however , output mechanisms 112 a might include , for instance , speakers , displays , tactile output , holograms and so forth . examples of input mechanisms 112 b might include , for instance , microphones , touchscreens , holograms , cameras , keyboards , mouse of other pointer input , sensors of any type , and so forth . embodiments described herein may comprise or utilize a special purpose or general - purpose computing system including computer hardware , such as , for example , one or more processors and system memory , as discussed in greater detail below . embodiments described herein also include physical and other computer - readable media for carrying or storing computer - executable instructions and / or data structures . such computer - readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computing system . computer - readable media that store computer - executable instructions are physical storage media . computer - readable media that carry computer - executable instructions are transmission media . thus , by way of example , and not limitation , embodiments of the invention can comprise at least two distinctly different kinds of computer - readable media : storage media and transmission media . computer - readable storage media includes ram , rom , eeprom , cd - rom or other optical disk storage , magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices , or any other physical and tangible storage medium which can be used to store desired program code means in the form of computer - executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computing system . a “ network ” is defined as one or more data links that enable the transport of electronic data between computing systems and / or modules and / or other electronic devices . when information is transferred or provided over a network or another communications connection ( either hardwired , wireless , or a combination of hardwired or wireless ) to a computing system , the computing system properly views the connection as a transmission medium . transmissions media can include a network and / or data links which can be used to carry desired program code means in the form of computer - executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computing system . combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer - readable media . further , upon reaching various computing system components , program code means in the form of computer - executable instructions or data structures can be transferred automatically from transmission media to storage media ( or vice versa ). for example , computer - executable instructions or data structures received over a network or data link can be buffered in ram within a network interface module ( e . g ., a “ nic ”), and then eventually transferred to computing system ram and / or to less volatile storage media at a computing system . thus , it should be understood that storage media can be included in computing system components that also ( or even primarily ) utilize transmission media . computer - executable instructions comprise , for example , instructions and data which , when executed at a processor , cause a general purpose computing system , special purpose computing system , or special purpose processing device to perform a certain function or group of functions . alternatively or in addition , the computer - executable instructions may configure the computing system to perform a certain function or group of functions . the computer executable instructions may be , for example , binaries or even instructions that undergo some translation ( such as compilation ) before direct execution by the processors , such as intermediate format instructions such as assembly language , or even source code . although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts , it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the described features or acts described above . rather , the described features and acts are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be practiced in network computing environments with many types of computing system configurations , including , personal computers , desktop computers , laptop computers , message processors , hand - held devices , multi - processor systems , microprocessor - based or programmable consumer electronics , network pcs , minicomputers , mainframe computers , mobile telephones , pdas , pagers , routers , switches , datacenters , wearables ( such as glasses ) and the like . the invention may also be practiced in distributed system environments where local and remote computing systems , which are linked ( either by hardwired data links , wireless data links , or by a combination of hardwired and wireless data links ) through a network , both perform tasks . in a distributed system environment , program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices . those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the invention may be practiced in a cloud computing environment . cloud computing environments may be distributed , although this is not required . when distributed , cloud computing environments may be distributed internationally within an organization and / or have components possessed across multiple organizations . in this description and the following claims , “ cloud computing ” is defined as a model for enabling on - demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources ( e . g ., networks , servers , storage , applications , and services ). the definition of “ cloud computing ” is not limited to any of the other numerous advantages that can be obtained from such a model when properly deployed . fig2 illustrates an online conferencing environment 200 in which the principles described herein may be employed . the online conferencing environment 200 includes multiple participant computing systems that participants use to engage in the online conference . the online conference environment 200 also potentially also include an online conferencing infrastructure 210 . the online conferencing environment 200 may include dedicated computing systems that facilitate the online conference . for instance , the online conferencing environment 200 may be an online conferencing service that is implemented in a cloud computing environment or is some other remote network . this embodiment will be referred to herein as the “ service embodiment ”. that said , the principles described herein may also be applied in an environment in which the participant computing systems communicate directly one with another in accordance with a protocol so as to allow the online conferencing to occur . in that case , the online conferencing infrastructure 210 may be thought of as a protocol for each participant computing system communicating with each other , and the underlying hardware ( e . g ., a network such as the internet , or a local network ) that facilitates communication using that protocol . this embodiment will be referred to herein as the “ ad hoc embodiment ”. in the example of fig2 , there are five participant computing systems 201 through 205 involved in an online conference . however , the ellipses 206 represent that there may be any multiple number of participant computing systems engaged in any given online conference via the online conferencing infrastructure 210 . in fact , one of the benefits of online conferencing is that any number of participants may participate , and participants may drop off and join at any time . the participant computing systems 201 through 205 may each be structured as described above for the computing system 100 of fig1 , and include user interface systems as described above for the user interface system 112 of fig1 . each of the participant computing systems 201 through 205 have an associated participant user 211 through 215 respectively . the ellipses 216 again represents that there may be further participant users associated with yet other computing systems represented by the ellipses 206 . fig3 schematically illustrates an online conferencing system 300 that may operate within the online conferencing environment 200 of fig2 . the online conferencing system 300 includes various executable components including a user interface presentation component 310 , a joining instruction detection component 320 , and a joining component 330 . the system 300 also includes a library 340 of executable components that , when executed , perform some operation ( such as recording or broadcasting ) of the online conference . each of the components 310 , 320 and 330 may be structured as described above for the executable component 106 of fig1 . the library 340 is illustrated as including executable components first type 341 ( represented as circles ), and of a second type 342 ( represented as triangles ). however , the ellipses 343 represents that there may be executable components of a single type , or of a variety of types more than two . in one example , the executable components 341 of the first type are recording executable component that , when joined into the online conference , cause at least a portion of the online conference to be recorded . in one example , the executable components of the second type are broadcast components that , when joined into the online conference , broadcast at least a portion of the online conference . three executable components 341 a through 341 c of the first type are illustrated , though the ellipses 341 d represents that there may be any number ( even zero ) of the executable components 341 of the first type within the library . four executable components 342 a through 342 d of the second type are illustrated , though the ellipses 342 e represent that there may be any number ( even zero ) of the executable components 342 of the second type within the library . each of the executable components within the library 340 may be structured as described above for the executable component 106 of fig1 . the user interface presentation component 310 causes , at least under one circumstance , a user interface to be presented on a display of the system . for instance , the user interface presentation component 310 may be present on the online conferencing infrastructure 210 or on a participating computing system ( e . g ., participating computing system 201 ), or may be distributed between the online conferencing infrastructure 210 and a participating computing system . in the case of the participating computing system being structured as described for the computing system 100 of fig1 , the display may be included within , for instance , the user interface system 112 of fig1 . the user interface presentation component 310 may be , for instance , a web site . fig4 illustrates an example of the user interface 400 displayed on the display . the user interface 400 includes an online conference portion 410 , a contacts portion 420 , and an other portion 430 . the precise appearance and locational relationship between these user interface portions is not important to the broader principles described herein . accordingly , the user interface 400 should be seen as a very specific example only . furthermore , the other portion 430 is an optional portion that simply represents that the principles described herein are not limited to user interface that only include an online conference portion and a contacts portion . as an example , the other portion 430 might include a chat window , whereby text may be dispatched from a participant to one or more or all of the other participants in the online conference . the other portion 430 might also include controls , such as mute , volume , pause , fast forward , and so forth . the user interface 400 includes an online conference portion 410 that shows each of at least some of the participants in the online conference . for instance , the online conference illustrates visualizations 411 through 415 that correspond to the participants 211 through 215 ( see fig2 ) of the online conference . in some embodiments , a picture of the participant may be displayed as the visualization . alternatively or in addition , a live video feed may be displayed as the visualization . in yet other embodiments , perhaps just a generic image is displayed to represent the participant accompanied by perhaps a text identification of the participant . the user interface 400 also includes a contacts portion 420 that shows multiple contacts that represents entities that may be joined into the online conversation . in the illustrated embodiment , eight contacts 421 through 428 are illustrated , though the ellipses 429 represents that the contacts potion 420 may include any number of contacts . some of the contacts represent individuals , while some represent executable components . for instance , suppose in this example , that contacts 421 through 426 represents individuals that can actually participate in the online conference . however , the contacts 427 and 428 represent executable components that are not human at all , but perform some action ( such as recording or broadcasting ) when joined into the online conference . referring back to fig3 , the online conferencing system 300 includes a joining instruction detection component 320 . the joining instruction detection component 320 detects instructions to join one or more entities represented by the contacts to the online conference . this instruction may be caused by , for instance , user interaction with the user interface ( e . g ., user interface 400 ) presented by the user interface presentation component 310 . in some embodiments , the user interaction that would cause an individual to join the online conference is similar or the same as the user interaction that would cause an executable component to join the online conference and perform its automated action on the online conference . this allows the action to be performed efficiently with respect to the online conference . a joining component 330 joins an entity within the online conversation when the joining instruction component 320 detects an instruction to join the entity to the online conversation . in some embodiments , when the entity is joined into the online conference , the online conference portion 410 of the user interface 400 is updated to show a visualization of the added entity . for instance , if the added entity were a participant , a visualization of the new participant would be shown in the online conference portion 410 of the user interface 400 . if an executable component is added to the online conference , then some visualization would appear providing notice to the participants that the action performed by the executable component ( e . g ., recording and / or broadcasting ) is occurring on the online conference . for instance , if the recording component 427 was dropped into the online conference portion 410 , icon 417 might be highlighted . similarly , if the broadcast component 428 was dropped into the online conference portion 410 , icon 418 might be highlighted . in some embodiments , the user interaction that triggers joining of an executable component to the online conference is a gesture . the gesture includes a selection gesture as well as a joining gesture . the selection gesture selects a contact corresponding to the executable component in the contacts portion 420 of the user interface . a joining gesture represents that the entity associated with the selected contact is to be joined into the online conference . as an example , the selection gesture may comprise selecting the contact in preparation for movement , and the joining gesture would be dragging at least a copy of the selected contact into the online conference portion 410 of the user interface . this same drag and drop gesture may be the same that the user might perform if selecting and dragging a contact for an individual in order to add that individual as a participant in the online conference . thus , the consistency of the selection and / or joining gestures allows for more efficient and intuitive performance of an action ( such as recording or broadcasting ) with respect to an online conference . the net result is that there is more refined control over performing technical actions on the online conference . as previously mentioned , there may be multiple executable entities of a particular type that may perform an action on an online conference . each of the executable entities of that particular type may perform the action in a distinct way . for instance , if there are a variety of recording components available , one might record the online conference in a default way . another recording component might apply augmented reality to the recorded audio and / or video of the online conference . for instance , by quantizing the video , exaggerating features , and / or smoothing edges , the recorded video may be made more like a cartoon . another recording component may mask out the faces of the participants in the video and / or scramble the frequencies of the audio for anonymity . yet another recording component may annotate the video with for instance , chat content ( with perhaps animation showing the flow of the chat from the participants involved with the chat , text identifying each user , and so forth ). other recording components may add objects into the recording that were not in the original record , or may emphasize objects that are in the recording ( e . g ., the speaker &# 39 ; s head may be made bigger to emphasize that the speaker is presently talking ). levels of customization of the record may also differ by recording component . similarly , multiple broadcast components may be made available , each performing broadcast in a different way . for instance , the channel for broadcasting ( via a cloud service , web page publication , link distribution and the like ) may be different by each broadcast component . the audience may be different by each broadcast component . types of augmented reality imposed on the multimedia stream may be different by each broadcast component . levels of customization of the broadcast may also differ by broadcast component . fig5 illustrates a flowchart of a method for preparing for performing an online conversation in accordance with the principles described herein . much of the method 500 has already been described implicitly from the above . however , the method 500 will now be expressly described . first , a user interface presentation component causes a user interface to be displayed on a display of a system ( act 510 ). for instance , in the above description , the user interface presentation component 310 of fig3 caused a user interface 400 of fig4 to be displayed . recall the user interface had 1 ) an online conversation portion that shows each of at least some participants in an online conversation that involves at least audio and video , and 2 ) a contacts portion that shows a plurality of contacts that represents entities that may be joined into the online conversation . recall also that the entities include individuals as well as at least one executable component . fig6 illustrates a flowchart of a method 600 for joining entities into an online conversation in accordance with the principles described herein . much of the method 600 has already been described implicitly from the above . however , the method 600 will now be expressly described . the method 600 uses the preparation performed in the method 500 of fig5 , and is triggered by an event in the form of detection of a joining instruction to join an executable component into the online conference ( act 610 ). recall that the executable component is associated with a contact in the contacts portion of the user interface , and that the instruction has been caused by user interaction with the user interface . as described above , the joining instruction detection component 320 performs this instruction detection . in response to the instruction , a joining component joins the selected executable component within the online conversation ( act 620 ). this likewise causes the executable component to respond to the joining by causing an action to occur with respect to the online conversation ( act 630 ). as described above , this action could be recording the online conversation in a particular way , broadcasting the online conference in a particular way , or performing some other action with respect to the online conference . accordingly , the principles described herein provide an efficient mechanism to perform automated actions on an online conference . such actions could include , for instance , recording the online conference , broadcasting the online conference , or performing any other actions with respect to the online conference . furthermore , the performing of such actions may be performed using gestures similar to or identical to those gestures that would normally be performed in order to add a participant to the online conference . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics . the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description . all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope .
6
fig1 shows an example engine 24 as a direct injection gasoline engine with a spark plug ; however , engine 24 may be a port injection gasoline engine , or a diesel engine without a spark plug , or another type of engine . internal combustion engine 24 may include a plurality of cylinders , one cylinder of which is shown in fig1 , which is controlled by electronic engine controller 48 . engine 24 includes combustion chamber 29 and cylinder walls 31 with piston 35 positioned therein and connected to crankshaft 39 . combustion chamber 29 is shown communicating with intake manifold 43 and exhaust manifold 47 via respective intake valve 52 and exhaust valve 54 . while only one intake and one exhaust valve are shown , the engine may be configured with a plurality of intake and / or exhaust valves . engine 24 is further shown configured with an exhaust gas recirculation ( egr ) system configured to supply exhaust gas to intake manifold 43 from exhaust manifold 47 via egr passage 130 . the amount of exhaust gas supplied by the egr system can be controlled by egr valve 134 . further , the exhaust gas within egr passage 130 may be monitored by an egr sensor 132 , which can be configured to measure temperature , pressure , gas concentration , etc . under some conditions , the egr system may be used to regulate the temperature of the air and fuel mixture within the combustion chamber , thus providing a method of controlling the timing of autoignition for hcci combustion . in some embodiments , as shown in fig1 , variable valve timing may be provided by variable cam timing ( vct ); however other methods may be used such as electrically controlled valves . while in this example , independent intake cam timing and exhaust cam timing are shown , variable intake cam timing may be used with fixed exhaust cam timing , or vice versa . also , various types of variable valve timing may be used , such as the hydraulic vane - type actuators 53 and 55 receiving respective cam timing control signals vcte and vcti from controller 48 . cam timing ( exhaust and intake ) position feedback can be provided via comparison of the crank signal pip and signals from respective cam sensors 50 and 51 . in some embodiments , cam actuated exhaust valves may be used with electrically actuated intake valves , if desired . in such a case , the controller can determine whether the engine is being stopped or pre - positioned to a condition with the exhaust valve at least partially open , and if so , hold the intake valve ( s ) closed during at least a portion of the engine stopped duration to reduce communication between the intake and exhaust manifolds . in addition , intake manifold 43 is shown communicating with optional electronic throttle 125 . engine 24 is also shown having fuel injector 65 coupled thereto for delivering liquid fuel in proportion to the pulse width of signal fpw from controller 48 directly to combustion chamber 29 . as shown , the engine may be configured such that the fuel is injected directly into the engine cylinder , which is known to those skilled in the art as direct injection . distributorless ignition system 88 provides ignition spark to combustion chamber 29 via spark plug 92 in response to controller 48 . universal exhaust gas oxygen ( uego ) sensor 76 is shown coupled to exhaust manifold 47 upstream of catalytic converter 70 . exhaust gas sensor 76 is shown coupled to exhaust manifold 48 upstream of catalytic converter 70 . the signal from sensor 76 can be used to advantage during feedback air / fuel control in a conventional manner to maintain average air / fuel at stoichiometry during the stoichiometric homogeneous mode of operation . controller 48 is shown in fig1 as a conventional microcomputer including : microprocessor unit 102 , input / output ports 104 , and read - only memory 106 , random access memory 108 , keep alive memory 110 , and a conventional data bus . controller 48 is shown receiving various signals from sensors coupled to engine 24 , in addition to those signals previously discussed , including : engine coolant temperature ( ect ) from temperature sensor 112 coupled to cooling sleeve 114 ; a pedal position sensor 119 coupled to an accelerator pedal ; a measurement of engine manifold pressure ( map ) from pressure sensor 122 coupled to intake manifold 43 ; a measurement ( act ) of engine air charge temperature or manifold temperature from temperature sensor 117 ; and an engine position sensor from a hall effect sensor 118 sensing crankshaft 39 position . in some embodiments , the requested wheel output can be determined by pedal position , vehicle speed , and / or engine operating conditions , etc . in one aspect of the present description , engine position sensor 118 produces a predetermined number of equally spaced pulses every revolution of the crankshaft from which engine speed ( rpm ) can be determined . fig1 shows engine 24 configured with an after treatment system comprising a catalytic converter 70 and a lean nox trap 72 . in this particular example , the temperatures of catalytic converter 70 and / or nox trap 72 may be measured by temperature sensors in the devices or in the exhaust manifold , or may be estimated based on operating conditions . further , exhaust gas oxygen sensors may be arranged in exhaust passage 47 upstream and / or downstream of lean nox trap 72 . lean nox trap 72 may include a three - way catalyst that is configured to adsorb nox when engine 24 is operating lean of stoichiometry . the adsorbed nox can be subsequently reacted with hc and co and catalyzed when controller 48 causes engine 24 to operate in either a rich homogeneous mode or a near stoichiometric homogeneous mode such operation occurs during a nox purge cycle when it is desired to purge stored nox from the lean nox trap , or during a vapor purge cycle to recover fuel vapors from fuel tank 160 and fuel vapor storage canister 164 via purge control valve 168 , or during operating modes requiring more engine power , or during operation modes regulating temperature of the emission control devices such as catalyst 70 or lean nox trap 72 . it will be understood that various different types and configurations of emission control devices and purging systems may be employed . as will be described in more detail herein , combustion in engine 24 can be of various types , depending on a variety of conditions . in one example , spark ignition ( si ) may be used where the engine utilizes a sparking device to perform a spark so that a mixture of air and fuel combusts . in another example , homogeneous charge compression ignition ( hcci ) may be used where a substantially homogeneous air and fuel mixture attains an autoignition temperature within the combustion chamber and combusts without requiring a spark from a sparking device . however , other types of combustion are possible . for example , the engine may operate in a spark assist mode , wherein a spark is used to initiate autoignition of an air and fuel mixture . in yet another example , the engine may operate in a compression ignition mode that is not necessarily homogeneous . it should be appreciated that the examples disclosed herein are non - limiting examples of the many possible combustion modes . during si mode , the temperature of intake air entering the combustion chamber may be near ambient air temperature and is therefore substantially lower than the temperature required for autoignition of the air and fuel mixture . since a spark is used to initiate combustion in si mode , control of intake air temperature may be more flexible as compared to hcci mode . thus , si mode may be utilized across a broad range of operating conditions ( such as higher or lower engine loads ), however si mode may produce different levels of emissions and fuel efficiency under some conditions compared to hcci combustion . in some conditions , during si mode operation , engine knock may occur if the temperature within the combustion chamber is too high . thus , under these conditions , engine operating conditions may be adjusted so that engine knock is reduced , such as by retarding ignition timing , reducing intake charge temperature , varying combustion air - fuel ratio , or combinations thereof . during hcci mode operation , the air / fuel mixture may be highly diluted by air and / or residuals ( e . g . lean of stoichiometry ), which results in lower combustion gas temperature . thus , engine emissions may be substantially lower than si combustion under some conditions . further , fuel efficiency with autoignition of lean ( or diluted ) air / fuel mixture may be increased by reducing the engine pumping loss , increasing gas specific heat ratio , and by utilizing a higher compression ratio . during hcci combustion , autoignition of the combustion chamber gas may be controlled so as to occur at a prescribed time so that a desired engine torque is produced . since the temperature of the intake air entering the combustion chamber may be critical to achieving the desired autoignition timing , operating in hcci mode at high and / or low engine loads may be difficult . controller 48 can be configured to transition the engine between a spark ignition ( si ) mode and a homogeneous charge compression ignition ( hcci ) mode based on operating conditions of the engine and / or related systems , herein described as engine operating conditions . as described above with reference to fig1 , engine 24 may include a fuel vapor purge system comprising fuel tank 160 , fuel vapor storage device 164 ( which may be a charcoal canister ), and purge control valve 168 fluidly coupled to intake manifold 43 . further , as shown in fig1 , exhaust gas may be routed to the purge system via system 172 . while fig1 shows one example of utilizing exhaust gas in a fuel vapor purge system , various alternative examples are described herein with regard to fig2 - 4 . returning to fig1 , some of the engine exhaust gas is routed through the charcoal canister and then back into the engine intake manifold . as described herein , such an approach may be used to enable purging of fuel vapors without regard to intake manifold vacuum levels . further , it may enable more efficient purging with a lower volume of gas flow due to increased exhaust gas temperature compared with fresh air . such an approach may be particularly suitable for hcci operation , which may run extremely lean and / or with high amounts of egr . specifically , since hcci engines may operate with larger amounts of egr , it may be possible to enable larger amounts of exhaust to be used for purging the stored fuel vapors . further , since hcci exhaust temperature may be lower than exhaust temperature during spark ignition operation ( si ) or other engine modes , this may lower the potential of excessive heat causing degradation to the charcoal canister . note , however , that the use of exhaust gas , such as exhaust gas recirculation ( egr ) gas , to aid purging is not limited to hcci engine operation . for example , it may be used in with cylinder deactivation , camless valvetrains , engine boosting ( supercharging and / or turbocharging ), various forms of variable valve timing , and / or lean burn . for systems in which only exhaust gas , such as egr , is used for purging fuel vapors without fresh air , at least during some conditions , egr tolerance and temperature limits of the storage device , e . g ., charcoal canister , may be considered , alone or in combination . for example , if the charcoal canister can tolerate higher temperatures , then smaller amounts of hotter egr can be used to purge the canister . alternatively , if the egr temperature is too high , the egr may be cooled , so larger amounts of egr can be used to purge the canister , and thus the engine &# 39 ; s tolerance for egr ( combustion stability ) may be considered . alternatively , if both fresh air and exhaust gas are used to purge fuel vapors , temperature of the canister may be regulated by adjusting the relative and / or absolute amounts of the fresh or exhaust gas , or combinations thereof . for example , depending on engine conditions ( e . g . in hcci or si mode , higher vs lower load , etc . ), different amounts of fresh air and / or exhaust gas may be used to purge fuel vapors . still another advantage of utilizing exhaust gas for purging fuel vapors is that it may be possible to purge vapors even during un - throttled ( or lightly throttled ) conditions . for example , a one - way valve , such as a reed valve , can utilize exhaust pressure pulsations to drive the flow , even if negative oscillations would otherwise reverse the flow directions . in some embodiments , the internal combustion engine can be configured to operate in a plurality of purge states . for example , fuel vapors may be purged into all or a subset of engine cylinders operating in a particular combustion mode . alternatively , the engine may be operated with different cylinders in different combustion modes , where fuel vapors are fed to all or a subset of cylinders or cylinder groups . still other examples may be used , as described herein . referring now to fig2 , an alternative embodiment is shown in which a fuel vapor storage and purging system is shown utilizing fresh air and exhaust gas . in this example , valves 168 and 216 are closed and valve 214 is open when the engine is off , to allow fuel vapors from the fuel tank to be captured by charcoal canister 164 , without building up excessive pressure in the tank . when the engine is running and purge of the charcoal canister is desired , valves 168 and 216 can be opened and valve 214 can be closed to route exhaust gas through passage 210 to canister 164 , and purge fuel vapors from canister 164 into intake manifold 43 . a one - way valve 212 is shown between the exhaust passage and fuel canister 164 for enabling exhaust gas to flow toward the canister ( and to the intake manifold 43 ). valve 212 may be any type of one - way valve , but in one example may be a reed - type valve to enable pressure buildup in the presence of pulsating intake and exhaust manifold pressures . control valves 214 and 216 may be used to adjust the relative amount of fresh air and exhaust fed through the fuel vapor storage system , where valves 214 and 216 receive control signals from a controller , such as controller 48 ( see fig1 ). control valve 168 may also be used to control when fuel vapors are fed to intake manifold 43 . in the example of fig2 , it may be possible to utilize a varying amount of exhaust gas and / or fresh air for purging fuel vapors to the engine , depending on operating conditions of the engine via respective control of valves 216 and 214 . referring now to fig3 , still another alternative embodiment is shown in which a bypass passage 330 is shown for routing exhaust gas to the intake manifold without passing through canister 164 . a three way valve 310 may be used to route exhaust gas to one - way valve 212 or to passage 330 , or combinations thereof . in this way , it may be possible to enable addition exhaust gas recirculation ( egr ) flexibility independent of fuel vapor purging operation . for example , egr may be performed without fuel vapor purging , and vice versa via appropriate control of valve 310 . referring now to fig4 , yet another alternative embodiment is shown in which an egr passage 410 is shown separate from purging passage 210 . further , optionally coolers ( 420 and 422 ) may be placed in one or both of passages 210 and 410 to cool the exhaust gas . it is understood that the location or sequence of components may be varied , for example the locations of coolers 420 and 422 relative to valves 134 , 212 , and 216 may be different than that shown in fig4 . also , one or more coolers may be used in the embodiments described in fig2 and 3 . fig5 shows an example routine describing control of a vehicle engine and fuel vapor purging system . note that the example control and estimation routines included herein can be used with various engine system configurations and that the specific routines described herein may represent one or more of any number of processing strategies such as event - driven , interrupt - driven , multi - tasking , multi - threading , and the like . as such , various steps or functions illustrated may be performed in the sequence illustrated , in parallel , or in some cases omitted . likewise , the order of processing is not necessarily required to achieve the features and advantages of the example embodiments described herein , but is provided for ease of illustration and description . one or more of the illustrated steps or functions may be repeatedly performed depending on the particular strategy being used . further , the described steps may graphically represent code to be programmed into the computer readable storage medium in controller 48 as described above , during fuel vapor purging operation . referring now to fig5 , an example routine is described for controlling system operation . specifically , in 510 , the routine determines whether the engine should purge fuel vapors from a fuel vapor storage system . if so , the routine continues to 512 to determine whether the engine can tolerate exhaust gas recirculation ( egr ). this determination may include consideration of whether a lean exhaust gas is present , such as based on exhaust gas sensor 76 , or based on input from other sensors . for example , the engine may be more likely to tolerate egr when running significantly lean , because the exhaust gas contains more oxygen . for example , the lean exhaust gas may be generated by lean homogeneous or lean stratified combustion in the cylinders , or by a mixture of fuel cut - out operation in some cylinders and combustion in other cylinders . also , rather than identifying the exhaust air - fuel ratio , the routine may also identify whether the engine is in a lean combustion mode , such as hcci operation , for example . if the answer to 512 is yes , the routine continues to 514 to determine whether the exhaust gas is within a temperature threshold to feed to a fuel vapor storage canister , such as canister 164 . the temperature may be read from a sensor or estimated , as noted above herein . for example , if the exhaust gas temperature is too high ( e . g ., above a threshold ), the routine may proceed to 516 in which only fresh air is used to purge fuel vapors , rather than using exhaust gas . likewise , if the answer to 512 is no , the routine may also proceed to 516 . otherwise , when the answer to 514 is yes , the routine proceeds to 518 to determine whether the measured or inferred purging gas is within a desired temperature range . for example , in the example where a mixture of fresh air and exhaust gas is fed to a fuel vapor storage and purging system , the routine may identify whether the mixture fed to the system is within a desired temperature range for improved purging , where the desired range may vary with operating conditions such as the level of canister loading , fuel tank pressure , canister temperature , and / or others . alternatively , the routine may monitor the measured or inferred canister temperature and determine whether it is within threshold range . the desired temperature range may be based on various other factors , such as exhaust air - fuel ratio , fuel tank temperature , combustion mode , canister fill level , fuel tank level , and / or combinations thereof . if the temperature is too high , the routing may proceed to 520 to increase the fresh air amount for purging and / or decrease the exhaust gas amount for purging fuel vapors . alternatively , if the temperature is too low , the routing may proceed to 522 to decrease the fresh air amount for purging and / or increase the exhaust gas amount for purging fuel vapors . in either 520 and / or 522 , for example , the routine may adjust a vent valve and / or egr valve such as valves 214 and 216 to vary the mixture , and thus the temperature , of gas fed to the canister . alternatively , the routine may adjust a single valve that adjusts the amount of exhaust gas fed to a canister , such as valve 310 in fig3 . in addition , the routine may also adjust the amount of purge gas fed to the intake manifold based on operating conditions via valve 168 , for example , in 524 . in this way , it is possible to advantageously utilize exhaust gas , such as exhaust gas recirculation , to improve purging performance and reduce reliance on intake manifold vacuum . further , it is possible to take advantage of lean exhaust gas ( which typically results in reduced intake manifold vacuum ) by utilizing the excess oxygen and increased temperature to improve purging of fuel vapors from a fuel vapor storage system such as a charcoal canister . note that in the example where exhaust gas is used to carry fuel purge vapor to the engine , fuel injection , sparking timing , etc . may be adjusted based on a level of fuel vapor in the gas , as well as the exhaust air - fuel ratio . it will be appreciated that the configurations and routines disclosed herein are exemplary in nature , and that these specific embodiments are not to be considered in a limiting sense , because numerous variations are possible . for example , the above technology can be applied to v - 6 , i - 4 , i - 6 , v - 8 , v - 10 , v - 12 , opposed 4 , and other engine types . the subject matter of the present disclosure includes all novel and nonobvious combinations and subcombinations of the various systems and configurations , and other features , functions , and / or properties disclosed herein . the following claims particularly point out certain combinations and subcombinations regarded as novel and nonobvious . these claims may refer to “ an ” element or “ a first ” element or the equivalent thereof . such claims should be understood to include incorporation of one or more such elements , neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements . other combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed features , functions , elements , and / or properties may be claimed through amendment of the present claims or through presentation of new claims in this or a related application . such claims , whether broader , narrower , equal , or different in scope to the original claims , also are regarded as included within the subject matter of the present disclosure .
5
referring to fig1 a communication system 10 using two data transceivers 12 , 14 in accordance with the present invention includes two each of the following elements : modulator 16 ; frequency modulator - transmitter 18 ; transmitter antenna 20 ; receiver antenna 22 ; mixer 24 ; and if amplifier and demodulator 26 ( all connected substantially as shown ). as should be understood , the modulator 16 and frequency modulator - transmitter 18 constitute the transmitter section , and the mixer 24 and if amplifier and demodulator 26 constitute the receiver section . the discussion that follows is addressed specifically to the first transceiver 12 , but it should be understood that the second transceiver 14 operates in a similar fashion , with the exception of its transmit and receive frequencies as discussed further below . during signal transmission , the modulator 16 receives binary transmit data 28 as its input modulation signal , and in accordance therewith provides a modulation signal 30 to the modulator - transmitter 18 . the modulator 16 also provides a modulation feedback signal 32 to the if amplifier and demodulator 26 in the receiver for use in cancellation of the transmit data from the demodulated receive signal ( discussed further below ). the modulator - transmitter 18 outputs a modulated rf signal 34 ( with carrier frequency f1 ), modulated by its input modulation signal 30 , to the transmitter antenna 20 . one component 36a of the radiated transmit signal is received by the second transceiver 14 , and another component 36b is received by the receiver antenna 22 of the subject transceiver 12 for use as its receiver lo signal ( discussed further below ). during signal reception , the receiver antenna 22 receives a modulated rf signal 36c from the second transceiver 14 and the transmitted modulated rf signal 36b from its companion transmitter . the resulting combined signal 38 is received by the mixer 24 which mixes the two signal components to produce an if signal 40 . the if signal 40 has a center frequency f3 which is equal to the difference between the transmitter carrier frequency f1 of the companion transmitter and the transmitter carrier frequency f2 of the second transceiver 14 ( f3 =| f1 - f2 |). the if amplifier and demodulator 26 receives the if signal 40 , demodulates it and outputs the resulting receive binary data 42 . as discussed further below , this demodulation uses a modulation feedback signal 32 to cancel out the effects of the modulation of the transmit signal 36b used as the local oscillator in the receiver . full duplex operation of the two transceivers 12 , 14 is achieved by offsetting their respective transmit carrier frequencies f1 and f2 by that amount desired to be used as the if frequency f3 . full duplex operation is enhanced by using a modulation feedback signal 32 representing the transmitter modulation to cancel out modulation effects within the receiver if signal 40 due to the use of the transmitted modulated rf signal 36b as the receiver local oscillator . a further advantage of the circuit topology of the present invention is the lack of a need for a hard - wired rf interface between the receiver and transmitter , even though only a single local oscillator is used . in other words , even though the sole local oscillator is resident within the transmitter , it need not be hard - wired to the receiver to provide a lo signal thereto , since the lo signal for the receiver is supplied via the transmitter and receiver antennas 20 , 22 as the transmit signal 36b . hence , a much lower frequency interface is all that is needed , i . e . to provide the modulation feedback signal 32 . referring to fig2 a preferred embodiment of a data transceiver 12 in accordance with the present invention can be better understood . the transmitter , namely the modulator 16 and frequency modulator - transmitter 18 , is constructed from a phase - lock - loop (&# 34 ; pll &# 34 ;) 44 which includes : voltage - controlled oscillator (&# 34 ; vco &# 34 ;) 46 ; divide - by - n prescaler 48 ; frequency reference source 50 ; phase comparator 52 ; lowpass loop filter 54 ; and signal summer 56 ( all connected substantially as shown ). the vco 46 produces a rf output signal 34 which is received by the prescaler 48 . the prescaled signal 58 is received by the phase comparator 52 , along with a reference signal 60 from the frequency reference source 50 . the phase comparator 52 compares the relative phases of the prescaled 58 and reference 60 signals and produces an error signal 62 representing the difference between those signal phases . the signal summer 56 receives the error signal 62 and sums it with the transmit data 28 . the sum signal 64 is lowpass filtered by the loop filter 54 to produce the frequency control signal 66 for the vco 46 . as should be understood , with no transmit data 28 applied , i . e . with the transmit data 28 equal to a &# 34 ; zero &# 34 ; value , the sum signal 64 is the same as the error signal 62 . under these conditions , the pll 44 is in a synchronized state , meaning that the phase of the vco 46 output 34 is synchronized , or locked , with that of the reference signal 60 . with transmit data 28 applied , the sum signal 64 , and therefore the vco frequency control signal 66 , become modulated by the transmit data 28 , thereby causing the rf output signal 34 of the vco 46 to be frequency - modulated . it is this rf signal 34 ( which is frequency - modulated ) that is transmitted via the transmitter antenna 20 . as noted above and discussed further below , the filtered sum signal 66 is conveyed as the modulation feedback signal 32 to the receiver section . the receiver , as discussed above , has a receiver antenna 22 and mixer 24 . the if amplifier and demodulator 26 is made up of a serial combination of : bandpass filter 68 ; if amplifier 70 ; frequency discriminator 72 ; signal summer 74 ; bandpass filter 76 ; and amplitude window discriminator 78 ( all connected substantially as shown ). the receive signal 36c from the other data transceiver 14 is received by the receiver antenna 22 , as is the transmitted signal 36b from the companion transmitter . as discussed above , the combined signals 38 are received and mixed within the mixer 24 to produce the if signal 40 . a bandpass filter 68 filters the if signal to reduce incoming signal noise and spurious signals . the filtered signal 80 is amplified by the if amplifier 70 . the if amplifier 70 produces an amplified if signal 82 which goes to the frequency discriminator 72 for demodulation thereof in the form of frequency discrimination . the if amplifier 70 also produces a dc signal which is proportional to the logarithm of the input signal 80 to the if amplifier 70 and thereby represents the signal strength of that signal 70 . accordingly , this dc signal 84 is commonly referred to as a &# 34 ; receive signal strength indicator &# 34 ; (&# 34 ; rssi &# 34 ;) signal . the demodulated signal 86 is summed differentially within the signal summer 74 with the transmit data modulation feedback signal 32 . this causes the effects of the transmit data within the demodulated signal 86 to be netted , e . g . subtracted , out . the resulting difference signal 88 is filtered once again by a bandpass filter 76 . this filtered signal 90 goes to the amplitude window discriminator 78 , along with the rssi signal 84 from the if amplifier 70 ( discussed above ). the filtered , demodulated signal 90 is amplitude window - discriminated , i . e . compared in amplitude against two amplitude thresholds , within the amplitude window discriminator 78 to decode the trinary data back to binary data ( discussed further below ). the rssi signal 84 from the if amplifier 70 is used to enable the amplitude window discriminator 78 ( discussed further below ). the decoded , i . e . binary , data constitutes the outputted receive data 42 . referring to fig3 the frequency modulation of the vco 46 output 34 and the demodulation and decoding of the receive data can be better understood . as discussed above , the transmit data 28 and receive data 42 are binary in form ; however , in between , the data is trinary in form . in other words , the binary transmit data 28 is encoded to trinary data which is used to modulate the transmit signal 34 produced by the vco 46 in the pll 44 . similarly , the receive signal 36c is frequency modulated with trinary data representing binary data . the demodulated and filtered signal 90 also represents trinary data corresponding to the original binary transmit data 28 . the decoding of this trinary data back to binary takes place within the amplitude window discriminator 78 . fig3 a shows a single positive data transition of the transmit data 28 . this step input to the signal summer 56 ( fig2 ) produces a positive - going transient in the sum signal 64 which is filtered by the loop filter 54 . in turn , this causes the vco frequency control signal 66 to also have a positive - going transient , as shown in fig3 b . this positive transient in the vco frequency control signal 66 causes the frequency of the vco output signal 34 to increase accordingly . similarly , the inverse is true , meaning that negative data transitions in the transmit data 28 produce negative transients in the vco frequency control signal 66 and frequency of the output signal 34 . however , within a brief period of time , the pll 44 compensates for such output frequency transients ( by appropriately adjusting the phase error signal 62 ), and the vco frequency control signal 66 returns to its steady - state level . ( in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the duration of the transient depicted in fig3 b is approximately 8 microseconds .) accordingly , as seen in fig3 c and 3d , a binary transmit data stream 28 produces a vco frequency control signal 66 with positive and negative transients as shown . those portions of the vco frequency control signal 66 waveform labeled a correspond to the steady - state conditions after the pll 44 has compensated for any transients induced by any positive or negative transmit data 28 transitions . those portions labeled b are the positive transient peaks resulting from positive binary data transitions in the transmit data 28 , and those portions labeled c are the negative transient peaks resulting from negative binary data transitions in the transmit data 28 . fig3 c and 3d are also applicable when considering the demodulation and decoding of the receive signal by the receiver . on the receive side , fig3 d represents the filtered , demodulated signal 90 ( trinary data ) inputted to the amplitude window discriminator 78 ( fig2 ). the amplitude window discriminator 78 , with internally set high th and low tl thresholds ( and enabled by the rssi signal 84 ), decodes the trinary input data 90 into two intermediate data signals 42a and 42b , as shown in fig3 e and 3f , respectively . the first intermediate data signal 42a , as shown in fig3 e , is a &# 34 ; positive edge signal &# 34 ;. this signal 42a is a binary signal whose trailing edges , i . e . negative transitions , occur at those points at which the trinary data 90 rises above the high threshold th , and whose leading edges , i . e . positive transitions , occur at those points at which the trinary data 90 falls below the high threshold th . the second intermediate data signal 42b , as shown in fig3 f , is a &# 34 ; negative edge signal &# 34 ;. this signal 42b is a binary signal whose trailing edges , i . e . negative transitions , occur at those points at which the trinary data 90 crosses below the low threshold tl , and whose leading edges , i . e . positive transitions , occur at those points at which the trinary data 90 rises above the low threshold tl . these two intermediate data signals 42a and 42b are logically combined ( e . g . by way of a set - reset flip - flop ) to produce the binary receive data 42 , as shown in fig3 g . as can be seen by comparing fig3 c and 3g , the binary data is thereby faithfully reproduced . referring to fig4 the output frequency spectrum of the transmit signal 34 ( and receive signal 36c ) can be better understood . at the steady - state levels a of the vco frequency control signal 66 , the output frequency remains at the nominal carrier frequency f c = f1 ( commonly referred to as the &# 34 ; center &# 34 ; frequency ). at the positive transient peaks b of the vco frequency control signal 66 , the output frequency increases to an upper &# 34 ; peak &# 34 ; frequency f + p . at the negative transient peaks c of the vco frequency control signal 66 , the output frequency decreases to a lower &# 34 ; peak &# 34 ; frequency f - p . thus , the trinary data , as represented by the vco frequency control signal 66 , produces a frequency - modulated output signal 34 . referring to fig5 a , 5b and 5c , a schematic of a preferred embodiment of a data transceiver 12 in accordance with the present invention will be used to further discuss the structure and operation of the present invention . within the modulator - transmitter 18 ( fig1 ), the vco 46 is a self - excited oscillator which includes transistor q1 and a printed antenna element 20 ( e . g . microstrip ). the phase comparator 52 is an exclusive - or phase comparator u2b . the divide - by - n prescaler 48 is a divide - by - 256 / 257 prescaler u7 ( whose divide ratio is selectable with switch s1 to be either 256 or 257 ), the output of which is amplified and level - converted with two exclusive - or gates u2d and u2c connected as inverters . the final exclusive - or gate u2a , also connected as an inverter , operates with crystal y1 ( approximately 3 . 58 megahertz [ mhz ]) as a crystal oscillator for the frequency reference source 50 . as discussed above , the gain and frequency response of the pll 44 are set , using the components and values as shown , so that a step input to the loop produces the transient response shown in fig3 b . in the receiver , signals from the receive antenna 22 are matched to the mixer 24 with a resonant transmission line ( e . g . microstrip ). the mixer 24 uses a pair of schottky diodes d1 connected in a single - balanced configuration to produce a balanced if signal 40 . the bandpass filter fl1 68 is a two - pole l - c filter ( e . g . toko h354bai - 1425 - dad ), and performs a balanced - to - unbalanced signal conversion , as well as provide selectivity at the if frequency of approximately 3 . 5 mhz . the if amplifier 70 and frequency discriminator 72 are embodied within integrated circuit u6 ( signetics ne604 ). additional if filtering is provided by filter fl2 ( e . g . toko h354bai - 1425 - dad ), and elements c14 , l1 and r8 form a quadrature network for use in the frequency discrimination performed by u6 . noninverted and inverted discriminator outputs 86a , 86b are available ( discussed further below ) using switch s2 . the selected output 86 is summed with the modulation feedback signal 32 ( which is inverted , amplified and phase - compensated with amplifier u5a with a phase delay to compensate for the receiver front - end phase delays ), and then filtered in an active lowpass filter u5b . the rssi signal 84 is used to activate the window discriminator 78 . this activation is achieved by using the output of voltage comparator u1d to selectively provide a current path to ground for the voltage divider r15 , r13 , r17 which provides the reference voltages for voltage comparators u1a and u1b . the action of the window discriminator 78 is to generate pulses for positive - and negative - going transitions in the original data stream as represented by the filtered , demodulated signal 90 . the original data is then derived from a set - reset flip - flop u3a . switches s1 and s2 are used to establish the compatibility of a pair of data transceivers 12 , 14 ( fig1 ) in accordance with the present invention . as discussed above , the transmitter frequency reference and the receiver if are each approximately 3 . 58 mhz . accordingly , the upper and lower peak frequencies are f c + 3 . 58 mhz and f c - 3 . 58 mhz , respectively . with switch s1 set to establish the divide ratio n of u7 at 256 , the transmit carrier f c is approximately 916 . 48 mhz , and with switch s1 set to establish the divide ratio n of u7 at 257 , the transmit carrier f c is approximately 920 . 06 mhz . switch s1 of the first data transceiver 12 is set for n = 256 so that its transmit carrier frequency f c ( and therefore its receiver lo signal 36b frequency ) is 916 . 48 mhz , while switch s1 of the second data transceiver 14 is set for n = 257 so that its transmit carrier frequency f c ( and therefore its receiver lo signal 36d frequency ) is 920 . 06 mhz . therefore , with receiver ifs of 3 . 58 mhz ( and no image frequency rejection ), the first data transceiver 12 can receive and process signals centered about 912 . 90 mhz or 920 . 06 mhz , and the second data transceiver 14 can receive and process signals centered about 916 . 48 mhz or 923 . 64 mhz . with these s1 switch settings , the first data transceiver 12 will receive and process the signals 36c centered about 920 . 06 mhz from the second data transceiver 14 , and the second data transceiver 14 will receive and process the signals 36a centered about 916 . 48 mhz from the first data transceiver 12 . this allows the data transceivers 12 , 14 to operate without interfering with one another and with no self - jamming . furthermore , with these s1 switch settings , switch s2 of the first data transceiver 12 must be set so that the noninverted output 86a of the frequency discriminator 72 ( u6 in fig5 ) is selected , and switch s2 of the second data transceiver 14 must be set so that the inverted output 86b of the frequency discriminator 72 is selected . this ensures that the demodulated signals 90 processed by the amplitude window discriminators 78 of the data transceivers 12 , 14 have the proper polarity . various other modifications and alterations in the structure and method of operation of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments , it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments .
7
referring first to fig1 there is shown a sewing system 8 to which the present invention is applied . the sewing system 8 includes a work - sheet retaining apparatus 10 and a sewing machine 11 . as shown in fig1 the sewing machine 11 includes an arm 12 and a bed 13 . the arm 12 supports a needle bar 16 to the bottom end of which a sewing needle 16a is secured , such that the needle bar 16 is vertically reciprocatable by a main motor 64 ( fig4 ). the bed 13 incorporates a thread - loop catcher ( not shown ) which cooperates with the sewing needle 16a to serve as a stitch - forming device . the work - sheet retaining apparatus 10 includes a table plate 14 the upper surface of which is flush with the upper surface of the bed 13 of the sewing machine 11 . above the table plate 14 , is disposed a work - sheet feed arm 17 to which a work - sheet presser plate 19 is detachably secured . the feed plate 19 has a needle - guide groove 18 formed through thickness thereof . as shown in fig6 ( f ), the presser plate 19 is pressed on a first work sheet , p , such as a &# 34 ; pocket &# 34 ; cutting , whose outer peripheral portion , p1 , is folded and which is superposed on a second work sheet , w , such as a &# 34 ; front body &# 34 ; cutting of a garment . the feed arm 17 feeds , in x and y directions indicated at arrows in fig1 the presser plate 19 and accordingly the pocket and frontbody cuttings p , w pressed on the table plate 14 by the presser plate 19 , from one the table plate 14 of the retaining apparatus 10 to the operative position of the sewing machine 11 where the pocket p is sewn to the front body w by the sewing needle 16a of the sewing machine 11 . the table plate 14 includes an extended portion 14a on which is disposed an automatic work - sheet folding device for automatically folding the outer peripheral portion p1 of the pocket cutting p . the work - sheet folding device includes a support member 20 which is pivotable about a first axis member 20a fixed to the extended portion 14a . the support member 20 is pivoted about the axis member 20a by a first air cylinder 21 fixed to the extended portion 14a . a second air cylinder 22 is fixed to the lower surface of the support member 20 . the air cylinder 22 has a piston 22a to the free end of which a support - plate holder 23 is secured . a generally rectangular , work - sheet support plate 24 , on which the pocket cutting p is to be placed , is detachably secured at the base end thereof to the support plate holder 23 . the shape of the work - sheet support plate 24 defines the profile of the pocket to be produced from the pocket cutting p . the support member 20 includes a pair of axis holders 25 , 25 which cooperate with each other to support a second axis member 26 on which a folding - frame holder 27 pivotally fits . a work - sheet folding frame 28 is detachably secured at the base end thereof to the folding - frame holder 27 . a third air cylinder 29 is fixed to the upper surface of the support member 20 , and has a piston 30 pivotally connected to the top end of the folding - frame holder 27 . a pair of support blocks 31 , 31 pivotally fit on opposite ends of the second axis member 26 , respectively . a generally u - shaped , folding - member holder 32 is detachably secured at two base ends thereof to the pair of support blocks 31 , 31 , respectively . the folding - member holder 32 is a flat member formed of a plate material . on the folding - member holder 32 , five fourth air cylinders 33 , 33 , 33 , 33 , 33 are mounted such that the five air cylinders 33 cooperate with each other to surround the work - sheet folding frame 28 . each of the five air cylinders 33 has a piston 34 to the tip of which is secured a mount member 34a to which a work - sheet folding member 35 is secured . as shown in fig2 each of the five folding members 35 includes an upright portion having a pair of vertical slots 35a , 35a formed through thickness thereof . each folding member 35 is secured to a corresponding mount member 34a by fastening a pair of screws 34b , 34b thereto through the respective vertical slots 35a , 35a . by fastening and loosening the screws 34b , 34b , the vertical position of each folding member 35 may be adjusted relative to the upper surface of the table plate 14 . a pair of fifth air cylinders 36 , 36 are pivotally secured at base ends thereof to opposite side faces of the support member 20 , respectively , and the air cylinders 36 , 36 have respective pistons 37 , 37 pivotally connected to the top ends of the corresponding support blocks 31 , 31 . in the present embodiment , the first air cylinder 21 serves as an actuator for pivoting the support member 20 , thereby pivoting the work - sheet support plate 24 , work - sheet folding frame 28 and folding - member holder 32 , as a unit , toward and away from the table plate 14 . the work - sheet retaining apparatus 10 further includes four clearance adjusting devices 41 mounted on the folding - member holder 32 , as shown in fig2 and 3 . the clearance adjusting devices 41 serve for improving the accuracy of folding of the pocket cutting p . the folding - member holder 32 includes four holes 42 each formed through thickness thereof , outside of the fourth air cylinders 33 associated with the work - sheet folding members 35 . a bridge member 43 bridges each of the four holes 42 , and is fastened to the folding - member holder 32 by screws . each of the four bridge members 43 has an internally threaded portion engaged with an externally threaded portion of an adjusting screw 44 . thus , each of the four adjusting screws 44 is vertically adjustable . an abutment plate 45 is fixed to the bottom end of each adjusting screw 44 , and a knob 46 is fixed to the top end of the same 44 . a rock nut 47 fits on an intermediate portion of each adjusting screw 44 above a corresponding bridge member 43 . the amount of clearance between the folding - member holder 32 and the table plate 14 may be adjusted by rotating the knobs 46 of the clearance adjusting devices 41 . referring next to fig4 there is shown a control device 50 of the present sewing system 8 . the control device 50 controls the respective operations of the first to fifth air cylinders 21 , 22 , 29 , 33 , 36 , the sewing machine 11 , and a vacuum pump 67 ( described later ), for automatically attaching , by sewing , the pocket p to the front body w . the vacuum pump 67 serves for producing air suction to the work - sheet support plate 24 and thereby retaining the support plate 24 on the upper surface of the table plate 14 . the control device 50 is essentially constituted by a well - known microcomputer including a central processing unit ( cpu ) 51 , a read only memory ( rom ) 52 , a random access memory ( ram ) 53 , an input and output ( i / o ) port 54 , and bus 55 connecting the cpu 51 , rom 52 , ram 53 , and i / o port 54 to each other . the control device 50 further includes first to fifth drive circuits 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 to operate first to fifth air valves 48a48b , 48c , 48d , 48e and thereby extend and retract the first to fifth air cylinders 21 , 22 , 29 , 33 , 36 , respectively , and sixth to eighth drive circuits 61 , 62 , 63 to operate the main motor 64 , work - sheet feeding and pressing device 65 ( fig4 ), and vacuum pump 67 , respectively . the work - sheet feed / press device 65 includes an x and a y feed motor ( not shown ) for displacing the work - sheet feed arm 17 or presser plate 19 in the x and y directions ( fig1 ), respectively , and an air cylinder ( not shown ) for pivoting the feed arm 17 about a horizontal axis to press the presser plate 19 on the work sheets p , w on the upper surface of the table 14 or bed 13 . a sewing start and stop ( s / s ) command switch 68 and an up and down ( up / down ) command switch 69 are connected to the i / o port 54 of the control device 50 . the s / s command switch 68 is operable by an operator to start and stop the sewing operation of the sewing machine 11 . the up / down command switch 69 is operable to input command data to pivot the work - sheet support plate 24 , work - sheet folding frame 28 , and folding - member holder 32 , as a unit , toward and away from the table plate 14 . the control device 50 starts the respective operations in response to the command data supplied from the two switches 68 , 69 . the sewing s / s command switch 68 is provided on an operator &# 39 ; s panel ( not shown ) disposed alongside the table 14 , while the up / down command switch 69 is provided below the sewing machine 11 , in the form of a foot switch operable by a foot of the operator . an air pump 70 supplies the first to fifth air valves 48a to 48e with pressurized air , pa , via piping ( not shown ) after having been regulated by a pressure regulator 72 . the first to fifth air valves 48a - 48e are also connected to atmosphere , a , as shown in fig4 . the control device 50 constructed as described above starts , responsive to operation of the sewing s / s command switch 68 , for driving the first to fifth air cylinders 21 , 22 , 29 , 33 , 36 , main motor 64 , and work - sheet feed / press device 65 , as described below , and thereby attaching the pocket p to the front body w . upon operation of the s / s command switch 68 , the control device 50 drives the first to fifth air cylinders 21 , 22 , 29 , 33 , 36 to superpose the pocket cutting p on the front - body cutting w in the previously described steps of fig6 ( a ) through 6 ( e ). subsequently , in the step of fig6 ( f ), the control device 50 operates the work - sheet feed / press device 65 to press the work - sheet presser plate 19 on the pocket cutting p being retained on the work - sheet support plate 24 . consequently , the pocket cutting p and the support plate 24 are pressed on the front - body cutting w provided on the table plate 14 . then , the control device 50 stops the air - suction operation of the vacuum pump 67 and drives the second air cylinder 22 to retract the support plate 24 away from the pocket cutting p . further , the control device 50 drives the feed / press device 65 to move the presser plate 19 together with the cuttings p , w being pressed thereby , to the stitch - forming position of the sewing machine 11 directly below the sewing needle 16a . subsequently , the control device 50 drives the main motor 64 to operate the sewing machine 11 , and concurrently drives the feeding and pressing device 65 to move the presser plate 19 in the x and y directions . thus , the pocket p is attached by sewing to the front body w . detailed explanation of the sewing control of a similar sewing machine is provided in the previously - identified u . s . pat . no . 4 , 821 , 659 , and further description of the operation of the sewing machine 11 is omitted . as shown in fig2 the table plate 14 has a multiplicity of first holes 83 formed through thickness thereof . the first holes 83 are opposed to the work - sheet support plate 24 . an air chamber 85 is provided below the table plate 14 , in air communication with the support plate 24 via the first holes 83 . the air chamber 85 also communicates with the vacuum pump 67 via piping 87 . as shown in fig5 the work - sheet support plate 24 includes , along three sides of the rectangular shape thereof , a tapered , outer peripheral portion 24a which serves for preventing the thickness of the support plate 24 from adversely affecting the folded peripheral portion p1 of the pocket cutting p . the tapered peripheral portion 24a is continuously formed along two lengthwise sides and one widthwise side of the rectangular support plate 24 . the support plate 24 has a multiplicity of second holes 24b which are formed through thickness of the support plate 24 and equidistantly from each other along and inside the tapered peripheral portion 24a . as shown in fig2 the second holes 24b are so positioned as to contact the outer peripheral portion p1 of the pocket cutting p folded onto the lower surface of the support plate 24 . the second holes 24b has a diameter falling in the range of 0 . 3 to 4 . 0 mm , preferably 0 . 8 to 2 . 0 mm . if the diameter of the holes 24b is smaller than the lower limit , 0 . 3 mm , the sucking force exerted to the work sheet p by the vacuum pump 67 through the holes 24b is excessively reduced . additionally , it will be very difficult to form such small - diameter holes in the support plate 24 . a plurality of support plates 24 each of which has identical second holes 24b with a corresponding one of different diameters may be employed to sew a corresponding one of various sorts of materials ( e . g ., thick , thin , dense , or coarse ) as the work sheets p , w . as the diameter of the holes 24b decreases , the number of holes 24b formed increases . there will be described the operation of the work - sheet retaining apparatus 10 constructed as described above . the control device 50 drives the vacuum pump 67 during the steps shown in fig6 ( c ) through 6 ( e ). the vacuum pump 67 sucks air from above the table plate 14 through the piping 87 , air chamber 85 , and first holes 83 , thereby drawing the work - sheet support plate 24 toward the table plate 14 and retaining the support plate 24 on the table plate 14 . thus , the folded peripheral portion p1 of the pocket cutting p is pinched with sufficient force between the support plate 24 and the table plate 14 , so that the degree of immovability of the pocket cutting p is increased on the support plate 24 . when the support plate 24 is retained on the table plate 14 by air suction of the vacuum pump 67 , air is simultaneously sucked by the vacuum pump 67 from above the support plate 24 through the second holes 24b as well as the piping 87 , air chamber 85 , and first holes 83 . thus , the inner portion of the pocket cutting p directly supported on the upper surface of the support plate 24 is retained by air suction on the support plate 24 . thus , the degree of immovability of the pocket cutting p is further improved , so that the pocket cutting p is effectively prevented from moving out of position on the support plate 24 . in the present embodiment , the second holes 24b are provided at positions where the second holes 24b are to engage the folded peripheral portion p1 of the first work sheet p . thus , the second holes 24b effectively contribute to keeping the profile or contour of the first work sheet p whose outer peripheral portion p1 is folded back on the second work sheet w . the conventional work - sheet retaining apparatus as previously described suffers from the problem that a smaller radius of curvature of an arcuate corner of a work - sheet support member thereof corresponding to an arcuate corner 24c ( fig5 ) of the support plate 24 more likely causes a corresponding portion of a work sheet supported thereon to move or wrinkle . in contrast thereto , in the present embodiment , the air sucked through the second holes 24b contributes to keeping in position or shape the outer peripheral contour of the pocket cutting p . therefore , even though the radius of curvature of the arcuate corner 24c of the support plate 24 may be very small , the pocket cutting p is effectively prevented from wrinkling . while the present invention has been described in its preferred embodiment , the present invention may otherwise be embodied . referring to fig7 there is illustrated a work - sheet support plate 90 used in place of the support plate 24 of fig5 . the support plate 90 is constituted by a first rectangular metal plate 91 bent along four sides thereof , and a second rectangular metal plate 92 welded to the first metal plate 91 to seal the same 91 . thus , a hollow space 93 is provided inside the support plate 90 . the welding method may be electric resistance welding such as spot welding . the second metal plate 92 has a plurality of holes 94 corresponding to the second holes 24b of the support plate 24 . the first metal plate 92 has one or more communication holes 95 . when the vacuum device 67 sucks air , the air above the support plate 90 is sucked through the holes 94 , hollow space 93 , and communication holes 95 , so that the support plate 90 is drawn toward the table plate 14 and retained thereon . alternatively , without forming the holes 95 in the first metal plate 91 , it is possible to bend only three sides of the first plate 91 and seal the first plate 92 with the second plate 91 . in the latter case , the remaining one side of the first plate 91 is open to communicate with the vacuum pump 67 . although in the illustrated embodiments the work - sheet retaining apparatus 10 automatically folds the outer peripheral portion p1 of the work sheet p supported on the support plate 24 , 90 , by actuating the air cylinders 21 , 22 , 29 , 33 , 36 , the retaining apparatus 10 may be modified to retain , on the support plate 24 , 90 , a work sheet whose outer peripheral portion has been folded back manually by an operator . in this case , too , the work sheet is surely retained on the support plate 24 by air suction of the vacuum pump 67 through the holes 24b or 93 - 95 formed in the support plate 24 , 90 , so that the work sheet is effectively prevented from moving out of position on the support plate 24 , 90 . while in the illustrated embodiments the holes 24b , 94 are formed in the outer peripheral portion of the support plate 24 , 90 , it is possible to additionally form similar holes in the central portion of the support plate 24 , 90 . the work sheet p is effectively retained on the support plate 24 , 90 , and the degree of immovability of the work sheet p on the support plate 24 , 90 is improved . the top openings of the holes 24b , 94 to engage the work sheet p may be rounded to reduce the friction thereof with the work sheet p . the holes 24 , 94 may have various cross - sectional shapes such as circular or elongate . a smaller number of elongate holes 24b , 94 extending in the direction in which the support plate 24 , 90 is removed away from the work sheet p by the air cylinder 22 , are advantageous to reduce the overall friction with the work sheet p . the work sheets p , w may be various sorts of sheets such as cloth , fabric , leather , or synthetic - resin sheet . the work - sheet folding frame 28 may be provided with third holes similar to the holes 24b , 94 . in this case , it is preferred that , with the folding frame 28 being pressed on the work - sheet support plate 24 , 90 , the third holes be formed at positions offset from , i . e ., not aligned with , the holes 24b , 94 of the support plate 24 , 90 , for preventing the third holes from adversely affecting the air suction of the vacuum pump 67 . the air sucked through the third holes contributes to retaining the work sheet p on the support plate 24 , 90 , and the provision of the third holes facilitates the removal of the folding frame 28 from the work sheet p . alternatively , the folding frame 28 may be constituted by three side portions only , simply for the function of folding downward the outer peripheral portion p1 of the work sheet p . in the latter case , the central area of the folding frame 28 is hollow and has no third holes as described above . it is to be understood that the present invention may be embodied with other changes , improvements , and modifications that may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention defined in the appended claims .
3
reference throughout this specification to “ one embodiment ,” “ an embodiment ,” or similar language means that a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention . thus , appearances of the phrases “ in one embodiment ,” “ in an embodiment ,” and similar language throughout this specification may , but do not necessarily , all refer to the same embodiment . furthermore , the described features , structures , or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments . in the following description , numerous specific details are provided , such as examples of programming , software modules , user selections , network transactions , database queries , database structures , hardware modules , hardware circuits , hardware chips , etc ., to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention . one skilled in the relevant art will recognize , however , that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details , or with other methods , components , materials , and so forth . in other instances , well - known structures , materials , or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention . any flow chart diagrams included herein are generally set forth as logical flow chart diagrams . as such , the depicted order and labeled steps are indicative of one embodiment of the presented method . other steps and methods may be conceived that are equivalent in function , logic , or effect to one or more steps , or portions thereof , of the illustrated method . additionally , the format and symbols employed are provided to explain the logical steps of the method and are understood not to limit the scope of the method . although various arrow types and line types may be employed in the flow chart diagrams , they are understood not to limit the scope of the corresponding method . indeed , some arrows or other connectors may be used to indicate only the logical flow of the method . for instance , an arrow may indicate a waiting or monitoring period of unspecified duration between enumerated steps of the depicted method . additionally , the order in which a particular method occurs may or may not strictly adhere to the order of the corresponding steps shown . fig1 a illustrates a rearward perspective view of an exemplary integrated chain adjustment apparatus 100 , in accordance with the present invention . as referenced , an integrated chain adjustment apparatus 100 ( or system ) integrates with a cycle to facilitate adjustment of a chain , such as adjusting the slack on the chain . the integrated chain adjustment system 100 may be configured to facilitating access and preparation of the chain to adjust the slack on the chain . the integrated chain adjustment system 100 forms a unitary piece with the cycle , between the front and rear sprockets , helping to keep the wheel and chain in alignment , both during operation and while performing the chain adjustment . the system 100 is attached to or built into a cycle swing arm for enabling facilitated chain adjustment and providing attachments that add functionality to the cycle . the integrated positioning of the present invention along a longitudinal axis of the swing arm helps retain the wheel and chain in the proper alignment , both during operation and maintenance . in this manner , the integrated chain adjustment system 100 displaces the need for typical chain adjustment tools and procedures , such as measuring alignment markers on the swing arm , creating maximum tension on the chain by pulling the rear wheel , and turning adjuster screws while the chain is taut . additionally , the integrated chain adjustment system 100 provides a mounting portion 106 for enabling attachment of auxiliary members that are useful for adjusting the chain and protecting the chain area . for example , a swing arm slider couples to the mounting portion 106 to form a barrier that protects the swing arm , the rear axle , and the chain from damage . the swing arm slider may remain attached to the integrated chain adjustment system during operation of the cycle , even while the chain is not being adjusted . yet another auxiliary member that attaches to the mounting portion may include a rear stand hook which allows the rear section of the cycle to be raised with a stand during adjustment of the chain , or any maintenance . the integrated chain adjustment system has sufficient structural integrity to support the weight of the cycle in this manner . those skilled in the art will recognize that adjusting the chain requires adjusting both sides of the rear axle . therefore , the integrated chain adjustment system 100 may comprise both left and right embodiments configured to integrate on a brake side and a sprocket side of the cycle . beneficially , the adjustment of the chain is simplified , as fewer tools and setup procedures are required for adjusting , or changing the chain on a cycle . also , the functionality of the cycle is increased . the integrated chain adjustment system 100 includes a housing 102 that is arranged to integrate with a swing arm , forming a unitary piece . the housing 102 serves as a spacer that locks the rear axle into a position relative to the swing arm . the housing 102 also enables additional functionality for the cycle by providing a mounting surface for auxiliary members . the housing 102 includes a front end , a rear end , a left end and a right end . the housing 102 is arranged between the front sprocket and the rear sprocket , often attaching to the swing arm from either the left or right end , depending on whether the integrated chain adjustment system 100 is on the brake side or sprocket side of the cycle . the mounted position of the housing 102 on the swing arm serves as a spacer that at least partially holds the rear axle in a position relative to the swing arm , and helps retain the chain at a predetermined slack . the housing 102 connects to the rear axle through a threaded adjustment fastener that adjustably regulates the distance between the housing 102 and the rear axle , as needed . the adjustment fastener passes through a threaded aperture in the rear axle for adjusting the relative distance therebetween . in some embodiments , the housing 102 may also form a protective cover over the rear axle and sprocket area . those skilled in the art will recognize that the cycle may move at high velocities , and physical contact to the chain , swing arm , and rear axle are common . after a jolt or physical engagement , the chain and rear axle are inclined to misalignment . the housing 102 provides at least partial protection from such damage by forming a protective encapsulation over the rear area of the cycle . suitable materials for the housing may include , without limitation , steel , aluminum , metal alloys , and a rigid polymer . in some embodiments , an elongated adjustment member 104 , having a bolt like shape , extends outwardly from the front end of the housing . the elongated adjustment member serves to enable access to the adjustment fastener through an adjustment opening 110 which is defined by a terminal end of the elongated adjustment member 104 . the elongated member 104 orients towards the front of the cycle , such that the adjustment opening can be accessed away from the rear axle . in this manner , the manipulations are performed away from the rear axle , which may be braced into an unsteady position during chain adjustment . the elongated adjustment member 104 is configured to enable the threaded adjustment fastener to at least partially pass through from the rear axle to the adjustment opening . the adjustment opening 110 enables access to a terminal end of the adjustment screw . a tool , such as an allen wrench , ratchet , screw driver , and the like may be inserted through the adjustment opening 110 and rotated in a direction efficacious for tightening or loosening the chain . in some embodiments , the housing 102 includes one or more mounting portions 106 that provides a surface for attachment of auxiliary members . the mounting portion 106 may define a pair of mounting apertures 110 sized and dimensioned to receive the auxiliary members . the auxiliary member may include a swing arm slider that forms a barrier that extends out from the left or right side of the housing , and helps protect the swing arm , the rear axle , and the chain from damage . the swing arm slider may remain attached to the integrated chain adjustment system during operation of the cycle , even while the chain is not being adjusted . another possible auxiliary member may include a rear stand hook that extends approximately a few inches out from the housing 102 . the rear stand hook mounts to the mounting portion , thus forming a stable foundation . a stand can be used to support the rear section of the cycle busing the rear stand hook as a pillar of support . the rear section of the cycle may be raised into this position with the rear stand hook during adjustment of the chain , or any other cycle maintenance . the rear stand hook and the attached housing have sufficient structural integrity to support the weight of the cycle in this manner . fig1 b illustrates a side perspective view of an exemplary integrated chain adjustment apparatus 150 , in accordance with the present invention . fig1 b as shown . fig2 a illustrates a rearward - side perspective view of an exemplary integrated chain adjustment apparatus 200 , in accordance with the present invention . as shown , in various embodiments , the housing may comprise a convex outer surface . fig2 b illustrates a rearward - side perspective view of an exemplary integrated chain adjustment apparatus 250 , in accordance with the present invention . the housing 102 may define an aperture for providing access to an adjustment fastener 202 . fig3 a illustrates a side perspective view of an exemplary integrated chain adjustment apparatus 300 , in accordance with the present invention . as shown , the out surface of the housing 102 may taper as it travels rearwardly toward the elongated adjustment member 104 . fig3 b illustrates a forward - side perspective view of an exemplary integrated chain adjustment apparatus 350 , in accordance with the present invention . fig3 b as shown . fig4 illustrates a rearward - side perspective view of an exemplary integrated chain adjustment apparatus 400 having a slider , in accordance with the present invention . a swingarm slider is detachably affixed to a mounting portion 106 . the swingarm slide 402 is an auxiliary implement designs to protect the adjustment system 400 and swing arm from impact damage when the cycle impacts a ground surface . fig5 illustrates a rearward - side perspective view of an exemplary integrated chain adjustment apparatus 500 having a rearward stand , in accordance with the present invention . a rear stand hook 502 may be affixed to the mounting portions 106 . the rear stand 502 comprises an auxiliary implement . fig6 illustrates a rearward - side perspective view of an exemplary integrated chain adjustment apparatus having a rearward stand , in accordance with the present invention . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics . the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description . all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope .
1
it will be helpful in understanding the following discussion to define certain logic terms . each of the logic signals to which reference is made in the following discussions will have one of two possible logic states , a logic 1 or a logic 0 . a logic signal will be designated as a true signal without an asteric following the mnenomic . as an example , clock would be a true signal while clock * would be its inverse . each logic signal , be it the true signal or its inverse , will have an asserted and unasserted state . in the case of clock , a true signal , the asserted state will be a logic 1 and the unasserted state a logic 0 . for clock *, the reverse is true , the asserted state is logic 0 and the unasserted state is logic 1 . a signal goes &# 34 ; true &# 34 ; when it switches from the unasserted to the asserted state and vice versa when it goes &# 34 ; false .&# 34 ; lastly , a flip - flop is in a logic 0 state when the q output is at a logic 0 and the q * is a logic 1 . in the logic 1 state the outputs of the flip - flop are in the reverse states . referring first to fig1 a block diagram of the computer controlled digital in - circuit tester is shown , with a central processing unit ( cpu ) 100 having a set of input / output ( i / o ) ports 102 that are used to communicate between the cpu 100 and the remaining circuits of the digital tester . i / o ports 102 contain standard interface circuits for interfacing the cpu 100 to a peripheral device . as used herein , the term &# 34 ; central processing unit &# 34 ; is meant to include all programmable or programmed devices of any size , such as microprocessors , minicomputers , computers , time - share computers , main frame computers , batch processors , data processors , etc . the digital tester 101 , which responds to commands from the cpu 100 , is composed of test controller 104 , test signal generator 108 , functional test 106 , board select decoder 114 , d , e , f & amp ; g switch selectors 116 , reed switches 120 and a bed of nails 122 . the bed of nails 122 consists of an array of selectable test pins that are contactable with the circuit interconnection nodes of the logic circuits on the printed circuit board of device under test ( dut ) 124 . the dut 124 is a printed circuit board assembly in which the interconnections between the various components are for the most part made with copper lands . each dut 124 will have its own preselected array of test pins that form the bed of nails 122 which contacts the interconnection points or electrical nodes of the circuits on the dut . the test pins that will be used in testing the dut 124 in each test cycle is selected from the bed of nails 122 and programmed into the processor . the dut 124 is placed over the bed of nails 122 and a vacuum to cause the dut pc board assembly to move down and contact the test pins in the bed of nails 122 . the board is caused to move a sufficient amount to cause the spring loaded test pins to compress . this ensures that the test pins are contacting the interconnection nodes of the dut 124 with sufficient force to penetrate the copper land . each pin in the bed of nails 122 has an associated set of selectable switches , designated as the d , e , f & amp ; g switches , connected to it . it should be noted here that the d , e and g switches are provided as a safety feature to protect the digital tester 101 internal circuits from excessive logic voltages that may appear on the electrical nodes of the dut 124 by isolating each test pin through these switches . for the digital tester 101 to work , the d , e and g switches do not have to be provided . however , the f switch is provided so that the test pin which will contact the output test signal node can be connected to the response line 128 . therefore , the set of selectable switches associated with each test pin could be as few as one but as many as desired . as shown in fig1 one terminal of each of these selectable switches is connected to the test pin . during each test cycle , each of the selected test pins that contact the dut 124 can either conduct an input test signal to the dut or can conduct the selected output signal for the dut , or it can alternately do both . if the selected test pin is to input an input test signal , the switch will be selected . the terminals of the e and g switches for each of the test pins that is not connected to its associated test pin are bussed together , respectively . the e switch selects the ext clock signal from the dut to be applied to the master ckock generator 706 ( see fig7 ( a ). the f switch selects the node of the dut that is to be the response signal and applies it to the functional tester 106 ( see fig7 ( a ). each test pin in the bed of nails 122 has the capability of applying a preselected digital test signal to dut 124 through its d switch when the switch is selected . each test pin has an associated digital test signal generator whose output can be connected to the test pin through a d switch . if the test pin is to be connected to the electrical node that is the output signal for the circuit under test , switch f is selected . the f switches for each of the test pins in the bed of nails 122 are also bused together to form the response signal line 128 . response signal line 128 is inputted to the functional tester 106 , where one of four functional tests is performed . because of the large number of test pins available in the bed of nails 122 ( for the preferred embodiment 1 , 024 pins ), practical considerations of constructing the tester require that the test pins be grouped into smaller subsets on boards to accommodate the circuits required to contain the d , e , f & amp ; g switches , to select the appropriate ones of those switches for each test pin used in the test , and to generate the digital test signals for the test . these circuits are chosen for inclusion in the subsets because they are duplicated for each test pin in the bed of nails 122 . for the preferred embodiment , the bed of nails 122 is divided into groups of sixteen test pins . within each group , the e , f and g switches are bussed together . further , the bussed e , f and g selectable switches are connected to buses between the groups of sixteen test pins through selectable switches kfd , ked , and kgd . these selectable switches , kfc , ked and kgd , provide isolation for the internal bussing of the sixteen test pins from the external bussing between the groups of switches . but , in any event , each e , f and g switch for each test pin is connectable to the same bus . the circuits required to generate sixteen separate digital test signals for each of the sixteen test pins in the subset , to select which of the four selectable switches for each test pin that is to be used during the test cycle , and to contain the actual reed switches and their coil drivers to provide the d , e , f and g contacts , are mounted on a single pc board assembly . thus , for the preferred embodiment , a total of 64 boards are required for a bed of nails of 1 , 024 test pins . as shown in fig1 each pc board assembly 103 containing the above described circuits is composed of a pin memory 112 , test signal drivers 118 , a board select decoder 114 , d , e , f & amp ; g switch selectors 116 , and reed switches 120 . still referring to fig1 the digital tester is used as follows : a circuit diagram of the device to be tested is examined to identify the circuits or chips that are to be tested . in general , all nodes will be contacted by a test pin , even unused elements of the integrated circuits . the electrical nodes that are to be used in a test cycle as either an input node or as the circuit under test response node are identified and assigned the number that corresponds to the test pin number that will contact that node when the board assembly is placed on the bed of nails . knowing how the circuit under test is intended to work , computer routines are generated that will , when executed by the computer , cause the tester to generate appropriate test signals to the electrical nodes of the circuit under test . the tester 101 circuits will monitor the response signal and perform intermediate tests on the signal . under computer control , the tester 101 will transmit the results of the intermediate tests to the computer , where a comparison between the measured response and the expected response determines if the circuit has functioned properly . each integrated circuit in the circuit under test is tested during a test cycle defined to be that period during which the digital test signals are actually being applied to the circuit under test . although all of the test parameters are specified by computer software , the actual tests are carried out , for the most part , independently of control of the computer . that is , the computer specifies the type of test that is to be performed , the length of the test cycle , the types of test signals that are to be generated , the test pins to be selected , etc ., prior to initiation of the test cycle . once the test cycle is initiated , the cpu 100 must wait until the test cycle is finished before it acquires the results of the intermediate tests . as a result , the cpu supplies the digital tester 101 with the initial conditions for the test to be performed , before it causes the test cycle to begin . the cpu 100 , acting through i / o ports 102 , initialize the circuits of tester 101 prior to a test cycle , by sequentially addressing each test pin that is to be used in testing of the circuit under test , and selects and latches at least one of the d , e , f or g switches for each of those selected test pins . where appropriate , the kfd , ked and kgd switches are also selected and latched . having selected and closed a switch for each test pin that will apply a test signal to an input node of the circuit under test , and having selected and closed the f switch of the test pin that will be the response signal , the cpu 100 next sequentially transfers to the pin memories 112 the data necessary for the digital test signal generators to generate the appropriate selected test signal for the selected nodes of the circuit under test . pin memory address and data load generator 110 , in response to commands and data from the cpu 100 , stores digital data in pin memory 112 . this data , when read during the test cycle , generates a pattern of one &# 39 ; s and zero &# 39 ; s on the input of test signal drivers 118 . in response to the pattern , the drivers 118 generate the digital test signals that are applied to the selected test pins through their closed d switches . to complete the initialization of the tester 101 , the cpu 100 strobes into test controller 104 the parameters which specify : ( 1 ) whether an internal or an external clock reference signal is to be used to generate the digital tester 101 system clock ; ( 2 ) data which determines the frequency of the system clock derived from the selected reference clock ; ( 3 ) which of the intermediate tests is to be performed on the response signal ; ( 4 ) the length of the test cycle that is to be performed ; ( 5 ) the time during the test cycle in which the response is tested and time during which the response is ignored ; and ( 6 ) data to generate a threshold voltage which enables the digital circuit tester to interface to a wide range of logic voltage levels from different dut &# 39 ; s . having initialized the circuits of tester 101 , the cpu 100 may now initiate a test cycle by issuing the appropriate command to the test controller 104 . at the completion of the test cycle , the cpu 100 transmits a command to the tester 101 to transfer the contents of the functional tester to the computer . a comparison is then made between the actual result that would have been produced from a properly functioning circuit , to determine if the circuit is working . the preceding discussion has been given to explain how the tester is used , so that the following detailed description of the circuits which implement the above - described functions may more readily be understood . shown in fig7 ( b ) are board select decoder 114 , d , e , f & amp ; g switch selectors 116 and reed switches 120 , which function to select and close one or more of the four selectable reed switches for the test pins used during the test cycle . board select decoder 114 and d , e , f & amp ; g switch selectors 116 function as the switch - selecting means for selecting which reed switch is to be closed during the test cycle . a 8 - input nand gate 728 decodes the board address signals , ba0 through ba6 and their inverse , to generate the board select signal bs if this board is selected . each slot of the digital tester into which a board is to be plugged has a unique address assigned to it . as previously discussed , each board contains the circuits for sixteen test pins . this board address is encoded into the connector wiring for the slot , such that the appropriate board address signal ( ba0 through ba6 or its inverse ) is applied as one input to nand gate 728 . the output of nand gate 728 is or &# 39 ; ed in nor gate 730 with a board address override signal ( baor )* to generate the signal bs . the signal baor * is generated when a board select signal is to be generated on all of the boards simultaneously . the board address signals are generated by the test controller 104 in response to commands and data from cpu 100 . cpu 100 also generates reed addresses ( ra0 through ra3 ) and reed group addresses ( rg0 * and rg1 *) which d , e , f and g switch selectors 116 decode , to select , for each of the sixteen test pins on the addressed board , one of the four selectable switches . reed addresses ra0 through ra3 and reed group addresses rg0 * and rg1 * are inputted to d , e , f and g switch selectors 116 to address a plurality of latches , to both store and reset the selection of the selectable switches . the rg0 * and rg1 * signals are decoded to select one of the four selectable switches ( d , e , f or g ), and the address signals ra0 through ra3 are decoded to select one of the sixteen test pins on a board . since the selection process for the d , e , f & amp ; g reed switches is the same , only an explanation for the selection of the d switches will be given . still referring to fig7 ( b ), in the clearing process for the d reed latches 732 and 734 , a bs signal , when true , enables clear reed switch decoder 738 , so that the reed group addresses , on the occurrence of rclr * from cpu 100 , generate one of four possible reed switch clear signals : cd *, ce *, cf *, or cg *. for clearing of the d reed latches 732 and 734 , the signal cd * is generated . this signal is applied to the clear input of the latches 732 and 734 to clear any latches that were set from the previous test cycle . in the reed switch selection process , reed addresses ra0 through ra2 provide a three bit octal address for latches 732 and 734 . reed address ra3 , in conjunction with the reed group signals rg0 and rg1 , are decoded by set reed switch decoder 736 , on the occurrence of r strobe *, to generate four pairs of enabling signals , ed0 * and ed1 * through eg0 * and eg1 *, with each pair selecting the pair of reed latches for each of the four selectable switches for each test pin . in other words , for the d switches , enabling signals ed0 * and ed1 * are generated to enable reed latches 732 and 734 , respectively . with the set / clear * ( s / c *) signal at a logic one , the individual latch addressed by the reed addresses ra0 through ra2 , in conjunction with the enable signal from set reed switch decoder 736 , loads a selection command into the addressed latch . the outputs from d reed latches 732 and 734 are applied to relay drivers 742 to energize the selected d reed switch . in this manner , each of the selectable switches associated with each of the test pins may be selected and latched closed prior to the start of the test cycle . again referring to fig1 test signal generator 108 is shown , composed of pin memory address and data load generator 110 , pin memory 112 and test signal drivers 118 . identical pin memory 112 and test signal driver 118 circuits are contained on each of the tester boards in the digital tester 101 . the output from pin memory address and data load generator 110 is bussed to each of the pin memory 112 and test signal drivers 118 contained on each of the system tester boards . pin memory 112 responds to the board select signal bs to enable the data on the bus from pin memory address and data load generator 110 to be inputted to the selected board . in this way , the circuits for pin memory address and data load generator 110 do not have to be duplicated for each board in the tester in order to generate a digital test signal for each test pin . the function of the test signal generator 108 is to generate , during the test cycle , one of the digital test signals from the set of selectable test signals that includes the gray code set of signals . since the operations of pin memory address and data load generator 110 , pin memory 112 and test signal drivers 118 are identical for each of the tester boards , only a discussion of one will be given . referring now to fig2 ( a ) and 2 ( b ), which illustrates a typical test signal generator 108 , pin memory address and data load generator 110 is shown , composed of pin memory data transfer controller 200 test signal address generator 202 , d and e sync generator 204 , and pin memory address multiplexer 206 . the function of the pin memory address and data load generator 110 is to generate memory addresses and memory data for pin memory 112 . pin memory addresses are generated at two different times . first , prior to a test cycle , data must be transferred and stored in pin memory 112 that will generate the digital test signal to be applied through the selected d switches for each of the selected test pins to the circuit under test . second , during the test cycle , addresses must be generated to pin memory 112 to read the contents of the memory to generate the desired test signal . the pin memory address and data input signals which program the pin memories 112 prior to a test cycle are generated by the pin memory data transfer controller 200 . pin memory data transfer controller 200 , responding to inputs from cpu 100 , generates an 8 - bit data word on memory data lines md0 through md7 . these data lines are inputted to pin memory 112 where tristate buffers 210 , enabled by the bs signal for this board , pass the data to the input of the memories 214 . at the same time , pin memory data transfer controller 200 generates a set of data transfer memory addresses , dtma0 through dtma3 , which are inputted to pin memory address multiplexer 206 . additionally , pin memory data transfer controller 200 generates two control signals , write enable mw * and data transfer memory address mux , dtma mux . the signal dtma mux is inputted to pin memory address multiplexer 206 to cause the data transfer memory address lines to be multiplexed onto the memory address lines ma0 * through ma3 *, which form the input address lines for the memories 214 . the control signal mw * is inputted to the pin memory write enable decoder 208 , to enable a write cycle to the memories 214 . also inputted to pin memory write enable decoder 208 are the memory group addresses mg0 * and mg1 *. the two addresses are inputted directly to decoder 208 from the cpu 100 through i / o ports 102 to generate we0 * through we3 * in the pin memory write enable decoder 208 . each of the memories 214 is able to generate digital test signals for two of the d selectable switches . thus , for a total of sixteen selectable d switches per board , 8 memories are required . the devices that are used in the preferred embodiment of the invention for the pin memories are 16 × 4 bit random access memories such as a 74ls189 manufactured by national semiconductor , inc . it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that memory devices of different storage capacity could be substituted for the memories used in the preferred embodiment , such as four 16 × 1 memory chips . therefore , each pin memory requires four bits of data input and four bits of address input to address and store data in each of the addressable memory locations . since the data lines from pin memory data transfer controller 200 total 8 , two memories or two test signal generators are programmed at the same time . therefore , by bussing a write enable signal to two consecutive pin memories , only four pin memory write enable signals need be generated . the function of pin memory write enable decoder 208 is to generate those four write enable signals . the memory group address lines mg0 and mg1 specify which of the four groups of two - pin memory chips are to be enabled , and when mw * is true , decoder 208 generates one of the four pin memory enable signals we0 * through we3 * specified by mg0 and mg1 . test signal address generator 202 , responding to a start cycle * from test controller 104 , generates the gray code memory address lines , gma0 through gma3 , which are also inputted to pin memory address multiplexer 206 . these address signals are generated during a test cycle to address and output the contents of the memories 214 , to generate the test signal which the d selectable switches will apply to the circuit under test . the gray code memory addresses are multiplexed on to the memory address lines ma0 * through ma3 * by pin memory address multiplexer 206 , when the system dclr * signal and the control signal from pin memory data transfer controller 200 , dtma mux , are both unasserted . a third mode of addressing the pin memories is also possible . this occurs when both the control signal dtma mux and dclr * are at a logic 0 . for this condition , cpu 100 delivers the memory address lines directly from one of the i / o ports 102 to pin memory address multiplexer 206 . that address then appears on the memory address lines ma0 * through ma3 *. when a test cycle begins and gray code memory addresses are generated by test signal address generator 202 , d sync and e sync generator 204 , in response to these addresses , generates the synchronization signals dsync * and esync *. these two synchronization signals are used by the test signal drivers 118 in the generation of the digital test signals that are applied to the dut via the d selectable switches . referring now to fig4 which shows the circuit diagram for pin memory data transfer controller 200 , system commands cmd2 * and cmd3 *, generated in test controller 104 , are used to select one of two operating modes fo the controller 200 . in the first mode , data transfer controller 200 can pass the 8 - bits presented by cpu 100 via i / o ports 102 to the memory data lines md0 through md7 ; or , in the second mode , controller 200 may accumulate sixteen consecutive 8 bit data values from the cpu before that data is placed on the memory data lines . to operate in the first mode , system command cmd14 * is asserted . this signal is inputted to generate mw * which , as previously discussed , enables pin memory write enable decoder 208 ( see fig2 ( a ) and 2 ( b ) to write the 8 bits into the memories 214 . with the assertion of cmd14 *, the data that is presented by cpu 100 to the &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; inputs of multiplexer 424 is muxed onto the memory data lines and strobed into the pin memories 214 enabled by one of the four write enable signals , weo * through we3 *, generated on the output of pin memory write enable decoder 208 . for the first mode of operation , the output of pin memory address multiplexer 206 , ma0 * through ma3 *, is derived from an address specified by cpu 100 on the data lines of one of the output ports of i / o ports 102 . the signal dtma mux is not asserted in this mode , but the signal dclr * is . therefore , pin memory address multiplexer 206 is selecting the data lines from one of the i / o ports 102 output ports to generate the memory address lines . for each 8 bit data word that is to be strobed into the pin memories , a cmd140 signal is asserted . for the second mode of operation of data transfer controller 200 , in which sixteen consecutive 8 bit data words will be stored before transferring to the memories 214 , two steps must occur . first , each 8 bit data word must be strobed into an 8 bit shift register 400 , and second , the contents of shift register 400 must be transferred into 16 × 8 bit shift register 422 , which is acting as the buffer storage device . when shift register 422 is full , system command cmd2 * is asserted to initiate the sequence of transferring the contents of shift register 422 through multiplexer 424 onto the memory data lines . for each 8 - bit data word that is supplied from i / o ports 102 output port number 3 to the input of shift register 400 , port 3 strobe * is asserted to strobe the 8 - bit data word into the shift register 400 . at the same time , port 3 strobe * resets set - reset flip - flop 402 to a logic zero . the q output from flip - flop 402 is inputted to nor gate 404 , whose output switches to a logic zero and removes a clear signal to cascaded binary counters 410 and 412 . removing the clear signal to these two counters enables them to begin counting a 2 mhz internal clock generated by test controller 104 . the q c and q d outputs from counter 410 and the q a output from counter 412 are decoded in or gates 416 and 418 to provide an enabling signal when any one of these three signals is true . this enable signal is inputted as one input to and gate 420 . the other input of and gate 420 is the q b of counter 410 , which is the highest frequency signal on the q outputs of counters 410 and 412 that are used by controllers 200 . as a result , the output of gate 420 generates 7 shift pulses to shift register 400 when the enable signal on the output of or gate 418 is at a logic 1 . inverter 414 inverts the q b of counter 410 to generate 8 shift pulses to shift register 422 . because shift register 400 is presenting one of the 8 data bits to the input of shift register 422 before the generation of any shift pulses , only 7 shift pulses are required by register 400 to input all 8 bits to register 422 ; while 8 pulses are required by register 422 to load that data . when the output of nor gate 404 removes the clear signal to the binary counters 410 and 412 , they begin to generate output signals each of which is half the frequency of the previous output signal . thus , selecting three successive outputs would generate 8 possible states , selecting 4 successive outputs would generate 16 possible states , etc . using this technique , the q b output of counter 410 generates 8 cycles from the time the enable signal from gate 418 went true until the q b output of counter 412 goes true . in this manner , the 8 bit data word that was strobed into shift register 400 by port 3 strobe * is serially clocked into shift register 422 . when the q b output of counter 412 goes true at the end of the eighth shift pulse to shift register 422 , set - reset flip - flop 402 is set to a logic one . this causes nor gate 404 to once again assert a clear pulse clearing counters 410 and 412 back to a counter of 0 . thus , in the second mode , the above - described sequence is repeated for sixteen consecutive 8 bit data words . when shift register 422 contains sixteen 8 bit data words , asserting cmd 9 * initiates the transfer of the contents of shift register 422 to the memories 214 ( see fig2 ( a ) and 2 ( b )). with the assertion of cmd 9 *, set - reset flip - flop 401 is cleared to a logic zero . this causes nor gate 404 to remove the clear signal to the binary counters 410 and 412 . also , the q output of flip - flop 401 causes the 8 bit multiplexer 424 to select the output from shift register 422 applied to its &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; inputs , as the source of the data for the memory data lines md0 through md7 . inverter 426 inverts the select line of multiplexer 424 to generate the control signal dtma mux that is used by the pin memory address multiplexer 206 ( see fig2 ( a )) to enable the data transfer memory address lines dtma0 through dtma3 , generated by counters 410 and 412 , to be multiplexed onto the memory address lines ma0 * through ma3 *. the signal dtma mux is anded with the q b output of counter 410 by nand gate 428 to generate mw * on the output of inverter gate 432 . thus , a write enable clock is generated for each memory address specified by the data transfer addresses dtma0 through dtma3 to store in the memories 214 the 8 data bits multiplexed onto the memory data lines md0 through md7 from shift register 422 . the above sequence continues until sixteen 8 bit data words from shift register 422 have been transferred to the pin memories . at the completion of the transfer , the q c of counter 412 goes true causing interter gate 408 to set flip - flop 401 to a logic 1 . this causes nor gate 404 to once again assert a clear signal to the counters 410 and 412 . because the q c output of counter 412 initiates the clear signal , the q b output of counter 410 will generate 16 cycles before the counting is stopped . thus , when q c goes true and initiates the clear to counter 410 and 414 , the sequence of transferring the sixteen 8 - bit data words to the memories 214 is complete . referring now to fig2 ( b ), which is a block diagram of pin memory 112 and pin drivers 118 , the contents of memory 214 used to generate one of the gray code test signals are shown as a sequence of ones and zeros stored in the sixteen memory locations . shown above each of the bit memory locations is the pin memory address , in hexa - decimal notation , that will produce on the memory output data and enable lines , d0 and e0 , the bit contained in the memory locations shown below the address . the generation of a digital test signal which are applied to the contacts of the selectable d switches from data contained in the contents of memory 214 are the same , and only a discussion of one will be given . still referring to fig2 ( b ), the sequence of ones and zeros produced on the output by the addressing of memory 214 during a test cycle is inputted to the dr0 switch driver 216 . the output signal from this driver is the digital test signal that drives the dut via the selectable dr0 switch . the character of the digital test signal that is generated from the data stored in memory 214 is controlled by the sequence of addresses with which the memory 214 is addressed . two memory 214 output signals are required to generate a digital test signal , one called the data bit ; the other the enable bit . the data bit is the output signal from memory 214 that is lbeled d0 , while the enable bit is the output labeled e0 . as will more fully be discussed below , each memory location , from memory address 1 through e , can select a different wave form from the set of gray code wave forms to be generated by the dr0 switch driver 216 . turning now to fig3 and still referring to fig2 ( b ), the test signal timing diagram is illustrated for various selectable gray code test signals , each signal including an initialization and preset portion . there are sixteen addressable memory locations in memory 214 . the contents of the memory 214 for addresses 0 and f control the initialization and preset portion of the digital wave form . the initialization and preset portion of the digital wave form is generated at the start of a test cycle . with two of the memory 214 storge locations used up for the initialization and preset data , only fourteen gray code test signals can be specified by the remaining memory locations . this number , of course , can be increased or decreased by increasing or decreasing the memory capacity of memory 214 . it is the distinguishing characteristic of a gray code set of wave forms that , when all the waveforms are viewed simultaneously , for any given cycle of a clocking wave form which generates the digital signals , only one signal will have a transition from one logic level to the other . in other words , no more than one transition in all the wave forms that comprise the gray code occur for any given clock cycle . to select one of the gray code test signals , a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; is recorded in pin memory 214 at the address that corresponds to the desired wave form , and zeros are recorded at the other addresses . thus , for wave form number 2 , a 1 is recorded in memory location 2 ; or for wave form number 13 , a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; is recorded in memory location d . in addition to the fourteen gray code test signals that can be generated from data stored in memories 214 , other digital test signals are possible , such as logic high , logic low , preset high ( a single positive pulse at the start of the test cycle ), preset low ( a single negative pulse at the start of the test cycle ) and the many permutations that are possible in the basic gray code signals that are generated by the use of the initialization and preset data a long with the enable data recorded in the enable portion of memory 214 . an example of just such a permutation is illustrated in fig3 as signal f 2 . the following is a discussion of how the data in memory 214 generates the digital test signals . shown in fig3 is a portion of the sequence of pin memory addresses that are generated during a test cycle . also illustrated in fig3 are the digital test signals that are generated on the output of dr0 switch driver 216 , according to the data on the d0 and e0 output lines of the pin memory 214 . a transition in the output digital test signal from dr0 switch driver 216 is permitted each time that a 1 is outputted on the d0 , line provided that the e0 line has previously or is concurrently outputting a one . referring to fig3 the four waveforms f 1 , f 1 *, preset high f 1 , preset low f 1 * are shown . disregarding the initialization and preset portion of those waveforms , it can be seen that on each occurrance of memory address 1 , a transition in f 1 occurs . as will be discussed below , the drive enable f 1 signal can modify the illustrated waveforms for f 1 ; but for the f 1 waveforms shown in fig3 drive enable f 1 went true during the initialization portion of the test cycle . for the initialization and preset time of the test cycle , the sequence of pin memory addresses is , in sequence , address 0 , address f , an address designated as &# 34 ; don &# 39 ; t care &# 34 ;, and once again , address f . the address designated as &# 34 ; don &# 39 ; t care &# 34 ; is so labeled because regardless of what address is generated by test signal address generator 202 , signals dsync and esync are absent , as nothing is permitted to happen in the dr0 switch driver 216 to cause a change in the generated test signal . illustrated in fig3 for the wave forms f 1 and its derivatives showing the four possibilities for the initialization and preset portion . the generation of these four wave forms is possible for each of the fourteen gray code test signal . for the wave forms illustrated , the signal drive enable f 1 was asserted at address 0 in the initialization and preset portion of the test cycle by having a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; recorded in the enable portion of memory 214 at address 0 . a different result would have occurred had the enable bit been stored in a different memory location . this result is illustrated for the wave form f 2 in which the enable portion of memory 214 has a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; recorded in location 3 and location 4 . the result of two 1 &# 39 ; s recorded in the enable portion of the memory 214 is an enabling of the dr0 switch driver 216 on the first occurrence of a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; on the e0 , and a disabling of f 2 on the second occurrence of a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; on e0 . the illustrated wave form f 2 in fig3 is the signal generated from the data that is shown as stored in memory 214 in fig2 ( b ). on the first occurrence of the memory address 3 , drive enable f 2 is asserted and on the first occurrence of address 4 , drive enable f 2 is cleared . the dotted wave forms that are shown for the signals f 2 and drive enable f 2 are the signals that would have been generated had there only been a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; stored in the enable bit address location 0 . as illustrated in fig3 a transition in the drive enable f signals occur on the first occurrence of a pin memory address with a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; stored in the enable portion of memory 214 for that address rather than on every occurrence of that address . this is because the illustrated clocking signal ( esync ) in fig3 which clocks the transitions in the enabling flip - flop 602 ( see fig6 and the discussion below ) has been selected to occur only on the first occurrence of a pin memory address . a more detailed discussion of the possible variations in the generation of the clocking signal esync is given in the discussions of the d sync and e sync generator 204 . still referring to fig3 refer also to fig5 which is the circuit diagram of the test signal address generator 202 that generates the sequence of pin memory addresses as illustrated in fig3 . with the assertion of start cycle *, shift register 500 is loaded with a bit pattern that produces on the q a through q d outputs , 0101 , respectively . for four consecutive cycles of the system clock mckl *, the signals init *, cload *, and preset * are generated . these three wave forms are shown in fig3 . the signal cload * loads a fourteen bit binary down counter 506 with an all 1 &# 39 ; s pattern . counter 506 is formed from the cascaded connection of four four bit binary down counters ( not illustrated ). the output of counter 506 is inputted to the three - bit cascaded priority encoders 508 and 510 along with the signals init * and preset *. the outputs from encoders 508 and 510 are logically combined in nor gates 512 , 514 , 516 and inverter 518 to generate the gray code memory address signals gma0 through gma3 , which are inputted to pin memory 206 ( see fig2 ( a )). down counter 506 counts down from an all 1 &# 39 ; s or maximum count to a count of 0 . when counter 506 reaches a count of 0 , one complete cycle of the gray code test signals is complete . if more than one cycle of the gray code signals are desired , the signal dclr * from test controller 104 is not asserted , and down counter 506 continues to count down from a count of 0 to the next count which is once again an all 1 &# 39 ; s count to begin the next cycle . however , for this and each subsequent cycle in the gray code signals , no initialization or preset addresses , 0 or f , will occur . two clocking signals are generated by the d and e sync generator 204 to be used by the test signal drivers 118 to generate the digital test signals on the output of the d switch drivers 216 . these two signals are called dsync * and esync *. fig3 also illustrates these two signals . except for the address &# 34 ; don &# 39 ; t care &# 34 ; in the initilization and preset portion of the sequence of pin memory addresses and on the last occurrence of the &# 34 ; f &# 34 ; address in the test cycle , the signal dsync * is the same as the clock signal mckl *. on the other hand , the signal esync * has the characteristic that it may occur on the first occurrence of each of the pin memory addresses or may occur on the occurrence of any one or all of the memory addresses . referring still to fig5 in which is shown the circuit diagram for the d and e sync generator 204 , the signal dsync * is derived from mckl but is enabled only during a test cycle through and gate 528 and inverter 530 by the signal dclr *. also , during the initialization and preset time of the test cycle when the third pin memory address is generated (&# 34 ; don &# 39 ; t care &# 34 ; address ), all input signals to priority encoders 508 and 510 are at a logic one . this causes the preset disable output from priority encoder 510 to be at a logic 0 . this level causes dsync * to remain high for that &# 34 ; don &# 39 ; t care &# 34 ; pin memory address in the initialization and preset portion . because changes in the output of the digital test signal from the d switch driver 216 are clocked when the signal dsync * goes false in the middle of a pin memory address , for the &# 34 ; don &# 39 ; t care &# 34 ; pin memory address of the initialization and preset time , no transition in dsync * occurs ; thus the label &# 34 ; don &# 39 ; t care &# 34 ;. still referring to fig5 the signal esync * may be selected to occur on only the first occurrence of each of the pin memory addresses , or it can be selected to occur on every occurrence of any address or on every address . this flexibility is achieved as follows : a four - bit data word is inputted to the d sync and e sync generator 204 from the cpu 100 and on the assertion of cmd13 *, is strobed into a sixteen - bit latch formed from addressable latches 532 and 534 . each of the sixteen latches corresponds to one address in the possible sixteen pin memory addresses . the output from latches 532 and 534 are inputted to multiplexers 536 and 538 , respectively . also inputted to multiplexers 536 and 538 are the gray code pin memory addresses gma0 through gma3 . the multiplexed output from multiplexers 536 and 538 are bussed together to form an enabling signal to one input of and gate 540 . the latches 532 and 534 can be programmed to contain all zero &# 39 ; s or all one &# 39 ; s or any of the combinations of one &# 39 ; s and zero &# 39 ; s that are possible . in operation , during the test cycle as the gray code pin memory addresses are generated , the contents of the latch from latches 532 and 534 that corresponds to the generated address is multiplexed to and gate 540 . if a one was stored in the latch , and gate 540 is enabled to pass one cycle of mckl to or gate 542 whose output , acting through inventor 544 , generates the signal esync *. if a zero was stored in the latch , and gate 540 is disabled and no esync * signal will be generated . thus , the signal esync * can be programmed to occur on any address by storing a one in the appropriate latch in latches 532 and 534 . it is also possible to have esync * occur only on the first occurrence of the pin memory address during the test cycle . this is accomplished by a four - bit binary counter 522 in association with a four - bit magnitude comparator 520 . at the start of the test cycle , counter 522 is cleared to a count of 0 . the binary count from counter 522 is compared to the binary code on the gray code pin memory address lines gma0 through gma3 , by four - bit magnitude comparator 520 . when there is a count match , and gate 524 is enabled by the &# 34 ; a = b &# 34 ; output of comparator 520 , to permit one cycle of mckl to be applied as the other input to or gate 542 and thus to generate the signal esync *. the output from and gate 524 is inverted by inverter 526 and provides a clock signal to counter 522 . this increments counter 522 to the next address . the first occurrence of this address by the pin memory address generator 202 will enable another esync * to be generated . once counter 522 has been incremented sixteen times and reaches a count of 0 there will never be another match in magnitude comparator 520 , because the gray code memory address is an all 0 &# 39 ; s or &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; address only during the initialization and present time , which occurs only at the start of the test cycle . the signals dsync * and esync * are inputted to test signal drivers 118 to clock each dr switch driver 216 to generate the digital test signal on the output of the driver ( see fig2 ( b )). shown in fig6 is a circuit diagram of a typical dr switch driver 216 . since all of the dr switch drivers 216 of test signal drivers 118 are identical in operation , only a discussion of one will be given . the data ( d0 ) and enable ( e0 ) lines from memory 214 for test pin 1 of the bed of nails 122 are inputted to d switch driver 216 of fig6 to provide the j and k inputs for flip - flops 600 and 602 , respectively . flip - flop 600 is clocked by dsync which is the buffered inverse of dsync * ( see fig2 ( b )), while flip - flop 602 is clocked by esync , also buffered . the q and q * outputs from flip - flop 600 provide inverse digital signals that control the conduction state of a complimentary pair of field effect transistors q 1 and q 2 . these two transistors switch the output signal dr0 between the power supply and ground potential for the dut being tested to provide the voltage swing for the digital test signal . ground potential for the dut is the same as for the tester . before the q and q * outputs of flip - flop 600 are allowed to control the transistors q 1 and q 2 , the enable flip - flop 602 must be clocked to a logic 1 by esync . open - collector nand gate 604 combines the q output of flip - flop 602 with the q output of flip - flop 600 to provide the control signal for transistor q 1 . open - collector and gate 612 combines the q output of flip - flop 602 and the q * output of flip - flop 600 to provide the control signal for transistor q 2 . driver output dr0 has three allowable states : first , when neither transistor q1 nor transistor q2 is conducting , the driver dr0 is said to be disabled . when the driver is disabled , it does not stimulate the device under test . this disabled state is obtained whenever enable flip - flop 602 is cleared to a logic zero . the output of and gate 612 is low , turning off n - channel - transistor q2 . the output of open - collector nand gate 604 is pulled up to &# 34 ; driver v +&# 34 ; potential by resistor 608 , turning off p - channel transistor q1 . in the disabled state , the output of the driver will be an open circuit . therefore , it is possible to have both the d and the f switch for this test pin selected . during the test cycle , when the driver is disabled , the same node into which a digital test signal was or could have been inputted , a response signal could also be monitored . for some logic devices , that is the manner in which they function . for example , some memory devices require that an address be inputted on the same line that the contents of the memory specified by that address is outputted on . because of the disable node of operation of the driver 216 , the d switches is not required in the set of selectable switches associated with each test pin in the bed of nails 122 . second , when transistor q1 is conducting , the driver output will be high . this state is obtained whichever enable flip - flop 602 and data flip - flop 600 are both set . the output of open - collector nand gate 604 is low , stimulating the p - channel transistor q1 . third , when transistor q2 is conducting , the driver output will be low . this occurs when enable flip - flop 602 is set and data flip - flop 600 is cleared . the output of and gate 612 is high , stimulating the n - channel transistor q2 . note that for either transistor to conduct , the enable flip - flop 602 must be set , and that transistors q1 and q2 may not conduct simultaneously . in addition , the transistors are able to pass 150 milliamperes , enough to drive a logic node &# 34 ; in - circuit &# 34 ;. referring now to fig7 ( a ), which illustrates a block diagram of test controller 104 and functional tester 106 , the command decoder 710 of test controller 104 is shown connected to one of the cpu 100 i / o 102 ports . the function of command decoder 710 is to accept an 8 - bit digital code from cpu 100 and decode it to generate one of thirty - two system commands cmd0 * through cmd31 *. command decoder 710 also generates the miscellaneous system commands , such as board address override baor *, functional test count *, functional test high *, and ext clock select *. shown in table 1 is a list of the system commands along with its functional name . system commands cmd5 * through cmd7 * are used to strobe data from the cpu 100 into latches ( not shown ) that function to generate other signals used by the tester 101 to perform various functions . the signals generated by these three system commands , cmd5 * through cmd7 *, are also shown in table 1 . in particular , this miscellaneous system commands mentioned above are generated by cmd7 * ( mode latch # 2 ) in association with the data on the data lines illustrated in table 1 . the system commands that are generated by command decoder 710 are used to start and stop various functions within the digital tester 101 . table 1______________________________________com - mand skip controller commands______________________________________cmd0 * master resetcmd1 * trigger an execution cyclecmd2 * reed setcmd3 * reed clearcmd4 * reed group clear ( rclr *) cmd5 * control reed latch data line control reeds 0 response line connect 1 connect e pole reed 2 ground e 3 stimuli f 4 ground g 5 not assignedcmd6 * mode latch # 1 data line mode latch # 1 0 dut - reed 1 dut + reed 2 dut + 5v supply relay 3 dut + rv supply relay 4 not assigned 5 not assignedcmd7 * mode latch # 2 data line mode latch # 2 0 count */ high * reg . select 1 baor * 2 ext clock select * 3 not assigned 4 not assigned 5 not assignedcmd8 * shift result registerscmd9 * program data transfercmd10 * mg & amp ; ra & amp ; rg latchcmd11 * threshold voltage latchcmd12 * clock division latchcmd13 * esync setcmd14 * mem writecmd15 * clear esync memorycmd16 * not assignedcmd17 * not assignedcmd18 * pica busy setcmd19 * pica busy resetcmd20 * interupt enablecmd21 * interupt disable cmd22 * ## str1 ## cmd23 * x relay master clear ( mclr ) cmd24 * not assignedcmd25 * not assignedcmd26 * not assignedcmd27 * not assignedcmd28 * not assignedcmd29 * not assignedcmd30 * not assignedcmd31 * not assigned______________________________________ in order to accommodate the various logic voltage levels used by different dut &# 39 ; s , test controller 104 , in response to input data from cpu 100 , generates a negative threshold voltage , (-) threshold , of a value somewhere between the logic low and logic high for that family of integrated circuits . this threshold voltage is summed with signals from the dut to generate a voltage that is applied as an input to a comparator . when the dut signal is equal to a positive threshold voltage , the summed voltage will be zero . a more detailed discussion of the summing circuits will be given below in the discussion of the response line interface 720 . the signal (-) threshold is generated when system command cmd18 * strobes an 8 - bit digital word from the cpu 100 into threshold voltage latch 700 . the output of latch 700 is inputted to digital - to - analog converter 702 , which generates a negative voltage specified by the binary contents of the threshold latch 700 . the system clock which is generated by and used in the digital tester 101 circuits as the master clock is generated by master clock generator 706 . the system clocks mckl and mckl * are outputted by master clock generator 706 by dividing down an 8 mhz oscillator clock signal from internal oscillator 708 in a divide - by - n counter . the vlaue of n is specified by the contents of divide - by - n counter latch 704 . system command cmd12 * strobes an 8 - bit data word ( n ) from cpu 100 into latch 704 to program the divide - by - n counter . oscillator 708 also provides a 2 mhz oscillator clock signal for use by the pin memory data transfer controller 200 ( see fig4 ). when an external clock other than the 8 mhz internal clock is to be used , ext clock select * is asserted to control master clock generator 706 to select the ext clock input as the source of the clock signal to the divide - by - n counter . interface circuit between the tester 101 and dut signal levels of the same design that are discussed below for the response line interface 720 are used to interface the ext clock signal into the master clock generator 706 . still referring to fig7 ( a ), start test cycle generator 714 , in association with the listen enable generator 712 , controls the starting and stopping of the test cycle in which the digital test signals are generated and the response line signal monitored by the functional tester 106 . responding to start test cycle generator 714 , listen enable generator 712 also generates a listen enable signal listen * that is inputted to the functional tester 106 to allow the functional tester 106 to examine the response line signal 128 when the listen enable signal is true . fig8 illustrates the circuit diagram for start test cycle generator 714 and the listen enable generator 712 . start test cycle generator 714 generates the signal start cycle * to indicate the beginning of a test cycle . upon the issuance of the system command cmd1 *, flip - flop 800 is clocked by mckl a logic 1 thus enabling one input of nand gate 814 . because the q output of flip - flop 800 was at a logic 0 prior to the issuance of cmd1 *, the q * output of flip - flop 802 is at a logic 1 when cmd1 * is asserted . this signal is inputted to nand gate 814 as well as the q output of flip - flop 800 so that on the occurence of a logic 1 on the q output of flip - flop 800 , the output of nand gate 814 asserts start cycle *. one mckl cycle later , flip - flop 802 is clocked to a logic zero causing the output of nand gate 814 to switch back to a logic one . thus , start cycle * is asserted for one clock cycle of mckl . following the assertion of start cycle *, dclr * goes true to indicate that a test cycle is occurring . the q output of flip - flop 802 is dclr * which assumes a logic 1 state during a test cycle . a test cycle will continue as long as flip - flop 802 is at a logic one . the three signals start cycle *, dclr * and its inverse dclr are used throughout the digital tester 101 to enable and disable the various functions that are performed . the listen enable generator 712 , as shown in fig8 determines the length of the test cycle and generates a listen enable signal listen * that enables the functional tester 106 to monitor and test the response signal 128 during a test cycle . listen * will be enabled from the first occurrence of a selected pin memory address , although it may not actually be asserted at that time . further conditions must also occur before listen * will be asserted . to better understand the function of listen enable generator 712 , refer to fig1 , which illustrates the timing diagram for five possible digital test signals that are members of the set of digital test signals . each transition in the illustrated waveforms of fig1 occurs when the pin memory address for that test signal occurs ( see fig3 ). thus , a transition in f 3 occurs when the address &# 34 ; 3 &# 34 ; occurs . the listen enable generator 712 generates listen * during the time that two preselected test signals are at a logic one and that a first preselected pin memory address has occurred and that a second preselected pin memory address has not . in other words , listen * can occur between the first occurrence of two pin memory addresses but will not be asserted until two other test signals are simultaneously in a logic one state . for example , fig1 illustrates the generation of listen * that is enabled between address 1 and address 4 with the added conditions that f 2 and f 3 are at a logic one . the signal listen * is generated as follows : listen enable generator 712 , as shown in fig8 has a 16 × 4 bit memory 804 which is similar to the memories 214 in pin memory 112 ( see fig2 ( b )). inputted to memory 804 are the pin memory address signals ma0 through ma3 . these address signals , as previously discussed , are generated both during the test cycle and also during the initialization of the digital tester 101 . also inputted to memory 804 are write enable and data input lines from cpu 100 . during the initialization of the digital tester 101 , data on the data lines md4 * through md7 * are strobed into memory 804 by asserting bit 7 of port # 1 while the pin memories 112 are being programmed . during the test cycle , the contents of memory 804 are outputted to flip - flops 806 , 808 , 810 and 812 under control of the gray code pinmemory address that are used by memories 214 to generate the digital test signals for the test pins . the j and f inputs to flip - flops 806 , 808 and 810 are connected to one of the four output bits from memory 804 . the j and k inputs to flip - flop 812 is connected to the output from and gate 816 that has as one of its two inputs , the last of the four bits from memory 804 . this bit is enabled through and gate 816 by the signal init complete ( see fig5 ) from the test signal address generator 202 . init complete goes true at the end of the initialization and preset portion of the test cycle . the signal init complete is used to prevent the addresses which occur during the initialization and preset portion of the test cycle from terminating the test cycle should those addresses be used in the generation of listen *. the q outputs from flip - flop 806 and 808 are inputted to four input and gate 826 whose output is the signal listen *. the function of flip - flop 806 is to enable one input to and gate 826 when the first occurrence of a pin memory address occurs thereby signifying that one of the possible gray code signals has gone to a logic one . the function of flip - flop 808 is the same as 806 . the q output from set - reset flip - flops 820 and 822 are inputted as the two remaining inputs to and gate 826 . flip - flop 820 is set when flip - flop 810 is clocked to a logic one and flip - flop 822 is reset ( flip - flop 822 was set at the start of the test cycle by dclr *) by the q output of flip - flop 812 through nand gate 824 which was enabled by the q output of flip - flop 820 after flip - flop 820 has been set . in operation , the memory 804 is programmed with logic one &# 39 ; s in the appropriate memory locations so that on the occurrence of the pin memory address , during a test cycle , that are selected to start and stop the generation of the signal listen * during a logic high of any two gray code signals , a logic one will be outputted to flip - flops 806 , 808 , 810 and 812 . when flip - flops 806 , 808 and 810 have been set , listen * will be asserted . when flip - flop 812 is set , listen * will go false terminating the enable signal to the functional tester 106 and the test cycle will be terminated . the q output of flip - flop 822 , which is reset when flip - flop 812 is set , is the signal stop cycle which is inputted to the start test cycle generator 714 to terminate the test cycle . now turning to fig7 ( a ), functional tester 106 is shown , composed of response interface 720 responding to the response signal input 128 and the (-) threshold voltage to generate the response signal rdata . also associated with the output of response line interface 720 is an analog - to - digital converter 722 , for converting the analog response line signal 128 to an 8 bit digital reresentation . the output of analog - to - digital converter 722 is inputted to cpu 100 through one of the input ports of i / o ports 102 when the analog voltage of the response line is desired . functional tester 106 , in addition to the analog - to - digital converter test , performs three other tests . first , the crc function tester 724 monitors a bit stream of 1 &# 39 ; s and 0 &# 39 ; s on rdata , to generate a compact digital code representing the length and character of the bit stream . second and third the count and high function tester 726 counts the number of transistions that occurred in rdata during the test cycle for a count test , while the high test counts the number of system clocks mckl that occur during the logic high periods of the response signal rdata . referring now to fig9 which illustrates the circuit diagram of the functional tester 106 , the response line signal 128 is shown inputted to buffer amplifier 902 through series resistor 900 . the input voltage to buffer 902 is diode limited between + 15 volts and analog ground by diodes d 1 and d 2 . the output of buffer amplifier 902 is inputtedto resistor 905 and to the analog - to - digital converter 722 . the output of buffer amplifier 902 is summed with the (-) threshold voltage generated by the digital - to - analog converter 702 ( see fig7 ( a )), to form the input voltage to comparator 906 . resistors 904 and 905 , which are both connected to the input of comparator 906 , comprise the summing network which adds the (-) threshold voltage to the output of buffer 902 . diodes d 3 and d 4 are connected , in parallel but opposite directions , from the input of comparator 906 to analog ground . with this configuration , d4 limits positive voltages while d3 limits negative voltages . in this way , the input voltage to comparator 906 is limited to voltages of a plus or minus one diode drop about the mid - point of the expected response signal swing of the response line 128 . the output of comparator 906 is the signal rdata , which is inputted to the crc 724 and count and high 726 function testers . as shown in fig9 crc function tester 724 uses a crc generator / checker , such as that manufactured by fairchild semiconductor model 9401 , described in their 1976 catalog entitled &# 34 ; micro - logic &# 34 ;, which catalog is incorporated herein for all purposes . this device generates a cyclic redundancy check code on the signal rdata . the system clock mckl , when not inhibited by listen *, clocks crc generator 724 through nand gates 908 and nor gate 910 . at the completion of the test cycle , the contents of the crc generator 724 are clocked into cpu 100 with the assertion of the command cmd8 *. each assertion of cmd8 * clocks 1 bit of the cyclic redundancy check code into the cpu 100 . as discussed above , the count and high function tester 726 either counts the number of transitionsin rdata during the test cycle or counts the number of system clocks during the test cycle when rdata was true . when the functional test count is true , a cascaded connection of bcd counters 934 , 936 , 938 and 940 count the number of positive transitions of the response signal rdata that occurred during the test cycle . the signal count * is anded with the signal rdata through and gate 930 to generate the clock signal for the bcd counters . when the inhibit signal listen * goes false , the bcd counters are allowed to count . in a similar manner , for the functional test high , nand gate 932 generates a clock signal to the bcd counters from the system clock mckl when the signal rdata is true . at the completion of both the count and high functional test , the contents of the bcd counters are multiplexed onto a single line and inputted to cpu 100 . this multiplexing is accomplished by binary counter 914 and the one - of - four decoders 916 and 918 . the outputs from each of the bcd counters are selectively enabled by a select line for each counter . the common outputs from each of the counters may be bussed together , so that only the output of the bcd counter selected will be presented to the bus . system command cmd8 * is counted by counter 914 , which outputs a 4 bit digital code in which the two lower order bits are inputted to one - of - four decoder 916 , to generate four enable signals . the two upper bits are inputted to one - of - four encoder 918 to generate four select signals . the enable signals are inputted to multiplexer nand gates 920 , 922 , 924 and 926 . the bussed output of each of the bcd counters is inputted as the other input to each of these multiplexer nand gates . the outputs of the multiplexer nand 920 , 922 , 924 and 926 are connected together to form the single output signal count and high result , which is inputted to the cpu 100 via an input port of i / o ports 102 . these multiplexing circuits function so that each assertion cmd8 * causes each succeeding output from the four cascaded bcd counters 934 , 936 , 938 and 940 to be sequentially multiplexed onto the count and high result signal line . when the results from the functional tester 106 have been inputted to the cpu 100 , routines will be executed to compare the measured result to a result that would be expected from a properly functioning dut . based on this comparison , a determination is made as to how the dut performed . in describing the invention , reference has been made to a preferred embodiment . however , those skilled in the art and familiar with the disclosure of the invention may recognize additions , deletions , substitutions or other modifications which would fall within the purview of the invention as defined in the appended claims .
6
a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained based on the drawings provided . the adhesive applicator b of the present invention will be explained first with reference to fig1 to 4 . fig1 a to c are explanatory views of a configuration of the adhesive container that stores solid adhesive ; fig1 b and 1c are sectional views thereof . fig2 is a block diagram of a configuration of a temperature control means that heats and melts adhesive . fig3 is a flowchart showing the actions of the temperature control means . fig4 is a chart showing fluctuations in adhesive temperature . in fig1 b , a solid adhesive filling chamber ( hereinafter referred to as a filler chamber ) 10 b and an application adhesive tank ( hereinafter referred to as a liquid tank ) 10 a are separated by a wall 10 c in a container 10 that holds adhesive . communicating holes are provided in the wall 10 c to allow adhesive that has become liquefied in the filler chamber 10 b to flow into the liquid tank 10 a . the container 10 is composed of a tub - shaped tray having this filler chamber 10 b and liquid tank 10 a , and is either formed with a metal having high thermal conductivity properties or it has a thermally conductive plate laid at the bottom of the container after forming it of a plastic material that has superior forming characteristics . an applicator roller 30 is rotatably supported on a bearing inside the liquid tank 10 a . this applicator roller 30 is formed by a heat - resistant rubber material that has superior impregnating ability , and is arranged so that an upper half thereof projects upward of the liquid tank 10 a , and a bottom half dips inside of the liquid tank 10 a . the rotation of the applicator roller 30 dips the bottom half of the roller into liquefied adhesive , and the upper half that projects upward applies the adhesive to the sheet bundle . a rotating shaft 31 of the applicator roller 30 is longitudinally arranged at the filler chamber 10 b via communication holes , and a stirring gear 32 that stirs the adhesive in the filler chamber 10 b is mounted to this rotating shaft 31 . a stirring motor m 1 that is capable of both forward and reverse rotation is connected to this rotating shaft 31 . therefore , the rotational drive of the stirring motor m 1 rotates the applicator roller 30 and the stirring gear 32 so the applicator roller 30 stirs the adhesive inside the liquid tank 10 a and the stirring gear 32 stirs the adhesive in the filler chamber 10 b . therefore , the stirring gear 32 and applicator roller 30 compose a stirring rotor , and the stirring motor m 1 composes their drive means . 10 d in the drawings is an adhesive liquid storage unit . this forms a basin for supplying adhesive to the applicator roller 30 at a stable temperature without the adhesive becoming insufficient . a liquid temperature sensor 22 a is provided to detect a temperature of liquefied adhesive in the adhesive liquid storage unit 10 d . this liquid temperature sensor 22 a is composed of a bar - shaped thermistor and is arranged at the adhesive liquid storage unit 10 d separated from the applicator roller 30 . this thermistor is composed of a sintered fine - ceramic semiconductor heat - sensitive element made of several types of transition metal oxides such as mn , co , ni , fe and cu . the liquid temperature sensor 22 a shown in the drawing detects the liquid surface ( the remaining amount of adhesive ) of the adhesive at the same time as detecting the temperature . specifically , this determines the liquid amount from the temperature changes using the liquid surface of the adhesive heated to a temperature higher than room temperature , and detects the residual amount of the adhesive . in that case , the liquid temperature sensor 22 a is arranged at the adhesive liquid storage unit 10 d separated from the applicator roller 30 so that the detection of the liquid surface is unaffected by the rotation of the applicator roller 30 . also , the symbol 34 in the drawings is the control bar . this is arranged along a circumference of the applicator roller 30 in a machine direction of the container , and at a predetermined distance along the circumference of the applicator roller 30 to apply adhesive uniformly to the circumference of the roller . this control bar 34 adjusts the gap with the roller according to the position of the sheet bundle . in the drawings the symbol 36 is a plate - shaped blade arranged to form a predetermined distance ( doctor gap ) to the circumference of the applicator roller 30 to sweep away excess adhesive adhering to the roller circumference . heating means consisting of an electric heater 20 is equipped on such a container 10 . this electric heater 20 is built into the bottom side of the liquid tank 10 a of the container 10 . it is acceptable to arrange the electric heater 20 on either the liquid tank 10 a or the filler chamber 10 b , or on both . in the drawings the filler chamber 10 b and liquid tank 10 a are separated by a wall to prevent the temperature of the adhesive saturated on the applicator roller 30 from dropping when solid adhesive is filled . it is acceptable to preheat the solid adhesive by arrange an electric heater inside the filler chamber 10 b . the following will explain the control of the heating means ( electric heater 20 ) arranged inside the liquid tank 10 a . the liquid temperature sensor 22 a , and a heater unit temperature sensor 22 b that detects the temperature of the container heater unit are arranged in the container explained above . also , an error temperature detection sensor , not shown , is provided in the container 10 . the liquid temperature sensor 22 a directly detects the adhesive temperature inside the container 10 as described above , and the heater unit temperature sensor 22 b is arranged to detect the temperature of the container heater unit when the container 10 temperature is raised by the electric heater ( embedded in the liquid tank 10 a ) embedded in the container 10 . the error temperature detection sensor is arranged , for example , in the container 10 and executes safety measures such as turning off the heater electricity when it detects that the adhesive and container are overheated . these sensors are each connected to a control cpu 26 ( see fig2 ). this control cpu 26 is prepared as a controller of the bookbinding apparatus a , described below , or the adhesive applicator b . it is recorded with a heating control execution program ( for example rom 28 ) as shown in fig2 . also , data ( for example , a target temperature that sets the charging current value , charging times , and a timing setting time ) for executing the heating mode , described below , are prepared in a data table 29 . electric power ( direct current electric power ) 21 and a pulse generator 23 are connected to the electric heater 20 arranged at the container 10 , and this pulse generator is controlled by the temperature control means composed of the control cpu 26 . therefore , a pulse current that corresponds to a command signal from the temperature control means ( control cpu ) 26 is supplied to the electric heater 20 . an electric circuit 24 equipped with the pulse generator 23 is composed of a pwm ( pulse width modulation ) control circuit and is configured to change the voltage by varying the pulse width of the power by a command signal from the control cpu 26 . with this configuration , the heating means ( electric heater 20 ) is controlled to generate heat in the following three heating modes . power to the bookbinding apparatus a is turned on , and when a temperature control starting command is issued , the adhesive applicator b receives this command . then , the adhesive applicator b first detects the adhesive temperature in the container 10 . this adhesive temperature is detected by using either the liquid temperature sensor 22 a or the heating unit temperature sensor 22 b . ( when the apparatus is started up normally , they are both the same temperature .) as shown in fig3 , the heating means 20 is controlled in the following way by the temperature control means ( control cpu ) 26 when the adhesive temperature is at a first setting temperature range ( less than 70 ° c . in the drawings ) for the first mode ; when the adhesive temperature is at a second setting temperature range ( between 70 ° c . and 99 ° c . in the drawings ) for the second mode ; and when the adhesive temperature is at a third setting temperature range ( between 100 ° c . and 131 ° c . in the drawings ) for the third mode . the following will explain temperature control for the apparatus shown in the drawings , presuming the adhesive temperature is not above 130 ° c . when the temperature control command is issued , and that the melting point of the adhesive is 70 ° c . and the adhesive temperature at the optimum condition to apply to sheets is 150 ° c . the first heating mode is composed of the following primary heating step and secondary heating step . electric power is supplied to the heating means 20 at full power until the heating unit temperature sensor 22 b reaches 90 ° c . full power means to supply electric power at maximum output ( 251 watts ) of the tolerance of the electric circuit mentioned above . the pulse current supplied from the pulse generator 23 , explained above , to the electric heater 20 is adjusted by command from the temperature control means ( control cpu ) 26 when heating at full power . when the heating unit temperature sensor 22 b equipped at the container 10 , detects the container temperature to be 90 ° c ., the target temperature is set to 170 ° c ., and electric power that corresponds to that target temperature is applied to the electric heater 20 . when the heating unit temperature sensor 22 b detects the container temperature to be 120 ° c ., the target temperature is set to 150 ° c . after a delay time ta 1 ( 270 seconds ) after this detection signal , and electric power that corresponds to this target temperature is applied to the electric heater 20 . note that the temperature of 150 ° c . is the final temperature setting to adjust the final temperature of the adhesive . at the same time as that temperature adjustment , the applicator roller 30 is rotated by the stirring motor m 1 . the rotation of the applicator roller 30 stirs the adhesive whose temperature has risen to the melting point in the liquid tank 10 a of the container 10 . when the heating unit temperature sensor 22 b detects the temperature of 120 ° c ., the applicator roller 30 is rotated in the opposite direction ( reverse rotation to the application direction ) for five seconds after a delay time tb 1 ( 255 seconds ) after this detection signal . the circumference speed at this time is set to 82 . 5 mm / sec ( low speed ). the reason for causing the applicator roller 30 to rotate in reverse is to sweep away solidified adhesive on the circumference of the roller using the control bar 34 . the reason for limiting the reverse rotation to five seconds is because adhesive will overflow if rotated in that way , and the fluidity of the adhesive is better in the forward rotation than the opposite rotation . the applicator roller 30 is rotated at the low speed . when five seconds have passed , the applicator roller 30 is rotated in the forward direction at 200 mm / sec ( high speed ). after this high speed rotation is continued for 20 seconds , the applicator roller 30 is rotated in the forward direction for 30 seconds at 82 . 5 mm / sec ( low speed ). 280 seconds are required after the container temperature reaches 120 ° c . for the adhesive in the container to reach its final temperature setting of 150 ° c ., then the warming up time is ended . after this waiting time , a warming up end signal is issued . the second heating mode is composed of the following primary heating step and secondary heating step . in the same way as the first heating mode , electric power is supplied to the heating means 20 at full power until the heating unit temperature sensor 22 b reaches 90 ° c . next , when the heating unit temperature sensor 22 b equipped at the container 10 detects the container heater temperature to be 90 ° c ., the target temperature is set to 170 ° c ., and electric power that corresponds to this target temperature is applied to the electric heater 20 . when the heating unit temperature sensor 22 b detects the container heater temperature to be 120 ° c ., the target temperature is set to 150 ° c . after a delay time ta 2 ( 130 seconds ) after a detection signal , and electric power that corresponds to this target temperature is applied to the electric heater 20 . at the same time as that temperature adjustment , the applicator roller 30 is rotated by the stirring motor m 1 . the rotation of the applicator roller 30 stirs the adhesive whose temperature has risen to the melting point in the liquid tank 10 a of the container 10 . when the heating unit temperature sensor 22 b detects the temperature of 120 ° c ., the applicator roller 30 is rotated in the opposite direction ( reverse rotation to the application direction ) for five seconds after a delay time tb 2 ( 40 seconds ) after this detection signal . the circumference speed at this time is set to 82 . 5 mm / sec ( low speed ). the applicator roller 30 is rotated at the low speed . when five seconds have passed , the applicator roller 30 is rotated in the forward direction at 200 mm / sec ( high speed ). after this high speed rotation is continued for 160 seconds , the applicator roller 30 is rotated in the forward direction for 30 seconds at 82 . 5 mm / sec ( low speed ). 235 seconds are needed after the container heater unit temperature reaches 120 ° c . for the adhesive in the container 10 to reach its final temperature setting of 150 ° c ., then the warming up time is ended . after this waiting time , a warming up end signal is issued . the third heating mode is composed of the following primary heating step and secondary heating step . electric power is supplied to the heating means 20 . the power supply is set to the target temperature of 170 ° c ., and electric power that corresponds to that target temperature is applied to the electric heater 20 . when the heating unit temperature sensor 22 b detects the container heater temperature to be 120 ° c ., the target temperature is set to 150 ° c . after a delay time ta 3 ( 90 seconds ) after a detection signal , and electric power that corresponds to this target temperature is applied to the electric heater 20 . at the same time as that temperature adjustment , the applicator roller 30 is rotated by the stirring motor m 1 . the rotation of the applicator roller 30 stirs the adhesive whose temperature has risen to the melting point in the liquid tank 10 a of the container 10 . when the heating unit temperature sensor 22 b detects the temperature of 120 ° c ., the applicator roller 30 is rotated in the opposite direction ( reverse rotation to the application direction ) for five seconds after a delay time tb 3 ( 20 seconds ) after this detection signal . the circumference speed at this time is set to 82 . 5 mm / sec ( low speed ). the applicator roller 30 is rotated at the low speed . when five seconds have passed , the applicator roller 30 is rotated in the forward direction at 200 mm / sec ( high speed ). after this high speed rotation is continued for 130 seconds , the applicator roller 30 is rotated in the forward direction for 30 seconds at 82 . 5 mm / sec ( low speed ). 185 seconds are needed after the container heater unit temperature reaches 120 ° c . for the adhesive in the container 10 to reach its final temperature setting of 150 ° c ., then the warming up time is ended . after this waiting time , a warming up end signal is issued . the temperature settings of 90 ° c . and 120 ° c . in each of the first to the third heating modes are set with consideration to the following . first , the temperatures settings near the electric heater , and adhesive near to and far from this heater are different . particularly , the temperature distribution in solid or gelatinous adhesives varies greatly because the adhesives are not convective . therefore , the differences are big because if the temperature of the heater itself is detected , the set temperature is quickly reached , and if the temperature of the adhesive itself is detected , the temperature rises slowly , and because of the amount of adhesive amount . because there are many unstable elements in detecting the temperatures of the heater and the adhesive , the temperature of the container heater arranged with a heater is detected . the temperature setting of 90 ° c . is suitable so that the adhesive temperature from the melting point ( 70 ° c . in the drawings ) does not overheat the target of 150 ° c . if this is set low , it takes time to reach the target temperature , and if it is set high , there is the possibility of exceeding the target temperature . in the same way , the temperature setting of 120 ° c . is a standard temperature for controlling at the delay time ta ( ta 1 = 270 seconds in the first heating mode ; ta 2 = 103 seconds in the second heating mode ; ta 3 = 90 seconds in the third heating mode ) found through experimentation of the heater . this temperature is not limited to 120 ° c . and can be set to any degree . these three heating modes charge electric power to the heating means as a primary heating step that corresponds to the initial temperature of the adhesive until the temperature of the container heating unit equipped with heating means 20 reaches the predetermined temperature ( set to 120 ° c . in the drawing ). after the container heating unit reaches a predetermined temperature , the second stop supplies electric power to the heating means varying the target temperature gradually after the delay time ta set by experimentation , such as by using a timer , has passed . because the adhesive temperature , container temperature ( container heating unit temperature ), and heater temperature differences and fluctuations are great due to the conditions ( desired temperature , container volume ) of the adhesive for the reasons described above , the heater is controlled according to a time set ( the ta time described above ) by experimentation after the temperature of the container heater reaches a predetermined temperature . therefore , the temperature settings of 90 ° c . and 120 ° c . must be set according to the configuration of the heating device . for example , these settings must be set according to the heater capacity . depending on the configuration , there is room for more than three settings , or to raise the set temperature . the power supply for each mode and the supply times are each set to values gained from experience and through testing . also , the primary heating step supplies electric power until the temperature of the container heater unit reaches the predetermined temperature , and the secondary step supplies predetermined amount of electric power for a preset amount of time . fig4 a , 4 b , and 4 c show fluctuations in adhesive temperature over time in the heating modes described above . in fig4 a , the initial temperature of the adhesive is 23 ° c . this shows the temperature fluctuation when controlling heat with the first heating mode . la in the drawing is the temperature of the ambient air ; lc is the adhesive temperature of the liquid detection sensor ; ld is the adhesive temperature at the applicator roller position ; le is the applied electric power of the electric heater . in these charts , ld represents values of adhesive temperature on the applicator roller 30 measured by a special temperature sensor equipped on an experimental device . the charged electric power is shown with the duty value of the pulse power . note that these conditions are the same in the charts . as is clear from the chart of fig4 a , the charged electric power le is supplied at a time axis ( x axis ) shown in the drawings with full power le 1 ; electric power le 2 is applied that is equivalent to the target temperature of 170 ° c . ; and electric power le 3 is applied that is equivalent to the target temperature of 150 ° c . the temperatures of the container heating units at this time are controlled to 170 ° c . and 150 ° c . while maintaining a timed delay . the adhesive temperature lc of the liquid temperature sensor 22 a reaches the target temperature of 150 ° c . parabolically , and the adhesive temperature ld of the applicator roller quickly reaches the target temperature from an intended temperature . next , fig4 b shows the temperature fluctuations when temperature is controlled by the second heating mode , described above , if the initial adhesive temperature is 70 ° c . the symbols la , lb , lc and ld are the same as described above , but different from fig4 a , the adhesive temperature of the applicator roller 30 quickly rises from the initial temperature and stabilizes at 150 ° c . after slightly exceeding the target temperature of 150 ° c . in the same way , in fig4 c , the initial temperature of the adhesive is 101 ° c ., and this drawing shows the temperature fluctuations when controlling heat with the third heating mode . the following will explain the bookbinding apparatus with the adhesive applicator described above is incorporated . fig5 is an explanatory drawing of the bookbinding apparatus a and an overall configuration of an image forming system equipped with the same . the adhesive applicator b is incorporated into this bookbinding apparatus a . fig6 is an explanatory drawing of the essential portions of the bookbinding apparatus a . as shown in fig5 , the image forming system is composed of a printing apparatus c , and the bookbinding apparatus a that binds printed sheets from the printing apparatus c into booklets , and a stacking apparatus d that conveys and stores printed sheets that will not be formed into a book , is equipped on the bookbinding apparatus a . this printing apparatus c is composed of a known structure of a printer or copier . shown in the drawings , a predetermined sheet is fed from a cassette provided at a paper feeding unit 40 , and a printing drum 41 for example prints to the sheet . a fixer 42 fixes the image by applying heat , and the sheet is sequentially conveyed out of the apparatus from a discharge outlet 43 . the printing drum 41 in the drawing is a photoreceptor drum . the drawing shows an electrostatic printing method that forms an electrostatic latent image on the drum surface by a laser transmitter , then transfers that to the sheet . a variety of printing methods such as silk screen printing or ink jet printing can also be employed . next , the bookbinding apparatus a aligns printed sheets sequentially discharged from the discharge outlet 43 at a stacking tray 44 for a predetermined number of sheets . the symbol 45 in the drawing is a sheet conveyance - in path that guides printed sheets from the discharge outlet 43 to the stacking tray 44 . a sheet bundle aligned and organized on the stacking tray 44 is conveyed to an adhesive application position e ( see the arrow in fig6 ) by gripping conveyance means 46 . particularly , shown in the drawing , the stacking tray 44 is arranged in a substantially horizontal posture , and a bookbinding path 47 where the gripping conveyance means 46 moves the sheet bundle is arranged in a substantially vertical direction . the gripping conveyance means 46 grip a sheet bundle with gripping means on the front and backsides , and turn the sheet bundle first from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture , then conveys the sheet bundle in the bookbinding path 47 in a vertical direction . also , a cover sheet conveyance path 48 that feeds a cover sheet is branchingly connected at this sheet conveyance path 45 . a sheet conveyance out path 49 is connected to this cover sheet conveyance path 48 . specifically , printed sheets from the discharge outlet 43 of the printing apparatus c are fed from the sheet conveyance in path 45 to the stacking tray 44 , and a cover sheet conveyed out from the discharge outlet 43 is supplied to the cover sheet conveyance path 48 that branches from there . at the same time , printed sheets that will not undergo the bookbinding process are conveyed through the bookbinding apparatus a to the stacker apparatus d from the sheet conveyance out path 49 from the discharge outlet 43 via the sheet conveyance in path 45 and the cover sheet conveyance path 48 . the bookbinding path 47 and the cover sheet conveyance path 48 are arranged to mutually intersect . the sheet bundle conveyed from the bookbinding path 47 , and the cover sheet conveyed from the cover sheet conveyance path 48 are joined at the intersection f ( see the arrow in fig6 ). in other words , the cover sheet hs is conveyingly supplied so that a center line matches an intersecting point at the intersection f , and the sheet bundle is aligned at an upside - down - t shape looking from the bookbinding path 47 intersecting thereto . the sheet bundle is then bound with the cover sheet by folding rollers arranged at a downstream side of the intersection f in the bookbinding path 47 . the adhesive applicator b is incorporated as a unit upstream of the intersection f of the bookbinding path 47 . the sheet bundle gripped by the gripping conveyance means 46 and held at an upright posture at the adhesive application position e is applied with a predetermined amount of adhesive ( glue ) at a bottom edge . the container 10 explained in relation to fig1 to 4 is arranged to move along the bottom edge of the sheet in the adhesive applicator b . the container 10 equipped with the adhesive heating means has the aforementioned configuration . therefore an explanation thereof will be omitted . the container 10 is supported to move on a guide rail along a length direction of the sheet bundle held by the gripping conveyance means 46 , and is reciprocatingly moved by a reciprocating motor m 2 . in this way , the container 10 is supported to move in a length direction ( a direction perpendicular to the bundle thickness ) along the backside of the sheet bundle , and is reciprocatingly moved by a reciprocating motor m 2 . at that time , the applicator roller 30 of the container 10 is rotated by the stirring motor m 1 in a predetermined direction , for example a moving direction of the container and an opposite direction . when it is rotated , the adhesive impregnated on the applicator roller 30 is applied to the back of the sheet bundle . after the application process is completed , the container 10 retracts to the outside from the conveyance path . the solid adhesive is supplied to the filler chamber 10 b from a hopper 38 shown in fig1 b according to the liquid amount . on the other hand , the sheet bundle applied with adhesive is sent to the intersection f by the gripping conveyance means 46 , and joined to the covers sheet hs supplied from the cover sheet conveyance path 48 . after two are joined , the sheet bundle is bound into a booklet by the folding rollers 53 , and if required , a cutting unit 50 arranged at a downstream side of the folding rollers 53 can cut the peripheral edges . the sheet bundle bound with the cover sheet in this way is then stacked and stored in the booklet sheet storing stacker 51 . note that the cover sheet hs in the embodiment can be printed with a title , etc ., at the printing apparatus c and then conveyed out in the same way from the discharge outlet 43 , but it is also acceptable to provide an inserter between the printing apparatus c and the bookbinding apparatus a to supply the cover sheet hs from the inserter to the sheet conveyance in path 45 . the inserter apparatus can also be composed of a one or a plurality of stacking trays , kick rollers for separating sheets on a tray to single sheets , and of feeding paths that lead sheets from the kick rollers to the sheet conveyance in path 45 . also , the stacker apparatus d is composed of a discharge tray that sequentially stacks and stores sheets conveyed out from the conveyance outlet 52 of the sheet conveyance out path 49 connected the cover sheet conveyance path 48 . in this apparatus , it is acceptable to provide a finishing unit that finishes sheets from the conveyance outlet 52 by stapling , punching holes or by applying a mark . any known mechanism can be applied as the finishing unit . this application claims priority rights from japanese pat . app . no . 2006 - 40077 , which is herein incorporated by reference . only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention . to those skilled in the art , however , it will be apparent from the foregoing disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims . furthermore , the foregoing description of the embodiments according to the present invention is provided for illustration only , and not for limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents .
8
fig1 shows a frame 100 according to the present invention . the frame 100 is comprised of two substantially triangular assemblies . a first substantially triangular assembly 134 is defined by a head tube 102 , a top tube 104 , a down tube 106 and a seat tube 110 along with a bottom bracket 108 situated at or near the junction of the down tube 106 with the seat tube 110 . the first substantially triangular assembly 134 involves connection of the top tube 104 and the down tube 106 to the head tube 102 , and this junction is referred to as a first intersection 112 . the top tube 104 and the down tube 106 may connect to the head tube 102 directly adjacent to one another or they may be spaced some distance apart . if they are spaced some distance apart , the frame component defined thereby is not strictly speaking a triangle , but it is a substantially triangular assembly . further , the joinder of the tubes , usually by some kind of welding , may result in some curvature of their intersection making the shape not , strictly speaking triangular . the seat tube 110 and the down tube 106 meet at or near the bottom bracket 108 , and this intersection point is referenced as the second intersection 114 . the bottom bracket 108 is the component through which pedals pass and which bear the torque force associated with their operation . the seat tube 110 extending upwardly from the bottom bracket 108 engages the top tube 104 at a third intersection 116 . the foregoing components form the first substantially triangular assembly 134 . a second substantially triangular assembly 136 is defined by the seat tube 110 , the lower chain stays 120 , and the seat stays 118 . the pairs of lower chain stays 120 and seat stays 118 each pass on either side of a rear tire of a bicycle disposed therebetween . the lower chain stay 120 and the seat tube 110 meet at the second intersection 114 at or near the bottom bracket 108 . the seat tube 110 and the seat stays 118 meet at a third intersection 116 adjacent to where the top tube 104 meets the seat tube 110 . the seat stays 118 and the lower chain stays 120 meet at the drop outs 132 . the drop outs 132 are adapted to receive the rear tire of the bicycle . together the lower chain stay 120 , the seat tube 110 and the seat stays 118 form a second substantially triangular assembly 136 . the triangle may not be perfect shape because the drop outs 132 may have various configurations which make the shape again not strictly speaking a triangle . a second set of chain stays , referred to as upper chain stays 124 are shown . they are disposed inside of the second substantially triangular assembly 136 . at one end the upper chain stays 124 engage the drop outs 132 , and at the other end they engage at least one of the following bicycle frame components : the seat tube 110 , the bottom bracket 108 , and the down tube 106 . in preferred embodiment all three of those components are engaged by the upper chain stays 124 at the second intersection 114 . the first attachment point 126 connects the upper chain stays 124 to the down tube 106 . the second attachment point 128 attaches the upper chain stays 124 to the bottom bracket 108 , and the third attachment point 130 attaches the upper chain stays 124 to the seat tube 110 . one or more of the attachment points may not be provided in a configuration , but they are preferably all provided to provide maximum stability to the frame 100 . fig2 shows the attachment of the upper chain stays 124 and the lower chain stays 120 in greater detail . the area shown in detail in fig2 is the second intersection 114 . at the second intersection 114 the down tube 106 , the bottom bracket 108 , and the seat tube 110 meet , and those components can be seen in fig2 . since it is a closer view , the pedal threads 202 can also be seen . also , since fig2 is in perspective , both upper chain stays 124 a and 124 b can be seen as can both lower chain stays 120 a and 120 b . three upper chain stay attachment points can be seen : ( a ) a first upper chain stay attachment point 204 , which is where the upper chain stay 124 a is affixed to the down tube 106 ; ( b ) as second upper chain stay attachment point 206 , which is where the upper chain stay 124 a is affixed to the bottom bracket 108 ; and ( c ) a third upper chain stay attachment point 208 , which is where the upper chain stay 124 a is affixed to the seat tube 110 . also , the lower chain stay attachment point 210 can be seen , which is where the lower chain stay 120 a is affixed to the bottom bracket 108 . the purpose of the abstract is to enable the u . s . patent and trademark office and the public generally , and especially the scientist , engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology , to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application . the abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application which is measured by the claims , nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way . while the invention has been shown , illustrated , described and disclosed in terms of specific embodiments or modifications , the scope of the invention should not be deemed to be limited by the precise embodiments or modifications therein shown , illustrated , described or disclosed . such other embodiments or modifications are intended to be reserved especially as they fall within the scope of the claims herein appended .
1
referring to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numbers indicate like elements , fig1 is a cross section of a cotton bale under compression , 10 surrounded by a guide track . the cotton bale will have a vertical first side , 12 , a vertical opposite side , 14 , a bottom side , 16 , and a top side , 18 . the baling wire , 20 , is deployed by the automatic baling machine along a path beginning with wire feeder drive ( not depicted ) first in a downward direction parallel to the first vertical bale side , 12 . the wire path is guided by the wire guide track . the wire feed drive propels the wire through a first fixed section of the wire guide track , 22 , which redirects the wire progression through curve , 24 , to a horizontal path parallel to the bottom of the cotton bale 16 . a second straight section of the wire guide track , 26 , parallels the bottom of the cotton bale 16 . in the preferred embodiment this second section of the wire guide track is positioned within a channel under a lateral slot of the lower platen ( not depicted ). in previous embodiments , the second section had moved with the moveable section of track , and exited the lower platen channels to reach a bale ejection position . this configuration still had a deleterious incidence of collision . the terminal end of the first fixed wire guide track section , 28 , is separated from the initial , wire receiving end of the lower straight wire guide track section by a gap , 30 . broken lines , 32 , within the lower straight wire guide track section indicate the track channel tapering out to the wide guide track aperture oriented to receive the progressing wire . a third , moveable section of the wire guide track , 34 , receives the wire as it exits the second , straight lower guide track section and redirects the progressing wire along a second curve , 36 , and then along straight section , 34 , in an upwards vertical direction parallel to the opposing vertical side , 14 , of the cotton bale . the third , moveable section of the wire guide track then redirects the progressing baling wire from an upwards vertical direction through curve , 38 , to a horizontal direction parallel to the top of the bale , 18 . there is a gap , 40 , between the second , straight wire guide track section , 26 , and the third wire guide track section , 34 , receiving aperture , 42 . there is another gap , 44 , between the terminal end of the third wire guide track section , 46 , and a fourth wire guide track section , 48 . the broken lines , 50 , illustrate the wide aperture of the third wire guide track section . the entire third wire guide track section is mounted on a strut assembly ( not depicted here ) which pivots in order to rotate the strut assembly and third wire track section away from the cotton bale after binding to allow the bale to be expelled . the different positions of the third wire guide track section and structure assembly are depicted and described in relation to fig4 below . the fourth wire guide track section , 48 , is straight , about equivalent in length to the width of the cotton bale and parallel to the top of the cotton bale , 18 . the fourth wire guide track section is inserted in a channel under the lateral slots of the upper platen ( not depicted ). the progressing wire exits the fourth guide track section , 48 , and is then received by an upper curved portion of the first fixed wire guide track section , 52 , which receives the wire from the fourth straight , top wire guide track section , 48 , through gap , 54 , and into wide aperture , 56 , and then redirects the wire in a downward vertical direction parallel with the cotton bales &# 39 ; first side , 12 . the wire then exits the terminal end of the upper curved portion , 58 , of the first fixed wire guide track section into a fastening header ( not depicted ). tension is placed upon the wire , drawing it out of the wire guide track and into contact with the bale . a space , 60 , exists between the knot and the first vertical side of the bale , 12 . tensioning pins , 62 and 64 , are actuated by solenoids ( not show ) to extend into the plane of the bale wire loop , to prevent sharp bends in the wire , and maintain the proper length of the wire . the fastener automatically ties the leading end of the wire to the terminal end of the wire at knot , 66 . after the ends of the wire have been knotted , the tensioning pins , 62 and 64 , retract , the pressure on the cotton bale is released , and the consequent expansion of the bale draws the baling wire , 20 , tight , eliminating space , 60 . fig2 illustrates the cotton bale compression apparatus , 110 . bulk fibrous material operations , such as cotton gins , typically compress material in a vertical direction . the bulk fibrous material is first restrained from horizontal expansion within a compartment or “ box ,” 112 , shown by broken lines . this process forms a predetermined volume and / or weight of material into a rectangular form in a compression area either above or below the baling area . the formed but unbound bale of material is then moved to a baling station , 114 , which movement is typically vertical . it is intended that all matter contained in this description and these illustrations shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting . thus , although typical fibrous bulk material compression operations are vertically aligned , with automatic balers being designed to work in conjunction with such configurations , the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited to only vertical compression systems , but would apply equally as well to horizontal or other directions of compression for fibrous bulk materials or other bulk materials . fig2 depicts a fixed upper shaft , 116 , maintaining the position of an upper following block , 118 , to which is attached an upper platen , 120 . the upper platen arrests the upper progress of a bale of material , 122 , and holds it during compression . a lower compression piston , 124 , drives in an upward direction from the rectangular compression compartment a lower following block , 126 , to which is attached a lower platen , 128 , upon which rides the rectangular shaped , predetermined weight or volume of fibrous material , 122 . the fibrous material , having been compressed once already in the compression compartment will , upon admission t the bale forming station ( depicted below in fig4 ) expand at first . the lower piston drives the fibrous material rectangle against the upper platen , 120 , whereupon the material is compressed a second time into predetermined dimensions . when the predetermined dimensions are reached , the lower compression piston stops and the following blocks and platens hold the compressed bale of fibrous material in position for the automatic baler machine to wrap the wire around the bale and tie the wire . lateral slots in the upper platen , ( not shown ), allow for release of baling wire from a guide track to contact the bale . lateral channels , 130 aligned with and behind the lateral slots allow insertion of wire guide track sections . in the preferred embodiment the guide track inserted into the lateral channels in the upper following block platen , 120 , would be the fourth independent segment of the guide track ( 48 in fig1 ). likewise , the lateral slots , ( not shown ), of the lower platen , 128 , allow for release of baling wire from the wire guide track to contact the bale . the wire guide track inserted below the lateral slots of the lower platen is the second independent section of the wire guide track ( 26 in fig1 ), in the preferred embodiment . fig3 is an oblique view of a following block , 210 , and platen , 212 , showing in greater detail the structure of the lateral slots , 214 , and channels , 216 . fig3 illustrates the lateral channels &# 39 ; structure designed to receive the wire guide track . fig3 also depicts the platen faces , 218 , which come into contact with the compressed bulk fibrous material . on the platen faces can be seen the lateral slots , 214 , through which the baling wire passes upon being released by the wire guide track ( not depicted ) inserted in the channels . fig4 illustrates a side view of the preferred embodiment of an automatic baler incorporating the present invention . the bale forming and binding apparatus , 310 , has two positions ; the solid lines illustrate a first position wherein a moveable wire guide track section support strut assembly , 328 , complete the wire guide track trajectory when the binding operation is occurring ; and the broken lines illustrate a second position wherein the moveable wire guide track support strut assembly is in a second position , 328 a . the second position allows ejection of the bale from the bale forming station , 346 . a floor plate , 312 , supports vertical support stands , 314 , on either side of the bale - forming and binding station , 346 . a binding assembly carriage , 318 , is borne by stands , 314 . the base extension , 320 of the carriage , 318 , carries the fixed tying heads , 340 , and attached fixed first section of the wire guide track , 22 . in the depicted embodiment , the carriage , 318 , translates in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing along an overhead track , 322 , attached to the upper rear extent of the stands , 314 , whose motion is controlled by drive , 324 . typically bulk fibrous material bales are bound with six baling wires . the depicted embodiment of the present invention has three wire guide tracks . the carriage translates in order that the three wire guide tracks may bind an individual bale six times by tying a first set of three wires , then translating , and tying a second set of three wires . in alternative embodiments of the present invention , the automatic baling machine carriage may contain six wire guide tracks , and thus not require translation in normal operation . extending from the upper forward extent of the stands , 314 , are a pair of pivot axis brackets , 325 , holding the pivot axes , 326 , which carry the moveable guide tracks support strut assembly , 328 . extending forward from the center of the strut assembly , 328 , is a member , 330 , pivotally connected at pin , 332 , to piston arm , 334 , which is extended and withdrawn by action of the piston , 336 . the action of the piston , 336 , may be by any means but is preferably pneumatic . the binding wire entering the apparatus , 310 , from the wire supply ( not shown ) at the wire feed drive , 341 , is directed by guide track sections 22 , 26 , 34 , 48 and 52 , from and to the fastener head , 340 , which fastens the wire into a closed loop , typically with a twist knot . the second wire guide track section , 26 , lies in the channel within the lower platen ( not shown ) attached to the lower following block ( not shown ). the fourth wire guide track section , 48 , lies in a channel within the upper platen below the upper following block ( not shown ). the lower following block is actuated to compress the bulk material ( not shown ) by compression piston ( shown in fig2 ). the third , moveable wire guide track section , 34 , is fixed to the moveable wire guide track section support strut , 328 . the positions 328 a , 34 a , show the parts , 328 , 34 , at their respective positions when the moveable guide track section is removed from the bale - forming station , 346 , for ejection of a bale . the moveable , third guide track section lower entry end , 42 , and second guide track section terminus , 364 , face one another in new cooperation when the moveable guide track section is lowered for operation . the upper fourth guide track section entry end , 366 , and moveable third guide track section terminus , 46 , face one another in near cooperation , to complete the wire guide track circuit when the wire guide track support strut , 328 , is in the first position for baling . the arcuate line , 354 , illustrates the path of motion of the lower terminus of the third moveable guide track section it transits between positions . the third moveable guide track section , 34 , has an upper curve , and a lower curve , both of approximately 90 degrees and , in a preferred embodiment , possessing radii of curvature of approximately six inches and seven inches respectively . fig5 depicts a cross sectional view of the wire guide track , 400 , construction in a closed state for the directing of the wire , 412 , about the bale . the first longitudinal half , 402 , and second longitudinal half of the track , 404 , are separable , and are shown as closed thereby forming the channel , 406 . the first longitudinal half 402 and the second longitudinal half 404 are biased together by a releasable pressure applicator ( not shown ). those skilled in the art would understand that the releasable pressure applicator may be comprised of springs , pneumatic pressure means , hydraulic pressure means , solenoids , electro - servo motors , or similar means of biasing together the two track halves . fig6 depicts a cross sectional view of the wire guide track , 400 a , construction in an open state for the releasing during fastening of a closed loop of the wire , 412 , in the direction shown by the arrow , a , towards the compressed bale ( not depicted ) from between the halves , 402 , and 404 , now separated to release the wire through the open gap , 408 , between them . grooves , 410 , combine to form the two sides of a channel , 406 , when in the closed position . spring means , 414 , mediate the transition of the track between the closed and open positions . in operation as depicted in fig4 , when the movable wire guide track support strut assembly , 328 , is down , the binding wire enters the apparatus from the wire supply ( not shown ) at the wire feed drive , 341 , and enters the fastener head 340 . drive wheels rotate to push wire frictionally through the fastening head , 340 , downwards to the first guide track section , 22 , and across , up , back and then down the other guide track sections , 26 , 34 , 48 and 52 , and then back into fastening head , 340 , until the end of the wire actuates a limit switch ( not shown ). the wire thus forms a loop with an overlapping wire portion location within fastening head , 340 . it is preferred to use # 10 gauge wire that is sold by u . s . wire under the trade name ultra strap galvanized . at this point , tensioning pins ( 62 and 63 , fig1 ) are extended . the tying head twists the wire into a knot . in order to effect tying , tension is placed on the wire by reversing the drive wheels . this tension pulls the wire out from between the two halves , 402 and 404 , of the wire guide track as shown by the releasing action in fig5 and 6 . as the wire is tensioned and breaks out of the channel , 406 , the wire is pulled tight around the bale and also around tensioning pins , 62 , and 64 , respectively . once the tying head has completed the twist knot , tensioning pins , 62 and 63 , are retracted by a solenoid ( not shown ) until they are out of contact with the wire . then , in the instant embodiment , carriage , 318 , fig4 , can translate to a second index position along overhead track 322 . wire is again drawn by feed drive , 341 , to push the wire in a loop through all four guide track sections and back into the fastener head , 340 . then the twist knot process repeats . for cotton bales , six baling wires are used to bind a 500 pound standard density bale of cotton . thus , if three indexing heads are mounted to carriage , 318 , the carriage , 318 , must index between a first position and a second position to provide six baling wires . alternative embodiments include automatic baling machines with six indexing heads , six wire guide tracks and six tying heads , which would obviate the need for the carriage to translate in normal operation . fig7 depicts an oblique view of one - half , 502 , of the straight wire guide track of either section , 26 or 48 . fig8 depicts one - half , 504 , of the curved portion of either wire guide track of section 22 or 52 . fig9 depicts the other half , 506 , of the straight wire guide track of either section 26 or 48 , in the truncated version . fig1 depicts the other half , 508 , of the curved portion of either wire guide track section 22 or 52 , in the truncated version . the hollow grooves , 532 , on the inside surfaces of wire guide track halves , 502 and 504 , when enclosed together by closing the facing halves of wire guide track sections , 506 and 508 , together , form the wire guide track channel to guide the baling wire along the proper path around the bale . the tapered grooves , 532 , of the present invention correspond to the grooves , 410 , in fig5 and 6 , which illustrate the releasing action used in any guide track , with or without the present invention . the wide apertures , 520 , are oriented to receive the leading edge of the baling wire as it progresses around the bale through the wire guide track sections . the wide aperture in the receiving end of the wire guide track is substantially wide enough that the wire guide track may continue to properly guide the wire around the bale in the event of misalignment of wire guide track section ends with one another . the amount of wire misalignment which is accommodated by the wide aperture is enough to allow for a wide gap between track section ends . the taper , 530 , between the aperture and the hollow groove , 532 , is designed to narrow quickly enough so that either # 10 or # 11 gauge baling wire will not curl , fold over upon itself or jam as it progresses into the next guide track section . the most preferred dimensions are substantially a widening ratio of about 1 . 56 : 1 vertically and 1 . 33 : 1 horizontally . the most preferred embodiment , by way of example and not limitation , begins at an aperture width of 3 . 75 ″ and tapering to a channel width of 2 . 4 ″. the angle of increase is about 22 ″ vertically and 18 ″ horizontally . via curve or hard chine , equivalently , this tapering ratio may change to about 9 ° vertically and 0 ° horizontally , or about 1 . 14 : 1 vertically , over the rest of the length of the guide track channel . alternatively and equivalently , the taper may run the length of the guide track section with a smooth change in angle or no change in angle . in the most preferred embodiment , the exit channel is 0 . 312 inches wide . at these dimensions , the preferred embodiment is capable of maintaining a desired gap between guide track sections of two to four inches . smaller gaps are still beneficial and enabled by the present invention . alternative embodiments would equivalently bridge operative gaps in excess of four inches . fig7 - 10 also illustrate a partition 550 for creating multiple receptacles within the wide aperture 520 for receiving wire . the partition 550 is operatively connected to the inside face of one - half of the wire guide track . in some embodiments , each wire guide track section half includes the partition 550 . the partition 550 is preferably connected to the wire guide track through the use of bolts or screws , but may be attached by other means , such as by welding . the partition 550 can have various shapes and only one possible shape is shown . the partition is optimally shaped to guide the progressing wire either upwardly or downwardly such that wire enters the wide aperture 520 , the progressing wire is directed above or below the partition 550 , and the wire is guided into the tapered groove 532 . in some embodiments , there may be more than one partition . alternative embodiments of the present invention would include either both halves of the wire guide track having wide aperture to groove tapers as depicted in fig7 and 9 . where both cooperating halves are channeled , they are designed as mirror images to correspond with one another . alternatively , a truncated funnel for one of the two guide track halves , as depicted in fig9 and 10 , is designed simply to receive the baling wire as it progresses from the prior wire guide track section . in this embodiment , tapered groove , 532 , in the first half of the wire guide track sections , 502 and 504 , as depicted in fig7 and 8 , is sufficient to guide the wire . the term “ strap ” is a recognized industry term of art understood by those with skill in the art to mean generically wire , metal bands , plastic bands or other types of straps . the preferred embodiment of the present invention uses “ straps ” that are wire , most preferably 10 - gauge wire . those with skill in the art will understand from the use of the term “ strap ” that the scope of the present invention applies equivalently to both wire , metal bands , plastic bands and any other kind of binding strap used in bulk material baling . the embodiments 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 and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . as various modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting . thus , the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above - described exemplary embodiments , but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents .
0
fig1 shows a block diagram which contains steps in a method of reducing measured values . in a first step 101 , the measured values are divided into classes . in particular , the division into classes is carried out with the effect that all the measured values which belong to one set of setting parameters are combined in one class . to this extent , each alteration to the setting parameters of the technical system found a new class . in particular , altering the setting parameters is associated with a transient process of the technical system , this process , as opposed to a steady - state behavior , containing extreme fluctuations in the measured values . in a step 102 , individual measured values within one class are screened out . these may be , for example , erroneous measured values , that is to say measured values which exhibit a high deviation with respect to the other measured values or an average of the measured values or measured values from the transient process . there are a number of possible ways of screening out individual measured values within a class : 1 . measured values which are too poor ( based on a predefined comparative value ); 4 . determining a representative measured value as a representative for a plurality of measured values , in that the representative measured value is determined as an average of the measured values in a class or as a maximum value or a minimum value of these measured values . measured values of this type are preferably not taken into account ; they are removed from the respective class . this results in a considerable reduction in the number of measured values . in a step 103 , individual classes are screened out . one criterion for screening out an entire class consists in that the class contains less than a predefined number of measured values . in a step 104 , the measured values reduced in number are used for further processing . further processing is , in particular , a simulation and / or a draft design of the technical system . fig2 shows a schematic sketch of a recovery boiler . in the following text , by using the example of a “ recovery boiler ”, an exemplary embodiment of the method described above will be illustrated . in the paper and pulp industry , various chemicals and also heat and electrical power are needed for the digestion of pulp . with the aid of the recovery boiler , the chemicals used and additional thermal energy may be recovered from a thickened waste process liquor ( black liquor ). a measure of the recovery of the chemicals is of critical importance for the economy of the overall plant . the black liquor is burned in a char bed 201 . in the process , an alkaline melt is produced and flows away via a line 202 . in further process steps , the chemicals used are recovered from the constituents of the alkaline melt . heat of combustion which is released is used to generate steam . the combustion of the waste liquor and therefore the recovery of the chemicals begins with the atomization of the black liquor via atomizer nozzles 204 into a combustion chamber 203 . as they fall through the hot flue gas , particles of the atomized black liquor are dried . the dried liquor particles fall onto the char bed 201 , first combustion and chemical reduction taking place . volatile constituents and reaction products pass into an oxidation zone , in which oxidizing reactions proceed and in which the combustion is completed . important objectives for the control of the recovery boiler are the steam production in order to obtain power , compliance with emission values from environmental points of view and the efficiency of the chemical reduction . the combustion operation , and therefore the objectives , are controlled in particular by the supply of air at three levels ( primary air ( pa ), secondary air ( sa ), tertiary air ( ta )). the overall process is subject to numerous influences , which have to be taken into account during the modeling : a ) the measurement of the variables is subject to fluctuations which are often extreme ; b ) influencing variables which are not measured and cannot be measured exist ; c ) at each alteration to the settable parameters transient processes occur ; d ) the technical plant becomes soiled and is cleaned at predefined intervals , which has the effect of a drift over time in each case in the system behavior . the measured variables of the overall process are subdivided into input variables ( cf . fig3 ) and output variables ( cf . fig5 ). measured variables are stored every minute . four of the input variables are simultaneously also actuating variables ( also : settable parameters ; cf . fig4 ). the actuating variables are to be viewed substantially as free parameters of the overall process which can be set independently of one another . some of the other input variables are more or less dependent on the actuating variables . according to one predefinition , the variables “ bl front pressure ” and “ bl back pressure ” are always to be regulated equally in the recovery boiler . the four actuating variables ( cf . fig4 ) are preferably to be stored as actuating variables ( with the desired , preset value ) and as input variables ( with the measured , actual value ). in the recovery boiler , one problem consists in the fact that , depending on the settable parameters , specific objectives , which are defined via measured variables , have to be met . here , a three - stage procedure is selected in order to solve the problem : 1 . the objectives to be considered are modeled by means of stochastic methods , these models being updated by means of new measurements ( data - driven , empirical modeling ). in this case , it is expedient to use not just a single model but global models for the identification of interesting areas in a parameter space determined by the objectives , and to use local models for the exact calculation of optimum operating points . the models used are assessed by means of quality measures . 2 . if the models considered are not sufficiently accurate because of the state of the data ( quality measure ), new operating points are deliberately evaluated in order to improve the model ( experimental design ). in addition , by using global stochastic optimization methods with regard to the objectives , attractive regions are identified on the basis of the current global model . 3 . for the local optimization , local models are constructed , and the data sets which are available are , if appropriate , deliberately expanded ( experimental design ). the objectives are physical / technical or economic criteria which , as a rule , have to meet boundary conditions and / or safety conditions . it is often the case that a number of these criteria have to be considered at the same time . a stochastic model can be used in particular for the purpose of simulating the objectives to be optimized and their dependence on the parameters to be set in the computer . this is necessary when measurements are very costly or very time - consuming . in the case of safety requirements , possible hazardous situations can be avoided . in the case of the recovery boiler , on - line optimization , which is based on a plurality of items of data , is necessary , since the physical / chemical processes cannot be modeled quantitatively with sufficient accuracy and because the behavior of the plant is subject to fluctuations in the course of operation . the knowledge about this behavior must continually be expanded by means of the deliberate selection of new operating points . therefore , within the context of on - line optimization , the above - described three - stage procedure of stochastic modeling at mathematical optimization is to be recommended . the a input variables ( aεn , n : set of natural numbers ) generally depend on n actuating variables nεn and on random effects . they can be described as follows : let ( ω , s , p ) be a probability space and b v be a borel σ - algebra over r v ( r : set of real numbers ) for each vεn . the input variables are represented by a projection φ which can be measured via b n × s − b a : the definition set of the projection φ is a cartesian product of two sets . if one considers the respective projections onto the individual sets , then the following projections are obtained : φ x : ω → r a , ω → φ ( x , ω ) for all , xεr n ( 2 ), φ ω : r n → r a , x → φ ( x , ω ) for all ωεω ( 3 ). { φ x ; xεr n } is a stochastic process having an index set r n and a projection φ ω is a path in this stochastic process for each event ωεω . in the case of the recovery boiler , n = 4 and a = 14 ( following the elimination of the variable “ bl back pressure ”). because of the required ability to measure the projection φ x for each xεr n , the projection φ x is a random variable . under suitable additional preconditions , expected values and higher moments can be considered . this access makes the step possible from stochastic models to deterministic optimization problems . in the case of a deterministic optimization problem , the target function can be set directly by means of a variable , while the stochastic variable influences the target function but does not permit any deliberate setting . the process model m of the recovery boiler will be described as a function depending on the input variables and further random effects . in this case , let ( ω , s , p ) be the above probability space . the process model m is then a projection which can be measured by b a × s − b b : since the recovery boiler is subject to a cyclic drift over time ( from cleaning phase to cleaning phase ), a description using a time parameter is also conceivable . the output variables may be represented by projections that can be measured by b n × s − b b : if the respective projections onto the individual sets of the definition set are considered , then the following projections are obtained ψ x : ω → r b , ω → ψ ( x , ω ) for all , xεr n ( 7 ), ψ ω : r n → r b , x → ψ ( x , ω ) for all ωεω ( 8 ). { ψ x ; xεr n } is a stochastic process having an index set r n , and the projection ψ ω is a path in this stochastic process for each ωεω . in the recovery boiler , b = 15 . the fact that , when defining ψ , no distinction is drawn between the events ω used , does not mean that there is any restriction , since ω can be represented as a cartesian product of an ω 1 and an ω 2 . the above representation therefore also comprises the model : ( x , ω 1 , ω 2 )→ m ( φ ( x , ω 1 ), ω 2 ) ( 10 ). using the descriptions in the two preceding sections , it is possible to combine the input variables and the output variables together to form measured variables φ . φ is a projection that can be measured by b n × s − b m , where m = a + b , and if the respective projections onto the individual sets of the definition set are considered again , then the following projections are obtained : φ x : ω → r m , ω → φ ( x , ω ) for all , xεr n ( 13 ), φ ω : r n → r m , x → φ ( x , ω ) for all ωεω ( 14 ). { φ x ; xεr n } is a stochastic process with an index set r n and the projection φ ω is a path in this stochastic process for each ωεω . for each chosen tuple x of actuating variables , a large number of implementations of φ x in the recovery boiler are determined and stored , that is to say for each x j εr n , numerous implementations are considered . the stored data sets djk of the recovery boiler are therefore ( n + m ) tuples : d jk = ( x j φ jk ) ,  k = 1 , 2 , …  ,  v j ; j = 1 , 2 , …  , u . ( 16 ) ( j 1 & lt ; j 2 ){ haeck over ( )}(( j 1 = j 2 ){ circumflex over ( )}( k 1 & lt ; k 2 )) since , for each tuple x of actuating variables , there are generally a number of implementations of φ x , because of the complex stochastic properties of the process to be considered , the first step in the statistical data analysis is obviously to divide the classes of parameters by forming arithmetic averages . in addition , obviously erroneous data sets are separated out . an obviously erroneous data set is , for example , a physically impossible measurement which cannot possibly occur in real terms , in particular on the basis of a setting which has been made . 1 . data sets in which the variable “ bl front pressure ” is not equal to the variable “ bl back pressure ” are screened out , since these two values must be equal according to the predefinition of the plant control system . the loss of data is very small . 2 . the data sets are divided into classes in which the four setting parameters ( pa , sa , ta , bl front pressure , see above ) are successively constant overtime , that is to say the jth class consists of the data sets d j *. 3 . classes in which there are fewer than 30 data sets are screened out , in order that transient processes do not have any great influence . 4 . for each class , an arithmetic average { overscore ( φ )} j and an empirical standard deviation sj are determined for all the measured variables : φ _ j = 1 v j · ∑ k = 1 v j  φ jk , ( 17 ) s j = ( ( 1 v j - 1 · ∑ k = 1 v j  ( φ jk ( 1 ) - φ _ j ( 1 ) ) 2 ) 1 2 ⋮ ( 1 v j - 1 · ∑ k = 1 v j  ( φ jk ( m ) - φ _ j ( m ) ) 2 ) 1 2 ) . ( 18 ) 5 . classes in which the averages for the variables pa , sa , ta or bl front pressure are too far removed from the corresponding setting parameters are screened out . in these classes , therefore , the setting values could not be reached . characteristic statistical variables for the given classes and their graphical representation in addition to the arithmetic averages and the empirical standard deviations which have been determined for the individual classes , a common standard deviation s is further determined in accordance with s = ( ( 1 v - 1 · ∑ j = 1 u  ( v j - 1 )  s j ( 1 ) 2 ) 1 2 ⋮ ( 1 v - 1 · ∑ j = 1 u  ( v j - 1 )  s j ( m ) 2 ) 1 2 ) ( 19 ) here , u stands for the number of classes ( 205 here ) and v for the sum of v j , that is to say v is the number of all the measured values used ( 38 , 915 here ). although other modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art , it is the intention of the inventors to embody within the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of their contribution to the art .
6
the description is divided into three sections corresponding to the three categories of structural form . the first category of structural form is now described . fig1 shows a lock adapted to be fastened to a door and having a key in the form of a card , fig3 shows the lock of the first embodiment in a larger view , partially in longitudinal section and partially in elevation , before the insertion of the key , fig4 is a section at the level of one wide side of the pusher , showing the carriers which are in toothed engagement with each other , fig5 is a section along the line v -- v of fig4 fig6 is a showing corresponding to fig4 but with the carriers turned forward one step after displacement of the pusher by means of a command key , fig7 is a section along the line vii -- vii in fig6 fig8 is a top view of the pusher in accordance with the second embodiment , shown on a larger scale , fig9 is a greatly enlarged detail view of a portion of the pusher in the region of the carrier and of the control member associated with it , arranged on the housing side , fig1 is an intermediate position upon the forward displacement of the pusher , with the control member swung by the control magnet , fig1 shows the following intermediate position , indicating the forced turning movement of the carrier , fig1 is a partial top view of the pusher with carrier and the multi - member pawl turning it , referring to the third embodiment , fig1 is a cross section through the pusher at the height of a permanent magnet which is arranged in the manner of a pendulum , referring to the fourth embodiment , fig1 is a cross section through the pusher at the height of a permanent magnet which can be displaced by 180 ° around a transverse axis , and in all the magnetically operating embodiments , the lock shown in fig1 and 2 has an elongated lock housing 1 associated with a door ( not shown ). at its one end , the housing has a rotatable knob 2 by means of which a latch or bolt can be pulled back if the lock is in locking position . the knob 2 can be coupled with a push pin 3 of square cross section which is the carrier of an inner knob ( not shown ) lying on the inside of the door . by means of this knob the latch or bolt ( not shown ) can be pulled back at any time . in order to be able to actuate the lock from the outside of the door , the lock housing is provided on the edge side opposite the turn knob 2 with an insertion slot 4 into which a card - shaped key 5 can be inserted . the key 5 is a card provided with magnetic coding which is of sufficient stiffness in order to be able by means of it to displace a pusher 6 which is guided within the lock housing 1 . the pusher 6 is received by an inner housing 7 which is inserted into the lock housing 1 and bears two guide plates 8 and 9 which are arranged parallel to the pusher 6 . the guide plate 8 is a plate consisting of ferromagnetic iron while the other guide plate is anti - magnetic . the guide plate 8 is thicker than the guide plate 9 which is adjacent to it , and it is acted on by a leaf spring 10 which , on its part , rests against the bottom 11 of the inner housing 7 . before the insertion of the key 5 , the guide plates 8 , 9 lie flat against each other . if the key 5 enters between the guide plates 8 and 9 , the guide plate 8 moves out , under spring action , in the direction towards the bottom 11 . the antimagnetic guide plate 9 , on its part , rests against a blocking plate 12 consisting of non - magnetizable material . in the embodiment shown , brass is used for the blocking plate . in the blocking plate 12 there are , suitably distributed , circular blocking openings 13 which , in the initial position of the pusher 6 , correspond to blind holes 14 in the latter . in some of the blind holes , pin - shaped permanent magnets 15 are introduced which , in their turn , are attracted by the guide plate 8 and pass through the blocking openings 13 . depending on their arrangement , the permanent magnets , in this case , act with their south pole or north pole on the guide plate 9 . accordingly , the pusher 6 cannot be displaced . furthermore , it is under the action of a tension spring 16 which urges it in the direction towards the insertion slot 4 . the tension spring 16 is connected at one end to a pin 17 of a cover 18 covering the pusher 6 and on the other end to a control projection 19 extending from the pusher 6 . the projection is provided with an oblique surface 20 by means of which , upon forward displacement of the pusher 6 , a leaf spring 21 which is fastened to the inner housing 7 at the height of the insertion slot 4 can be shifted in the direction indicated by the arrow x , it carrying along with it a coupling sleeve 22 and thereby bringing the turn knob 2 into a coupling position with the push pin 3 , which then permits the door to be opened . the forward displacement of the pusher 6 , however , is possible only after insertion of the proper key 5 which , in the completely inserted position , rests with its edge side 5 &# 39 ; against a drive shoulder 23 of the pusher , said shoulder lying towards the inside of the lock . in the key - insertion position , the corresponding permanent magnets 15 are then aligned with correspondingly positioned magnetization regions of the key . in this way , the permanent magnets are repelled in the direction towards the blind holes 14 and accordingly leave the blocking openings 13 of the blocking plate 12 . in order to change the magnetic closing code , the pusher 6 in accordance with the first embodiment has four turnable carriers 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 which are coupled with each other and each of which is provided with a recoding magnet 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 developed as tumbler member . on the outside , the carriers 24 to 27 are provided with a toothing by which they are in toothed engagement with each other . in order to receive the carriers , holes 32 of suitable diameter are provided in the pusher 6 . the carriers , each of which is provided with a recoding magnet , are so arranged with respect to each other that the recoding magnets , due to the turning motion of the carriers , move one after the other in each case into the position in front of an obstacle or out of said position . the obstacle 33 is formed by a transverse edge of a longitudinal groove 34 which extends in the direction of displacement y of the pusher 6 . since four recoding magnets or tumbler members are present , four such longitudinal grooves 34 are also provided . they are located in the cover 18 of the inner housing 7 which covers the pusher 6 . the two longitudinal grooves 34 which are arranged further inward in the lock have a greater distance from each other than the other two longitudinal grooves 34 . however , of the four recoding magnets 28 to 31 , only one in each case acts as true coding magnet or true tumbler member . in accordance with fig4 and 5 , this is the recoding magnet 28 . with its end which faces the blocking plate 12 , it extends , when the successor key 36 is not inserted , into a longitudinal slot 35 lying in direction of displacement in the blocking plate 12 . the other recoding magnets 29 , 30 , 31 can then extend into corresponding blocking openings 13 of the blocking plate 12 so that they assume in this case a function similar to the permanent magnets . if the lock is associated , for instance , with a hotel - room door , the guest has a guest key which is comparable to the key 5 . with it , all permanent magnets 15 and recoding magnets 29 , 30 , 31 are so displaced that they come out of engagement with the blocking openings 13 . in this way , the pusher 6 can be pushed in the direction of the arrow y , producing a coupling with the turn knob 2 . only the recoding magnet 28 or tumbler member is not shifted in this case . movement of the pusher is nevertheless possible due to the longitudinal slot 35 in the blocking plate 12 . if another guest moves into the hotel room which was previously used , then a recoding of the lock is effected prior to this by the hotel , using the command key shown in fig5 which serves as successor key . it has a first region e which causes the resetting . the corresponding regions are shown in dash - dot line in fig5 . by means of the first region a all permanent magnets , and by means of the supplementary region e also the recoding magnet 28 or tumbler member , are brought out of engagement with the blocking plate 12 . the recoding magnet 28 therefore extends into the longitudinal groove 34 . upon the following displacement of the pusher in the direction indicated by the arrow y by means of the successor key 36 , the corresponding end of the recoding magnet 28 then comes against the obstacle 33 of the longitudinal groove 34 and thereby forces the turning of the carrier 24 and of the other carriers meshing with it in the direction shown by the arrow . after a displacement of the pusher 6 , the position shown in fig6 and 7 is reached . the previous recoding magnet 28 has left its position of alignment with the longitudinal groove 34 while the recoding magnet 29 of the carrier 25 has come into the recoding position . it is therefore no longer possible to effect a displacement of the pusher by means of the previous guest key because the recoding magnets or tumbler members have changed position . furthermore , the new guest must be issued a modified guest key by means of which he can suitably displace all magnet except for the recoding magnets 29 . by means of a successor key 36 of the hotel , which also has the regions a and e , also this recoding can be changed again , in which case another recoding pin then comes into the corresponding recoding position ; see fig7 . variations with respect to this embodiment are possible in the manner that the number of carriers is changed . it is also possible to provide each carrier with more than one recoding magnet . in accordance with the second embodiment , shown in fig8 to 12 , the pusher is designated by the numeral 37 . its construction corresponds to the pusher 6 . one change is that the pusher now receives two carriers 38 and 39 which lie alongside each other at the same height . on its end facing away from the insertion slot , each carrier 38 , 39 is continued in a switch cam 40 which extends over the corresponding wide surface 37 &# 39 ; of the pusher and which forms switch cam edges 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 which , in their turn , are arranged in the manner of a maltese cross . each carrier 38 , 39 also receives a recoding magnet 45 which is similar to a tumbler member and cooperates with a corresponding blocking opening in the blocking plate 12 . the maltese - cross - like switch cam 40 passes through an inner opening 46 in a control member 47 which is fixed in position . the mounting pin 48 thereof is seated in suitable manner on the cover 18 of the inner housing 7 . the mounting place of the single - arm control member 47 faces , in this connection , the direction of insertion of the key . by an edge which lies approximately perpendicular to the direction of displacement of the pusher 37 , the inner opening 46 forms an obstacle 49 . the inner opening 46 is so developed that , in the starting position of the pusher , three corners of the maltese cross form stop surfaces for two inner opening walls 50 , 51 which are at right angles to each other . furthermore , there is also provided on this pusher 37 a stop 52 against which the rear edge 53 of the control member 47 comes . in this way , the latter is secured against turning . upon displacement of the pusher , this securing is only eliminated when the control magnet 54 has passed , for instance , through the idle stroke . the stop 52 together with the edge 53 also effects the last part of the remaining rotation of the maltese cross into the basic position shown in fig8 upon the return displacement of the pusher . at the height of the mounting place of the control member 47 , a suitably polarized control magnet 54 is guided in the pusher 37 . upon the use of a normal key , for instance a guest key , this control magnet 54 is not displaced since the end of the control magnet 54 which faces the blocking plate extends in a longitudinal slot in the blocking plate 12 . if a recoding of the lock is to take place , a successor key is to be used as in the case of the preceding embodiment . by the corresponding regions thereof the permanent magnets , the tumbler - member - like recoding magnet 45 and the control magnet 54 are brought out of engagement with the blocking plate . after passing through a small idle stroke , the end of the control magnet 54 which extends beyond the wide surface 37 &# 39 ; of the pusher strikes a control flank 55 of the control member 47 and lifts the latter into the position shown in fig1 . in this way , the result is obtained that the obstacle 49 then lies at the height of the switch - cam edge 41 . upon further displacement of the pusher 37 the position shown in fig1 is reached . from that figure it can be noted that the carrier 39 is turned by the obstacle 49 in the direction indicated by the arrow . after complete forward displacement of the pusher 37 , the position shown in fig1 is then present . in this position , the carrier 39 and the recoding magnet 45 accordingly assume a different position of angular rotation . if the pusher 37 is now brought again into its starting position , the aforementioned remaining rotation of the carrier 39 takes place , so that the recoding magnet 45 is then aligned with another blocking opening in the blocking plate . the guest key which was previously used then no longer arranges this relocated recoding magnet and the pusher 37 , accordingly , cannot be displaced forward in order to open the lock . if the hotel room door is locked , then the next guest is to be issued a correspondingly coded key . in the case of the modified third embodiment shown in fig1 , the control member 56 is developed in the manner of a multi - member pawl . it has an angle lever 58 which is mounted on the housing side by the pin 57 . its one lever arm 58 &# 39 ; lies in the region of movement of a control magnet 54 . here also there is a short idle stroke between the control magnet 54 and the lever arm 58 &# 39 ;. the other lever arm 58 &# 34 ; bears , by means of a pivot pin 59 , a pawl lever 60 the locking tooth 61 of which , forming an obstacle , cooperates with the teeth of the carrier 62 developed as a ratchet wheel . this carrier receives a recoding magnet 63 representing the tumbler member . a spring ( not shown ) urges the angle lever 58 in counterclockwise direction . its initial position is limited by a stop 64 on the housing side . the pawl lever 60 is also associated with a spring ( not shown ) which is seated , for instance , on the pivot pin 59 and urges the pawl lever 60 into toothed engagement with the carrier 62 . if the normal key is used , the permanent magnets of the pusher 65 and the holding magnet 63 are brought out of engagement with the blocking plate 12 . the control magnet 54 passes , in this connection , through a longitudinal slot in the blocking plate 12 and accordingly does not exert any blocking function . the change in the closing code is effected in this third embodiment also by means of a corresponding successor key the regions of which displace , in addition to the other magnet pins , also the control magnet 54 and lift it out of the blocking plate . the end thereof which protrudes beyond the wide surface of the pusher 65 thus lies at the height of the lever arm 58 &# 39 ; of the control member 56 . during the forward movement of the pusher 65 , the control magnet 54 , after an idle stroke , acts on the lever arm 58 and swings the angle lever 56 , the carrier 62 , which is mounted in the pusher 65 , being turned further as a result of further forward displacement of the pusher 65 and via the pawl lever 60 . the recoding magnet 63 is thereby imparted by displacement a different position with respect to the pusher 65 . in this position , it is aligned , when the pusher 65 has been displaced backwards , with a blocking opening of the blocking plate 12 , so that the previously used key no longer locks . a new key must then , in the case of a lock for a hotel room door , be turned over to the new guest . in this embodiment two similarly shaped carriers 62 with blocking member 56 can also be associated with the pusher 65 . a modification of this embodiment could be effected in the manner that instead of the pawl lever 60 an escapement is provided , as in the case of a clockwork . a clock spring which can be wound up is then associated as force storage means with the carrier or its shaft . the lever arm 58 is not necessary in this embodiment . via the control magnet 54 , the escapement , upon the forward displacement of the pusher receives the command to permit the carrier to turn further by one step , which force then results from the clock spring . in accordance with the fourth embodiment , shown in fig1 and 15 , the pusher is provided with the reference number 66 . at least one of the permanent magnets 67 borne by it is guided , by the end thereof facing the blocking plate 12 , in a blocking - plate longitudinal - slot opening 69 . parallel to this there extends another blocking - plate longitudinal - slot opening 70 . with regard to the permanent magnet 67 , it may be a control magnet for a previously described control member . in order to change the closing code , the following guest receives a successor key 68 , shown dash - dot line in fig1 , which has two adjacent magnetic zones 71 , 72 for the permanent magnet 67 . these zones form the supplementation region e which effects the resetting . the arranging of the other permanent magnets ( not shown ) is effected by a first region which is associated with the closing code . the zone 71 is so polarized that it acts in repulsion after the pushing in of the successor key 68 . in this way , the permanent magnet or control magnet 67 is pushed into the position shown in dash - dot line in fig1 . by the displacement then of the key with the pusher 66 , the control member lying in the path of the control magnet 67 is acted upon . after complete forward advance of the pusher , the position shown in dash - dot line in fig1 is reached . in this position there takes place a pendulum displacement of the permanent magnet 67 into the other pendulum position , caused by the magnetic zone 72 of opposite polarity . in order to permit the pendulum - like movement of the permanent magnet 67 , the end of the receiving opening 73 which faces away from the key is circular while the opposite end is oval . the longitudinal dimension of this oval is located transverse to the direction of displacement y of the pusher 66 . in order that the permanent magnet 67 does not swing prematurely , the blocking plate 12 is provided between the longitudinal slot openings with a thickening , designated 12 &# 39 ;, in front of which the lower end of the permanent magnet comes upon an attempted displacement . the shifted end 67 &# 39 ; is pulled through zone 72 into the adjacent locking - plate longitudinal - slot opening 70 and remains there even upon the further closing actuation by this successor key 68 . the key previously used , on the other hand , cannot effect any displacement of the pusher 66 . a further resetting can only be caused by a successor key which is issued again and which forms correspondingly magnetized regions . a modification is possible to the effect that , instead of the control - plate longitudinal - slot opening 69 a circular locking - plate blocking opening is selected . the permanent magnet 67 then acts like the other permanent magnets . after the return of the pusher into its initial position , it always returns to the blocking - plate blocking opening . for the recoding , a successor key is then used which corresponds to the key 68 . this means that the pendulum movement takes place in the forward displaced position of the pusher , whereupon the key magnetization or the magnetic zone 72 pulls the shifted end 67 &# 39 ; into the blocking - plate longitudinal - slot opening 70 . such an embodiment is then independent of a control function for a carrier . the fifth embodiment can be noted from fig1 and 17 . the pusher 74 is provided with an elongated recess 75 which extends transverse to its direction of displacement . from the side of the pusher facing the locking plate 12 there extend centrally two mounting recesses 76 which are opposite each other and into which mounting pins 77 extend . these pins are part of a cylindrical sleeve of plastic which surrounds a permanent magnet 78 . when the key is not introduced , the polarized end 78 &# 39 ; of the permanent magnet 78 which faces the blocking plate 12 is pulled into a blocking - plate longitudinal - slot opening 80 lying in the direction of displacement of the pusher 74 , up to the guide plate 9 . the blocking - plate longitudinal - slot opening 80 widens in t - shape at the end opposite the insertion slot 4 , forming a transverse slot 81 . if a successor key 82 is now inserted the supplementary region e of which causes the resetting has two adjacent zones 83 , 84 which are of opposite magnetic polarity , permanent magnet 78 is acted on in repulsion by the zone 83 . it thus passes into the position shown in fig1 in which the end 78 &# 39 ; facing the key still remains within the longitudinal slot 80 . this is obtained in the manner that the mounting recesses 76 limit the movement of the permanent magnet 78 . during the forward displacement , the end of the magnet pin which extends beyond the corresponding wide surface of the pusher can serve to control a control member which effects a recoding of a carrier - side coding pin . the permanent magnet 78 thus serves as control magnet . as soon as the permanent magnet or control magnet 78 reaches the transverse slot 81 , it swings 180 ° since it is exposed to the force of attraction of the magnetic zone 84 , and it is pulled up into the longitudinal slot 80 . further , use of the successor key 82 then does not lead to any controlling of the permanent magnet 78 and thus to any recoding . this must then again be effected by means of another key in which the magnetic regions are suitably polarized . if the permanent magnet 78 is not used as control magnet and only one blocking - plate blocking - opening is provided for it , an alternate possibility of closing can be obtained by means of corresponding keys . this means that after locking by means of the one key , locking is possible only by means of another key . repeated successive locking by means of one key can then no longer be effected a variant could be obtained in the manner that the key is imparted an additional coding upon the insertion of the key , the evaluation of this additional coding takes place . if the key has the correct coding then an obstacle by which a recoding is effected is brought into the position of action , whether it be a displacement of a permanent magnet or a displacement of a recoding magnet held by a carrier . the locking - plate openings and locking - plate longitudinal slots may possibly also be provided in an additional plate . the force accumulator can be so coupled with the pusher that it is wound up to a certain amount by each displacement of the pusher . since as a result of the more frequent normal key actuation , the pusher is actuated more frequently without a resetting displacement , it results statistically that it never completely discharged . fig1 a lock in elevation with bolt pushed forward and corresponding successor key , fig1 a top view of the lock , seen in the direction of the lock cover , fig2 a longitudinal section through the lock with the successor key inserted , fig2 a top view of the lock , with the lock cover omitted and with tumblers in locking position , fig2 a top view of the lock parts , with tumblers omitted and successor key inserted , corresponding to the forward - closed position of the bolt , fig2 a side view of the lock parts shown in fig2 , fig2 a showing corresponding to fig2 but after a 180 ° locking rotation of the successor key , in which position the bolt is retracted over a part of the distance and the fixing - tooth carrier is in pushed - back position of release , fig2 also a showing corresponding to previous fig2 and 24 with multi - bit key turned more than 180 ° in the position in which the successor key lifts a swing bolt and also shifts the tumblers , fig2 a showing similar to the preceding figures , in which the successor key is turned completely through 360 ° with bolt moved completely backward and fixing - tooth carrier assuming a locking position , fig2 a subsequent showing , after fig2 , during the forward closing of the bolt . the lock shown in fig1 to 27 has a box - like lock housing 85 with a lock bottom 86 and lock - box sidewalls 87 , 88 , 89 and 90 extending from it . the lock parts mentioned below are covered by a lock cover 91 . the latter contains in the center a key insertion opening 92 which extends in the longitudinal direction of the lock . from the lock bottom 86 there extends centrally a centering mandrel 93 which extends up into the key insertion opening . between said mandrel and the lock - box sidewall 88 there extends a pin 94 integral with and extending from the lock bottom 86 , against which pin the lock cover 91 also rests and into which a lock cover fastening screw engages . the pin 94 serves in part for a longitudinal guiding of a plate - shaped carrier 95 which is provided in the region between the pin 94 and the lock - box sidewall 88 with a fixing tooth 96 this tooth extends up to the bottom of the lock cover 91 . in the central region , the carrier 95 is provided with a key - engagement opening 97 . above the latter there is a recess 98 which by means of a lower flank forms a blocking shoulder 98 &# 39 ;. a bent portion 99 of a blocking lever 101 mounted below the carrier 95 and spring - urged in direction of engagement by means a leaf spring 102 comes in front of said shoulder . flat alongside the carrier 95 there is a bolt 103 . it forms a thicker bolt head 103 &# 39 ; which passes through the lock - box sidewall 90 and adjoining which there is a thinner bolt tail 103 &# 34 ;. the end of the latter is slotted for the guiding engagement of the pin 94 . the bolt tail 103 &# 34 ; is provided at its center with a control opening 104 . on the side facing away from the carrier 95 there is present on the bolt a recess 105 to receive a bolt rocker 106 . the latter is mounted around a bolt - side bolt 107 and serves in part to form the closure engagement niche 108 of the bolt control opening 104 . a leaf spring 106 &# 39 ; acts on this bolt rocker 106 in clockwise direction , the rocker receiving support on the lower flank of the recess 105 . adjoining the bolt head 103 &# 39 ; there is a turn 109 which extends in the locking direction of the bolt up to the lock cover 91 . in the region between the bolt tail 103 &# 34 ; and the turn projection 109 there is a blocking opening 110 for a blocking tooth 111 of a tumbler plate 112 which rests on the bolt tail 103 &# 34 ; and is swingable around the pin 94 . above that plate there extend seven tumblers 113 of identical development . in contradistinction to the tumbler plate 112 , the point of swing of the tumblers 113 is variable . for this purpose , the region of each tumbler 113 facing the fixing tooth 96 forms an arcuate slot 114 which is passed through by the pin 94 . the edge which extends concentrically to the slot 114 is provided with a toothing 115 . depending on the basic position of each tumbler 113 , the fixing tooth 96 engages into a corresponding tooth gap . the end of each tumbler 113 and the tumbler plate 112 which is opposite the toothing 115 is provided with a stepped - down turn opening 116 . all tumblers form a central control opening 117 and are so acted upon by leaf springs 118 in counterclockwise direction that with the bolt 103 closed they rest on the turn projection 109 ; see fig2 . with respect to the key shown in the figures , it is a successor key 119 . it has a key shaft 120 and a key handle 121 . from the lower end of the key shaft 20 there extends an opening 122 of circular cross section for the entrance of the centering mandrel 93 . in radial direction there protrudes from the key shaft 120 a closing - code bit - step region a . it comprises seven bit steps 123 which serve for the arranging of the tumblers 113 . in the extension of the closure - code bit - step region there is a supplementation region e . the bit step 124 which directly adjoins the bit steps 123 serves for the control of the tumbler plate 112 . the next , wider bit step 125 is intended for the controlling of the bolt 103 . it is then adjoined by a bit step 126 by means of which the release position of the carrier 95 can be brought about . the lowermost bit step 127 , on its part , serves for controlling the blocking lever 101 . diametrically opposite the bit steps 124 to 127 the supplementation region e has a drive wing 128 which extends exclusively in the plane of the tumbler plate 112 and of the bolt tail 103 &# 34 ;. it is adjoined , with the formation of a gap 129 which is arranged at the height of the bit steps 126 and 127 , by an anti - pullout wing 130 . furthermore , diametrically opposite the closing - code bit steps 123 there is an additional bit - step region b the bit steps 123 &# 39 ; of which incorporate the new closure code . the key can be removed only when the bolt 103 is pushed forward . if the locking code used , for instance , by a prior user is to be changed , then a prescribed successor key 119 is issued to the following user . it comprises the bit - step regions a , e and b . the bit - step region a corresponds in its locking code to the locking code used for the predecessor key while the additional bit - step region b incorporates the new locking code . since the anti - pullout wing 130 lies on the same side as the bit - step region b , the wing serves as aid in orientation upon the insertion of the successor key 119 into the lock . the insertion movement is limited by the lock bottom 86 so that the corresponding bit steps are then aligned with the corresponding lock ward parts , see fig2 . upon the locking rotation which then commences , the tumblers 113 are so swung by the bit steps 123 of the region a associated with the locking code that the turn openings 116 thereof lie coinciding one above the other and thus permit the withdrawal of the bolt 103 , the turn projection 109 moving into the turn openings 116 . this is possible because the tumbler plate 112 is simultaneously brought out of engagement by the bit step 124 . during the locking rotation from the position in fig2 into the position in fig2 , along with the bit step 125 which strikes a control edge 104 &# 39 ;, the bolt 103 is pulled back approximately one - third of its total closure path . the step 125 therefore effects a partial displacement of the bolt in order to show the authorization for resetting . furthermore , the blocking lever 101 is lifted by the bit step 127 of the supplementation region e , its angle part 99 moving away from the blocking shoulder 98 &# 39 ;; see the dash - dot showing in fig2 . in this way , the carrier 95 is released for displacement . the corresponding displacement of the carrier takes place in the manner that the bit step 126 strikes against a drive shoulder 97 &# 39 ; of the key engagement opening 97 . the carrying along of the carrier 95 into the position shown in fig2 has the result that the fixing tooth 96 leaves the toothing 115 of the tumblers 113 in this position , which is turned 180 °, the anti - pullout wing 130 is also swung below the carrier 95 , so that the key can not be withdrawn from this position . furthermore , the key can no longer be turned back out of this position since the blocking lever 101 has again dropped back into its starting position and thus lies within the region of turn of the bit step 127 . the turning of the key in clockwise direction must therefore be continued . in accordance with fig2 , the drive wing 128 of the successor key 119 strikes in this connection against the bolt rocker 106 . furthermore , by means of the bit steps 123 &# 39 ; of the additional bit - step region b , the spring - actuated tumblers 113 are shifted into their new basic position , as is possible because the fixing pin 96 is still in release position . during the further turning of the successor key 119 into the position shown in fig2 and therefore after movement through a total angle of turn of 360 °, the bit - step 126 of the supplementation region e comes against another driver shoulder 97 &# 34 ; of the key engagement opening 97 of the carrier 95 and shifts it thus in toward locking direction , the fixing tooth 96 dropping into the corresponding tooth space of the toothing 115 of the tumblers 113 with locking of the different basic positions of the tumblers . thereupon , during this remaining turning path , the drive wing 128 has entered into the closure engagement niche 108 and has thus completely moved the bolt back . in this position the blocking tooth 11 of the tumbler plate 112 engages into the blocking opening 110 of the turn projection 109 , which is not shown . the successor key 119 cannot be withdrawn from this position since the bit - step engages below the carrier 95 . the forward closing of the bolt 103 now requires an opposite closing rotation and therefore in counterclockwise direction . in this connection the drive wing 128 extends into the closure engagement niche 108 of the bolt 103 which is formed in part by the bolt rocker 106 and carries it along with it . the space 129 between the drive wing 128 and the anti - pullout wing 130 has the effect that the key cannot come into to contact with the carrier and the blocking lever . during this closing rotation , the tumblers 113 are also displaced by the additional bit - step region b . after the carrying out of a rearward closing rotation of 180 °, the bolt 103 then assumes its forward closed position from which the successor key 119 can be withdrawn . for the reward closing of the bolt , the successor key must then be so inserted that the additional bit - step region b and therefore the new region , lies on the left - hand side . upon the then following closing rotation , the blocking lever 101 and the carrier 95 are not displaced . only the tumblers are arranged correctly , so that only the bolt is closed backward via the drive wing 128 of the successor key 119 . the rearward closing rotation is completed after about 180 ° so that the position in accordance with fig2 is then again present . a key which follows the successor key 119 would then have the appearance that it is provided with the bit - step region b above the bit - steps 124 , 125 , 126 , 127 . a new additional bit - step region would then be provided in diametrically opposite position . from the foregoing it is clear that the change does not affect the supplementation region e . the later remains the same at all times . a variation is effected solely on the first bit - step region associated with the closing code . it is furthermore to be noted that the supplementation region e of the key enters into action only when the first region , bit - step region a , agrees with the closing code of the tumblers . if such agreement is absent , the tumblers prevent a closing rotation . the third category of structural form is now described . in detail , fig2 shows a longitudinal section through a lock developed in the form of a closure cylinder , with key of cross - shaped section , fig2 shows the closure cylinder with key introduced , partially in elevation and partially in a section turned 45 °, fig3 shows in perspective the key used in accordance with fig2 and 29 , fig3 shows in perspective a successor key of modified embodiment , fig3 is a section along the line xxxiii -- xxxiii of fig3 , fig3 is a section along the line xxxiv -- xxxiv of fig3 , fig3 is a section along the line xxxv -- xxxv of fig3 , fig3 is a section corresponding to fig3 , the successor key being turned 90 °, fig3 is a section corresponding to fig3 , with the successor key again inserted in a position shifted 90 °, fig3 is a section along the line xxxviii -- xxxviii of fig3 , and fig3 is a showing similar to fig3 , the key together with the cylinder core being turned 90 °. the lock which is developed as closure cylinder 131 has a housing 132 of circular shape in cross section . within a central bore 133 it receives a cylinder core 134 which extends over somewhat more than half the length of the housing 132 . within the housing 132 and cylinder core 134 there are arranged four rows of housing pins 135 and core pins 136 at equal angles apart . accordingly , the cylinder core has a key channel 137 of cross - shaped cross section into which the facing ends of the core pins 136 extend . pin springs 138 act on the housing pins 135 which , in their turn , push the core pins in inward direction . in order that the pin springs 138 do not emerge from the bores that receive the housing pins 135 , the housing 132 is covered by a shell 139 . from the side of the housing 132 opposite the cylinder core 134 a bore 140 of larger cross section than the core bore 133 is provided in it , a reset ring 141 being turnably housed therein . said ring can be engaged in 90 ° positions . for this purpose , a blind hole 142 extends from the shell surface of the reset ring 141 in order to receive a detent pin 143 which is urged by spring in outward direction . the conical tip of said pin cooperates with four detent niches 144 lying in the same cross - sectional plane and distributed over the circumference . in each case , one of these detent niches 144 extends at the height of a row of tumbler pins . within a central bore 145 the diameter of which corresponds the core bore 133 , a reset core 146 is mounted . the reset ring 141 and the reset core 146 serve to receive a single row of tumbler pins 147 . they also consist of core pins and housing pins and are urged by spring in inward direction . the reset core 146 furthermore contains a cross - shaped channel 148 in the extension of the key channel 137 . the cross arms 148 &# 39 ; of said channel have the same arm width . the bore 145 is continued on the other side of the reset ring 141 by a bore section 149 of larger cross section . a closure member 150 provided with an eccentrically arranged driver pin 151 extends in turnable manner into said section . the closure member 150 contains an arcuate slot 152 into which a stop 153 of the housing 132 which lies on the same cross sectional plane of the closure cylinder extends . the length of the bore slot 152 is so large that the closing rotation of the closure member of 150 is less than 90 °. a blind bore 154 extends from the end surface of the closure member 150 facing the reset core 146 , in order to receive a coupling member 155 of pot shape . the bottom 156 of said pot faces the reset core 146 and bears an eccentrically arranged driver pin 157 . the diameter of this pin is less than the width of the cross arms 148 &# 39 ;. in the direction of its engagement the coupling member 155 is acted on by a compression spring 158 . the coupling member 155 is made unturnable in the blind bore 154 by a radially aligned control wing 159 which lies at the height of the bottom 156 of the pot , for which wing longitudinal groove 160 extends from the blind bore 154 . the control wing 159 is provided with an oblique surface 161 which slopes down in the direction towards the rim of the pot . this surface cooperates with a conical tip of a control pin 162 which is arranged for displacement in radial direction within the closure member 150 . a compression spring 163 arranged on its stepped - down shaft pushes the control pin 162 in the direction towards the oblique surface 161 . the end of the control pin 162 which is towards the outside cooperates with a locking pawl 164 which is arranged in a longitudinal recess 165 extending from the shell side of the housing 132 . the locking pawl 164 is a single - arm lever . its mounting pin 166 lies close to the separation between reset ring 141 and housing 132 . approximately at the height of its center the locking pawl 164 forms a blocking projection 167 which points in the direction of the reset ring 141 and extends into one of four blocking niches 168 arranged spaced equally apart in circumferential direction . the engagement is brought about by a compression spring 169 which acts on the locking pawl 164 . when the locking pawl 164 is engaged , the detent pin 143 also extends into one of the detent niches 144 . the control pin 162 then also serves for a further function . for this purpose it is provided near its conical tip with a control zone which is formed by a notch groove 170 . the said control zone cooperates with a feeler pin 171 which is arranged crosswise to the direction of movement of the control pin . the control member 155 forms a suitable bore 172 for said pin . when the coupling member 155 is in engagement in the cross - shaped channel 148 the feeler pin 171 rests against the wall surface of the control pin 162 . the feeler pin 171 extends in this connection beyond the separation surface between closure member 150 and reset core 146 . in this connection it acts on one of four longitudinal pins 173 arranged equally apart on the circumference which are housed in corresponding longitudinal bores 174 which completely pass through the reset core 146 . the longitudinal pin 173 which is acted on by the feeler pin 171 extends with its opposite end into one of four blocking openings 175 of the cylinder core 134 which are arranged spaced equally apart on the circumference . fig2 and 34 show that the longitudinal pins 173 are acted on in each case by a compression spring 176 in direction opposite their engagement . the key channel 137 of the cylinder core 134 has its cross arms aligned with those of the cross - shaped channel 148 in the reset core 146 . one of the cross arms 137 &# 39 ; is narrower than the other cross arms ; see in particular fig3 and 39 . the closure cylinder 131 shown in the drawing can be closed by means of a key 177 shown in fig2 and 30 . the key is of cross - shape in cross section and forms two thinner sections 178 and 179 of the cross which are arranged at a right angle to each other they correspond in their thickness to the width of the cross arm 137 &# 39 ;. the other sections 180 , 181 of the cross correspond to the width of the other cross arms of the key channel 137 and also to the width of the cross arm 148 &# 39 ; of the cross - shaped channel 148 present in the reset core 146 . the key 177 has a first region a which is associated with the closure code and which extends up to the place of separation between cylinder core 134 and reset core 146 . the supplementation region e which causes a resetting joins it from that place on . according to fig2 , a resetting has already been effected . the sections 178 to 181 of the cross are provided at the height of region a with closure notches 182 . they represent the closure - code notch region . with the key 177 inserted , therefore , all housing pins 135 and core pins 136 are so aligned that their place of separation lies at the height of the outer surface of the cylinder core ; see fig2 . the supplementation region e which adjoins the first region a has control notches 183 only at the cross - shaped section 181 . the other cross sections are without closure notches in the region there . by means of the control notches 183 the spring actuated tumbler pins 147 are so aligned that their place of separation lies at the height of the outer surface of the reset core 146 . a nose 184 then extends from the free front end of section 178 . when the key 177 is inserted , however , this nose is shifted at an angle to the driver pin 157 and accordingly does not act on the driver pin . with the key 177 completely inserted , the nose 184 extends furthermore to the place of separation between reset core 146 and closure member 150 . this means that the control pin 162 is then also not displaced the blocking engagement between locking pawl 164 and reset ring 141 is thus assured . upon a closing turning of the key 177 , the cylinder core 134 , the reset core 146 , and , via the coupling member 155 , the closure member 150 are carried along . the connection between the two cores 134 and 146 is assured in this connection also by the one longitudinal pin 173 ; see fig2 . the reset ring 141 remains in its position upon this closing rotation , which amounts to less than 90 °. this means that the key can not be withdrawn in the forward - closed position . the withdrawal thereof rather requires a turning back of the cores 134 , 146 into their initial position . to be sure , the key 177 could be inserted turned by an angle of 90 °. however , no arranging of the tumbler pins 147 then takes place . if the closing of the closure cylinder is to be changed , a successor key 185 is turned over to the new user . this key is developed similar to the predecessor key 177 . the successor key 185 also consists of the two regions a and e . however the cross - shaped sections 179 &# 39 ; and 181 &# 39 ; are now thinner than the predecessor key 177 . this means that their thickness corresponds to the width of the cross arm 137 &# 39 ; of the cross - shaped channel 137 . the other sections 178 &# 39 ; and 180 &# 39 ; are now developed with such a thickness that the width corresponds to the other cross arms of the key channel 137 . if this successor key 185 is inserted into the closure cylinder , then the position shown in fig3 , 33 , 34 , 35 , and 38 is obtained . therefore only the housing pins 135 and core pins 136 are positioned by the first region a . the cross - shaped section 180 &# 39 ;, which is free of closure notches in the supplementation region e , does not adjust the tumbler pins 147 . on the other hand , the nose 184 of the cross - shaped section 178 &# 39 ; strikes the driver pin 157 and thus moves the coupling member 155 against spring action . in the end position of the coupling member 155 , the driver pin 157 has then left the corresponding cross arm 148 &# 39 ; of the cross - shaped channel 148 . at the same time as the displacement of the coupling member 155 , the control pin 162 , via its control wing 159 , is moved outward in radial direction . its end swings the locking pawl 164 against spring action , its blocking projection 167 releasing the facing blocking niche 168 . with the displacement of the blocking pin 162 , the notch groove 170 also comes into alignment with the feeler pin 171 , so that the longitudinal pin 173 , via the compression spring 176 , now assumes the position shown in fig3 and thus eliminates the combination engagement between cylinder pawl 134 and reset pawl 146 . upon a closing rotation by means of the successor key 185 by 90 °, the cylinder core 134 is thus carried along , together with reset core 146 and reset ring 141 . the closing displacement is limited by the drive pin 157 which then engages into the next cross arm 148 &# 39 ; of the key channel and therefore after a closing turn of 90 °. the position shown in fig3 and 39 is then present . further turning of the key forward or backward is then not possible . if the closure cylinder 131 is now to be actuated in the normal manner , the successor key 185 is to be withdrawn and inserted in an angular position shifted by 90 ° in order to bring the control notches 183 into engagement with the tumbler pins 147 . in exactly the same way as in the case of the predecessor key , an incorrect insertion of the successor key 185 does not result in any closing action . if necessary , a modified new successor key can be inserted which changes the closing of the closure cylinder and excludes the previously used successor key 185 . also in the case of this version there is a compulsory sequence in the use of the successor key . it is not possible to skip over the use of a successor key .
8
to calibrate prior art display systems comprising groups of light emitting elements , such as light emitting diodes ( leds ), prior practice has been to store values of the commission internationale de l &# 39 ; eclairage ( cie ) chromaticity coordinates ( x , y ) for photopic vision and luminance for each pixel to calculate transformation matrices for color calibration . however , using the cie chromaticity coordinates ties the display to a specific color space and standard , thereby precluding any operation with alternate color spaces or in the scotopic vision color space . in other words , the prior art systems use stored values which already include correction factors or coefficients which limited the calibration of the light emitting elements to certain color spaces and standards . in contrast , the system disclosed herein stores luminance and chromaticity data for each of the light emitting elements with the display panels to which the elements belong . from the stored normalized power spectral density function ( npsd ) for each light emitting element , calibration matrices are dynamically derived for the color space required . advantageously , this methodology allows the disclosed system to compensate for the differences in photopic ( day - time ) and scotopic ( night - time ) vision , as well as the implementation of other color spaces . the disclosed system allows for separate luminance measurement and calibration of a display in the field . the luminance , or brightness , of the light emitting elements used in such displays varies with age and use , while the chromaticity remains comparatively constant . thus , it is important to be able to adjust the luminance calibration separately from the chromaticity as the display gets older . the disclosed system stores data for luminance and chromaticity separately so that an in - field luminance only calibration system may be used to maintain screen uniformity over the lifetime of the product . because luminance calibration is easier to perform than chromaticity calibration , this significantly reduces the complexity of in - situ calibration without compromising the accuracy of such calibrations . accurately measuring the chromaticity of a light emitting element requires a full spectral measurement of the element and is typically performed under controlled conditions . because only color information is required at this stage , and not luminance , only the npsd is measured , which may then be adjusted for luminance at a later time . this substantially simplifies the measurement procedure . fig1 is an illustration of an embodiment of the present patent showing a light emitting element spectral measurement system . in this description , the light emitting elements 101 of a display panel 100 are leds . each of the leds 101 of the display panel 100 may be measured using diffraction grating spectrometers 103 , such as the usb4000 manufactured by ocean optics , inc . of dunedin , fla . if necessary , the light from each of the leds 101 may be passed through a diffusing element 104 to homogenize the light output from each pixel . the spectrometers 103 accept input from a fiber optic channel , which attaches to an optical element to aid measurements , such as a collimating lens , or cosine - correcting lens . a number of measuring heads of the spectrometers 103 may be mounted on a moving head . the heads are positioned above each led , allowing measurement of each of the leds spectral characteristics . following successful measurement , the head may be moved to the next bank of leds until all leds are measured . note that as npsd is being measured , very accurate control of the distance of the measurement optical elements from the leds is not critical . however , controlling the signal - to - noise ratio ( snr ) and ensuring that the spectrometer does not limit may be important . 4 . the number of leds to be calibrated at one time ; and these parameters may be optimized to achieve a satisfactory cycle time . further improvement in measurement time may also be achieved by adding additional spectrometers . fig2 is a further illustration of an embodiment of the present patent showing an led spectral measurement system utilizing multiple spectrometers . optical receptors 105 , each of which utilizes an optical element such as a collimating lens or cosine corrected lens , are located above each of the leds 101 of the display panel 100 . a number of these receptors ( four are illustrated here , although the patent is not so limited ) connect together via a fiber optic splice 106 that sums the light from each connected receptor 105 and transmits the result to a spectrometer 107 . as illustrated , five spectrometers would allow measurement of 20 leds . illuminating only one led per splice unit ( denoted a , b , c , and d in fig2 ) at a time , allows five simultaneous readings to be taken . four readings , one for each of the a , b , c , and d leds , will measure the entire array . care needs to be taken that the surrounding environment does not significantly contribute to the measurement , and that neighboring leds do not interfere with each other . interference of neighboring leds may be controlled , for example , through careful lens selection or through the use of optical baffles . the fiber diameter and measurement distance each may need to be chosen to minimize the exposure time required to measure each led while preventing saturation of the spectrometer and maintaining an acceptable signal - to - noise ratio . preferably , the leds are set to 100 percent on during this measurement , i . e . no pulsing associated with pwm signals . because the linear ccd detector within the spectrometer is progressively scanned , an led fed with a pulsed signal may result in a missing reading , which will be manifested as a hole in the spectrum . if pulsing an led is required , then the missing data may be compensated for by software through detection of any faults and interpolation and by multiple scans . fig3 is an illustration of the typical npsd function of red , green , and blue leds that are commonly utilized in video displays . as can be seen in fig3 , the red and blue power spectral density ( psd ) functions are narrow and do not overlap . thus , the red and blue leds may be measured simultaneously , thereby reducing the number of measurements required by 33 percent . as the green psd function overlaps the blue and red , it may be preferable to measure it separately . however , to further reduce the measurement time , all three colors may be measured simultaneously by interpolating the spectra where the green led spectrum overlaps the red and blue led spectra . while psd functions accurately represent the power ( radiance ) components of the light being emitted , they do not provide a simple way for mathematically quantifying a color or the way a human perceives a color . the science of the relationship between psd and perceived color is referred to as colorimetry . in 1931 , the cie developed a standard set of three color - matching functions for describing color as perceived by a standard observer , and this system has been internationally adopted as a standard method of color definition for luminous and source displays ( i . e . not influenced by an alternative psd such as reflective display ). the cie system consists of a luminance component ( y ) and two additional color or chromaticity components ( x and z ). the three components are based upon a series of experiments , and the result is that a color can be expressed in three tristimulus values . fig4 shows the standard color matching functions . from the psd of a given color , the cie x , y and z tristimulus values may be determined by correlating the psd with each of the corresponding color matching functions as shown below . where : x , y and z are 1 × n matrices representing the color functions ( n is typically 3 ) and psd is a n × 1 matrix representing the psd of the color . note that x , y and z take into account brightness or luminance . in terms of perception of color independent of brightness , the cie proposed a method of normalizing the xyz tristimulus values to obtain two chromaticity values or coordinates with x and y determined as follows : these coordinates form the basis of the standard cie 1931 color diagram and are used in prior display systems for calibration . the cie values include correction factors or coefficients . for more sophisticated color processing , it is preferable to store the npsd data in the product and determine the appropriate cie tristimulus values within the fixture or controller . this technique allows using other color matching functions such as the cie 1964 10 degree observer functions ( proposed to be more accurate in low ambient light conditions ), cie 1960 , cie 1976 functions or any other color spaces known in the art . if only cie x , y , and z are required , then only x and y need to be stored , because z ( required to form the complete matrix ) can be easily determined from the relationship z = 1 . 0 − x − y . note that as we are ultimately only interested in determining x and y , normalized psd functions can be measured so the repeatability of luminance measurement in this process is not of concern . for some leds , the psd may be highly dependent upon drive current , for example , with nichia green leds . the psd may also be slightly influenced , but this influence is largely overshadowed by the high dependence of luminance on junction temperature , and thus ambient temperature and drive current . this must be taken into account when determining the operating current of the leds , as changing this later on in the life of the product will require complete recalibration of both chromaticity and color . luminance is a photometric unit , as opposed to a radiometric one , based on the statistical response of the human eye that provides a measure of perceived brightness . luminance has a unit of candela per square meter . the candela is an si unit and is the measurement unit for luminous intensity , which is defined as the power emitted by a light source in a particular direction spectrally weighted by a luminosity function that is modeled on the spectral response of the human eye . the cie 1931 specification includes a series of standard observer luminosity functions for photopic ( the response during daylight hours centered around 555 nanometers ) and scotopic vision ( the response during night hours centered around 505 nanometers ). these luminosity functions are illustrated in fig5 . note the similarity between the photopic curve in fig5 and the cie tristimulus function for luminance ( y ). substantial care should be taken when measuring absolute luminance , particularly regarding calibration of the measurement unit and ambient light conditions . it is much easier to determine relative luminance , particularly if the ambient conditions can be controlled . within a batch of leds , it is possible for a 1 : 1 . 4 ratio between the most and least bright leds . this means that the least bright led could be 71 percent of the luminance of the brightest led . thus , accurate determination of luminance is critical to maintaining uniformity . additionally , the luminance of an led degrades with temperature and time , so while the psd or color of the led might not change much over the led &# 39 ; s life , the brightness does , and this degradation is the primary source of uniformity degradation in led displays . uniformity degradation may appear as if the color is changing , particularly with white , where all leds are illuminated . however , this degradation is almost entirely due to the varying luminance levels for each primary changing independently , changing the color mix . typically , green and blue degrade substantially more than red . the disclosed calibration system uses a two stage process for measuring luminance ; first a ccd based imaging system is used to determine the relative luminance between each led for each color , and then a standard luminance meter is used to determine the average absolute luminance for the panel . the two measurements may then be combined to obtain absolute luminance readings for each color , for each pixel . though a ccd based system can be calibrated , the system may drift over time and the calibrated reference point is needed to correct this drift . control of the ambient temperature and ambient lighting conditions are critical for ensuring repeatability for luminance measurement . additionally , the thermal time constant of the display must be determined experimentally . the thermal time constant is the time required for a display panel to reach steady state luminance readings for red , green , and blue when operating at the chosen calibration temperature . the display panels need to be stored for a sufficient period of time at the calibration temperature , and then each display panel must be run for an identical period of time before measurements are taken . the calibration system has ambient temperature measurement capability and will only calibrate when the environment is within specification . a suitable calibration temperature may be , for example , 20 degrees c .± 1 degree c . parameters that require strict control when measuring luminance may include but not be limited to : 8 . light reflections ( can be controlled through the use of optical baffles .) 10 . regular verification of the system through the use of standard modules with known calibration the more controlled the environment and the process , the more accurate and repeatable the calibration will be . appropriate checks and balances need to be incorporated into the calibration process to ensure that these ambient conditions are not only within specification , but also logged for future diagnostic purposes . but even with the cautionary notes above , the measurement of , and proper calibration for , the luminance of the leds of the display panels is relatively easy and can be done in - situ , i . e ., at the installed display . on the other hand , properly measuring the chromaticity of the leds in - situ is very difficult given the difficulty in measurement under controlled conditions . once all measurements have been taken for the leds of a display panel , the luminance and chromaticity data are stored on the display panel . fig6 form an overall display 200 formed by a plurality of display panels 100 arrayed in tiles of rows and columns . in this representation only nine display panels 100 are shown and are separated to better illustrate their organization . graphic or video information for each of the light emitting elements 101 of each display panel 100 to display is passed from a central video processor unit controller 205 over a data bus 223 which interconnects the display panels 100 and connects them to the controller 205 . the controller 205 can receive display information as represented by an external source 219 . to process the information for display by each display panel 100 and its constituent light emitting elements 101 , the central controller 205 has a graphics processor unit ( gpu ), a central processing unit ( cpu ), network interface card ( nic ) and memory storage 209 , and the high - speed data bus 223 carries the display information to the display panels 100 . although a nic is depicted , the video processor may be connected by any output means to the display panels , including , for example , video transport ( e . g ., dvi , hdmi , vga , or other ). each display panel 100 also has a memory unit 109 which holds the measured luminance and chromaticity data described for each light emitting element so that the element remains properly calibrated . memory units 109 for only two display panels 100 are shown for drawing simplicity . preferably the memory units 109 are based on nonvolatile memory , such as eeprom integrated circuits , so that the stored data is not lost when power is cut to the display panels . the video processor unit controller 205 also performs the calibration and recalibration procedures described below . a second bus 221 , shown by a dotted line , interconnects the display panels 100 and connects them with the controller 205 . as shown by the double - headed arrow , the panels 100 can pass their luminance and chromaticity data to the controller 205 for processing and once processed , the controller 205 can send the data back to the control panels 100 for storage . it should be understood that accompanying the luminance and chromaticity data there is information to identify the display panel and constituent light emitting element to which the data refers . with this arrangement the central controller 205 can perform the calibration and recalibration procedures so that the individual light emitting elements are matched over the entire display . this contrasts with less desirable calibration ( and recalibration ) procedures by which the elements are matched over a display panel . more details on a display system are described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 12 / 415 , 627 , filed mar . 31 , 2009 , ser . no . 12 / 484 , 200 , filed jun . 13 , 2009 , and u . s . provisional patent applications 61 / 072 , 597 , filed mar . 31 , 2008 , and 61 / 170 , 887 , filed apr . 20 , 2009 , which are incorporated by reference . calibration and recalibration : determination of the tra matrix for each pixel the measured chromaticity and luminance data of each light emitting element is used to calculate the calibration values for the element . some prior art products simply calculate a transformation matrix ( tra ) based upon the color and luminance measurements and a predetermined destination color space ( such as pal or ntsc ). however , to recalibrate luminance in the future , both parameters may need to be stored separately , because when combined into a tra , luminance and chromaticity cannot be independently extracted . notwithstanding the above , it may be advantageous to additionally store the cie x , y chromaticity coordinates as well as luminous intensity for each led in the memory unit 109 for each display panel 100 , as shown in fig6 . as discussed above , because x + y + z = 1 . 0 , it is only necessary to store x and y . thus , an example matrix stored in the eeprom follows : the method described below for determining the transformation matrix is based almost entirely on smpte recommended practice 177 - 1993 entitled “ derivation of basic color television equations .” in order to assist with understanding , the appropriate section of that document is referenced in square brackets . form source ( target matrix ) ( p ). in the smpte recommended practice “ source ” refers to the source color space , but in this case this is the target color space . in order to duplicate the same color space as the source ( e . g . pal ), the pal color space would be the target color space . however , to exploit the extended color gamut it may be necessary to adjust these coordinates . adjustments will provide a display with more vibrant , but less accurate colors . for decorative applications of video display products , it is generally preferable to exploit maximum color gamut . the required color space may be selected in a control system , and this information is sent to the display to calculate the tra . including this selection may allow the user to determine if they prefer accuracy or vibrancy . red ( x sr , y sr ) e . g . ( 0 . 64 , 0 . 3 ) for pal red green ( x sg , y sg ) e . g . ( 0 . 3 , 0 . 6 ) for pal green blue ( x sb , y sb ) e . g . ( 0 . 15 , 0 . 06 ) for pal blue additionally , the source white point ( x w , y w ), needs to be defined . a common white point is d65 which is the standard for television transmission ( 0 . 3127 , 0 . 329 ). note here that each coordinate for the w matrix is normalized with respect to y w ( luminance ) so that white luminance as a value of 1 . 0 ( i . e . r = g = b = 1 for white ). compute the coefficient matrix . these coefficients effectively determine the relative gain required from each of the primaries such that r = g = b = 1 produces white . compute the final source normalized primary matrix npm s as the product of ps and cs : this finally relates the linear rgb values from the video signal to cie x , y , z tristimulus as : note that for the npm s , y sr + y sg + y sb = 1 . 0 , so the ratios of y sr , y sg and y sb represent the ratios of red , green , and blue that are required to get the designated white point . for example , for pal , these ratios are : red 21 percent , green 72 percent and blue 7 percent . form destination ( led display ) primary matrix ( p ). the same process is repeated to determine the destination normalized primary matrix ( npm d ), which may be based upon the chromaticity coordinates obtained in the calibration process . this allows the determination of tristimulus values for a destination rgb color : thus , it is possible to determine the rgb values required to reproduce a given set of tristimulus values : consequently , it is possible to determine the rgb values required for the target color space to reproduce the color of the source rgb color space , and , in turn , determine the transformation matrix . note that if any term in the tra is negative , then the target on source color space cannot be rendered completely by the display . to maximize accuracy , negative coefficients need to be allowed for and coefficients of less than zero are rounded to zero . gain adjust the tra . the process above works on normalized luminance , so the scale factors on gains must also be applied to each color to get the target luminance . the process also assumes that red , green , and blue are adjusted so when set to 100 percent , they combine to form the white point , at the target luminance . assume , for example , a target luminance is l w is 5000 candela per square meter . this luminance may be multiplied by the square area for each pixel to determine a target luminous intensity pen pixel for white ( iw ). the luminous intensity for each led measured at the time of calibration , i r , i g , and i b is stored in the memory 109 of the corresponding display panel . the second row of the npm d ( y dr , y dg and y db ) determines the ratio of the red , green , and blue leds that are required to meet the set white point . for example , for red , i w × y dr determines the luminous intensity required of the red led to meet the red requirement of the white set point , for the given i w . thus , the gain adjustments required for each led , where a gain of 1 gives the required luminous intensity to meet the white point at the specified brightness are : note that if any of the gains are greaten than 1 . 0 , then that color cannot be displayed at the requested luminance level . to determine the pwm values for each of the leds in an efficient manner , these gains may be included the tra . thus , the pwm values required for the leds ( range 0 . 0 to 1 . 0 ) are : note that all these calculations occur in linear space , therefore any gamma correction must be performed following the color space conversion . once tras have been calculated for each led , a test may be required to verify the calibration . measuring the relative luminance at an led level may be difficult because the pwm is active , and due to the progressive scanning of the ccd , errors may occur . higher grade , ultra - fast , scientific ccds can compensate for this effect , as can increasing the exposure time , although due to the high brightness compensation may also be difficult . to truly test accuracy , a high - speed , scientific ccd with x , y and z color filters is required , including , for example , ccds available from radiant imaging , inc . of redmond , wash . on munatest . alternatively , a standard spectroradiometer such as a cs - 1000 on spectrascan may be used to determine panel compliance . embodiments disclosed herein may provide for one on more of the following advantages . first , the calibration system disclosed herein may allow for calibration of displays to arbitrary color spaces . the calibration system disclosed herein may also allow for the adjustment of a display to both photopic vision ( day ) and scotopic vision ( night ). furthermore , the calibration system disclosed herein may allow for enhanced screen uniformity across a display as the elements within a display wear . finally , the calibration system disclosed herein may reduce the complexity of in - field calibrations of displays . the display can be recalibrated by remeasuring the luminance of the light emitting elements only in - situ . this description of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form described , and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the teaching above . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications . this description will enable others skilled in the art to best utilize and practice the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to a particular use . the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims .
6
the term “ alkyl ,” as used herein , refers to a straight - chain or branched saturated group with 1 - 20 carbon atoms , derived from an alkane by the removal of one hydrogen atom . the term “ alkenyl ,” as used herein , refers to a monovalent straight - chain or branched group of 2 - 12 carbon atoms containing at least one carbon - carbon double bond , derived from an alkene by the removal of one hydrogen atom . the term “ alkoxy ,” as used herein , refers to an alkyl group attached to the parent molecular group through an oxygen atom . the term “ amino ,” as used herein , refers to a — nr a r b group , where r a and r b are independently selected from hydrogen , alkyl , aryl or heteroaryl . the term “ aminocarbonyl ,” as used herein , refers to an amino group , as defined herein , attached to the parent molecular moiety through a carbonyl group , as defined herein . the term “ aminocarbonyloxy ,” as used herein , refers to an aminocarbonyl group , as defined herein , attached to the parent molecular moiety through an oxygen atom . the term “ aryl ,” as used herein , refers to a carbocyclic ring system , mono - or bi - cyclic , having one or two aromatic rings . the aryl group can also be fused to a cyclohexane , cyclohexene , cyclopentane or cyclopentene ring . the aryl groups of this invention are optionally substituted . the term “ oxo ,” as used herein , refers to ═ o , and the term “ carbonyl ,” as used herein , refers to a c ═ o group . the term “ cycloalkyl ,” as used herein , refers to a monovalent aliphatic cyclic hydrocarbon group of 3 - 12 carbons derived from a cycloalkane by the removal of one hydrogen atom . the terms “ halo ” and “ halogen ,” as used herein , refer to f , cl , br , or i . the term “ heteroaryl ” represents an aryl group containing in which one , two , or three ring atoms are substituted with heteroatoms independently selected from nitrogen , oxygen , and sulfur . the term “ methylene ,” as used herein , refers to a — ch 2 — group . the term “ perfluoroalkyl ,” as used herein , refers to an alkyl group in which all of the hydrogen atoms have been replaced by fluorine atoms . the term “ phenyl ,” as used herein , refers to a monocyclic carbocyclic ring system having one aromatic ring . the phenyl group can also be fused to another ring . the phenyl groups of this invention can be optionally substituted . the term “ prodrug ,” as used herein , represents compounds that are transformed in vivo to the parent compound of the above formula , for example , by hydrolysis in blood . a thorough discussion is provided in t . higuchi and v . stella , pro - drugs as novel delivery systems , vol . 14 of the a . c . s . symposium series , and in edward b . roche , ed ., bioreversible carriers in drug design , american pharmaceutical association and pergamon press , 1987 , both of which are incorporated herein by reference . the terms “ thioalkoxy ,” and “ thio ,” as used herein , refer to an alkyl group attached to the parent molecular group through a sulfur atom . the term “ treating ,” as used herein , refers to reversing , alleviating , or inhibiting the progress of the disease , disorder or condition , or one or more symptoms of such disease , disorder or condition , to which such term applies . depending on the condition of the patient , as used herein , this term also refers to preventing a disease , disorder or condition , and includes preventing the onset of a disease , disorder or condition , or preventing the symptoms associated with a disease , disorder or condition . as used herein , this term also refers to reducing the severity of a disease , disorder or condition or symptoms associated with such disease , disorder or condition prior to affliction with the disease , disorder or condition . such prevention or reduction of the severity of a disease , disorder or condition prior to affliction refers to administration of the composition of the present invention , as described herein , to a subject that is not at the time of administration afflicted with the disease , disorder or condition . “ preventing ” also refers to preventing the recurrence of a disease , disorder or condition or of one or more symptoms associated with such disease , disorder or condition . the terms “ treatment ” and “ therapeutically ,” as used herein , refer to the act of treating , as “ treating ” is defined above . the compounds of this invention may be prepared by the general methods and examples presented below , and methods known to those of ordinary skill in the art . optimum reaction conditions and reaction times may vary depending on the particular reactants used . unless otherwise specified , solvents , temperatures , pressures , and other reaction conditions may be readily selected by one of ordinary skill in the art . specific procedures are provided in the synthetic examples section . reaction progress may be monitored by conventional methods such as thin layer chromatography ( tlc ) and mass spectrum ( ms ). intermediates and products may be purified by methods known in the art , including column chromatography , high pressure liquid chromatography ( hplc ), and recrystallization . additional abbreviations which have been used in the descriptions of the schemes and the examples that follow are : dmf for n , n - dimethylformamide , dmso for dimethylsulfoxide , and thf for tetrahydrofuran . as shown in scheme i , reaction of i with one equivalent of cyanothioacetamide ii in a suitable solvent such as ethanol , in the presence of a suitable base such as n - methylmorpholine produces intermediates iii . reaction of iii with substituted cyclic , heterocyclic , and polycyclic ketones iv , e . g ., cyclopentanones , cyclohexanones , cycloheptanones , piperidinones , pyrrolidinones , azepanones , tetrahydrofuranones , decalones , cyclohexanediones , and tetrahydropyranones , in a suitable solvent such as ethanol , in the presence of a suitable base such as n - methylmorpholine or morpholine , provides the intermediates v . reaction of v with chloro - or bromoacetamide in a suitable solvent such as ethanol or acetone , in the presence of a suitable base such as potassium carbonate , sodium ethoxide , potassium tert - butoxide , with or without heating , provides compounds of formula vi . substituent r 1 may be further modified by methods known in the art to produce additional compounds of the invention . for example , as illustrated in scheme ii , beginning with substituted or unsubstituted piperidinones , pyrrolidinones , azepanones with protected groups , the procedure above affords via . the protecting group of via is removed by methods and conditions known in the art to produce vii . substituent r 1 may be modified by commonly known methods to make other desired substituents ( viii ) by reaction of vii with an additional reagent such as an alkyl halide , aromatic or aliphatic carboxylic acid , acid halides , sulfonyl halide , anhydride , isocyanate , and isothiocyanate , in a solvent such as dmf , dichloromethane , thf , in the presence of a suitable base such as triethylamine , diisopropylethylamine , pyridine , and potassium carbonate . to a mixture of 2 - thiophencarbaldehyde ( 22 . 4 g , 0 . 2 mol ) and 2 - cyanothioacetamide ( 22 g , 0 . 22 mol ) in 250 ml of ethanol was added n - methylmorpholine ( 30 . 3 g , 0 . 3 mol ) at room temperature . the resulting mixture was stirred at room temperature overnight . the solid was filtered and washed with ethanol to give 28 . 2 g ( 72 %) of product as a yellow solid after drying in vacuo . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d6 ): δ 10 . 0 ( brs , 1h ), 9 . 45 ( brs , 1h ), 8 . 37 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 12 ( d , j = 4 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 88 ( d , j = 3 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 32 ( dd , j = 3 . 3 , 4 . 8 hz , 1h ). es ms m / z 195 ( m + h ) + , 193 ( m − h ) − . to a mixture of 2 - cyano - 3 - thiophen - 2 - yl - thioacrylamide ( 4 . 38 g , 22 . 5 mmol ) and 1 - boc - 3 - pyrrolidine synthesized from pyrrolidinol by reference procedures ( synthetic commun . 1985 , 15 ( 7 ), 587 - 598 ) ( 4 . 16 g , 22 . 5 mmol ) in 200 ml of anhydrous ethanol was added morpholine ( 3 . 94 g , 45 mmol ) at room temperature with stirring . the resulting mixture was heated to reflux overnight . then , 2 - chloroacetamide ( 4 . 21 g , 45 mmol ) and k 2 co 3 ( 6 . 23 g , 45 mmol ) were added . the reaction mixture was continued to heat at 80 ° c . overnight and then cooled to room temperature . the crystals was filtered and washed with ethanol and water to give the desired product as yellow crystals . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d6 ): δ 7 . 92 ( dd , j = 1 . 2 , 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 33 ( dd , j = 1 . 2 , 3 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 30 ( dd , j = 3 . 6 , 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 26 ( brs , 1h ), 5 . 97 ( d , j = 10 . 5 hz , 2h ), 4 . 70 ( d , j = 6 . 0 hz , 2h ), 4 . 45 ( d , j = 10 . 5 hz , 2h ), 1 . 42 ( m , 9h ). es ms m / z 417 ( m + h ) + , 415 ( m − h )—. to a suspension of 3 - amino - 2 - carbamoyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 7 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 6 - carboxylic acid tert - butyl ester ( 4 g , 9 . 6 mmol )) in 70 ml of anhydrous methanol was added dropwise 7 ml of acetyl chloride under argon . the resulting mixture was stirred for 48 hours at room temperature . the solid was filtered and washed with methanol to give 3 . 14 g ( 93 %) of the yellow product as its hydrochloride salt . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d6 ): δ 10 . 20 ( brs , 2h ), 7 . 96 ( dd , j = 1 . 2 , 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 36 ( dd , j = 1 . 2 , 3 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 32 ( brs , 2h ), 7 . 31 ( dd , j = 3 . 6 , 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 6 . 02 ( brs , 2h ), 4 . 63 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 42 ( s , 2h ). es ms m / z 317 ( m + h ) + , 315 ( m − h ) − . a mixture of 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide hydrochloride ( 70 mg , 0 . 2 mmol ), benzyl bromide ( 38 mg , 0 . 22 mmol ), and triethylamine ( 0 . 2 ml ) in 2 ml of anhydrous dmf was heated at 60 ° c . for 24 hours . the solvent was removed in vacuo , and the residue was purified by preparative hplc to give a yellow solid . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d6 ): δ 7 . 83 ( d , j = 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 32 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 31 ( d , j = 3 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 26 ( dd , j = 3 . 6 , 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 22 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 22 ( brs , 2h ), 5 . 96 ( brs , 2h ), 4 . 02 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 86 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 72 ( s , 2h ). es ms m / z 407 ( m + h ) + , 405 ( m − h ) − . the following compounds were prepared by using the same procedure described in example 1 , substituting a suitable aldehyde for 2 - thiophencarbaldehyde as the starting material . in some cases , if the product was not recrystallized from methanol or ethanol , the reaction mixture was purified by flash column chromatography or preparative hplc . 3 - amino - 6 - pyridin - 2 - ylmethyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 7 ) 3 - amino - 6 - pyridin - 3 - ylmethyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 20 ) 3 - amino - 6 -( 2 - methyl - benzyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 22 ) 3 - amino - 6 -( 3 - fluoro - benzyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 23 ) 3 - amino - 6 -( 3 , 5 - dimethoxy - benzyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 24 ) a mixture of 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide hydrochloride ( 70 mg , 0 . 2 mmol ), bromomethyl cyclopropane ( 54 mg , 0 . 4 mmol ), and triethylamine ( 0 . 2 ml ) in 2 ml of anhydrous dmf was heated at 60 ° c . for 24 hours . the solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue was purified by preparative hplc to give pure products as a yellow solid . 1 h - nmr ( 500 mhz , dmso - d6 ): δ 8 . 00 ( d , j = 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 31 ( d , j = 3 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 26 ( dd , j = 3 . 6 , 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 22 ( brs , 2h ), 6 . 05 ( brs , 2h ), 4 . 90 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 75 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 30 ( d , j = 7 . 0 hz , 2h ), 1 . 15 ( m , 1h ), 0 . 65 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 40 ( m , 2h ). es ms m / z 371 ( m + h ) + , 369 ( m − h ) − . the following compounds were prepared by using the same procedure described in example 2 , substituting a suitable halide for bromomethyl cyclopropane . in some cases , if the product was not recrystallized from methanol or ethanol , the reaction mixture was purified by flash column or preparative hplc . 3 - amino - 6 -( 3 - chloro - propyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 3 ) 3 - amino - 6 -( tetrahydro - pyran - 2 - ylmethyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 4 ) 3 - amino - 6 -[ 5 -( 2 - methoxy - phenyl )-[ 1 , 2 , 4 ] oxadiazol - 3 - ylmethyl ]- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 5 ) 3 - amino - 6 -( 3 - methyl - butyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 6 ) 3 - amino - 6 -( 2 - benzoyloxy - ethyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 9 ) 3 - amino - 6 - phenethyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 10 ) 3 - amino - 6 - cyclohexylmethyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 11 ) 3 - amino - 6 -[ 2 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 2 - oxo - ethyl ]- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 12 ) 3 - amino - 6 -( 3 - hydroxy - 2 - methyl - propyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 13 ) 3 - amino - 6 - isobutyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 14 ) 3 - amino - 6 -( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 15 ) 3 - amino - 6 - pentyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 16 ) 3 - amino - 6 -( 2 - methoxy - ethyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 17 ) 3 - amino - 6 - carbethoxymethyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 18 ) 3 - amino - 6 -[ 2 -( 1 , 3 - dioxo - 1 , 3 - dihydro - isoindol - 2 - yl )- ethyl ]- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 19 ) a mixture of 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide hydrochloride ( 0 . 7 g , 2 mmol ), 1 - chloro - 3 - bromopropane ( 4 mmol ), and triethylamine ( 2 ml ) in 10 ml of anhydrous dmf was heated at 60 ° c . for 24 hours . the solvent was removed in vacuo , and the residue was purified by silica gel column ( chloroform / methanol , 40 : 1 ) to give pure compound as a yellow solid . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d6 ): δ 7 . 88 ( d , j = 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 29 ( d , j = 3 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 27 ( dd , j = 3 . 6 , 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 22 ( brs , 2h ), 5 . 98 ( brs , 2h ), 4 . 00 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 77 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 67 ( t , j = 6 . 3 hz , 2h ), 2 . 78 ( t , j = 6 . 3 hz , 2h ), 1 . 90 ( m , 2h ). es ms m / z 393 , 395 ( m + h ) + . a mixture of 3 - amino - 6 -( 3 - chloro - propyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 78 mg , 0 . 2 mmol ) and morpholine ( 44 mg , 0 . 5 mmol ) in 4 ml of ethanol was heated at 100 ° c . for 24 hours . the solvent was removed in vacuo , and the residue was purified by silica gel column ( chloroform / methanol , 30 : 1 ) to give the pure compound as a yellow solid . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d6 ): δ 7 . 88 ( d , j = 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 29 ( d , j = 3 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 27 ( dd , j = 3 . 6 , 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 22 ( brs , 2h ), 5 . 98 ( brs , 2h ), 4 . 59 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 35 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 80 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 67 ( t , j = 6 . 3 hz , 2h ), 3 . 20 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 15 ( t , j = 6 . 3 hz , 2h ), 2 . 00 ( m , 2h ). es ms m / z 444 ( m + h ) + , 442 ( m − h ) − . the following compounds were prepared by the same procedure described in example 3 , substituting suitable nucleophilic reagents for morpholine , as for compound 27 . in some cases , if the product was not recrystallized from methanol or ethanol , the reaction mixture was purified by flash column chromatography or preparative hplc . to a mixture of 2 - cyano - 3 - thiophen - 2 - yl - thioacrylamide ( 4 . 38 g , 22 . 5 mmol ) and 1 - boc - 3 - piperidone ( 4 . 49 g , 22 . 5 mmol ) in 200 ml of anhydrous ethanol was added morpholine ( 3 . 94 g , 45 mmol ) at room temperature with stirring . the resulting mixture was heated to reflux overnight . then , 2 - chloroacetamide ( 4 . 21 g , 45 mmol ) and k 2 co 3 ( 6 . 23 g , 45 mmol ) was added . the reaction mixture was continued to heat at 80 ° c . overnight . the solvent was removed in vacuo , and the residue was purified by silica gel column ( chloroform / methanol , 40 : 1 ) and recrystallized from methanol to give a yellow crystalline product . to a suspension of 3 - amino - 2 - carbamoyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 8 - dihydro - 6h - 1 - thia - 7 , 9 - diaza - cyclopenta [ b ] naphthalene - 7 - carboxylic acid tert - butyl ester ( 100 mg ) in 10 ml of anhydrous methanol under argon 0 . 5 ml of acetyl chloride was added dropwise , and the resulting mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature . the reaction mixture was neutralized with 7n ammonia in methanol and evaporated to dryness under vacuum . the residue was purified by silica gel column ( chloroform / methanol , 30 : 1 ) to give a yellow solid . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d6 ): δ 7 . 88 ( d , j = 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 28 ( dd , j = 3 . 6 , 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 16 ( d , j = 3 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 01 ( brs , 2h ), 5 . 64 ( brs , 2h ), 4 . 84 ( brs , 1h ), 3 . 16 ( s , 2h ), 2 . 94 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 86 ( m , 2h ). es ms m / z 331 ( m + h ) + , 329 ( m − h ) − . a mixture of 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - 1 - thia - 7 , 9 - diaza - cyclopenta [ b ] naphthalene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 66 mg , 0 . 2 mmol ), benzyl bromide ( 38 mg , 0 . 22 mmol ), and triethylamine ( 0 . 2 ml ) in 2 ml of anhydrous dmf was heated at 60 ° c . for 24 hours . the solvent was removed in vacuo , and the residue was purified by preparative hplc to give pure products as a yellow solid . the following compounds were prepared by using the same procedure described in example 4 and substituting a suitable halide for benzyl bromide as for compound 31 . in some cases , if the product was not recrystallized from methanol or ethanol , the reaction mixture was purified by flash column or preparative hplc . to a mixture of 2 - cyano - 3 - thiophen - 2 - yl - thioacrylamide ( 0 . 39 g , 2 mmol ), 2 - ethoxy - cyclopentanone ( 0 . 26 g , 2 mmol ) in 10 ml of ethanol was added n - methylmorpholine ( 0 . 4 g , 4 mmol ). the resulting mixture was refluxed overnight , and 2 - chloroacetamide ( 0 . 38 g , 4 mmol ) and anhydrous potassium carbonate ( 0 . 55 g , 4 mmol ) were added with stirring . the reaction mixture was further heated at reflux overnight . the cooled reaction mixture was poured into 50 ml of ice - water , and the precipitate was filtered and washed with water to give the crude product as a yellow solid . the product was further purified by silica gel column to produce a yellow solid . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d6 ): δ 7 . 88 ( dd , j = 2 . 7 , 3 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 26 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 24 ( brs , 2h ), 5 . 8 ( brs , 2h ), 4 . 87 ( dd , j = 4 . 5 , 6 . 9 hz , 1h ), 3 . 79 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 65 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 43 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 77 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 35 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 98 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 31 ( t , j = 6 . 9 hz , 3h ). es ms m / z 360 ( m + h ) + , 358 ( m − h ) − . the following compounds were prepared by the same procedure described in example 5 , substituting a suitable cyclic ketone for 2 - ethoxy - cyclopentanone as for compound 35 . when flash column chromatography was insufficient for purification , the crude product was further purified by preparative hplc . 3 - amino - 7 - methyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 37 ) 3 - amino - 7 - carbomethoxymethyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 40 ) 3 - amino - 7 - carbethoxymethyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 41 ) 3 - amino - 7 - hexyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 59 ) 3 - amino - 7 - heptyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 60 ) 3 - amino - 7 - cyclopentyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 61 ) 3 - amino - 8 -( 2 - cyano - ethyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - thieno [ 2 , 3 - b ] quinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 62 ) 3 - amino - 8 - isobutyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - thieno [ 2 , 3 - b ] quinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 63 ) 3 - amino - 8 - benzyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - thieno [ 2 , 3 - b ] quinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 64 ) 3 - amino - 8 - propyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - thieno [ 2 , 3 - b ] quinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 65 ) 3 - amino - 8 - phenyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - thieno [ 2 , 3 - b ] quinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 66 ) 3 - amino - 8 -( 3 - methoxy - phenyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - thieno [ 2 , 3 - b ] quinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 67 ) 3 - amino - 8 - cyclohexyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - thieno [ 2 , 3 - b ] quinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 68 ) 3 - amino - 8 - methoxy - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - thieno [ 2 , 3 - b ] quinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 69 ) 8 - allyl - 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - thieno [ 2 , 3 - b ] quinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 70 ) 3 - amino - 8 - carbethoxymethyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - thieno [ 2 , 3 - b ] quinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 71 ) 3 - amino - 6 - methyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - thieno [ 2 , 3 - b ] quinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 72 ) 3 - amino - 6 - ethyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - thieno [ 2 , 3 - b ] quinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 73 ) 3 - amino - 7 - methyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - thieno [ 2 , 3 - b ] quinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 74 ) 3 - amino - 4 -( 3 - methyl - thiophen - 2 - yl )- 5 - oxo - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - thieno [ 2 , 3 - b ] quinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 75 ) 3 - amino - 4 -( thiophen - 2 - yl )- 5 - oxo - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - thieno [ 2 , 3 - b ] quinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 76 ) 3 - amino - 4 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 5 - oxo - 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro - thieno [ 2 , 3 - b ] quinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 77 ) 3 - amino - 5 - oxo - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 1 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - hexahydro - thiochromeno [ 2 , 3 - b ] pyrrole - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 78 ) to a mixture of 2 - cyano - 3 - thiophen - 2 - yl - thioacrylamide ( 6 . 3 g , 33 mmol ), 2 - oxocyclopentaneacetic acid ( 4 . 6 g , 33 mmol ) in 70 ml of ethanol was added n - methylmorpholine ( 6 . 6 g , 65 mmol ). the resulting mixture was refluxed overnight , then 2 - chloroacetamide ( 6 . 1 g , 65 mmol ) and anhydrous potassium carbonate ( 9 . 0 g , 65 mmol ) was added with stirring . the reaction mixture was continued to reflux overnight . the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature and the solid was filtered and washed with ethanol . the sodium salt of product was dissolved in 100 ml of water and neutralized with 10 % hydrochloric acid to ph & lt ; 6 . the precipitate was filtered and washed with water to give 3 . 7 g ( 31 %) of pure product as a yellow solid . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d6 ): δ 12 . 24 ( brs , 1h ), 7 . 87 ( d , j = 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 27 - 7 . 24 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 18 ( brs , 2h ), 5 . 93 ( brs , 2h ), 3 . 55 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 94 ( dd , j = 3 . 9 , 16 . 2 hz , 1h ), 2 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 40 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 75 ( m , 1h ). es ms m / z 374 ( m + h ) + , 372 ( m − h ) − . a solution of 3 - amino - 7 - carboxymethyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 75 mg , 0 . 2 mmol ), morpholine ( 19 mg , 0 . 22 mmol ), and 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole ( 30 mg , 0 . 22 mmol ) in 2 ml of anhydrous dmf was cooled to 0 ° c ., then dcc ( 45 mg , 0 . 22 mmol ) was added . the resulting mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 2 hours , then at room temperature for 48 hours . the solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue was recrystallized from methanol to give a pure product as yellow crystals . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d6 ): δ 7 . 87 ( dd , j = 1 . 2 , 4 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 27 ( dd , j = 3 . 6 , 4 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 23 ( dd , j = 1 . 2 , 3 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 18 ( brs , 2h ), 5 . 93 ( brs , 2h ), 3 . 61 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 55 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 47 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 04 ( dd , j = 3 . 9 , 15 . 9 hz , 1h ), 2 . 71 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 57 ( dd , j = 9 . 3 , 15 . 9 hz , 1h ), 2 . 39 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 75 ( m , 1h ). es ms m / z 443 ( m + h ) + , 441 ( m − h )—. the following compounds were prepared by the same procedure described in example 6 , substituting a suitable amine for morpholine as for compound 38 . in some cases , if the product was not recrystallized from methanol or ethanol , the reaction mixture was purified by flash column or preparative hplc . 3 - amino - 7 -[( 2 - hydroxy - 2 - phenyl - ethylcarbamoyl )- methyl ]- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 39 ) 3 - amino - 7 - methylcarbamoylmethyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 42 ) 3 - amino - 7 -{[( 5 - methyl - furan - 2 - ylmethyl )- carbamoyl ]- methyl }- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 43 ) 3 - amino - 7 -[( 2 - methoxy - benzylcarbamoyl )- methyl ]- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 44 ) 3 - amino - 7 -{[( pyridin - 2 - ylmethyl )- carbamoyl ]- methyl }- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 45 ) 3 - amino - 7 -[( 2 - pyridin - 2 - yl - ethylcarbamoyl )- methyl ]- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 46 ) 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 7 -[( 4 - trifluoromethyl - benzylcarbamoyl )- methyl ]- 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 47 ) 3 - amino - 7 -[( 3 - methyl - butylcarbamoyl )- methyl ]- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 48 ) 3 - amino - 7 - dimethylcarbamoylmethyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 49 ) 3 - amino - 7 - cyclobutylcarbamoylmethyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 50 ) 3 - amino - 7 - cyclohexylcarbamoylmethyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 51 ) 3 - amino - 7 -[ 2 -( 4 - hydroxy - piperidin - 1 - yl )- 2 - oxo - ethyl ]- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 52 ) 3 - amino - 7 -[ 2 - oxo - 2 -( 4 - pyridin - 2 - yl - piperazin - 1 - yl )- ethyl ]- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 53 ) 4 -[ 2 -( 3 - amino - 2 - carbamoyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridin - 7 - yl )- acetylamino ]- piperidine - 1 - carboxylic acid ethyl ester ( 54 ) 3 - amino - 7 -{[ 2 -( 1 - methyl - pyrrolidin - 2 - yl )- ethylcarbamoyl ]- methyl }- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 55 ) 1 -[ 2 -( 3 - amino - 2 - carbamoyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridin - 7 - yl )- acetyl ]- piperidine - 4 - carboxylic acid ethyl ester ( 56 ) 3 - amino - 7 -[( 3 - morpholin - 4 - yl - propylcarbamoyl )- methyl ]- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 57 ) 3 - amino - 7 -{[ 3 -( 2 - methyl - piperidin - 1 - yl )- propylcarbamoyl ]- methyl }- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - cyclopenta [ b ] thieno [ 3 , 2 - e ] pyridine - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 58 ) to 70 mg ( 0 . 22 mmol ) of 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide hydrochloride in 3 . 0 ml of dmf was added dropwise 40 μl of diisopropylethylamine and 26 μl of phenyl isothiocyanate with stirring at 0 ° c . the resulting mixture was continuously stirred at room temperature for 6 hours . the solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue was recrystallized from methanol to give the pure product as a yellow solid in 92 % yield : silica gel tlc ( 1 : 5 methanol - chloroform ); 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d6 ) δ 9 . 29 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 94 ( d , 1h , j = 4 . 8 hz ), 7 . 36 - 7 . 28 ( m , 8h ), 7 . 16 - 7 . 13 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 99 ( s , 2h ), 5 . 13 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 89 ( s , 2h ). es ms m / z 452 ( m + h ) + , 450 ( m − h ) − . the following compounds were prepared by using the same procedure described in example 7 , substituting a suitable isothiocyanate for phenyl isothiocyanate , as for compound 79 . in most cases , 1 . 0 equivalent of 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide hydrochloride in dmf was added dropwise 1 . 1 equivalent of diisopropylethylamine and 1 . 0 equivalent of isothiocyanate at 0 ° c . then the resulting mixture was stirred at room temperature for 4 to 16 hours and monitored by tlc . the solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue was purified by a silica gel column chromatography eluting with 10 - 25 % methanol in chloroform or recrystallized from methanol to give the pure products as a yellow solid in 80 - 99 % yield . 3 - amino - 6 -[( tetrahydro - furan - 2 - ylmethyl )- thiocarbamoyl ]- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 80 ) 3 - amino - 6 - cyclopentylthiocarbamoyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 81 ) 3 - amino - 6 - butylthiocarbamoyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 82 ) 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 - p - tolylthiocarbamoyl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 83 ) 3 - amino - 6 - benzylthiocarbamoyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 84 ) 3 - amino - 6 -( 3 - methoxy - phenylthiocarbamoyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 85 ) 3 - amino - 6 -( 3 - phenyl - propylthiocarbamoyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 86 ) 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 -( 3 - trifluoromethyl - phenylthiocarbamoyl )- 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 87 ) 3 - amino - 6 -( 4 - fluoro - phenylthiocarbamoyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 88 ) 3 - amino - 6 -( 3 , 5 - dichloro - phenylthiocarbamoyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 89 ) 4 -[( 3 - amino - 2 - carbamoyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 7 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 6 - carbothioyl )- amino ]- benzoic acid methyl ester ( 90 ) 3 - amino - 6 - cyclopropylthiocarbamoyl - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 91 ) 3 - amino - 6 -( 3 , 5 - dimethyl - phenylthiocarbamoyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 92 ) 3 - amino - 6 -( 2 - morpholin - 4 - yl - ethylthiocarbamoyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 93 ) 3 - amino - 6 -( 3 - morpholin - 4 - yl - propylthiocarbamoyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 94 ) to 20 mg ( 0 . 06 mmol ) of 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide hydrochloride in 3 . 0 ml of dmf was added 51 ul of 1 . 0 m solution of diisopropylethylamine in thf and 7 . 3 mg ( 0 . 06 mmol ) of 2 - chloroethyl isothiocyanate at 0 ° c . with stirring . the resulting mixture was continuously stirred at room temperature for 16 hours . the solvent was removed in vacuo to dryness . the residue was recrystallized from methanol to give the pure product as a yellow solid in 70 % yield : silica gel tlc r f 0 . 80 ( i : 8 methanol - chloroform ); 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 ) δ 7 . 97 ( dd , 1h , j = 6 . 0 , 1 . 2 hz ), 7 . 37 - 7 . 30 ( m , 4h ), 6 . 00 ( s , 2h ), 5 . 07 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 82 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 98 ( t , 2h , j = 15 . 0 hz ), 3 . 68 ( t , 2h , j = 15 . 0 hz ). es ms m / z 540 ( m + h ) + , 538 ( m − h ) − . to 50 mg ( 0 . 158 mmol ) of 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide hydrochloride in 3 . 0 ml of dmf was added dropwise 0 . 16 ml of 1 . 0 m solution of diisopropylethylamine in thf and 0 . 16 ml of 1 . 0 m solution of 4 - cyanophenyl isocyanate in thf with stirring at 0 ° c . the resulting mixture was continuously stirred at room temperature for 8 hours . the solvent was removed in vacuo to dryness . the residue was recrystallized from methanol and further purified by hplc to give the pure product as a yellow solid in 93 . 7 % yield : silica gel tlc r f 0 . 80 ( 1 : 5 methanol - chloroform ); 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 8 . 94 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 94 ( d , 1h , j = 3 . 0 hz ), 7 . 73 - 7 . 67 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 36 - 7 . 27 ( m , 4h ), 5 . 98 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 92 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 68 ( s , 2h ). es ms m / z 461 ( m + h ) + , 459 ( m − h ) − . the following compounds were prepared by using the same procedure described in example 9 and substituting a isocyanate for 4 - cyanophenylcyanate as for compound 106 . in some cases , if the product was not recrystallized from methanol or ethanol , the reaction mixture was purified by flash column chromatography or preparative hplc . 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 7 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 , 6 - dicarboxylic acid 2 - amide 6 - phenylamide ( 96 ) 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 7 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 , 6 - dicarboxylic acid 2 - amide 6 - benzylamide ( 97 ) 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 7 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 , 6 - dicarboxylic acid 2 - amide 6 - ethylamide ( 98 ) 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 7 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 , 6 - dicarboxylic acid 2 - amide 6 -[( 4 - phenyl - piperazin - 1 - ylmethyl )- amide ] ( 99 ) 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 7 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 , 6 - dicarboxylic acid 2 - amide 6 - thiophen - 3 - ylamide ( 100 ) 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 7 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 , 6 - dicarboxylic acid 2 - amide 6 - cyclohexylamide ( 101 ) 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 5 , 7 - dihydro - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 , 6 - dicarboxylic acid 2 - amide 6 -[( 6 - morpholin - 4 - yl - pyridin - 3 - yl )- amide ] ( 102 ) to 50 mg ( 0 . 158 mmol ) of 3 - amino - 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide hydrochloride in 3 . 0 ml of dmf was added dropwise 0 . 32 ml of 1 . 0 m solution containing diisopropylethylamine ( dipea ) in thf and ( 0 . 16 mmol ) of 2 - chloroacetyl chloride in 1 . 0 ml of dmf , according to standard procedures . the resulting mixture was continuously stirred at room temperature for several hours , and the progress of the reaction was monitored by tlc . the solvent was removed under vacuum , and the residue was recrystallized from a polar solvent . similar procedures were used for 3 - amino - 6 -[ 2 -( 4 - benzyl - cyclohexylamino )- acetyl ]- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 103 ) and 3 - amino - 6 -( 6 - morpholin - 4 - yl - pyridine - 3 - carbonyl )- 4 - thiophen - 2 - yl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - 1 - thia - 6 , 8 - diaza - s - indacene - 2 - carboxylic acid amide ( 105 ). in some cases , if the product was not recrystallized from methanol or ethanol , the reaction mixture was purified by flash column chromatography or preparative hplc . all products were verified by nmr spectroscopy . a mixture of 2 - cyano - 3 - thiophen - 2 - yl - thioacrylamide ( 290 mg , 1 . 533 nmol ), trans - 1 - decalone ( 280 mg ) and morpholine ( 2 drops ) was microwaved in a sealed vessel with the following condition : 300 watts , 75 ° c ., 300 psi , 5 min run time , 25 min hold time without stirring . the resulting mixture was passed through a silica gel column eluted with 5 % acetone in chloroform to yield 180 mg ( 36 . 0 %) of the benzoquinoline product as an enantiomeric mixture . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d6 ): δ 8 . 30 ( brs , 1h ) 7 . 86 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 24 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 0 - 3 . 5 ( m , 14h ). to a solution of the above intermediate ( 180 mg , 0 . 55 mmol ) in ethanol ( 5 ml ) was added potassium carbonate ( 114 mg , 0 . 83 mmol ) and 2 - chloroacetamide ( 77 . 6 mg , 0 . 83 mmol ). this solution was heated at 80 ° c . overnight with stirring . the resulting solution was evaporated to dryness and passed through a silica gel column eluted with 5 % acetone in chloroform to yield 23 . 4 mg ( 11 %) of the amino - carboxamide . this product was determined to be an enantiomeric mixture ( 55 % and 42 %) by analytical hplc . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d6 ): δ 8 . 30 ( brs , 1h ), 7 . 87 ( d , j = 5 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 2 ( m , 3h ), 5 . 74 ( brs , 1h ), 1 . 0 - 3 . 5 ( m , 14h ). based on the unexpected discovery that numerous protein kinase inhibitors may be employed as antiviral agents , the inventors generally contemplate that known and novel kinase inhibitors may be used as antiviral drugs and vice versa — antiviral drugs as kinase inhibitors ( e . g ., in the treatment of diseases known to be associated with dysregulation of kinases , especially including neoplastic diseases ). thus , in one general aspect of the inventive subject matter , all known kinase inhibitors , and particularly those contemplated herein and / or involved in a signaling cascade may be employed as antiviral agents ( and vice versa ). for example , various contemplated compounds exhibit ikkβ inhibitory activity and have been demonstrated by the inventors to be effective anti - hbv agents . however , it should be recognized that numerous other kinase inhibitors may also demonstrate an antiviral effect against a variety of viruses other than hbv , and especially contemplated alternative viruses include those in which the virus directly or indirectly interferes with the host cell &# 39 ; s signal transduction , and / or in which the viral infection is associated with an inflammatory response of the host ( e . g ., hcv ). still further , it should be recognized that contemplated anti - hbv compounds may also be used as therapeutic agents against diseases associated with ikkβ dysregulation which may include , melanoma , mammary carcinoma , non - small cell lung carcinoma , colorectal carcinoma , squamous - cell carcinoma , leukemia , lymphoma , thyroid carcinoma , fibrosarcoma , pancreatic cancer , prostate cancer , multiple myeloma , ovarian cancer , rheumatoid arthritis , multiple sclerosis , psoriasis , or inflammatory disorders . therefore , the inventors especially contemplate pharmaceutical compositions in which contemplated kinase inhibitory compounds are present at a concentration effective to inhibit or reduce viral propagation in a patient &# 39 ; s cell . the term “ viral propagation ” as used herein especially includes reduction of viral replication , synthesis , processing and / or assembly of viral polypeptides , viral entry into the host cell , and release of viral particles from an infected cell . it is particularly preferred that contemplated compounds are included in a pharmaceutical composition that is formulated with one or more non - toxic pharmaceutically acceptable carriers . the pharmaceutical compositions may be specially formulated for oral administration in solid or liquid form , for parenteral injection , or for rectal administration . the pharmaceutical compositions of this invention can be administered to humans and other animals orally , rectally , parenterally , intracistemally , intravaginally , intraperitoneally , topically ( as by powders , ointments , or drops ), bucally , or as an oral or nasal spray . the term “ parenteral ” administration as used herein refers to modes of administration which include intravenous , intramuscular , intraperitoneal , intrasternal , subcutaneous and intra - articular injection and infusion . pharmaceutical compositions for parenteral injection preferably comprise pharmaceutically acceptable sterile aqueous or non - aqueous solutions , dispersions , suspensions or emulsions as well as sterile powders for reconstitution into sterile injectable solutions or dispersions just prior to use . examples of suitable aqueous and non - aqueous carriers , diluents , solvents or vehicles include water , ethanol , polyols ( such as glycerol , propylene glycol , polyethylene glycol , and the like ), and suitable mixtures thereof , vegetable oils ( such as olive oil ), and injectable organic esters such as ethyl oleate . proper fluidity can be maintained , for example , by the use of coating materials such as lecithin , by the maintenance of the required particle size in the case of dispersions , and by the use of surfactants . contemplated compositions may also contain adjuvants such as preservative , wetting agents , emulsifying agents , and dispersing agents . prevention of the action of microorganisms may be ensured by the inclusion of various antibacterial and antifungal agents , for example , paraben , chlorobutanol , phenol sorbic acid , and the like . it may also be desirable to include isotonic agents such as sugars , sodium chloride , and the like , prolonged absorption of the injectable pharmaceutical form may be brought about by the inclusion of agents which delay absorption such as aluminum monostearate and gelatin . in some cases , in order to prolong the effect of the drug , it is desirable to slow the absorption of the drug from subcutaneous or intramuscular injection . this may be accomplished by the use of a liquid suspension of crystalline or amorphous material with poor water solubility . the rate of absorption of the drug then depends upon its rate of dissolution , which , in turn , may depend upon crystal size and crystalline form . alternatively , delayed absorption of a parenterally administered drug form is accomplished by dissolving or suspending the drug in an oil vehicle . injectable depot forms are made by forming microencapsule matrices of the drug in biodegradable polymers such as polylactide - polyglycolide . depending upon the ratio of drug to polymer and the nature of the particular polymer employed , the rate of drug release can be controlled . examples of other biodegradable polymers include poly ( orthoesters ) and poly ( anhydrides ) depot injectable formulations are also prepared by entrapping the drug in liposomes or microemulsions which are compatible with body tissues . the injectable formulations can be sterilized , for example , by filtration through a bacterial - retaining filter , or by incorporating sterilizing agents in the form of sterile solid compositions which can be dissolved or dispersed in sterile water or other sterile injectable medium just prior to use . solid dosage forms for oral administration include capsules , tablets , pills , powders , and granules . in such solid dosage forms , the active compound is mixed with at least one inert , pharmaceutically acceptable excipient or carrier such as sodium citrate or dicalcium phosphate and / or a ) fillers or extenders such as starches , lactose , sucrose , glucose , mannitol , and silicic acid , b ) binders such as , carboxymethylcellulose , alginates , gelatin , polyvinylpyrrolidone , sucrose , and acacia , c ) humectants such as glycerol , d ) disintegrating agents such as agar - agar , calcium carbonate , potato or tapioca starch , alginic acid , certain silicates , and sodium carbonate , e ) solution retarding agents such as paraffin , f ) absorption accelerators such as quaternary ammonium compounds , g ) wetting agents such as , cetyl alcohol and glycerol monostearate , h ) absorbents such as kaolin and bentonite clay , and i ) lubricants such as talc , calcium stearate , magnesium stearate , solid polyethylene glycols , sodium lauryl sulfate , and mixtures thereof . in the case of capsules , tablets and pills , the dosage form may also comprise buffering agents . solid compositions of a similar type may also be employed as fillers in soft and hard - filled gelatin capsules using such excipients as lactose or milk sugar as well as high molecular weight polyethylene glycols and the like . the solid dosage forms of tablets , dragees , capsules , pills , and granules can be prepared with coatings and shells such as enteric coatings and other coatings well known in the pharmaceutical formulating art . they may optionally contain opacifying agents and may also be of a composition such that they release the active ingredient ( s ) only , or preferentially , in a certain part of the intestinal tract , optionally , in a delayed manner . examples of embedding compositions which can be used include polymeric substances and waxes . the active compounds may also be in micro - encapsulated form , if appropriate , with one or more of the above - mentioned excipients . liquid dosage forms for oral administration include pharmaceutically acceptable emulsions , solutions , suspensions , syrups and elixirs . in addition to the active compounds , the liquid dosage forms may contain inert diluents commonly used in the art such as , water or other solvents , solubilizing agents and emulsifiers such as ethyl alcohol , isopropyl alcohol , ethyl carbonate , ethyl acetate , benzyl alcohol , benzyl benzoate , propylene glycol , 1 , 3 - butylene glycol , dimethyl formamide , oils ( in particular , cottonseed , groundnut , corn , germ , olive , castor , and sesame oils ), glycerol , tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol , polyethylene glycols and fatty acid esters of sorbitan , and mixtures thereof . besides inert diluents , the oral compositions may also include adjuvants such as wetting agents , emulsifying and suspending agents , sweetening , flavoring , and perfuming agents . compositions for rectal or vaginal administration are preferably suppositories which can be prepared by mixing the compounds of this invention with suitable non - irritating excipients or carriers such as cocoa butter , polyethylene glycol or a suppository wax which are solid at room temperature but liquid at body temperature and therefore melt in the rectum or vaginal cavity and release the active compound . compounds of the present invention can also be administered in the form of liposomes . as is known in the art , liposomes are generally derived from phospholipids or other lipid substances . liposomes are formed by mono - or multi - lamellar hydrated liquid crystals that are dispersed in an aqueous medium . any non - toxic , physiologically acceptable and metabolizable lipid capable of forming liposomes may be used . the present compositions in liposome form may contain , in addition to a compound of the present invention , stabilizers , preservatives , excipients , and the like . the preferred lipids are the phospholipids and the phosphatidyl cholines ( lecithins ), both natural and synthetic . methods to form liposomes are known in the art . see , for example , prescott , ed ., methods in cell biology , volume xiv , academic press , new york , n . y . ( 1976 ), p . 33 et seq . the compounds of the present invention may be used in the form of pharmaceutically acceptable salts derived from inorganic or organic acids . by “ pharmaceutically acceptable salt ” is meant those salts which are , within the scope of sound medical judgment , suitable for use in contact with the tissues of humans and lower animals without undue toxicity , irritation , allergic response and the like and are commensurate with a reasonable benefit / risk ratio . pharmaceutically acceptable salts are well - known in the art . for example , s . m . berge , et al . describe pharmaceutically acceptable salts in detail in j . pharmaceutical sciences , 1977 , 66 : 1 et seq . the salts may be prepared in situ during the final isolation and purification of the compounds of the invention or separately by reacting a free base function with a suitable acid . representative acid addition salts include , but are not limited to acetate , adipate , alginate , citrate , aspartate , benzoate , benzenesulfonate , bisulfate , butyrate , camphorate , camphorsulfonate , digluconate , glycerophosphate , hemisulfate , heptanoate , hexanoate , fumarate , hydrochloride , hydrobromide , hydroiodide , 2 - hydroxyethansulfonate ( isethionate ), lactate , maleate , methanesulfonate , nicotinate , 2 - naphthalenesulfonate , oxalate , pamoate , pectinate , persulfate , 3 - phenylpropionate , picrate , pivalate , propionate , succinate , tartrate , thiocyanate , phosphate , glutamate , bicarbonate , p - toluenesulfonate and undecanoate . also , the basic nitrogen - containing groups may be quaternized with such agents as lower alkyl halides such as methyl , ethyl , propyl , and butyl chlorides , bromides and iodides ; dialkyl sulfates like dimethyl , diethyl , dibutyl and diamyl sulfates ; long chain halides such as decyl , lauryl , myristyl and stearyl chlorides , bromides and iodides ; arylalkyl halides like benzyl and phenethyl bromides and others . water or oil - soluble or dispersible products are thereby obtained . examples of acids which may be employed to form pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts include such inorganic acids as hydrochloric acid , hydrobromic acid , sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid and such organic acids as oxalic acid , maleic acid , succinic acid and citric acid . basic addition salts can be prepared in situ during the final isolation and purification of compounds of this invention by reacting a carboxylic acid - containing moiety with a suitable base such as the hydroxide , carbonate or bicarbonate of a pharmaceutically acceptable metal cation or with ammonia or an organic primary , secondary or tertiary amine . pharmaceutically acceptable salts include , but are not limited to , cations based on alkali metals or alkaline earth metals such as lithium , sodium , potassium , calcium , magnesium and aluminum salts and the like and nontoxic quaternary ammonia and amine cations including ammonium , tetramethylammonium , tetraethylammonium , methylamine , dimethylamine , trimethylamine , triethylamine , diethylamine , ethylamine and the like . other representative organic amines useful for the formation of base addition salts include ethylenediamine , ethanolamine , diethanolamine , piperidine , piperazine and the like . preferred salts of the compounds of the invention include phosphate , tris , and acetate . actual dosage levels of active ingredients in the pharmaceutical compositions of this invention may be varied so as to obtain an amount of the active compound ( s ) that is effective to achieve the desired therapeutic response for a particular patient , composition , and mode of administration . the selected dosage level will depend upon the activity of the particular compound , the route of administration , the severity of the condition being treated , and the condition and prior medical history of the patient being treated . however , it is within the skill of the art to start doses of the compound at levels lower than required to achieve the desired therapeutic effect and to gradually increase the dosage until the desired effect is achieved . generally , dosage levels of about 1 to about 500 , more preferably of about 5 to about 50 mg of an active compound per kilogram of body weight per day are administered orally to a mammalian patient . if desired , the effective daily dose may be divided into multiple doses for purposes of administration , e . g ., two to four separate doses per day . the following examples are provided to illustrate the inhibition of replication of ikkβ and hbv by compounds in the invention . however , it should be appreciated that numerous modifications of the compounds , assay , and virus may result in similarly beneficial results . consequently , the examples below are given only to provide exemplary guidance to a practitioner . a cell - based assay screening system using an nfκb - luc cell line was designed to study ikkβ activity . the parental cell line of nfκb - luc is the 293 human embryonic kidney cell line , which was transfected to express the firefly luciferase gene under the control of an nfκb responsive element . treatment of nfκb - luc cells with tumor necrosis alpha ( tnfα ) induces activation of ikkβ , leading to phosphorylation , ubiquitination and degradation of iκb , and the subsequent translocation of nfκb to the nucleus . nuclear translocation of nfκb results in its ability to initiate gene transcription , which can be detected by the luciferase reporter system . therefore , in this system , inhibition of ikk enzymatic activity is expected to result in inhibition of luciferase activity . for compound testing , 7500 nfκb - luc cells were added per well of 384 - well plates and incubated for 16 hours at 37 ° c . in a humidified incubator with 5 % co 2 . cells were pre - incubated with various concentrations of compound diluted in mem / 10 % fbs . after one hour , cells were treated with 20 ng / ml tnfα diluted in mem / 10 % fbs . after a 4 . 5 - hour incubation , cells were lysed and luciferase activity was measured . ikkβ inhibitory activity was calculated based on reduction of the luciferase signal and expressed as ec50 ( effective concentration to reduce the luciferase signal by 50 %). for determination of ic50 values , an in vitro ikkβ assay was designed to study ikkβ enzymatic activity in a cell - free system . his - tagged human ikkβ expressed from a baculovirus construct in sf9 insect cells and glutathione s transferase ( gst )— iκbα fusion protein ( iκbα residues 1 through 54 ) expressed in e . coli were purified and utilized in an in vitro radiolabel incorporation assay . the reaction contained 25 mm hepes , ph7 . 4 , 50 mm nacl , 1 mm mgcl2 , 0 . 2 mm edta and 2 . 5 mm dtt . purified ikkβ ( 100 nm ) was pre - incubated with compound for 30 minutes at room temperature . the kinase reaction was initiated by adding 5 μm gst - iκbα substrate , 1 μm unlabeled atp and 0 . 5 μci 33 p - γ - atp . the reaction was allowed to proceed at room temperature for 60 minutes and terminated by the addition 100 μl 1 % trichloroacetic acid ( tca ). the reaction was transferred to a 96 - well glass fiber filter plate previously blocked with 1 % pyrophosphate . the filter plate was washed five times with water and twice with absolute ethanol and dried . liquid scintillation cocktail was added to each well and radiolabel incorporation was quantified using the packard topcount hts scintillation counter . inhibition of ikkβ activity was calculated based on reduction of the radioactive signal and reported as ic50 ( inhibitory concentration to reduce the signal by 50 %). hepg2 cells were transduced using a baculovirus to deliver the hbv genome essentially as previously described ( delaney et al . in hepatology 1998 ; 28 : 1134 - 1146 ). transduced cells were cultured in supplemented emem media with 10 % fetal bovine serum in a 5 % co2 incubator at 37 ° c . for three days in the presence of test compounds . the cells were lysed in a buffer containing 0 . 5 % np - 40 and 500 mg / ml proteinase k . a solid - phase hybridization was performed to capture the viral dna and to label the target dna with digoxigenin - labeled dna probes . the viral dna was detected by elisa , using horseradish peroxidase - conjugated anti - digoxigenin antibodies . the ec50 values were determined using excelfit software from the inhibition values of a titration curve for each compound . for cc50 determinations , the same titration of compounds was co - cultured with non - transduced hepg2 for three days under the conditions described above . the promega celltiter 96 aqueous one solution cell proliferation assay was used to measure cell proliferation / viability . the cc50 values were determined using excelfit software from the inhibition values of the titration curve for each compound . table i below lists selected compounds with their structures and corresponding antiviral activity ( ec50 in μm ). antiviral activity was determined using assays as described above . all tested compounds had a cc50 value of greater than 50 . 000 μm . nd means not determined . ( legend : a : & lt ; 1 μm , b : 1 - 10 μm , c : & gt ; 10 μm ) thus , specific embodiments and applications of protein kinase inhibitors have been disclosed . it should be apparent , however , to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein . the inventive subject matter , therefore , is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the disclosure . moreover , all terms employed herein should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context . in particular , the terms “ comprises ” and “ comprising ” should be interpreted as referring to elements , components , or steps in a non - exclusive manner , indicating that the referenced elements , components , or steps may be present , or utilized , or combined with other elements , components , or steps that are not expressly referenced .
2
the present invention was designed with reference to an automotive parts washing apparatus in which a water / caustic wash fluid is used to clean automotive parts . the parts are often grease covered , resulting in a two - phase liquid system , additionally containing metal shavings , nuts , bolts and miscellaneous solid objects . separation of the gross solid matter is desirable since the washing fluid is recycled . while reference in the specification is made to the specific application to which this device has already been successfully applied and demonstrated , it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the instant invention has a myriad of applications , far beyond the specific application discussed in the working example below . fig1 is a partially broken away view of the apparatus of the instant invention . a separator 10 , in this embodiment is constructed out of an ordinary pipecross . the separator 10 has a main upper outlet 12 , a main lower outlet 14 , a horizontal , main fluid intake 16 and a horizontal , pump - side fluid outlet 18 . the minimum number of main ports into the separator is four and separators having more ports than the four described here are intended to be within the scope of the invention and the appended claims . disposed within the separator 10 is a deflector / separator plate 20 . in the presently preferred embodiment , plate 20 is curved , but it is intended that a flat plate angularly disposed within the separator 10 is within the scope of the instant invention . a more complete discussion of the characteristics and requirements of the plate 20 appears below , specifically with reference to fig3 and 7 . a shear jet 22 is also disposed within the separator 10 . in this embodiment , the shear jet 22 is coaxially disposed within the main upper outlet 12 , communicating externally of the separator 10 . it is intended that the inner diameter of the shear jet 22 is less than the inner diameter of the main ports ( 12 , 14 , 16 and 18 ). this reduced diameter insures that the velocity of the fluid entering from the jet is typically higher than the velocity of fluid entering the separator from the horizontal , main fluid intake 16 . the desirability of the increased velocity will be come more apparent below . the shear jet 22 terminates at the deflector / separator plate 20 , being received within a jet aperture 24 through the body of the plate 20 . thus the shear jet 22 effluent enters the separator 10 below a plate upper surface 26 . as described more fully below , variations of this shear jet embodiment are possible , such as the use of a plurality of jets disposed angularly within the main upper outlet . also it is possible to provide the shear jet 22 in two longitudinal sections whereby one such section is permanently welded to the plate jet aperture 24 . the other section of the jet 22 would be permanently fixed within the upper outlet 12 . the connection between the two sections of the jet 22 need not be completely sealed , as slight leakage would provide a showering of fluid upon the plate upper surface 26 . additional disclosure of the relationship between the jet 22 and plate 20 is provided below with reference to the alternate embodiment shown in fig7 . referring to fig1 it can be seen that the deflector / separator plate 20 divides the separator 10 into two regions . an upper chamber region 30 is bounded by the plate upper surface 26 , the main upper outlet 12 and the horizontal , pump - side fluid outlet 18 . a lower chamber region 32 is bounded by the plate lower surface 28 , the main lower outlet 14 and the horizontal , main fluid intake 16 . it is necessary that the plate 20 be sealingly received within the separator 10 such that fluid communicates from the lower region 32 to the upper region 30 only through the deflector / separator plate 20 . in the presently preferred embodiment , wherein the deflector / separator plate is constructed of metal , traditional welding techniques are used to affix the plate 20 to the separator 10 inner walls . the weld is also extended to insure that the plate 20 is sealed against the inner wall . it is intended however that alternate materials of construction are within the scope of this invention . for example , polyvinylchloride pipes are used in many diverse applications . it is possible to construct a separator 10 and plate 20 from polyvinylchloride . in that application , chemical adhesives , for example epoxies and silicon caulking , could be used to sealingly fix the deflector / separator plate 20 within the separator 10 . a backflush inlet 34 is provided to communicate externally from the upper chamber region 30 . although described more fully below with reference to fig4 and 5 , suffice it to say that the backflush inlet 34 is useful to forcibly eject any type of solid material which may accumulate on , in or near the plate perforations 36 . a special valving arrangement and mode of operation are described below for the use of this backflush inlet 34 . it is also noted that a plurality of backflush inlets may be provided in which multiple fluid jets are directed toward and impinged upon the plate perforations 36 . such multiple inlets could be ganged together by attachment to a manifold capable of distributing fluid to a series of inlets . the particular use environment will determine the need and desirability of a plurality of backflush inlets , such knowledge being within the ordinary skill of an artisan in this field . fig2 shows a cross sectional view taken along the line 2 -- 2 in fig1 . this view is intended to show the spatial relationship , in the preferred embodiment , of the main lower outlet 14 , the shear jet 22 and the deflector / separator plate 20 . in this particularly preferred embodiment , the shear jet 22 is concentric with the main lower outlet 14 . in the embodiment wherein a plurality of shear jets is provided ( see fig6 ), it is intended that the jets all be disposed directly above the main lower outlet 14 to prevent the creation of any additional turbulence or backflow from the reflection of the fluid jet against the lower chamber region 32 wall . it is also contemplated at this time that the use of a plurality of shear jets ( as shown for example in fig6 ) could potentially eliminate the need for the deflector plate at all , or could result in a greatly modified design of the plate . additional research work is presently ongoing to test this principle and more completely define and characterize the crucial parameters . it is believed at this time that the shear caused by the higher velocity fluid entering the chamber interacts with the fluid and contained particles to drive the particles downwardly towards the main lower outlet 14 . the fabrication of the deflector / separator plate 20 is shown in detail in fig3 . the below described method relates only to curved and metal plates . as noted above , a flat plate and pvc materials of construction are intended to be within the scope of this invention . the important characteristic resulting from this particular method of fabrication is that the perforations 36 through the plate 20 have a varied &# 34 ; pore diameter .&# 34 ; as shown in broken lines in fig3 the perforations in the lower surface of the plate 28 have a smaller diameter than the perforations on the upper plate surface 26 . this perforation characteristic prevents solid particles from stubbornly lodging within the perforations since anything which passes through the smaller pore diameter must necessarily pass through the larger pore diameter extant on the plate upper surface 26 . in the presently preferred embodiment , a flat plate 20 is perforated by known techniques , e . g . punching or drilling , and then the plate is rolled to add the curvature shown in the figure . this rolling step causes the plate to be elongated on the upper plate surface while compressing the lower plate surface . this force variation results in the pore diameter variation shown by the broken lines in fig3 . a particularly preferred method of use of the separator apparatus is now described with reference to fig4 . in this application the preferred apparatus described above is shown in fig4 but it will be apparent that other apparatus can be provided which are within the scope of the instant invention . an automatic automobile parts washer 40 is used to degrease and cleanse automobile parts 42 . a liquid sprayer 44 is disposed within the washer 40 to inject a caustic soda wash onto the part 42 . wash fluid liquid 46 accumulates in the bottom of the washing apparatus 40 . in this embodiment , a wash fluid recycle line 48 is provided to recycle the wash fluid to the sprayer 44 . the wash fluid 46 which accumulates in the washer 40 contains particles and other solid materials , as well as emulsified oil and greases . in order to recycle the fluid from the bottom of the washer 40 to the sprayer 44 , the fluid must pass through the recycle line 48 towards the pump intake 50 and pump 52 . as noted above one of the more vexing problems related to systems of this type is that solid particles entrained with the fluids are fed to the pump and thereby damaging to the pump impeller , often tearing the impeller and resultantly losing the seal required to effect the fluid transfer . to prevent the passage of solids from the washer bottom to the pump 52 , the separator 10 is installed in the wash fluid recycle line 48 to separate the solids from the pump intake 50 to thereby prevent damage to the impeller in pump 52 . the pump effluent is then directed back towards the sprayer 44 . an isolation valve 54 is provided in the sprayer feed line 55 to close off the washer 40 from the pump 52 when required . a bleed line 56 is tapped off of the pump effluent / sprayer feed line 55 and connected to a backflush inlet line 58 which contains a backflush valve 60 . the bleed line 56 is also connected to a shear jet line 62 and shear jet valve 64 before passing into the shear jet 22 . the result of this flow scheme is that solid particles 66 are directed toward , separated from and deflected away by the deflector / separator plate 20 . the solid particles are maintained within the lower chamber region and pass out of the separator 10 through the main lower outlet 14 . a return line 68 is connected to the main fluid outlet 14 to return wash fluid to the washer 40 through the screen box 70 . the &# 34 ; filtered &# 34 ; wash fluid then passes into the upper chamber region 30 , into the horizontal , pump - side fluid outlet 18 and through a reducer 72 . the configuration shown in fig4 represents the steady state run mode of the instant method and apparatus . note that the backflush valve 60 has the letter &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; alongside . this notation indicates that during the steady state operation of this apparatus , the backflush valve 60 is closed . shear jet valve 64 however is open during this time to permit fluid at a higher pressure than on the intake side of the pump to pass into the separator 10 through the shear jet 22 . with reference to fig5 the &# 34 ; backflushing &# 34 ; mode is shown in partial detail . in fig5 the backflush valve 60 is open and the shear jet valve 62 is designated as closed . in this configuration the bleed line 56 is open to the pump effluent , causing the injection of higher pressure fluid toward and impinging upon the plate upper surface 26 . this action permits the dislodgement of any entrapped particles or solids which may have become lodged in the plate perforations 36 . a quick backflushing can be accomplished without long periods of shutdown in the pump operation . fig6 shows an alternative embodiment of the separator apparatus . two variations from the particularly preferred embodiment merit attention . the first relates to the shear jet 122 . in the preferred embodiment described with reference to fig1 there was only a single shear jet . in this embodiment a single shear jet feed 122 is provided . branching off from this single feed is a manifold 124 which feeds a plurality of shear jets 126a , 126b , 126c and 126d . as in the case of a single shear jet , the ends are sealingly fixed within apertures in the deflector / separator plate . fig6 also shows a variation on the backflush inlet described above with reference to fig1 . in particular , a plurality of backflush inlets 134a , 134b and 134c are provided . each of these backflush inlets is connected to a manifold in turn connected to a backflush inlet line tapped into the pump bleed line . these multiple backwash jets permit more vigorous and localized backflushing to dislodge particles from the plate perforations . fig7 describes a separator 10 having a pipecross - like chamber 150 in which the sidewalls are removable . the above - described preferred embodiment utilized existing hardware . this embodiment represents a novel design specifically developed for this application . as with the conventional pipecross , this embodiment uses four major ports , a main upper outlet 152 , a main lower outlet 154 , a horizontal , main fluid intake 156 and a horizontal , pump - side intake 158 . in this embodiment a removable deflector / separator plate 160 is provided for ease of installation and maintenance . it is also possible to provide a customer with series of plates having perforations of varied size and selected to fit the particular application required . a longitudinal sectional shear jet 162 comes preaffixed to the deflector / separator plate . the length of the longitudinal section is chosen to allow insertion and removal of the plate through the sidewall openings . front plate 164 and rear plate 166 are shown in exploded view . they are to be bolted to the main pipecross - like chamber using bolts 168 . clearly the amount and strength of the bolts is dependent upon the operating pressure of the system to which it is applied . rear plate 166 also has an orifice 169 which is used to act as a backflush inlet . fig8 shows a cross sectional view of the instant invention wherein two longitudinal sections are combined to form the shear jet 162 . in this embodiment there is a slight gap between the lower section 162 and the upper section within the main upper outlet 152 . this gap as shown in the figure permits fluid to leak out of the shear jet and disperse jets of fluid against the deflector / separator plate upper surface . fig8 also shows a baffle 170 attached to the lower surface of the plate . the baffle allows the deflection of large particles directly toward the lower fluid outlet . this baffle 170 is preferably located on between the fluid intake and the shear jet . the baffle is useful in the particularly preferred embodiment of fig1 and can be attached to the plate by conventional welding techniques . having described the invention with respect to preferred embodiments , it is apparent that there are other embodiments and examples which are within the scope of the appended claims . for example , it is possible to hook together a series of these devices having plate perforations of diminishing size . this could enable ultrafiltration without pressure drop problems . it is also suggested that the perforation diameter be selected in light of the impeller diameter . it is a safe working assumption that particles whose size permits them to pass through the impeller will not damage the impeller . therefore , one criteria for selecting pore diameter should include the pump impeller diameter . it is also noteworthy that while the instant invention has been described with reference to being a pump filtration device it can be used without a pump . with respect to the shear jet and the backflush inlet , while the preferred embodiment has been described with reference to using a pump bleed line , it will be apparent to ordinary artisans that other sources may be used for these fluid inlets . for example , it is possible to use the instant apparatus as a mixing chamber by utilizing the shear jet to introduce a second fluid . the backflush inlet may also be connected to a separate fluid source , not the pump bleed nor the shear jet fluid source . in an apparatus similar to the one described in fig4 a 3 hp , 3 phase ingersoll - rand pump was installed . the pump is characterized by high volume low pressure operation . it is estimated that the pump has a 150 gpm capacity . the pump inlet is 11 / 4 inches with an outlet of 1 inch . a standard off the shelf 11 / 4 inch pipecross was used to fabricate the separator according to the procedures described above . a 3 / 8 inch tube was used for the shear jet . after eighteen hours of continuous run time attached to the automobile parts washer there has been no degeneration in the measured flow rate and no pump damage despite the presence of solids . in selecting the size of the separator chamber , it is suggested that the pipecross - like chamber be of a larger diameter than the intake line . this extra volume acts as a reservoir slowing the fluid velocity and making the separation of the solids easier . it is also useful to neck down the outlet side of the separator as it feeds the pump . this insures that the pump will not be starved when , for example , the shear jet is valved off and the backflush is momentarily turned on . it is also suggested that the separator be installed at a distance upstream of the pump . this volume also acts as a reservoir of fluid so that momentary flow changes will not adversely affect pump performance . the deflector plate should also be designed to be of sufficient strength since the solids entrained in the liquids could impart significant momentum to the plate upon impact . solid particle size and fluid velocity must be accounted for in choosing plate thickness .
1
the present invention provides a generalized method for creating associations between parameters of programming objects , such as activex controls , and associated parameters of a container application . that is , properties and events of activex controls are respectively bound to data variables ( i . e ., “ tags ”) and scripts of the container application . the container application could comprise , for example , industrial automation and control software having tags representative of the state of various sensors or industrial processes . scripts of the container application include a sequence of script commands for invoking functionality of the container application , thereby allowing a user to specify how the application operates . fig1 is a block diagram of a computer system 100 in which the present invention may be implemented . the computer system 100 includes a user station 102 that communicates with a system storage unit over network 106 . the system storage unit 104 comprises a direct access storage device , such as magnetic disk storage , in which data files are stored . the user station 102 includes a central processing unit (“ cpu ”) 108 , a display 110 , and a main memory 112 . the cpu operates in response to user commands , which it receives via a keyboard 114 or graphical user input device 116 . the user station 102 can communicate with one or more other user stations or a network server unit over the network 106 . the main memory 112 contains a variety of data structures and information , including an operating system , application programs , program objects , and user data . the main memory is represented as a single entity , but those skilled in the art will appreciate that the main memory can comprise a combination of random access memory (“ ram ”), hard disk drives , optical disk drives , and other storage devices containing logically segmented storage locations . the main memory includes a computer program containing a sequence of program instructions whose execution implements the present invention . the operating system contained in the memory 112 supports an object - oriented programming environment for the execution of object - oriented programs , such as those written in , for example , the c ++ programming language . accordingly , the memory contains program objects that are data structures of an object - oriented programming language . application programs are invoked , or launched , by a user through the keyboard 114 or graphical input device 116 . the application programs can be written in a variety of languages , including c ++. the display 110 comprises a display device such as a video terminal that displays computer output and indicates system operations . display objects can be pictured on the display and the user can designate data operations on the display by using the input device 116 or equivalent graphical user input device . in an exemplary implementation the computer system 100 may also send commands to , and receive data from , one or more industrial sensor or process control devices 120 . the state of each such device 120 is reflected by the value of an associated tag , each of which may be a parameter of the container application . in the exemplary implementation the container application comprises an industrial automation software program , such as the intouch program module developed by wonderware corporation of irvine , calif . the wonderware intouch module includes a tool kit for building screens and interfaces , and a graphical user interface for monitoring and controlling the devices 120 . for example , in the context of electrical distribution the software toolkit of the wonderware intouch module enables rapid development of three dimensional representations of electrical distribution switchgear . the switchgear elevational representations have logical connections to the switchgear devices . an elevation can be modified to any dimensions with an essentially infinite number of combinations and arrangements of meters and protection devices to quickly and accurately represent a customer &# 39 ; s switchgear . in addition , a tabular representation of metering and setup / set point information is generated automatically with the appropriate database server links established . the wonderware intouch module is disposed to provide similar representations and accompanying database links in other areas of industrial automation and control . fig2 is a diagram of a dialog box 150 for a bound object which has been instantiated in a container application as described hereinafter . in the exemplary implementation of fig2 , the bound object comprises an activex control identified as textcontrol . when instantiated in a container application using conventional techniques , the dialog box 150 could be expected to include the “ control name ”, “ general ”, “ colors ” and “ fonts ” pages . in accordance with the invention , a “ properties ” page is included to provide a mechanism for viewing and altering relationships between properties of the bound object ( i . e ., textcontrol ) and corresponding tags of the container application . in addition , an “ events ” page serves to display the relationship between various events of the bound object and associated scripts of the container application . referring to fig2 , the properties page of textcontrol reveals that the property backcolor is bound to the tag backgroundcolor of the container application . the arrow graphic 152 indicates that a bidirectional relationship has been established between the property backcolor and the associated tag backgroundcolor . that is , changes in the value of the tag backgroundcolor will be reflected in the value of the property backcolor , and vice versa . fig2 also indicates that the property bottomtextline is bound to the tag textline 3 of the container application . the arrow graphic 154 indicates that changes to the tag textline 3 will result in corresponding changes being made to the property bottomtextline . the solid vertical line at the right edge of the arrow graphic 154 indicates that a user will not be permitted to define the relationship between bottomtextline and textline 3 such that changes to the former induce corresponding changes to the latter . this situation may arise when , for example , the tag textline 3 is “ read only ”, or when there exists some other reason why it is impermissible to bind the tag textline 3 to the property bottomtextline . it is also seen that that the property forecolor is bound to the tag textcolor of the container application . the arrow graphic 156 indicates that changes to the tag textcolor will result in corresponding changes being made to the property forecolor . the absence of a right - pointing arrow in arrow graphic 156 indicates that changes to forecolor will not affect the value of textcolor . since a solid vertical line does not appear at the right edge of the arrow graphic 156 , a user will be permitted to allow changes in the property forecolor to cause corresponding changes in the tag textcolor . fig2 further shows the property textjustification to be bound to the tag tag 1 . however , the absence of any arrow graphic proximate the displayed name tag 1 indicates that changes to the property textjustification will not induce changes in the tag tag 1 , nor vice versa . fig3 provides a view of the dialog box 150 in which the events page has been selected . this view reveals that the event click is bound to the script clickscript of the container application . in the exemplary implementation of fig3 no further graphic representation is provided of the binding between the event click and the property clickscript . referring again to fig2 , the associations between the parameters of the bound objects and corresponding tags of the container application may be modified by using the graphical input device 116 to change the state of the applicable arrow graphic . for example , in a particular implementation each arrow graphic will cycle between various permitted associative states ( e . g ., unidirectional , bidirectional ) in response to repeated selection by the device 116 . in a preferred embodiment , the binding between a container application and a bound object is implemented using the capability of the underlying window system . the present invention is described assuming , for exemplary purposes and without limitation , that the underlying window system is similar to the microsoft windows 3 . 1 operating system (“ windows ”). except as otherwise noted hereinafter , conventional techniques are utilized to install objects ( e . g ., an activex control ) within the windows environment for subsequent binding to a container application in accordance with the invention . once an object has been installed , the process of binding an object to a container application in accordance with the invention is initiated by instantiating the installed object in the container application . in an exemplary embodiment the container application comprises an object - oriented industrial automation program such as , for example , the intouch program developed by wonderware corporation of irvine , calif . in this exemplary embodiment the container application creates windows which themselves function as containers for activex control objects . after a control object has been placed in such a window and its parameter associations have been selected via a dialog box ( fig2 ), the window may be saved and closed in response to commands provided to the container application . a compiling operation is preferably invoked when the container window and contained control object are saved , thereby creating a “ compiled window ”. the container window and contained control object may then be generated from the compiled window during subsequent execution of the container application . upon such placement of an installed object in a window of the container application , a dialog box such as that shown in fig2 is presented via display 110 . the desired associations between properties of the installed object and tags of the container object may then be selected via pointing device 116 so as to create a bound object . once one or more installed objects have been so bound to the container application , the window of the container may be compiled with the bound objects so as to create a “ compiled window ”. during execution of the container application the compiled window is read and interpreted , which results in the creation of the bound object within the run - time environment . in a preferred implementation the compiled window is stored as a file of predefined format , in which each object ( e . g ., shapes , wizard utilities , activex controls ) present within the window of the container application is represented as a block of data . utilization of a particular predefined format for the compiled window file is not necessary for implementation of the present invention , and differing file formats for the compiled window may offer advantages in particular applications . fig4 provides a graphical representation of an instance 160 of an installed object and the resulting control site 162 established within a window 166 of a container application as a consequence of such instantiation . those skilled in the art will appreciate that a standard control site having certain well defined properties is generated upon placement of an object such as an activex control within a window of a windows compatible container application . in accordance with the invention , the control site 162 differs from such a standard control site in that sets of one or more property sinks 168 and event sinks 170 are provided to facilitate the parameter associations depicted in fig2 and 3 . the control site 162 defines a standard interface 172 for communicating with the instantiated object 160 through a corresponding standard interface 174 thereof . referring to fig5 , there is shown a block diagram of the structure of a property sink 168 included within the control site 162 . the property sink 168 defines a tagname field 178 for identifying the name of the tag to be associated with the property object specified by the pointer within the field 180 . an association field 182 specifies the type of association ( e . g ., unidirectional ) to be established between the tag object and property object identified by the pointers within the fields 184 and 180 , respectively . in the exemplary case of fig5 , the association field 182 would specify a unidirectional relationship between the tag object textcolor and the property object textjustification . the association field 182 registers any change in the relationship between a tag object and corresponding property object effected using the pointing device 116 in the manner described above with reference to fig2 . fig6 shows a block diagram of the structure of an event sink 185 included within the control site 162 . the event sink 185 defines a dispid field 186 containing an identifier corresponding to a given event . in addition , a cstring field 187 is provided for storing the name of a script for the container application associated with the event . the name in the cstring field is provided to the container application in response to occurrence of the given event , which executes the corresponding script . referring to fig7 , there is shown a tag object 190 of the type identified by field 184 of the property sink of fig5 . the tag object 190 includes a tagname field 192 , ptacc handle field 194 , and status flag field 196 . the contents of the tagname field 192 will be identical to the contents of the tagname field 178 included within the property sink 168 . in a preferred embodiment the ptacc handle field 194 provides a unique identifier for a particular tag . this identifier is returned by a dynamically linked library (“ dll ”) named “ ptacc ” to requesting third party applications . fig8 provides a block diagram of the structure of a property object 200 of the type identified by field 180 of the property sink of fig5 . as is indicated by fig8 , the property object 200 includes a dispid field 202 for identifying a particular parameter of the bound object ( e . g ., activex control ). in an exemplary implementation the industry standard dispatch interface (“ idispatch ”) of the bound object furnishes an index stored in the dispid field in response to a call by the container application for a method of the bound object . the container application then calls an “ invoke ” method of the object &# 39 ; s dispatch interface , which causes the object to retrieve the method associated with the index in the dispid field 202 . the desired method is then called by the bound object . the property object 200 further defines a “ cstring ” field 204 for storing the name of the tag corresponding to the container property associated with such tag . also included within the property object 200 is an “ assoctype ” field 206 which records the type of association between such container property and tag . in addition , a “ cocxtag ” field 208 is provided for storing a pointer to an object wrapper surrounding methods used by the container application to interface with tags . the property object 200 also defines a “ cocxproperty ” field 212 for holding a pointer to an object wrapper surrounding methods for changing properties of the bound object . when a compiled window ( described above ) is loaded during execution of the container application , the property sinks 168 and event sinks 170 associated with the compiled window are regenerated and used to record any change in the operative association between properties of bound objects and corresponding tags of the container application . fig9 and 10 are respective flowchart representations of the manner in which changes in such properties potentially induce corresponding changes in such tags , and vice versa . referring to fig9 , in step 220 a property of a bound object is caused to change in state or value ( i . e ., a “ property change ”) and the associated control site ( fig4 ) of the bound object is notified ( step 222 ). it is then determined whether the notification received at the control site is with regard to a property change ( step 224 ). if not , no further processing relating to a potential change in the value of an associated container tag is performed ( step 226 ). if the notification corresponds to a property change , it is attempted to identify the property sink ( fig5 ) corresponding to the property being changed ( step 228 ). if a corresponding property sink is not found ( step 230 ), then no further processing is performed ( step 232 ). in the case where a corresponding property sink is identified , an onevent member function is called ( step 234 ). the onevent member function serves to convert the property change into a corresponding change in state or value of the associated tag ( i . e ., a “ tag change ”). in step 236 , an operation is performed to validate the proposed tag change arising from the property change . in a preferred implementation this validation process entails determining whether the proposed tag change is within a predefined range of valid tag values . if the proposed change is not validated ( step 238 ), no further processing is performed ( step 240 ). in the case where the property change is validated , the container application makes the corresponding validated change in the associated tag ( step 242 ). referring now to fig1 , in step 250 a tag change is experienced by a tag monitored by the container application and a notification message is generated in response . in step 254 it is then determined whether the notification message corresponds to an industry standard “ dbchange ” message ( i . e ., a type of message which has been registered in the windows environment to facilitate interpretation by a receiving application ). if not , no further efforts are made to make a property change corresponding to the tag change ( step 256 ). if the window message corresponds to a dbchange message , it is attempted to identify the property sink ( fig5 ) associated with the tag experiencing a change ( step 258 ). if an associated property sink is not found ( step 260 ), then no further processing is performed ( step 262 ). in the case where a corresponding property sink is identified , an ontagchange member function is called ( step 264 ). the ontagchange member function serves to convert the tag change into a corresponding property change . in step 266 , an operation is performed to validate the parameters returned by the ontagchange member function . in a preferred implementation this validation process entails determining whether the proposed property change falls within a predefined range . if the proposed change is not validated , no further processing is performed ( step 267 ). in the case where the property change is validated ( step 268 ), a pointer to the appropriate property object is retrieved from the associated property sink ( step 270 ). if the retrieved pointer is invalid ( step 272 ), then no further processing is performed ( step 274 ). if a valid pointer has been retrieved , then a corresponding change is made in the associated property via an interface of the application program ( step 276 ). in a preferred implementation of the procedure set forth in fig1 , several object classes described in c ode s ection i are invoked . specifically , ctagserver and cocxtag are classes disposed to “ wrap ” various methods for interfacing with the tags monitored by the container application . each “ wrapper ” instance of this class provides an interface between the container application and any proprietary methods for interfacing with such tags . the class cpropsink corresponds to a specific implementation of a property sink . the class cocxproperty is designed to wrap properties of control objects and to store pointers ( i . e ., idispatch ) associated locations of such properties . the setvalue member function uses the idispatch pointer to change the value of a control object property associated with a tag experiencing a corresponding change . in c ode s ection i , the “//” expression is used to identifies comments to the code . code section i ctagserver : lresult ctagserver :: windowproc ( uint message , wparam wparam , lparam lparam ) { if ( message == m_dbchgmsg ) { // interpret the lparam as a handle of a tag hpt hpt = ( hpt ) lparam ; // get the tag associated with this message . cocxtag * ptag = ( cocxtag *) getextralong ( hpt , 0 ); if (! ptag ) return false ; // get the sink associated with this tag . itagchange * psink = ( itagchange *) getextralong ( hpt , sizeof ( long )); // if there is a sink call it else call tags virtual method . if ( psink ) psink -& gt ; ontagchange ( ptag ); else ptag -& gt ; ontagchange ( null ); return true ; } return cwnd :: windowproc ( message , wparam , lparam ); } ontagchange : void cpropsink :: ontagchange ( cocxtag *) { // make sure there is a property object associated with this tag // if not then initialize one if (! m_pprop ) initproperty ( ); // verify that there is a property , tag and that the association between // the two indicates that the tag changes the property ( this relationship // is defined by the graphic on the property page when the association // is defined ) if ( m_bignorechange ∥ ! m_pprop ∥ ! m_ptag ∥ (( m_assoctype != tag_changes_prop ) & amp ;& amp ; ( m_assoctype != both ))) return ; // some flags here solve some timing problems intended to solve // circular events . ie . tag change property which changes tag which // changes property ... m_bignorechange = true ; m_pprop -& gt ; setvalue ( m_ptag -& gt ; getvalue ( )); m_bignorechange = false ; as is indicated by fig3 , the dialog box of a bound object represents any association existing between event occurrences in the object and scripts defined by the container application . in the exemplary embodiment of fig3 , a user may alter such associations by performing editing operations upon the dialog box displayed by the events page . in c ode s ection ii below , exemplary code is provided for effecting the association of event occurrences to the execution of container scripts contemplated by the present invention . specifically , c ode s ection ii includes the definition of a class “ cscriptsink ” disposed to facilitate implementation of the event sinks described with reference to fig6 . in particular , cscriptsink causes event notification messages generated by the bound object to be registered and sent to the container application . c ode s ection ii further includes definition of a class defined as “ cocxitem ”, which is responsible for creating control sites in response to instantiation of bound objects as described above with reference to fig4 . also defined is the member function “ oncmdmsg ”, which is operative to : ( i ) determine the type of an event notification which has occurred , ( ii ) locate the associated container script per the relationship defined in the applicable events page ( e . g ., fig3 ), and ( iii ) cause execution of the associated script . calls to the function oncmdmsg may be made in accordance with the standard com protocol . code section ii cocxitem : bool cocxitem :: oncmdmsg ( uint nid , int ncode , void * pextra , afx_cmdhandlerinfo * phandlerinfo ) { afx_event * pevent = ( afx_event *) pextra ; if ( ncode == cn_event & amp ;& amp ; ! m_bdesignmode ) { cocxsink * psink = null ; switch ( pevent -& gt ; m_eventkind ) { case afx_event :: event : { // get the event sinks cstring stext ; psink = m_eventsinks . getitem ( pevent -& gt ; m_dispid ); if (! psink ) return false ; // create an event object cocxevent event ( pevent , this ); // get the script name for the current event stext = psink -& gt ; gettext ( ); // cause the script to execute psink -& gt ; onevent (& amp ; event , stext ); return true ; } // // other cases here // } } return cwnd :: oncmdmsg ( nid , ncode , pextra , phandlerinfo ); cscriptsink : void cscriptsink :: onevent ( cocxevent * pevent , cstring szscriptname ) { cstring szcomposed ; cstring szeventname ; uint dwparamcount ; uint dwindex ; cstring szparamname ; _variant_t vtparamvalue ; ceventtableutil event ; // essentially build up a structure that holds the types // and values for the script to execute properly szeventname = pevent -& gt ; geteventname ( ); dwparamcount = pevent -& gt ; getparamcount ( ); szcomposed = szeventname ; for ( dwindex = 0 ; dwindex & lt ; dwparamcount ; dwindex ++) { szparamname = pevent -& gt ; getparamname ( dwindex ); vtparamvalue = pevent -& gt ; getparamvalue ( dwindex ); szcomposed += szparamname ; event . addnamedvariant (( lpcstr ) szcomposed , vtparamvalue ); szcomposed = szeventname ; } // register the message wwizardcallmsg = registerwindowmessage (“ intouchwizardcallmsg ”); // send the registered message over to the main application oesexecutescript ( m_stext , pevent -& gt ; getocxinstancename ( )); // clear out the table of parameter information event . resetcontent ( ); although the above application has been described primarily in terms of particular implementations of techniques for creating associations between contained objects and various parameters of container applications , one skilled in the art will be able to develop alternative implementations based upon the teachings herein . thus the application is meant only to be limited by the scope of the appended claims .
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this section provides terms and their definitions that are used within the present patent application . nglu — known good layout universe includes a collection of known good layout templates containing regions for images to be placed . these layouts can be used to define collages and photobook pages for output . it can also be used for digital signage , digital frames and digital photobooks . nglu canvas — an area defined by a width and height that contains nglu regions laid out in a pleasing pattern . the canvas &# 39 ; s width and height are typically the dimensions of a collage or a photo book page . nglu layout algorithm — a method of automatically selecting the best layout , for any given selection of images , from a collection of template based layouts . the method also includes placing each image into the proper region by using image placement criteria . nglu region — a designated area where an image can reside . regions typically have a standard aspect ratio i . e . 4 × 3 , 16 × 9 , panoramic , etc . they can be portrait or landscape . score — images are ranked by the algorithm as it tries to put each image into each region and compares its aspect ratio , and resolution with the regions aspect ratio and resolution ( dpi ). aspect ratio score result is a range from 0 to 100 . resolution score is a 10 when image resolution is higher than the region and 0 when its resolution is less than the region . image area score is an additional value added to the score if the image aspect ratio is similar to the regions aspect ratio . the result is the image &# 39 ; s width * height as it is placed in the region . ( units are in inches ) nglu template file — xml file that contains a canvas , image region definitions and text node regions . one objective of nglu selection and fitting algorithm is to find the ( most appropriate ) region for each image . it must perform image — region attribute comparison and do it very quickly . performance is important . fig9 - 10 show two algorithms for nglu and are described below . the algorithm iterates through the collection of regions from each layout within the collection of layouts and scores each image in each region and finds the best region for each image . it continues this iteration through the collection of layouts until all layouts within the collection have the same set of images placed within all of their regions . the collection of layouts are scored and sorted by score and served up to the client for viewing . the customer initially views the highest ranking layout . one main objective of nglu is to not crop images when placing them into regions . this is a design requirement as cropping often leads to poor results from 20 most consumers &# 39 ; perspectives . each image has attributes stored in association with it that describes it to some extent . example stored attributes are aspect ratio and image resolution . each image region within a template has an aspect ratio and size that describes what type of image that would be most appropriate for that particular region . the algorithm scores images based on the image &# 39 ; s resolution and aspect ratio and how it compares to a particular region . an image with equivalent aspect ratio will also have an additional image area score added to its overall score for that image region comparison . initially the algorithm analyzes the images and determines what its aspect ratio ( dimensions ) and resolution are . the algorithm creates an initial mapping of images to regions and computes a fitness score for each image based on the region that it is initially assigned to . an overall sum total score for the entire template mapping is computed and is the baseline starting point before the algorithm iterates through the list of regions . the algorithm updates the overall sum total score after each iteration through the list of regions and runs until the highest overall sum total score is achieved . it continuously iterates through the list of regions comparing candidate 10 image &# 39 ; s attributes with the region &# 39 ; s attributes and computing a new candidate image score . when the candidate image &# 39 ; s new fitness score is higher than the regions &# 39 ; currently assigned image &# 39 ; s score , the algorithm enters into a potential swap condition . once the potential swap condition occurs , the region &# 39 ; s existing image is scored against the candidate image &# 39 ; s assigned region and if the new combined score is higher than the old combined score then the swap occurs . the idea is to only swap if the combined score for the two images is higher than the non swap score , increasing the templates overall score . the initial state of the algorithm will contain a list of regions h and a list of images i . there will be an initial mapping of images to regions where i i maps to h i , in maps to h n . this initial mapping will also produce an initial fitness measurement score as a starting point for the algorithm . each image to region mapping will be scored based on attributes computing / matching . the initial total score computed on the entire mapping will be our initial best solution . the nglu algorithm will run for a computed number of iterations ( number of images × number of regions ). the nglu algorithm performs an imaginary swap of the existing image i i with a every image i r in the list of images and computes a fitness measurement score based on the attributes the image i r satisfies and determine if the i r image is a better fit with region h i . if i r to h i is a better fit then it compares both images ( i i and i r ) scores with their new possible swapped regions ( h i and h r ) to determine if the fitness measurement score is an overall better fit . if the average fitness measurement score is better , then the swap occurs . after the process is applied to each region in the list , a total score for all image to region mappings will be computed by summing the entire list of image scores and compared with the previous total score . this sum total score is given to the template layout . this process occurs for each layout in the collection . a single run of the algorithm iterating over each region will produce a better solution candidate than the last . the nglu selection and fitting algorithm performs several tasks in order : based on a user &# 39 ; s selection ( quantity ) of images it selects a collection of predefined layouts that that have an equal number of image regions in each layout . i . e . 4 images ( 1 landscape and 3 portraits ) will cause the algorithm to pull up all layouts with 4 regions . nglu places all of the selected set of images into image regions in each of the nglu layouts by using a scoring method which uses the images resolution and aspect ratio attributes to determine which region each image should go in . once all images have been placed into the collection of selected layouts , the layouts are scored / ranked and sorted by score / rank in descending order . the nglu layouts are then served up to the client starting with the highest scoring nglu layout . nglu provides the client app the capability to index through the sorted layouts forwards and backwards allowing the user / customer to select which layout they prefer . dynamic randomly created layouts that are generated by the present software are purchased by customers . those layouts can be saved to the hard drive ( kiosk ) as a template layout for later non - dynamic use by future customers . we can analyze these layouts for characteristics that can aid in determining what a customer constitutes as a good layout . determine average amount of white space area that exists in the collages or this information can be used to determine an overall customer preference of white space area versus image area , i . e . white space area / total image area of purchased layout . this number can be compared with dynamically created kpk layouts so that kpk can favor layouts that have the similar ratio value that is based on customers purchase preferences . this could be per customer , if they are an identified 15 customer ( such as facebook customer ). this type of layout favoring could be applied on a per kiosk basis , or geographically or globally . determine the average number of images used on a photobook page layout . this information can be used to determine an overall preference whether customers prefer more or less images on a collage or photobook page layout . when the software creates photobooks it can use this information to determine how many pages to create based on the number of images selected for the photobook and the customers preference number of images per page . i . e . (# of pages =# of customer images selected / preference # images per page ) this could be per customer if they are an identified customer ( facebook customer ). this reference could be applied on a per kiosk basis , or geographically or globally . determine the average amount of margin on the collage or photobook layout . this information can be used to determine an optimum amount of margin based on what customers prefer on a collage or photobook page layout . when the software creates photobooks it can use this information to determine how much to scale the layout to effectively attain the preferred margin size . this could be per customer if they are an identified customer , ( facebook customer ). this preference could be applied on a per kiosk basis , or geographically or globally . determine which layouts are most popular by keeping track of which ones are used for customer purchased collages and photobooks . this information can be used to effect the scoring mechanism when ordering the many candidate layouts for a collage or photobook page . when multiple layouts get created for a single collage or a single photobook page , instead of just using layout properties like layout aspect ratio score or anti - thumbnail score to score the layout , the popularity of the layout can be factored into the overall layout score . this can enable the layout ordering mechanism to present the more popular layouts while still taking into account the normal layout attributes . this preference could be applied on a per kiosk basis , or geographically or globally . background image selection for a collage or photobook page , did customer select one of their own images as the background , or did they select a pre - canned kiosk themed background . this information can be used to determine if the kiosk should automatically select one of the customer &# 39 ; s images for the background or suggest using a pre - canned kiosk provided themed background . the software would determine this by collecting how many purchased layouts use customer images versus pre - canned kiosk content . this could be per customer if they are an identified customer , ( e . g . facebook customer ). this preference could be applied on a per kiosk basis , or geographically or globally . did customer use a canned pre - provided themed kiosk background and which ones were used . this information can be used to reorder the preprovided themed backgrounds based on customer popularity . when a customer chooses a background theme , the kiosk can order the themed backgrounds by popularity such that customers get to see the most popular first . this could be per customer if they are an identified customer , ( facebook customer ). this preference could be applied on a per kiosk basis , or geographically or globally . determine which pre - provided themed kiosk background was selected for the purchased collage or photobook pages . this information can be used to determine which pre - provided themed backgrounds customers like . this can be used in negotiating the acquisition of background themes from artists based on which themes sell best . by employing machine learning to weed out least customer selected themes , the kiosk can use this data to create a business model where only customer purchased backgrounds are licensed from artists . this could be used for cost savings . this preference could be applied geographically or globally . greeting cards use custom backgrounds and textual predefined textual content that are purchased from artists . determine which cards are more popular based on customer purchase data . use this data to reorder which cards . this could be used to show the post popular first or it could be used to use sales promotionals to sell the less popular ones . this could be applied on a per kiosk basis , or geographically or globally . determine the layout &# 39 ; s text font type ( i . e . times roman , arial , etc . . . ) and accumulate data to determine which fonts are more popular . this information can be used to order the fonts based on popularity . the kiosk can display the most popular fonts first . this preference could be applied on a per kiosk basis , or geographically or globally . determine which upsells are more successful than others and use this information to a ) display more popular upsells , b ) use the information to enhance least successful upsells . customers are going to being allowed to edit and create photobook layouts by moving and changing the sizes of images in the layout . customers are going to be able to add clip art to any locations in the layout . customers are also going to be able to add caption text and journal text within the layout . these customer edited / created layouts can be saved to the kiosk hard drive and online servers as template based layouts . this enables our current layout system to reuse these customer edited / created layouts ( saved ) by serving these up to new customers . this approach can allow customer created layouts to become kiosk layouts that can be offered to other customers . accent color ( auto collage , and photobook page background color selection ) automatically creates colorized backgrounds dynamically . the algorithm for selecting the optimal background color uses colors extracted from within the group of images for the layout . it selects the most common color but also uses weightings based on rob color sum value to select the best color . the kiosk will also present to the customer the other remaining candidate background colors that can also be used as the background color . store or save the customer &# 39 ; s ( manually ) selected color along with all candidate colors for that layout . run an analysis algorithm to determine customers preferences : the first goal for this algorithm is to determine if customers prefer darker versus lighter colors . determine the average color from all the candidate colors found in the images ( within a layout ). determine if the customer &# 39 ; s manually selected color out of the candidate colors is darker or lighter than the average candidate color . keep a running tally of manually selected darker versus lighter color . use this information to re - weight the auto color selector algorithm to conform more to the customer &# 39 ; s preference . the second goal is to determine if there are more popular colors over other colors . this would require keeping a tally of virtual color buckets and dropping the customers manually selected colors into the color buckets . this information could be used to re - weight certain colors over other colors so that the auto color selector algorithm will choose those more preferred colors over the less preferred colors in the auto color selector algorithm so that it favors the more popular colors based on the customers preferences when it automatically selects the background color . we could , in general , use geographical information to apply geographical preferences to regions . the following is a detailed description of how preferred embodiments perform the layout process and store / serialize customer purchased layout information . with reference to fig1 a , the collage application installed on a computer system is initiated at step 101 . at step 102 , the user selects n number of images via a gui provided by the application . after the user selects images , hplm starts the page layout at step 103 in the collage creation process ( same as step 203 in fig2 ) by receiving the n number of images selected by the user at step 204 . hplm then requests nglu to reply whether it supports n number of region layouts at step 205 . if nglu returns false then at step 208 hplm initiates dle to produce a layout with n number of regions ( same as step 508 in fig5 ). at step 509 dle obtains dimensions and orientation for the n images and pages . at step 510 dle starts the task of creating three unique dynamic layouts by calculating layouts using simulated annealing . at step 511 dle balances the layout , calculated at step 510 , at step 511 and then scales it to fit the page at step 512 . dle determines if layout is unique compared to the one or two other ones of the three dynamic layouts . if this step is performed for the first time in the loop then the algorithm identifies the first layout as unique . if the layout is determined at step 513 as not unique , then the layout is discarded and , at step 514 , the images are resized and sent back to step 510 . if the layout is unique at step 513 , dle determines if three layouts have been created at step 515 . if there are not three then the process of creating a new dynamic layout is repeated at step 510 . once the three layouts have been created , hplm converts the dle layouts to nglu layouts at step 516 and adds them to the nglu component ( database ) at step 517 for later use . hplm then verifies that the new recently created dle layouts exist and are available in nglu . hplm then initiates nglu to produce a known good layout with n number of regions at step 206 . at step 207 the hplm procedure ends . steps 206 and 207 need not occur in the sequence shown and can be interchanged . nglu is able to use the newly created layouts from dle to populate layouts with the n number of images . referring to fig3 , at step 301 nglu is initiated . once nglu receives n number of images at step 302 it first checks to see if n number region layouts exist in its collection at step 303 . in the case where dle was used to create new layouts ( fig5 ) n number region layouts would then exist and are used . in the case where dle has not been executed then nglu performs the following task : if n number region layouts don &# 39 ; t exist , then at step 304 nglu reads the database &# 39 ; s storage folder structure and locates all predefined layouts . at step 305 , nglu sets the layout_count equal to the number of predefined xml layouts in n_region folder . nglu then iterates through however many xml predefined layouts exist in all n_region folders in steps 306 and 307 . this loads all layouts for a given product size . calculating a compatibility score for each layout begins at step 308 and proceeds to step 409 of fig4 . nglu performs fitting on all n number layouts using the n number of images by iterating over each layout and populating each layout with n number of images at step 410 . for each layout in the collection of layouts nglu fills each opening / region in the layout with an image by assigning an image to each opening region until all openings contain one image at steps 411 and 412 . nglu then initiates compatibility score calculation on each image in its assigned opening at step 413 which initiates the process shown in fig6 at step 613 . the beginning score is initialized to zero at step 614 . nglu computes aspect ratio difference as between an image and its assigned opening at step 615 . if the aspect ratio difference is less than 0 . 78 then an amount of ( 100 minus the aspect ratio difference ) multiplied by 5 is added to the score at steps 616 and 617 . also , an optional calculation includes nglu computing an image area amount for the image which is then added to the score ( not shown in flow chart ). after this nglu takes one of two paths based on whether the image aspect ratio is less than or greater than the region aspect ratio . path # 1 — if image aspect ratio is less than region aspect ratio then a new image width and height get calculated as shown at step 619 . nglu computes a new image width (“ newimagew ”) by assigning it the region &# 39 ; s width (“ regionw ”). nglu computes a new image height (“ newimageh ”) by assigning it newimagew multiplied by the image &# 39 ; s aspect ratio . if newimageh is greater than region height (“ regionh ”) as illustrated at step 620 , then nglu re - computes a newimageh by assigning it the regionh . nglu also re - computes newimagew by assigning it the newimageh multiplied by the image &# 39 ; s inverse aspect ratio , both shown at step 621 . path # 2 — if image aspect ratio is greater than region aspect ratio then a new image height and width get calculated differently than path # 1 . nglu computes newimageh by assigning it the regionh ; and nglu computes newimagew by assigning it newimageh multiplied by image &# 39 ; s inverse aspect ratio , both shown at step 623 . if newimagew is greater than regionw at step 622 then nglu re - computes a newimagew by assigning it the regionw . nglu also re - computes newimageh by assigning it the newimagew multiplied by the image aspect ratio both shown at step 624 . once one of the paths has been performed nglu adds an amount equal to the calculated newimagew and newimageh based area ( newimagew multiplied by imageimageh ) as part of the layout &# 39 ; s compatibility scoring at step 625 . nglu computes a resolution score at step 626 by first calculating the image resolution and the region area resolution . if the image resolution is larger than the region resolution at step 627 then nglu adds a value of 10 to the compatibility score at step 628 . nglu then verifies that every image in an opening has had an initial compatibility score calculated at step 415 , then nglu visits each opening in the layout at step 416 . for each opening in the layout nglu iterates through the collection of n number of images using them as possible candidate images to replace existing images currently assigned to openings within the layout beginning at step 417 . nglu determines if a swap should occur as follows . nglu calculates a compatibility fitting score for the candidate image using the current opening at step 418 . nglu also calculates a compatibility fitting score for the current image and the candidates opening . nglu adds both scores together for a combined score and compares them to the combined score from the existing candidate and current image &# 39 ; s scores at step 419 . nglu checks for a swap condition by comparing the old combined scores with the new possible swap scores at step 420 . if new combined potential swap score is larger than the original combined scores , then a swap occurs at step 421 , and the candidate is assigned to the current opening and the current opening &# 39 ; s image is assigned to the candidate image &# 39 ; s opening . this continues until all of the n number of images have been scored against the current opening and combined scores have been compared and checked at step 422 . nglu continues to iterate over every opening at step 423 until every image has been tried in every opening and potential swap combined scores have been computed and compared with existing combined scores . this ultimately ensures that each image is in the most appropriate opening based on aspect ratio , image area and resolution scoring as illustrated in fig6 . nglu computes a total score for the layout and this score gets saved and used later for sorting the layouts within the layout collection . once nglu has iterated over all the layouts at step 310 and performed fitting on every layout it next sorts the layouts in descending order within the collection at step 311 based each layout &# 39 ; s total compatibility score . nglu provides the first layout , the highest scoring layout , within the sorted collection available to the client application at step 312 . hplm , upon the customer purchasing the layout based product at step 104 , initiates serializing the customer purchased preferred layout at step 105 , also shown as step 109 in fig . ie . hplm initiates nglu to serialize the purchased preferred layout as a nglu predefined layout file at step 106 . the file is in an xml format and since it is stored , it can be loaded for later use as an nglu layout . future customers can use this layout without hplm having to invoke the dle to create new layouts . this process allows the kiosk to learn from customer what constitutes customer layout preferences . fig7 illustrates a first embodiment of an electronic system 20 that can be used in generating an image enhanced product . in the embodiment of fig7 , electronic system 20 comprises a housing 22 and a source of content data files 24 , a user input system , 58 , 68 , and an output system 26 , 56 , 66 connected by hardwire or wirelessly to a processor system 34 . the source of content data files 24 , user input system 58 , 68 or output system 26 , 56 , 66 , and processor system 34 can be located within housing 22 or , in other embodiments , circuits and systems of the source of content data files 24 , user input system 58 , 68 or output system 25 , 56 , 66 , can be located in whole or in part outside of housing 22 . the source of content data files 24 can include any form of electronic or other circuit or system that can supply digital data to processor system 34 from which processor system 34 can derive images for use in forming an image enhanced item . in this regard , the content data files can comprise , for example and without limitation , still images , image sequences , video , graphics , multimedia , and computer generated images . sources of content data files 24 can optionally capture images , such as digital cameras , to create content data for use in content data files by use of capture devices located at electronic system 20 and / or can obtain content data files that have been prepared and edited by or using other devices . in the embodiment of fig7 , source of content data files 24 includes sensors 38 , detachable or internal memory and / or storage 40 , and a communication system 54 . sensors 38 are optional and can include light sensors , biometric sensors and other sensors known in the art that can be used to detect conditions in the environment of system 20 and to convert this information into a form that can be used by processor system 34 of system 20 . sensors 38 can also include one or more image / video sensors 39 that are adapted to capture still or video images . sensors 38 can also include biometric or other sensors for measuring involuntary physical and mental reactions such sensors including , but not limited to , voice inflection , body movement , eye movement , pupil dilation , body temperature , and p4000 wave sensors . storage / memory 40 can include conventional memory devices including solid state , magnetic , optical or other data storage devices . storage / memory 40 can be fixed within system 20 or it can be removable . in the embodiment of fig7 , system 20 is shown having a hard drive 42 , a disk drive 44 for a removable disk such as an optical , magnetic or other disk memory ( not shown ) and a removable memory slot 46 that that couples to a portable removable memory device 48 such as a removable memory card , usb thumb drive , or other portable memory devices , which mayor may not have a removable memory interface 50 for communicating with removable memory slot 48 . data including , but not limited to , control programs , digital images , programmed applications , metadata , still images , image sequences , video , graphics , multimedia , and computer generated images can also be stored in a remote memory system 52 such as a personal computer , network server , computer network or other digital system . remote system 52 is shown coupled to processor system 34 wirelessly , however , such systems can also be coupled over a wired network connection . in the embodiment shown in fig7 , system 20 has a communication system 54 that in this embodiment can be used to communicate with an optional remote memory system 52 , an optional a remote display 56 , and / or optional remote input 58 . a remote input station including a remote display 56 and / or remote input controls 58 ( also referred to herein as “ remote input 58 ”) can communicate with communication system 54 wirelessly as illustrated or can communicate in a wired fashion . in an alternative embodiment , a local input station including either or both a local display 66 and local input controls 68 ( also referred to herein as “ local user input 68 ”) can be connected to processor system 34 using a wired ( illustrated ) or wireless connection . communication system 54 can comprise for example , one or more optical , radio frequency or other transducer circuits or other systems that convert image and other data into a form that can be conveyed to a remote device such as remote memory system 52 or remote display 56 using an optical signal , radio frequency signal or other form of signal . communication system 54 can also be used to receive a digital image and other data from a host or server computer or network ( not shown ), a remote memory system 52 or a remote input 58 . communication system 54 provides processor system 34 with information and instructions from signals received thereby . typically , communication system 54 will be adapted to communicate with the remote memory system 52 , 56 , 58 by way of a communication network such as a conventional telecommunication or data transfer network such as the internet , a cellular , peer - to - peer or other form of mobile telecommunication network , a local communication network such as wired or wireless local area network or any other conventional wired or wireless data transfer system . user input system 58 , 68 provides a way for a user of system 20 to provide instructions to processor system 34 . this allows such a user to make a designation of content data files to be used in generating an image enhanced output product and to select an output form for the output product . user input system 58 , 68 can also be used for a variety of other purposes including , but not limited to , allowing a user to arrange , organize and edit content data files to be incorporated into the image enhanced output product , to provide information about the user or audience , to provide annotation data such as voice and text data , to identify characters in the content data files , and to perform such other interactions with system 20 as will be described later . in this regard user input system 58 , 68 can comprise any form of transducer or other device capable of receiving an input from a user and converting this input into a form that can be used by processor system 34 . for example , user input system 58 , 68 can comprise a touch screen input , a touch pad input , a 4 - way switch , a 6 - way switch , an 8 - way switch , a stylus system , a trackball system , a joystick system , a voice recognition system , a gesture recognition system a keyboard , a remote control or other such systems . in the embodiment shown in fig7 , remote input system 58 can take a variety of forms , including , but not limited to , a remote keyboard 58 a , a remote mouse 58 b , and a remote control 58 c , and a local input 68 includes a local keyboard 68 a and a local mouse 68 b . output system 26 is used for rendering images , text or other graphical representations in a manner that allows an image enhanceable item to be converted into an image enhanced product . in this regard , output system 26 can comprise any conventional structure or system that is known for printing or recording images , including , but not limited to , printer 29 . printer 29 can record images on a tangible surface using a variety of known technologies including , but not limited to , conventional four color offset separation printing or other contact printing , silk screening , dry electrophotography such as is used in the nexpress 2100 printer sold by eastman kodak company , rochester , n . y ., usa , thermal printing technology , drop on demand ink jet technology and continuous inkjet technology . for the purpose of the following discussions , printer 29 will be described as being of a type that generates color images . however , it will be appreciated that this is not necessary and that the claimed methods and apparatuses herein can be practiced with a printer 29 that prints monotone images such as black and white , grayscale or sepia toned images . in certain embodiments , the source of content data files 24 , user input system 58 , 68 and output system 26 , 56 , 66 can share components . processor system 34 operates system 20 based upon signals from user input system 58 , 68 , sensors 38 , storage / memory 40 and communication system 54 . processor system 34 can include , but is not limited to , a programmable digital computer , a programmable microprocessor , a programmable logic processor , a series of electronic circuits , a series of electronic circuits reduced to the form of an integrated circuit , or a series of discrete components on a printed circuit board . as is illustrated in fig8 , local user input 68 can take the form of an editing studio or kiosk 70 ( hereafter also referred to as an “ editing area 70 ”). in this illustration , a user 72 is seated before a console comprising local keyboard 68 a and mouse 68 b and a local display 66 which is capable , for example , of displaying multimedia content . as is also illustrated in fig8 , editing area 70 can also have sensors 38 including , but not limited to , image sensor 39 , audio sensors 74 and other sensors such as multispectral sensors that can monitor user 72 during a user or production session . the vast majority of layouts have elements within the layout that can be grouped in columns or rows . columns can also be grouped within rows and rows can be grouped in columns and so on . superglu is a method of overcoming the challenge of diverse aspect ratio images existing within the same layout . it &# 39 ; s a technique that can be applied to an existing template based layout . superglu analyzes the template layout and extracts the intent of the layout and massages the layout by scaling the images to fit into the original layout boundaries . most template layouts can be broken down into groups and subgroups of rows and columns of images . images within a row for example can be scaled such that they all have the same height which maintains conformity within the row . images within a column can be scaled such that they all have the same width maintaining conformity within the column . whole rows can be scaled and columns can be scaled . by scaling elements and sub elements in a layout it is possible to eliminate inconsistent gutter space as well as unnecessary white space . to understand how the analysis portion of the algorithm works we walk through analyzing a typical layout : step 1 ) determine the gutter distance ( size ) step 2 ) find the rows . find openings with the same vertical location and same height and are separated by the gutter distance . put them into a row . single openings can also be put into single rows . step 3 ) [ optional ] find all the columns . find openings with the same horizontal locations and same width and are separated by the gutter distance . put them into the column . step 4 ) combine rows inside of columns . rows and openings with the same horizontal location and the same widths can be combined into the same column . step 5 ) combine columns inside of rows . columns with the same vertical location and same height can be combined into the same row . step 6 ) determine if all openings have been used in steps 2 through 5 . if not then repeat steps 2 through 5 until : a ) all openings have been combined into rows and columns b ) all rows and columns have been combined into columns and rows until there is only one encompassing row or column . step 7 )— assign images to openings . step 8 )— assign scale factor to each image . the scale factor will be adjusted as the images , rows and columns are scaled . the resulting data structure is a tree with openings at it &# 39 ; s leafs with rows and columns as its branches . after analysis , images are assigned to the openings within the rows and columns . each image is assigned a scale factor . the scale factor will be adjusted as the images , rows and columns are scaled . the following steps detail an example process of laying out the images within the rows and columns : step 1 scale all images in each row to have the same height by adjusting the images scale factor . adjust the images horizontal positions to maintain gutter size . step 2 scale all rows ( images ) within each column to have the same width by adjusting the images scale factor . adjust the row &# 39 ; s vertical positions to maintain gutter size . step 3 scale all columns within a row to have the same height by adjusting the encompassed images scale factor . adjust columns horizontal positions to maintain gutter size . step 4 if innermost columns and rows have been scaled to have the same heights and widths respectively and we are at the outermost parent row or column , then scale the outermost row or column to fit within the layout boundary . the exemplary embodiments have been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention .
6
fig1 shows a dense wavelength division multiplexed ( dwdm ) signal 11 present within an optical telecommunication system ( not shown ). predefined wavelength regions λr1 - λr4 are selected by the optical noise monitor constructed according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention . in this example , five channel signals s1 - s5 of the dwdm signal 11 are shown and four predefined wavelength regions λr1 - λr4 are shown interposed between wavelengths λ1 - λ5 of each of the channel signals s1 - s5 . under normal operation of the optical telecommunication system , the noise power within each of the predefined wavelength regions λr1 - λr4 is within a specified noise level . an increase in noise power above the specified noise level indicates that one or more components of the optical telecommunication system , such as an edfa , multiplexer or switch are faulty and need adjustment or replacement . thus , noise monitoring is a valuable diagnostic tool for verifying performance of an optical telecommunication system . noise power within each of the predefined wavelength regions λr1 - λr4 is monitored by filtering optical noise energy within the predefined wavelength regions λr1 - λr4 and then detecting the total noise power within the predefined wavelength regions λr1 - λr4 using an optical detector . noise power density of the optical energy within each of the predefined wavelength regions also provides a useful measure of performance of the optical telecommunication system . since the optical detector responds to the total optical noise power within each of the predefined wavelength regions , the noise power density is obtained by first establishing the noise - equivalent bandwidth ( nebw ) for each of the predefined wavelength regions selected by the optical noise monitor . the nebw of each predefined wavelength region is established by applying to the optical noise monitor , a noise signal having known , uniform optical power density over the predefined wavelength regions λr1 - λr4 and dividing the total noise power within each of the predefined wavelength regions by the optical power density of the applied noise signal . the total optical noise power as sensed by the optical detector is then divided by the nebw to yield the optical noise power density , for example , the optical power per 0 . 1 nanometer of optical wavelength . signal - to - noise ratio ( snr ), another specified operating parameter of the optical telecommunication system , is monitored by comparing the signal power p1 - p5 of each of the channel signals s1 - s5 to the detected noise power within adjacent predefined wavelength regions λr1 - λr4 , normalized according to the nebw of each of the predefined wavelength regions . typically , the noise floor n is more than 30 db lower than the power levels p1 - p5 of the channel signals s - s5 . to accurately distinguish noise power in the predefined wavelength regions λr1 - λr4 from the power of the channel signals s1 - s5 , the noise monitor constructed according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention is selective enough to pass optical energy within each of the predefined wavelength regions λr1 - λr4 to a detector , while substantially attenuating the level of the channel signals s1 - s5 at the detector . fig2 shows an optical noise monitor 10 constructed according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention . the dwdm signal 11 is incident on an optically transparent member 12 , a solid block or frame , supporting a series of multi - pass filters f1 - f4 . the dwdm signal 11 is then cascaded through the member 12 and is incident on the series of multi - pass filters f1 - f4 . each of the multi - pass filters f1 - f4 is selective to a distinct one of the predefined wavelength regions λr1 - λr4 . for example , multi - pass filter f1 is selective to the predefined wavelength region λr1 and transmits optical energy at wavelengths within the predefined wavelength region λr1 to a corresponding detector d1 . the multi - pass filter f1 reflects optical energy at wavelengths outside the predefined wavelength region λr1 , such as the channel signals s1 - s5 and optical energy at wavelengths in the predefined wavelength regions λr2 - λr4 . similarly , multi - pass filter f2 reflects optical energy at wavelengths outside the predefined wavelength region λr2 and transmits optical energy at wavelengths within the predefined wavelength region λr2 to optical detector d2 . multi - pass filter f3 reflects optical energy at wavelengths outside the predefined wavelength region λr3 and transmits optical energy at wavelengths within the predefined wavelength region λr3 to optical detector d3 . multi - pass filter f4 reflects optical energy at wavelengths outside the predefined wavelength region λr4 and transmits optical energy at wavelengths within the predefined wavelength region λr4 to optical detector d4 . although each of the multi - pass filters f1 - f4 includes various optical elements , as an illustration , the elements are described for the first multi - pass filter f1 in the series . the dwdm signal 11 that propagates through the member 12 is incident on a first surface a1 of the a filter element e1 . the filter element e1 is an interference filter such as a fabry - perot filter or other type of optical filter having a bandpass optical transmission characteristic . the center wavelength of the filter element e1 is centered within the predefined wavelength region λr1 . optical energy at wavelengths within the passband of the filter element e1 is transmitted through the filter element e1 to a first reflector r1 , while optical energy at wavelengths outside the passband of the optical element e1 is reflected and is cascaded to the other optical elements e2 - e4 of the multi - pass filters f2 - f4 of the series . the reflector r1 directs the transmitted , band - limited optical energy 13a back to the filter element e1 where it is incident on a second surface b1 of the filter element e1 . the optical energy is further band - limited as it propagates through a second pass through the filter element e1 . after the second pass through the filter element e1 optical energy is incident on a second reflector r2 adjacent to the first surface a1 of the filter element e1 , which directs the optical energy through a third pass through the filter element e1 . with each pass through the filter element e1 , the optical energy is progressively band - limited to narrower and narrower bandwidths . after a third pass through the filter element e1 , the multi - pass filter f1 is selective enough to band - limit the transmission of optical energy to wavelengths within the predefined wavelength region λr1 while rejecting channel signal s1 and channel signal s2 on either side of the predefined wavelength region λr1 . the band - limited noise signal ns1 is incident on optical detector d1 which produces an output current i1 responsive to the total noise power within the predefined wavelength region λr1 . the resulting output current i1 indicates the total noise power within the predefined wavelength region λr1 and this noise power is monitored via the output current . changes in the noise power are used to indicate changes in operating performance of an optical telecommunication system , or to locate faulty components within an optical telecommunication system . each of the other multi - pass filters f2 - f4 in the series have similar reflectors r1 , r2 and filter elements e2 - e4 , except that each of the filter elements e2 - e4 has a passband having a center wavelength that is centered within a separate one of the predefined wavelength regions λr2 - λr4 . fig3 shows an optical noise monitor 20 constructed according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention . in this preferred embodiment the dwdm signal 11 is incident on an optically transparent member 22 , a solid block or frame , supporting a series of multi - pass filters f21 - f24 . the dwdm signal 11 is then cascaded through the member 22 and is incident on the series of multi - pass filters f21 - f24 . each of the multi - pass filters f21 - f24 is selective to optical energy at wavelengths within a distinct one of the predefined wavelength regions λr1 - λr4 . for example , multi - pass filter f21 is selective to the predefined wavelength region λr1 and transmits optical energy at wavelengths within the predefined wavelength region λr1 to a corresponding detector d1 . the multi - pass filter f21 reflects optical energy at wavelengths outside the predefined wavelength region λr1 , such as the channel signals s1 - s5 and optical energy at wavelengths in the predefined wavelength regions λr2 - λr4 . similarly , multi - pass filter f22 reflects optical energy at wavelengths outside the predefined wavelength region λr2 and transmits optical energy at wavelengths within the predefined wavelength region λr2 to optical detector d2 . multi - pass filter f23 reflects optical energy at wavelengths outside the predefined wavelength region λr3 and transmits optical energy at wavelengths within the predefined wavelength region λr3 to optical detector d3 . multi - pass filter f24 reflects optical energy at wavelengths outside the predefined wavelength region λr4 and transmits optical energy at wavelengths within the predefined wavelength region λr4 to optical detector d4 . each of the multi - pass filters f21 - f24 includes a cascaded arrangement of optical filter elements and as an illustration , the filter elements are described for the first multi - pass filter f21 in the series . the first multi - pass filter includes three filter elements e1a - e1c . each of the filter elements e1a - e1c is an interference filter such as a fabry - perot filter or other type of optical filter having a bandpass optical transmission characteristic . optical energy at wavelengths within the passband of the filter element e1ais transmitted through the serial arrangement of filter elements e1a - e1c , while optical energy at wavelengths outside the passband of the optical element e1a is reflected by the filter element e1aand is cascaded to the other multi - pass filters f22 - f24 of the series . alignment of the center wavelengths of the passbands of each of the filter elements e1a - e1c provides for progressive band - limiting of optical energy as the optical energy propagates through each of the filter elements e1a - e1c . typically , the center wavelength of each of the filter elements e1a - e1c is centered within the predefined wavelength region λr1 . after passing through the third cascaded filter element e1c , the multi - pass filter f21 is selective enough to band - limit the transmission of optical energy to wavelengths within the predefined wavelength region λr1 while rejecting channel signal s1 and channel signal s2 on either side of the predefined wavelength region λr1 . the band - limited noise signal ns1 is incident on optical detector d1 which produces an output current i1 responsive to the total noise power within the predefined wavelength region λr1 . the resulting output current i1 indicates the total noise power within the predefined wavelength region λr1 and this noise power is monitored via the output current . changes in the noise power are used to indicate changes in operating performance of an optical telecommunication system , or to locate faulty components within an optical telecommunication system . each of the other multi - pass filters f22 - f24 in the series have similar filter elements to the filter elements e1a - e1c , except that each of the filter elements included within the multi - pass filters f22 - f24 has a passband having a center wavelength that is centered within a separate one of the predefined wavelength regions λr2 - λr4 . in the preferred embodiments of the present invention , a parallel arrangement of multi - pass filters is shown . the multi - pass filters are arranged on either side of the optically transmissive member and optical energy outside the passband of each of the optical filter elements in the multi - pass filters is cascaded to successive multi - pass filters in the series along a zig - zag propagation path within the member . the parallel arrangement of multi - pass filters restricts the angular incidence of optical energy on the filter elements , such as interference filters . alternatively , other arrangements of multi - pass filters are used to cascade the optical energy between successive multi - pass filters in the series .
6
referring now to the figures , and more particularly fig1 the main components of a cardiac trainer t constructed in accordance with this invention include a heart model h ( shown in outline ) having a longitudinal axis l — l , animating network n , a control device c and a source of compressed air s . as shown in fig2 a , 2 b the heart model h , is constructed and arranged to conform in anatomical details to an actual human heart . the heart model h may be made with different sizes , shapes , colors , etc . to simulate an adult or a pediatric heart . moreover heart model h may also simulate either a healthy or a diseased heart , as required . preferably , the heart model h is hollow . in one embodiment of the invention , the heart model h is formed with cavities 10 , 12 that simulate respectively the right and the left atrium and ventricle . optionally , these chambers 10 , 12 may include valves or non - functioning elements simulating heart valves ( not shown ). in this embodiment the heart model h is not animated . in another embodiment , the heart model h is formed with altered - shaped cavities to hold the animation network n . in either embodiment , the cavities 10 , 12 of the heart model h are accessible through holes 14 simulating connections to the circulatory veins and arteries . as discussed in more detail below , advantageously , the holes 14 may be used to supply compressed air to the animation network n . as seen in the fig2 a , 2 b the heart model h consists of two components , an inner cast 16 which simulates the cardiac muscles or myocardium and an outer shell 18 that simulates the epicardium . both members 16 and 18 are made of silicone . the inner cast 16 typically has a thickness of about { fraction ( 3 / 16 )} to ⅜ ″ and the shell 18 has a thickness of about { fraction ( 1 / 16 )} to { fraction ( 3 / 16 )}″. preferably , at certain predetermined locations , silicone tubes 20 having a diameter of about ⅛ ″ and a length of 1 . 5 ″ are attached to the heart model h to simulate arteries . these tubes may be filled with a red colored liquid to simulate blood . the flow chart of fig3 depicts a method for fabricating the heart h in accordance with the invention . in the first step 100 a block of wax having the approximate size and shape of the myocardium is carved to create hollow cavities that define the interior spaces of the heart . in step 102 a casting medium such as a rigid urethane is poured into the block of wax to create two positive master cores . next , in step 104 the exterior of the block of wax is sculpted to define the final shape and size of the desired myocardium . in step 106 a first negative master mold is made that corresponds to the original exterior sculpture using standard molding techniques . when the wax is removed from the mold , the elements that remain are the negative master mold 62 for the myocardium ( see fig5 ); and the two positive master cores ( such as cores 60 , in fig5 ) that define the cavities 10 , 12 of the heart . the two positive master cores have convoluted interlocking shapes and are registered by alignment sockets ( not shown ) to the master negative mold . in step 108 the cores are removed from the negative master mold and a solid positive master of the myocardium layer exterior is created . the solid positive master is also made of a rigid urethane . in step 110 the registered cores are returned to the alignment sockets in the negative master and a plurality of interior castings are made by pouring liquid silicone rubber into the mold and letting it set . in step 112 each casting is dressed by applying paint to its outer surface so that it resembles the myocardium . it was found that silicone - based paints provide superior results for this purpose . in some cases , some extra tissues may also be simulated by adding dabs of silicone on the castings with a spatula . after the castings are dressed , they are allowed to dry for about four hours . each casting thus dressed forms a corresponding inner cast 16 . in step 114 clay or other suitable material is added to the first positive master thereby forming a second positive master having substantially the shape and size of the final heart model h . that is , the clay added to the first positive master in this step defines the shape and size of the outer shell 18 . in step 116 a second negative master is formed from the second positive master . in step 118 the castings from step 112 are placed into the second negative master to form a second mold . in step 120 a substantially transparent or translucent silicon rubber is poured into the second mold to form shell 18 around inner cast 16 . after the shell is set , in step 122 each casting is removed from the mold and cut open . the cores defining cavities 10 , 12 are removed through the cuts and the castings are then closed and sealed by applying silicone rubber into the cut . the resulting assembly is finished to form the heart model h . as part of this finishing step , a shiny clear coat of silicone is applied to the outer surface , for example by applying a light spray . the resulting heart model h has glistening , wet look and feel that is very realistic . this heart model may be used as a teaching tool by itself . if it is provided with the vessels 20 , the heart module may be used as a means of practicing on these vessels as well . in order to provide even more realism , the heart model h can be animated by installing an animation network n . the animation network n is constructed from a plurality of pneumatic tubes arranged so that they change dimension when actuated by a gas ( typically , air ) under pressure . more specifically , the tubes are arranged so that when the network n is activated , the tubes contract and expand sequentially in a manner so as to cause the heart module to twist about two perpendicular axes at a predetermined rate resulting in a three - dimensional twisting motion that simulates the motion of an actual heart . as shown in fig1 the network n includes two tubes . the first tube 24 is arranged in a spiral pattern with loops arranged around longitudinal axis l — l . the second tube 26 is arranged in loops oriented around axis m — m perpendicular to longitudinal axis l — l of the heart model h . fig4 shows details of tube 24 , it being understood that except for its length , tube 26 has the same construction . tube 24 is formed of a thin flexible plastic pipe 32 and a woven mesh 34 . both the pipe 32 and mesh 34 are radially expandable . one end of the tubes is sealed as at 28 while the other end is open to receive the coupling 33 arranged to provide air under pressure as discussed below . importantly adjacent to each of the ends of the tube , the mesh 34 is attached to the pipe 32 by an adhesive , by ties or other similar means . in this configuration , the mesh 34 and pipe 32 are arranged so that when the respective tube is pressurized , the radial expansion of the pipe 32 causes the mesh 34 to expand radially as well , however , because of the attachment between the pipe and the mesh at 30 , the mesh forces the pipe 32 to contract axially . the meshes may be made of nylon or polyester . the pipes may be made of latex and have a outer diameter of ⅛ - ⅜ ″. while various configurations can be used for providing the animation network , the preferred embodiment is shown in fig1 . the open end 32 of each tube 24 , 26 is connected by a respective extension 38 for attachment to control device c . the tubes are inserted in the heart model h as follows . as mentioned above , one of the steps of the process of making the heart model h is the making of cavity sculptures ( step 102 , fig3 ). as part of this step , the cavity sculptures 60 shown in fig5 are provided with grooves ( not shown ) that define the desired shapes for the tubes 24 , 26 . after the cavity sculptures or cores are completed , the tubes 24 , 26 are wound around the cavity sculpture 60 . then , when the cores are positioned in the first negative master 62 ( step 110 ), the tubes 24 , 26 are automatically properly oriented and positioned so that when the interior casting is formed , it envelopes the tubes 24 , 26 . as seen in fig5 a substantial portion of the tubes 24 , 26 extends beyond the cores 60 . as a result , when each interior casting is over between the cores 60 and the first negative master , the tubes 24 , 26 are firmly embedded in the casting and , eventually in the cast 16 . returning to fig1 the control device c includes a control circuit 40 , two automatic valves 42 ( one for each tube 24 , 26 ) operated by the control circuit 40 through respective solenoids 44 and a rate selector 41 that can be used by an operator to select a ‘ beat ’ rate for the heart model h . the control circuit 40 provides the means for controlling the selectively the air flow into the tubes 24 , 26 , from compressor s . the control circuit 40 may be a microprocessor , for example a basic stamp ii by parallax , inc . the microprocessor is programmed to open and close the valves in a predetermined sequence to selectively pressurize tubes 24 , 26 . for example , as shown in fig6 the tubes 24 , 26 may be pressurized in a sequence , as shown , at regular intervals , dependent on the rate selected by the user on a rate selector 41 . preferably , the tube 26 is pressurized first , and tube 24 is pressurized about 100 - 150 msec later , as illustrated in fig6 . it was found that with this arrangement the heart module h is imparted a three - dimensional rocking motion very similar to the motion of a live , beating heart . those skilled in the field will recognize that other means of imparting motion to the heart module h may be used as well . for example , a liquid may be used instead of air to selectively pressurize the tubes 24 , 26 . moreover , while in the embodiment shown a closed system is used , a circulatory system may also be provided in which the blood flow through the heart module h is also mimicked . as mentioned above , the heart module h may be provided with one or more blood vessels 20 . a method for making these blood vessels 20 is now described in conjunction with the flow chart of fig7 . in step 210 , a metal rod that approximates the inside diameter of a particular vessel is provided and covered with a nylon mesh . preferably the nylon mesh is rolled around the rod . the rod is then inserted into a tube having an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the rod and mesh in step 212 to approximate a desired thickness . silicone or urethane modeling material is pumped into the tube and around the rod in step 214 at about 100 psi . the model vessel thus obtained has the look and feel of a real vessel . the mesh provides reinforcement to hold sutures for simulating a medical procedure where suturing is required . the selection of materials and the narrow width also permit the vessel to simulate the collapse of a real vessel . they may be attached to other body organs , such as the heart or a thorax , by tying off an end with a guide string and threading the guide string through a hole in the organ . the guide string may then be removed after using it to pull the vessel into the organ . the vessels 20 may be used to practice coronary artery anastomosis while the heart model h is ‘ beating .’ as shown in fig8 upon completion , the heart model h may be placed within a replica thorax x . the thorax is preferably an typical - sized adult male chest intended to represent a patient lying on his back form the neck to diaphragm and shoulder to shoulder . it is mounted to a flat base meant to sit on a tabletop . the thorax may be provided with openings or incisions such as a sternotomy , partial or full , inset with a soft casting to represent the sternotomy opening . additional openings or incisions , might include thoracotomy opening or endoscopic ports . at the edge of the sternotomy is a pericardial - like well , which serves as a sling for the heart h . the well is lined with a soft , flexible reinforced pericardium - like material . the thorax x may also contain lima and rima pedicles tucked under the edges of the sternotomy that contain left or right internal mamary arteries and veins that are capable of being dissected from the thorax x . the thorax x may also serve to conceal the control device c in its base . the thorax x may be augmented with other components as well . one alternative has full artificial skin . another thorax x has artificial ribs and intercostals spaces which permit rib retraction . the thorax x may be simplified to permit a dimension that allows it to be placed in a portable suitcase container . although the invention has been described with reference to various embodiments , it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of an application of the principles of the invention . numerous modifications , in addition to the illustrative embodiments of the invention discussed herein may be made and other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , it will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that the disclosed methods may be used to replicate biological organs other than the heart . similarly , alternative means for generating muscle - like motion in a motion distribution network in an encapsulated layer of a model will also be apparent . moreover , the control device c can be disposed inside the heart model as well thereby reducing the overall size and complexity of the subject cardiac surgical trainer .
6
it will be readily understood that the components of the present invention , as generally described and illustrated in the drawings herein , could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations . thus , the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the system and method of the present invention , as represented in the drawings , is not intended to limit the scope of the invention , as claimed , but is merely representative of various embodiments of the invention . the illustrated embodiments of the invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings , wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout . in general , soil may be improved on a large or small scale by addition of organic matter such as peat moss . likewise , soils may be made more serviceable by tillage . on a large scale , soils are typically improved by growing and then plowing in ( turning under ) certain residue of crops , or even manure crops , plants selected and grown exclusively for their addition of organic matter likewise , waste materials from corrals , grain stalks ( straw ), and the like may be plowed into tracts of land in order to improve their organic content and their capacity to hold water for use by plants . in many environments aeration may be required by the constitution of the soil , or due to an inability to till the soil . for example , a farm field may rely on ripping ( sub - soiling ), plowing ( turning ), disking ( breaking up ), harrowing ( leveling ), hilling , rowing , cultivating , or any or all of those tillage operations over the course of an agricultural year . by contrast , a lawn or golf green will see virtually no surface tillage on such a large and general scale . meanwhile , various activities like walking or driving over such ground may lead to compaction of the soils . thus , aeration devices may penetrate soils to break them up and provide them access to air for “ aeration .” gelatin is a naturally occurring polymer . gelatin binds with water to form a “ gel .” the existence of naturally occurring polymers such as gelatin has been augmented by the development of synthetic polymers . one such polymer is polyacrylamide . polyacrylamide ( pam ) and other similar gels have been used for different types of binding processes . for example , a gel , when wet , may be easily formed , and when dry may become something of a glue or binder . likewise , gels typically are formed of long polymer chains and thus are often durable in the face of erosive actions such as water running over them . accordingly , gels such as pam may serve as a treatment for surfaces of ground in order to minimize erosion by the passing of water thereover . horticulture is the culture of plants . plants rely on water as a transport mechanism in order to draw nutrients from the ground into the plants through the roots and into the stems , leaves , and so forth . likewise , water acts as a transpiration cooling mechanism by evaporation out through the leaves and other foliage of a plant . however , watering in many environments is problematic . too much watering may result in shallow roots . meanwhile , too little watering may place undue stress on plants . in some locations , water is usually plentiful , so irrigation systems are not installed . nevertheless , bouts of periodic drought or low rainfall need to be evened out . in locations where irrigation is used , soils may still have water retention limitations requiring excess irrigation due to water seeping away in porous soils or running off the surface of comparatively impervious soils . a soil amendment in accordance with the invention may assist in retaining water between rainfall or irrigation sessions to reduce stress on plants . referring to fig1 , a material 10 in accordance with the invention may include a substrate 12 , also called a carrier 12 , formed of a suitable material for placement in the vicinity of a root system of a plant . for example , a substrate may be a particle of sand . in certain embodiments , even gravel , rock , vermiculite , perlite , or the like in a potting environment may operate as a substrate . in some embodiments , a substrate may be formed of either organic or inorganic material . for example wood chips , sawdust , compost , and the like may be comminuted , sorted , or both to provide particles for use as a substrate ( carrier ) in a material , process , and apparatus in accordance with the invention . nevertheless , it has been found very effective to use sand as a substrate 12 inasmuch as it is submersible in water and will not float as many organic materials will when dry . likewise , the sand as substrate 12 may be quarried , sorted , or purchased at any suitable degree of comminuted size . small sized spaces or interstices between individual grains of the sand substrate 12 provide ample space and minimum distance for water to surround each of the substrate 12 particles . in the illustrated embodiment , a substrate 12 may be secured to an absorber 18 by a binder 14 formed of a third material or simply a hydrated region of the absorber rendered tacky ( e . g ., adhesive ) by slight , impartial wetting . the binder 14 , the absorber 18 , either , both , or neither , may be distributed as a comparatively thin layer on the surface of the substrate 12 . typical materials for binders may include wetted regions of particles of an absorber 18 . binders 14 may be selected from both temporary and permanent binders 14 . temporary binders may be sugar - based or otherwise water soluble materials . for example , corn syrup , molasses , and the like may form temporary binders . in the presence of water , such material may ultimately dissolve . nevertheless , so long as the substrate 12 is not turned , mixed , or otherwise disturbed significantly , any other materials supported by the binder 14 would not be expected to dislocate . otherwise , certain naturally or synthetically occurring polymers may also be used as a binder 14 . lignicite may be used as a binder 14 . lignicite is a byproduct of wood and provides material having good adhesive properties , and substantial permanence as a binder 14 on a substrate 12 . other polymers may be used to form a binder 14 . for example , various materials used as glues , including mucilage , gelatin , other water soluble polymers including , for example , elmer &# 39 ; s ™ glue , and the like may also operate as binders 14 to bind materials to a substrate 12 . in certain embodiments , water , or perhaps more correctly a dampened portion of the hydrating polymer itself with water , may be the binder . for example , it has been found that dampening the carrier 12 with water in a proportion of from about one quarter to about 10 percent water by weight will effect adhesion of absorbent 18 . however , below about ½ percent , adhesion is not as universal as typically desired . even though adhesion is not required , adhesion of the absorber 18 to the carrier 12 aids the even distribution of the absorber . otherwise , some degree of segregation of absorber and carrier may occur . also , above about 6 percent water by weight dampening the carrier 12 , the handling of the mixture of a carrier 12 and absorbent 18 becomes more difficult . the gel becomes slippery , and adhesion of carrier 12 particles together becomes more common and problematic . the absorber 18 may be added as a film layer on the carrier , but is easily added as a powder ( e . g ., comparatively smaller particles than the granules of the carrier 12 ) at a proportion of from about 1 percent to about 20 percent by weight , but typically between about 4 percent and 10 percent by weight . a suitable design point is a proportion of from about 6 to about 7 percent by weight in certain embodiments , the substrate 12 may be used in soils in outdoor environments . in other situations , the substrate 12 may be implemented in indoor pots and planters . in other embodiments , the substrate 12 may be used as a filler material in planters or pots having transparent or translucent walls . in such embodiments , a pigment 16 may be added . likewise , even if the substrate 12 and its contents bound thereto are not to be seen , they may be pigmented with an appropriate pigment 16 simply for the purpose of identification during selection , sale , or installation . accordingly , a pigment 16 may be provided . the pigment 16 may be implemented in any of several manners . for example , the substrate 12 may have pigment 16 applied prior to the application of either the absorber 18 or any form of optional binder 14 . in alternative embodiments , the pigment 16 may actually be included in the binder 14 , which becomes a pigmented coating on the substrate 12 . in yet other embodiments , the pigments 16 may be added to an absorber 18 ( e . g ., hydration particle 18 ) either as a pigment 16 mixed therein , or as a pigment 16 applied as a coating thereto . pigment may be added to water used to bind the absorber 18 to the substrate 12 . thus the location of the pigment 16 in the figures is schematic and may be applied in any alternative location or application method , or be eliminated . likewise for any binding material 14 . particles 18 of an absorber 18 ( e . g ., hydrophilic material ) may be bonded to the substrate 12 in any suitable manner . particles may be sized to substantially coat or periodically coat the substrate 12 . in certain embodiments , the absorber 18 such as a hydrophilic material 18 may be a powdered polymeric material 18 such as polyacrylamide . in other embodiments , the particles 18 may actually be organic material having capillary action to readily absorb and hold water . in one presently contemplated embodiment of an apparatus in accordance with the invention , the particles 18 may be powdered polymeric material in a dehydrated state , and having a capacity to absorb water , typically many times the weight of a particular particle 18 . the substrate 12 , in certain embodiments , may be sand . the sand will typically be cleaned and washed to remove dust and organic material that may inhibit the binder 14 from being effective . likewise , the substrate 12 may be sized of any suitable size . for example , sand particles may range from much less than a millimeter in effective diameter or distance thereacross to approximately two millimeters across . very coarse sands may have even larger effective diameters likewise , in certain embodiments , gravel of various sizes may operate as a substrate 12 . however in one presently contemplated embodiment , washed and dried sand such as is used in construction , such as in concrete , has been found to be suitable . fine sands such as masonry sands tend to be smaller , and also can function suitably in accordance with the invention . accordingly , the distance across each particle 18 may be selected to provide an effective coating of powdered particles 18 on the substrate 12 . in one presently contemplated embodiment , the effective diameter of the particles 18 may be from about a 30 mesh size to about a 100 mesh size . for example , a sieve system for classifying particles has various mesh sizes . a particle size of about 30 mesh , able to pass through a 30 mesh sieve , ( i . e ., about 0 . 6 mm ) has been found suitable . likewise , powdering the particles 18 to a size sufficiently small to pass through a 100 mesh ( i . e ., about 0 . 015 mm ) sieve is also satisfactory . a mesh size of from about 50 mesh to about 75 mesh is an appropriate material dimension to obtain excellent adhesion of particles 18 with or without a separate material as the binder 14 , leaving a suitable size of particle 18 to absorb significant liquid at the surface of the substrate 12 . as a practical matter , about half the volume of a container containing a substrate 12 as particulate matter will be space , interstices between the granules of the substrate 12 ( carrier 12 ). one advantage of using materials such as sand as the substrate 12 is that a coating of the particles 18 may provide a substantial volume of water once the particles 18 are fully saturated . by contrast , where the size of the particles 18 is too many orders of magnitude smaller than the effective diameter or size of the substrate particles 12 , less of the space between the substrate particles 12 is effectively used for storing water . thus , sand as a substrate 12 coated by particles 18 of a hydrophilic material such as a polymer will provide substantial space between the substrate particles 12 to hold water - laden particles 18 . the diameter of the particles 18 , or the effective diameter thereof , is typically within about an order of magnitude ( e . g ., 10 ×) smaller than the effective diameter of the particles of the substrate 12 . this order of magnitude may be changed . for example , the order of magnitude difference less than about 1 order of magnitude ( i . e ., 10 ×) may still be effective . similarly , an order of magnitude difference of 2 ( i . e ., 100 ×) may also function . however , with particles 18 too much smaller than an order of magnitude smaller than the effective diameter of the substrate 12 , the interstitial space may not be as effectively used . likewise , with an effective diameter of particles 18 near or larger than about 1 order of magnitude smaller than the size of the particles of the substrate 12 , binding may be less effective and the particles 18 may interfere more with the substrate itself as well as the flow of water through the interstitial spaces needed in order to properly hydrate a material 10 . referring to fig2 , an embodiment of a process for formulating the material 10 may involve cleaning 22 the material of the substrate 12 . likewise , the material of the substrate 12 may be dried 23 to make it more effective in receiving a binder 14 . the material of the substrate 12 may then be blended 24 with a “ binder ,” whether a separate adhesive material or simply water 14 . that is , water as a binder 14 may be added in order to wet the absorber 18 and thus serve as the “ binder 14 ” agent . the portion of the absorber that takes in the small amount of water added may be rendered tacky by hydration , facilitating adhering to the substrate 12 . blending 24 may begin before addition 25 of a binder 14 , and may continue or recur throughout any addition of materials in the process 20 . blending 24 may also begin after addition 25 of a material . the brackets indicate that it is optional , but it has been found effective for more complete and random distribution . with water , an amount of from about ½ percent to about 10 percent will serve with 2½ percent being a good design point to aim for . however a range of water content should be considered as the response of materials to temperature and relative humidity may vary the most desirable amount of water . in one embodiment , a ribbon blender may provide an effective mechanism to perform continuous blending as the binder 14 is added 25 . other types of mixers , such as rotary mixers , and the like may be used . however , a ribbon blender provides a blending 24 that is effective to distribute binder 14 as it is added 25 . for example , if an individual particle of the substrate 12 receives too much binder 14 ( e . g ., adhesive , water , etc . ), and thus begins to agglomerate with other particles of the substrate 12 , a ribbon blender will tend to separate the particles as a natural consequences of its shearing and drawing action during blending 24 . as the binder 14 is added 25 to the mixture being blended 24 , the individual particles of the substrate 12 will be substantially evenly coated . at this stage , the binder 14 , particularly if it is a polymer of some type rather than simply water , may also be heated in order to reduce its viscosity and improve blending . likewise , the material of the substrate 12 or the environment of the blending 24 may be heated in order to improve the evenness of the distribution of the binder 14 on the surfaces of the substrate 12 materials or particles 12 . in one embodiment , using a tacky or adhesive binder , blending 24 is complete when coating is substantially even , and the texture of the material 10 has an ability to clump , yet is easily crumbled and broken into individual particles . at that point , addition 26 of the hydrophilic particles 18 of the absorber 18 may be accomplished . adding 26 the particles 18 as a powder into the blending 24 is a stable process . typically the particles 18 attach 27 or bind 27 at a location of the substrate 12 particles , thus removing from activity that location . accordingly , other particles 18 , rather than agglomerating with one another , continue to tumble in the blending 24 until exposed to a suitable location of binder 14 of the substrate 12 . again , if too much water is used as a binder 14 , particles 18 of the absorber may agglomerate . thus , the adding 26 of the particles 18 or powder 18 of absorber , ( i . e ., polymer , hydrophilic material , etc .) may be designed without excessive binding capacity , in order to be a self - stable process providing a substantially even coating on all the particles of the substrate 12 . when the substrate 12 and absorber 18 are no longer segregated nor individually distinguishable , and the resulting material 10 pours or flows freely , the mixing works well and is bonded or otherwise mixed and adhered properly . the material 10 formulated by the process 20 may be dusted with particles 18 and will pour freely . the material 10 is completed by mixing the carrier 12 , coated with the absorber 18 , to assure a coating thereof by an optional repellant 19 , such as fumed silica 19 ( alternatively called silica fume and fume silica ). typically , once binding 27 of the absorber 18 to the carrier 12 is completed , the repellent 19 may be introduced 28 to the mix . this introduction 28 may occur immediately upon completion of the binding 27 , or may be delayed by hours , even days . nevertheless , when water is used as the binder 14 , it is sometimes beneficial to introduce 28 the repellent 19 right away . for example , additional excessive tumbling and stirring required for introducing 28 the repellent may tend to dislodge some of the absorbent particles 18 . a final coating of hydrophobic silica fume may be introduced 28 and distributed 29 as a repellant 19 to an absorber 18 on a substrate 12 or carrier 12 . distribution 29 of the repellent 19 may be done by any of several methods for example , repellant may be introduced 28 and be distributed 29 as a suspension in alcohol . the liquid mixture may be applied to a surface , distributing the particles of the fumed silica over the surface . upon evaporation of the alcohol , the particles remain , adhered to the surface . introducing 28 the repellent 19 may be done by adding the repellent 19 , such as fumed silica 19 , as a finely divided powder into the material 10 in its current , that is , then current , condition . for example , in some embodiments , the repellent 19 may be dry and simply added as a powder to then adhere by electrostatic attraction . in other embodiments of the process 20 , the repellent 19 may be distributed in alcohol to then be applied . eventually , the alcohol would be evaporated , leaving the powder well distributed 29 . upon a thorough distribution 29 of the repellent 19 , at a suitable ratio selected to repel liquids for a preselected time , the distribution 20 may be complete . at that point , the repellent 19 should be thoroughly distributed 29 , with no significant , residual amount segregated from the main material 10 . the repellant 19 may be added to repel liquids , such as water , for a preselected time in order to aid machine operation during soil amendment , such as by injection . the preselected time may serve as a delay to support settling into the soil before becoming active , to provide time for ground penetrations to close up , thus preventing swelling and extrusion of the material from ground penetrations , and so forth . even material 10 intentionally or accidentally spread on top of the ground may settle into turf or soil before absorbing water , thus reducing or eliminating slippery surface conditions after application . fumed silica , as an industrial material is formed as a byproduct of silicon metals such as ferrosilicon alloys . for example , certain magnet core iron is a silicon alloy of iron . silica fumes react with oxygen to form an amorphous silicon dioxide . other methods of manufacture include a continuous flame hydrolysis technique converting silicon tetrachloride to a gas where it is reacted with water to form the silicon dioxide ( silica ) and hydrochloric acid . fumed silica is a material used as a thickening agent in various liquid formulations in the chemical industry . fumed silica has a chain - like particle morphology . thus the particles have an ability to bond by weak hydrogen bonds . as an amorphous material effective to create weak hydrogen bonds in liquids , it forms therewith a thixotropic fluid that flows in response to sufficient shear force . otherwise , it remains sufficiently viscous to resist flow , even against forces of gravity and surface tension in many liquid coating products . particle sizes in accordance with the invention may be less than a micron in effective diameter . cement particles are about the size to pass through a number 325 mesh sieve . the material size of fumed silica particles is typically about one percent of that of a particle of the cement used to form concrete . in fact , the small size makes this porous , volcanic - ash - like material an excellent constituent in hydraulic cement . structural concrete of over 15 , 000 psi compressive strength is possible by inclusion of silica fume in the admixture . fumed silica , or silica fume is naturally hydrophilic . however , it can be treated with organosilicons to convert the naturally hydrophilic silica to a hydrophobic material . in practice , it has been found adequately effective to introduced 28 and distribute 29 silica repellant 19 dry . the silica powder 19 is sufficiently dielectric to be distributed 29 by dry mixing with the carrier 12 particles coated with absorber particles 18 . electrostatic charge appears to adhere the repellant to the surface of the material 12 , while also spacing individual particles 19 of the repellant 19 at maximum distance from one another . the result is a substantially equidistant distribution 29 of particles 19 over the surface of the material 12 , each held to the surface by electrostatic forces . distribution 30 of the material 10 may be conducted in a variety of ways and may include one or several processes . for example , distribution may include marketing distribution from packaging after completion of blending 24 , shipping to distributers and retailers , and purchase and application by users . an important part of distribution 30 is the deployment of the material 10 around the roots of a plant . in one embodiment of an apparatus and method in accordance with the invention , the material 10 may be poured , as if it were simply sand 12 or other substrate 12 alone . since the powdered absorber 18 or particles 18 will substantially occupy the binder 14 ( whether water or adhesive ), the material 10 will not typically bind to itself , but will readily pour just as the initial substrate material 12 will . the amount of repellant 19 introduced 25 may range from about two hundred fifty parts per million by weight to about ten percent by weight with respect to the combined weight of the carrier 12 and absorber 18 . in embodiments contemplated for many commercial purposes , the amount of repellant 19 may typically range from about one tenth percent to about one percent by weight with respect to the combined weight of the material 10 constituting the carrier 12 and absorber 18 . amending 31 a soil material may be accomplished by any of several methods . for example , in one embodiment , the hydrator material 10 may be added to a body of soil by mixing , layering , placement around the root system , or other method of distribution and stabilization . in several embodiments , the amending 31 may occur by churning the hydrator material 10 into potting soil or ground soils . in other embodiments , amending 31 may involve penetrating soils in order to place the hydrator material 10 below the surface of the soil . working 32 the material 10 into a soil may occur by active cultivation , by the passage of time , by watering and thus flowing the material 10 as granules with the water to a place of lower elevation from a place of higher elevation . for example , settling and migration of particulate materials 10 will serve to work 32 the material 10 into the soil . time is a significant factor in working 32 materials into the soil . for example , injecting or inserting the material 10 into soils or into a cavity in soils may benefit from waiting some period of time for watering , motion , gravity , and other phenomena to act on the material 10 to migrate it downward and to settle it within the soil . by whatever mechanism , the material 10 is worked 32 into the soil . thereafter , activating 33 the hydrator material 10 may be initiated by typically adding liquid , such as irrigation water . depending upon the preselected time for which the repellent 19 has been selected and applied , initiating activation 33 may precede by a considerable time , from seconds to many days , the actual response of absorption of liquids by the material 10 . for example , at some levels of application of the repellent 19 , a material 10 may begin absorbing water within a matter of minutes or even seconds after being exposed to water . accordingly , a material 10 may be injected into the soil by a water injection jet , by which the material 10 flows quickly down a tube or chute behind a jet of water . since the tube is itself wet with residual moisture from the water jet , it may absorb water and plug the machine if not properly treated . accordingly , with the repellent 19 treated material 10 , only a matter of seconds are needed in order to alleviate failing of the injection machine . in other embodiments , it may be desirable to provide time for the material 10 to settle into a cavity in the soil . for example , if soil is opened up by disking , drilling , aerator punching , water jet penetration , or the like , it may be desirable to wait a matter of hours or days for the soil to settle and for any opening at the surface of the soil to close . for example , hydrating a large body of the hydrator material 10 immediately after insertion into the soil may cause swelling sufficient to extrude the material 10 back out of the cavity 36 into which it is placed . thus , the activation 33 may occur over time , beginning with initial exposure to moisture , and ending when the absorber 18 is fully active and capable of absorbing maximum water exposed to the material 10 . after the material 10 has been activated 33 , then cycling 34 of hydration will occur with each watering cycle . for example , upon exposure to water , the material 10 will absorb water into the absorber 18 . upon a period of extended lack of water , or by absorption of water from the material 10 into the roots of plants , the moisture in the material 10 , and more particularly in the absorber 18 , will be depleted . the cycling 34 continues upon re - watering of the soil 52 near the plants 44 relying upon the material 10 . referring to fig3 , in one embodiment of an installation 35 , distribution 30 may include pouring a layer of the material 10 near a plant . in the illustration of fig3 , the process 35 or installation 35 may include forming a cavity 36 in the ground ; by any suitable method . methods for perforating soils may include drilling , aerator punching , disking , jet penetration , or the like . following perforation , insertion or pouring of the hydration material 10 may be done manually or by machine . for example , for a container such as a pot , planter , or the like one may assemble the potting soil in layers , including a layer of the hydration material 10 . alternatively , a tool may penetrate the soil near roots and a user may pour the material 10 in the resulting cavity 36 . in the illustrated embodiment , the cavity 36 may have a surrounding environment 37 such as the ground . a potting mixture 38 or potting soil 38 may fill a portion of the cavity 36 . a mixture of horticultural soil may include a mixture of peat moss , humus , or compost along with other drainage materials . for example , gravel , sand , vermiculite , perlite , or the like may be mixed with an organic material such as peat moss or compost in order to provide drainage in addition to the moisture capacity of the organic material . the material 10 in accordance with the invention may be disposed in a layer 40 poured around a root ball 42 of a plant 44 . accordingly , the layer 40 may provide to the root ball 42 , or to individual roots a surrounding environment 40 having both ease of water transport or drainage through the substrate 12 ( e . g ., sand , etc .) while also having the particles 18 of hydrophilic material 18 to absorb and maintain water within the interstitial spaces between the substrate 12 particles . in another embodiment , a machine may perforate the soil of a golf course , lawn , farm , or the like by penetrating the soil with a tool or implement of any known type . thereafter , the hydration material 10 may be poured , driven , washed , swept , jetted , or otherwise introduced into the resulting cavity . in one embodiment , a jet of water may form a cavity penetrating a soil location . a quantity of the material may be positioned by a machine to follow the jet into the cavity formed by the jet . in another embodiment , a punch ( e . g ., such as an aerator known in the art or of new design ) may core out a cavity 36 , removing the soil therein and may then replace the removed soil core with an injection of granulated hydration material 10 in accordance with the invention . in another embodiment , a disk or seed drill ( e . g ., cultivation tool to open , fill , and close a trench for seed or the like ) may open a trench , a conduit may pour the material 10 into the trench , and the disk or drill may either move the soil back to cover the material 10 , or simply allow a lifted portion of the soil to drop back into place . it is not imperative that the substrate 12 or carrier be inorganic . substrates 12 may be chosen from soil , sand , compost , organic particles , seeds , insecticides , wetting agents , fungicides , fertilizers , root stimulants , or any other soil amendment of organic or inorganic types . various companies products may be used as soil amendments under various trademarks , such as profile ™, nutrimulch ™, and field and fairway ™. various machines under trademarks such as dryject ™, graden ™, csi ™ and others may be used to introduce soil amendments into soils . a drill may create a hole , a corer may remove a plug of soil , a disk may cut into soil , or a like process may form a cavity 36 to place a soil amendment 10 . for example , in one embodiment , a drill ( e . g ., like a common drill to make vertical holes ) may drill cavities 36 of from about one inch to about 15 inches in length several inches apart , typically 3 inches to a foot apart , and most typically about 5 to 8 inches apart . penetrations may be made in arrays by a drill or jet array or in lines by a row of drills , jets , or other penetration devices passing over and periodically making cavities 36 in the soil . however , premature hydration of a material 10 may foul a machine during distribution of the material 10 into the soil . likewise , premature absorption of water by the material may cause local swelling of the ground therearound or extrusion of the material 10 as it swells . thus , in one embodiment of a material in accordance with the invention , the type , amount , and disposition of the repellant 19 on the absorber 18 , substrate 12 , or all such features thereof may be selected to provide a preselected time during which the material 10 may be exposed to liquid without effectively absorbing or swelling sufficiently to be “ activated ” for regular and complete absorption and retention of water . for the preselected time , the repellant will act to prevent access by liquid water to the absorbent 18 . over time , it has been found that water vapor can and will pass through the spatial envelope defined by the repellant 19 . it appears that a greater quantity of repellant tends to maintain liquids at bay for a greater time . thus , for example , it has been found that the gross or general absorption of water by an absorber 18 such as polyacrylamide may be delayed from about several seconds to about six days , when used in an amount of from about one twentieth of one percent to about five percent , respectively , by weight of the material 10 . as more and more water vapor passes and begins binding to the absorber 18 , the absorber 18 will swell . at some point , the absorber will swell sufficiently to breach and escape the envelope defined by the repellant 19 . projecting out into available liquid water , the absorber 18 will then begin absorbing water up to its physical limit . thereafter , the material 10 , in a long cylindrical penetration into the ground , in a network of fissures blasted into the ground , in a trench , in a layer 40 , or otherwise disposed in a soil or the ground may provide a dynamic reservoir within the cavity 36 . the material 10 may be engineered to resist hydration for a predetermined time . thereafter , it may , by that same engineering design , maintain a high degree of hydration ( e . g ., water held in a gel ) that will not drain into the environment 37 , nor be readily evaporated out . to this end , a top dressing 46 or a top layer 46 may be laid down on top of the layer 40 or soil 52 in order to provide some protection against evaporation from heat , sun , air , and the like . the top layer 46 may be formed of the same potting soil or other material of the layer 38 below the plant 44 and the root ball 42 . various suitable top layers 46 exist and are known in the horticulture arts . for example , mulches , wood chips , synthetic materials , plastic sealing , and the like may be used as a covering layer 46 . inhibiting heat transfer and excessive access to air and heat may assist in reducing evaporation from the layer 40 of the material 10 . referring to fig4 , an alternative embodiment of an installation 35 may include the cavity 36 and an environment 37 as discussed above . in the embodiment of fig4 , the root ball 42 may be surrounded by a distributed mixture 48 or fill 48 that includes the material 10 mixed into another potting soil mixture . for example , in the embodiment of fig4 , a potting soil mixture of any suitable combination of materials ( e . g ., selections from vermiculite , perlite , sand , peat moss , compost , soil , gravel , or the like as recited hereinabove ) may be mixed with the material 10 throughout . a top layer 46 forming a suitable dressing to minimize evaporation from heat or wind may still serve well . once applied to soils , the material 10 works 32 its way into the soil by natural settling , watering , and operation of weather and gravity . also , the particle size , softening of soils with watering , and the swelling and contraction with absorption and release of moisture all act to work the particles 10 into the soil , whether initially injected into the soil or applied as a top dressing . the material 10 may typically include from about 1 percent to about 20 percent of an absorber 18 , also called a hydrophilic material 18 or absorbent particles 18 . the particles 18 may be formed of a naturally occurring material , such as a cellulose , gelatin , organic material , or the like . in one embodiment , a synthetic gel , such as polyacrylamide may be used for the absorber particles 18 , in a ratio of from about 1 to about 20 percent particles 18 compared to the weight of the substrate 12 . in experiments , a range of from about 5 to about 10 percent by weight has been found to be most effective for the effective amount of absorber particles 18 . sizes of particles 18 may range from about 20 mesh to smaller than 100 mesh . particles 18 of from about 50 to about 75 mesh have been found most effective . the binder 14 may typically be in the range of from about in ¼ percent to about 3 percent of the weight of the substrate 12 . a range of from about 3 / 4 percent to about 1½ percent has been found to work best . that is , with a binder such as lignicite , ¼ of 1 percent has been found not to provide as reliable binding of particles 18 to the substrate 12 . meanwhile , a ratio of higher than about 3 percent by weight of binder 14 to the amount of a substrate 12 , such as sand , when using lignicite as the binder 14 , tends to provide too much agglomeration . the pouring ability of the material 10 is inhibited as well as the blending 24 , due to agglomeration . other binders also operate , including several smaller molecules that are water soluble . for example , glues , gelatins , sugars , molasses , and the like may be used as a binder 14 . again , water alone may be used as a binder 14 by exposing particles 18 of absorber 18 to a limited amount thereof . for example , mixing from about ½ percent to about 6 percent water by weight , with respect to the substrate 12 , one may mix the absorber 18 in , and the absorber 18 will absorb the water and bind to the substrate 12 or carrier 12 . a tumbling type of mixing has been found effective . below ½ percent water , binding will still occur , but has not typically been found to be universal , reliable , nor complete . likewise , greater than 6 percent water still works to bind the absorber . in any event humidity and temperature effects may affect the mixing and binding processes . however , above about six percent water , the absorber 18 tends to take on too much water , resulting in agglomeration of the carrier particles 12 by the moistened particles 18 of absorbent material 18 therebetween . within the range of from about ½ percent to about 6 percent water , by weight , mixing works well , adhesion of particles 18 to the substrate 12 works well , and the material 10 still flows freely as a granular material . one substantial advantage for the material 10 in accordance with the present invention is that the material remains flowable as a particulate or sand - like material 10 into the area of roots and under a rootball or around the individual open roots of plants being transplanted . with the repellant 19 applied thereto , such flowing works well even in the presence or water . for example a water jet creating a cavity in soil can draw a slug or charge of delayed - hydration material 10 into a conduit of a machine for delivery into the cavity formed by a water jet . properly formulated , the material 10 , during the preselected time for which it is designed , remains substantially unaffected by the moisture or humidity in the delivery machine , a delivery conduit , exposure to the jet drawing the charge into the cavity , residual water in the cavity , nor subsequent irrigation of surrounding soils and the cavity . thus , soil dressing machinery is not fouled , soils do not swell excessively ( e . g ., operationally perceptibly ), and the use of property such as grounds , fairways , and greens is not unduly interrupted . handling and application is simple , and the ability of granular material 10 to flow under and around small interstices between roots or between potting materials provides for a very effective application . the material 10 treated with repellant 19 aids in simplifying storage , drilling , delivery , and recovery . referring to fig5 , a tool 50 , may introduce the material 10 into a soil 52 or plot 52 in soil . in certain embodiments , the tool 50 may be embodied as a corer that will remove soil . in others , the tool 50 may be a drill . in the illustrated embodiment , the tool 50 is a jet conduit 50 that injects a jet of water into the soil 52 forming the cavity 36 . in the illustrated embodiment , following the evacuation or formation of a cavity 36 , by the water , a quantity of the material 10 follows the water through the tool 50 and fills up the various portions , both central and extremities 54 of the cavity 36 . ultimately , continued watering may further move material 10 from the center of the cavity 36 into the extremities 54 by operation of gravity , water fluidization , and so forth . typically , the material 10 will not fill the cavity 36 completely . this provides for the cavity 36 to subsequently close at its opening near the surface of the soil 52 . by closure of the opening of the cavity 36 , the material 10 experiences a greater restriction to exiting the cavity 36 upon swelling with hydration . actually , the process or the cycling 34 of hydration , passing onto a dryer condition , and then being re - hydrated will also tend to work on the cavity 36 and promote distribution of the material 10 and settlement thereof into the lower extremities 54 of the cavity 36 . certain experiments were conducted using the material 10 in accordance with the present invention with or without repellent 19 in accordance with the principle of the experiment . for example , in one experiment various sizes of planting pots were used ranging in size from one quart to one gallon , two gallons , and five gallons . various plants were tested including geraniums , hibiscus , and indian hawthorn . in one experiment , a five gallon potting container was half filled with a potting soil mixture of conventional type . approximately one liter of the material 10 was added as a layer on top of the potting soil . three geraniums plants where then planted in the material 10 . the remainder of the pot was filled with a potting soil mixture . the pot was placed where it could drain and was watered liberally , with the excess water running out of the drainage apertures in the pot . four such pots were set up , each having three geranium plants . four additional pots were set up without using material 10 in a layer 40 around the roots of the plants . all plants were planted and all pots were prepared on the same day . the same amount of water was applied to each of the pots . after 10 days , the untreated plants lacking the material 10 in the extra layer 40 of the material 10 to hold the water appeared to be extremely stressed . in fact , the plants stressed sufficiently that after 15 days they appeared dead . plants potted in the layer 40 of the hydrated material 10 still appeared healthy after 10 days and after 15 days . at 35 days after watering , the plants in the treated pots containing the layer 40 of hydrating material 10 began to appear stressed . upon watering , they responded well and returned to full hydration and health . the plants in the untreated pots did not recover . another test used hibiscus plants with four pots treated with the layer 40 of a hydrating material 10 and four pots untreated . all pots were the same size . the watering process was the same . thus , as with the geranium experiment , all pots were watered equally . after 15 days the hibiscus plants that had not been treated with the extra layer 40 of the hydrating material 10 appeared very stressed . after 20 days , the plants in the untreated plots were turning brown . in contrast , hibiscus plants in the treated pots having an extra layer 40 of hydrating material 10 appeared healthy after 15 days and even out to 22 days , when the hibiscus plants in the untreated plots were in the browning stages of dying . after 38 days , the hibiscus plants in the treated pots began to show stress . water was provided to plants at 38 days . the untreated pots were watered the same as the treated pots . plants in the untreated pots did not respond . the plants in the treated pots responded well and continued living healthily upon the watering at 38 days . in one experiment , an indian hawthorn was planted in the ground . about a liter of the material 10 was laid about the roots in a layer 40 as described hereinabove . in this instance , the experiment was conducted in an environment of natural ground . the indian hawthorn plants were placed in holes approximately 18 inches across by about 15 inches deep . in each instance , the hole 36 prepared for the plant was partially filled with a soil and wetted . two plants were placed in holes treated with approximately 1 liter of the material 10 , each . a control was created by planting two additional indian hawthorns using each step the same , in preparation of the hole , placement of the soil in the hole , and watering of the soil and the plants . in the control , none of the material 10 was used . no further water was applied . after 20 days , the untreated shrubs appeared to be dry with some stress . after 33 days , the plants in the untreated holes were dead . meanwhile , the treated shrubs remained healthy throughout . in another experiment , the foregoing experiment was repeated using two additional indian hawthorn plants and treating the soil with a layer 40 containing about 1½ liters of the hydrating materials 10 near the roots . in that experiment , after 20 days , the shrubs appeared healthy . at 33 days , the shrubs began to show a minimal amount of stress . at 40 days , the stressed plants were watered and responded well , returning to health and continued life . in all of the foregoing experiment series , the particles 18 were of polyacrylamide , and the substrate 12 was sand . the polyacrylamide constituted approximately 5 percent by weight of the overall material 10 . the particle size 18 was approximately a 60 mesh granularity . in certain experiments , the material 10 was formulated with only water as a binder 14 . a range of ½ percent to about 6 percent was found effective to maintain reliable performance yet very reliable and simple mixing and handling of the substrate 12 and absorber particles 18 in the ratios discussed hereinabove . colorant was sometimes added in suitable proportions to the water in order to provide colored material 10 . the best performance , without agglomeration of particles of substrate 12 by the absorber , and without leaving unattached particles of absorber in any significant fraction in the mixed material 10 seemed to occur when using water within this range with a good design point being near about 2½ percent water by weight . thus from about 1 percent to about 5 percent is recommended , with a very desirable range of from about 2 percent to about 3 percent for best results . however , this may be adjusted for temperature and humidity available in the environment . experiments with the repellant 19 ranged from about 1 / 40 percent to about 5 percent by weight of the material 10 . at a zero percentage control , having no repellant 19 , absorption of water occurred immediately upon introduction of the water to the absorber 18 . at 1 / 40 percent , the effect of delay was perceptible but almost unnoticeable . at about 1 / 20 percent , the preselected time for delay of gross absorption of water by the material 10 was about five minutes . at 1 / 10 percent , delay was typically from about 40 seconds to a minute before large scale absorption by the absorber material 18 . at 5 percent repellant 19 by weight , the delay time for activation of the material 10 was six days to observe even a minimal absorption of water by the material 10 . experiments with repellant 19 in a proportion of from about 1 / 10 percent to about 1 percent provided suitable delays for avoiding fouling machines and permitting soils to return to normal without premature swelling that may cause undue swelling , extrusion from soil cavities , slippery consistency , and so forth . experiments conducted on seeds as a substrate 12 resulted in germination of the seeds by surrounding water vapor while the exterior of the seeds remained dry throughout the experiment . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics . the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative , and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the appended claims , rather than by the foregoing description . all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope .
1
referring to fig1 and 2 illustrating one embodiment of the invention , a safety band or belt wind - up device comprises one side plate 1 of a frame and the other side plate 1 opposite thereto , between which a base plate 2 extends . a wind - up shaft 3 is rotatably supported by the two side plates 1 and is rotatively driven in a webbing wind - up direction which is a counterclockwise direction as viewed in fig1 by means of a wind - up spring mounted on the opposite side plate 1 . in a condition shown in fig1 a webbing or belt 5 extends from a location radially remote or a relatively long distance from the shaft 3 because the length of the webbing 5 has been wound about the shaft 3 . the wind - up shaft 3 is provided at its end with a gear 6 rotatable in unison with the shaft 3 . an idle gear 7 adapted to be brought into engaged and disengaged positions with the gear 6 is rotatably mounted through a collar 9 on a shaft 8 fixed to a shifter 22 rockable about a shaft 20 fixed to the side plates 1 clearly shown in fig2 which is a sectional view taken along the line ii -- ii of fig1 . a radially extending cam member 10 is fixed to the idle gear 7 and rotatable therewith about the shaft 8 . on the shaft 20 is also mounted a stop gear 11 in mesh with the idle gear 7 . a cam member 12 is fixed to the stop gear 11 and rotatable therewith about the shaft 20 in the same manner as the idle gear 7 . the cam member 12 also radially extends to engage the cam member 10 at two positions , such that these cam members are restrained thereat as will be described later . the stop gear 11 is formed on the opposite side of the shifter 22 with a casing 13 for receiving therein a restoring spring 14 . the restoring spring 14 has an inner end anchored in a slit 21 of the shaft 20 and an outer end fixed to the inside 13a of the casing 13 and rotatively drives the stop gear 11 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in fig1 so that upon disengaging the idle gear 7 and gear 6 , the idle gear 7 and stop gear 11 are returned to and stopped at a first restraint position as shown in fig1 where the cam members 10 and 12 are engaged and restrained with each other . the wind - up force lock means according to the invention is formed in this manner . the portion of the shifter 22 through which the shafts 8 and 20 pass is in the form of two plates within which space the gears 7 and 11 and the like are received . the shifter 22 includes one plate - like portion extending to the left as viewed in fig1 to which is secured one end of a shifter restoring spring 17 having the other end anchored to a protrusion provided on the side plate 1 . in this manner , the shifter 22 is driven in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in fig1 and the counterclockwise rotation of the shifter 22 is limited by a stopper 18 extending from the side plate 1 . the device further comprises a mechanism 25 for rocking or swinging the shifter 22 in response to the engagement or disengagement of a buckle of a safety belt to bring the gear 6 and idle gear 7 into engagement or disengagement with each other . the mechanism 25 includes a flexible tube 27 extending through an opening of a cover 23 for covering the components of the device and accommodating therein steel balls 26 closely arranged in a row along a longitudinal axis of the flexible tube 27 . onto the inner end of the flexible tube 27 is fitted a cap 28 with which is arranged a rod 29 urged or pressed downwardly as viewed in fig1 against the uppermost steel ball 26 by a rod restoring spring 30 . with this arrangement , the shifter 22 is rotated in a clockwise direction about the shaft 20 by means of the rod 29 raised upwardly as viewed in fig1 upon the engagement of the buckle , if the steel balls 26 are adapted to be urged upon the engagement of the buckle . in this manner the gear 6 and idle gear 7 are brought into engagement with each other . the steel balls may be pushed , for example , by manually pushing a button secured to the outer end of the tube 27 after the engagement of the buckle . it is , however , convenient to effect the pushing of the steel balls in an automatic response to the insertion of a tongue into the buckle . such an example is shown in fig5 which is a front elevation of a buckle and illustrates a cover 40 , a push button 41 adapted to be urged in a tongue inserting direction , and a base member 43 supporting a latch member engaging the tongue 45 . in this embodiment , a slider 44 for pushing out the tongue 45 upon disengagement is slidably urged by the inserted tongue 45 to push a rod 47 . accordingly , the rod 29 is maintained in its raised position under the buckle engaged condition . upon disengaging the buckle , the slider 44 is slid to the right as viewed in fig5 and the rod 29 , steel balls 26 and rod 27 are returned to their original positions with the aid of the force of the rod restoring spring 30 . the operation of the embodiment constructed as above described will be explained hereinafter . so long as the buckle of the safety belt device is not latched , the wind - up force lock means is in the condition shown in fig1 and only the wind - up shaft 3 and gear 6 are rotated by drawing the webbing out of the device . when the webbing is drawn to a suitable length , the buckle is latched , so that the rod 29 is pushed against the force of the rod restoring spring 30 as shown in fig3 under which condition the gear 6 engages the idle gear 7 . accordingly , even if the wind - up spring drives the wind - up shaft 3 in the direction for winding up the webbing 5 , it is not wound up because the gear 6 fixed to the wind - up shaft 3 is prevented from rotating in the direction for winding up the webbing 5 because the idle gear 7 in mesh with the gear 6 is prevented from rotating in the clockwise direction due to the restraint of the cam members 10 and 12 . therefore , a user is not subjected to the force of the webbing wind - up spring while he is equipped with the safety belt . under the condition shown in fig3 however , it is possible to draw the webbing out of the device to a certain length , because the rotation of the gear 6 in the clockwise direction or the rotation of the idle gear 7 in the counterclockwise direction is not prevented by the cam members 10 and 12 . the extent to which the webbing can be drawn is determined by the design of the device . with this embodiment , the gears 6 , 7 and 11 have sixteen , twenty - six and twenty - five teeth , respectively , and therefore the rotating ratio of the gear 6 to the idle gear 7 is 26 to 16 . on the other hand , now we take into account the number of rotations of the idle gear 7 which rotates from the position shown in fig3 in the counterclockwise direction while the stop gear 11 rotates in the clockwise direction to a position where the cam members 10 and 12 are again engaged and restrained with each other . when the idle gear 7 has rotated one revolution from the position shown in fig3 in the counterclockwise direction , the stop gear 11 has rotated 1 1 / 25 revolution in clockwise direction and the cam members 10 and 12 are shifted in phase under which condition they are not engaged with each other . in this manner , the shift in phase between the cam members increases until the idle gear 7 has rotated approximately 24 revolutions in the counterclockwise direction , and the cam members are engaged and restrained with each other in another position shown in fig4 when the idle gear 7 has rotated 24 revolutions . accordingly , it is permitted to draw the webbing while the gear 6 has rotated approximately 24 × 26 / 16 = 39 revolutions in clockwise direction as viewed in fig3 . this number of rotations of the gear 6 is somewhat too large for an allowable length of the drawn webbing . it should be however understood that the allowable length of the drawn webbing can be fairly freely determined by suitably selecting the number of teeth of the respective gears . it is further understood that the various changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof . for example , the mechanism for driving the shifter 22 may be electrical means using a solenoid . moreover , an idle gear may be mounted on a wind - up shaft rotatably relative thereto and brought into locked or unlocked relation to the wind - up shaft by sliding a clutch member on the wind - up shaft in its axial direction . furthermore , the steel balls may be replaced with a push - pull wire or hydraulic or pneumatic means . in addition , when the shifter 22 is moved to bring the idle gear 7 and stop gear 11 into the locked relation to the wind - up shaft 3 upon latching the buckle , the movement of the steel balls in the above embodiment may be converted into a movement of means like a link mechanism to accumulate the movement of the steel balls and thereafter the link mechanism is returned to its original position to release the accumulated movement as by drawing the webbing to move the shifter 22 , thereby preventing the webbing from being locked in loosened condition and therefore locking the webbing in tightly fitting manner with a person . in brief , the device according to the invention is characterized in utilizing two gears having cam members which are brought into locked or unlocked relation to a wind - up shaft and various modifications of the other aspects may be made . the device according to the invention does not exert the tensile force of the webbing on the user being equipped with the safety belt and is capable of drawing and winding up the webbing within a determined length from the equipped condition . referring to fig6 - 10 illustrating another embodiment of the invention , a wind - up device comprises one side plate 101 and the other side plate 101 opposite thereto , between which a base plate 102 extends and wind - up shaft 103 is rotatably supported and is rotatively driven in a clockwise direction as viewed in fig6 by means of a wind - up spring provided on the side plate 101 on the opposite side of the side plate shown in the drawing . the wind - up shaft 103 is provided on its one end with a main gear 106 adapted to rotate in unison together with the wind - up shaft 103 . the shaft 103 comprises a latch plate 103a forming one part of an emergency lock mechanism for the wind - up device ( fig1 ). the emergency lock mechanism is for locking a seat belt in an emergency such as a collision , which is conventional . this mechanism will not be described in further detail since this is not essential for an understanding of the invention . an idling gear 107 is movable between its engaged and disengaged positions with the main gear 106 and comprises a pinion gear 107a adapted to be in mesh with the main gear 106 and a bull gear wheel 107b normally in mesh with a stop gear 111 described later . the idling gear 107 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 108 fixed to a shifter 122 which is swingable together with a rotating shaft 120 provided extending between the two side plates 101 . the rotating shaft 120 and shaft 108 are incorporated in the shifter 122 and thereafter preferably coated with a resin coating , thereby absorbing noise on the coated surfaces to obtain a silent operation and preventing a malfunction due to rust . in this case , the rotating shaft 102 and shaft 108 are fixed in position to a clamp plate 105 by caulking the ends of the shafts or by heating such as by high - frequency heating ( fig9 ). a circular clip or snap ring 120a is provided on the other end of the rotating shaft 120 . a radially extending cam 110 is mounted on the shaft 108 and rotatable thereabout together with the idling gear 107 . a stop gear 111 in mesh with the gear wheel 7 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 120 in unison with the shifter 22 . in a manner similar to the idling gear 107 , the stop gear 111 is integrally formed with a radially outwardly extending cam 112 rotating together with the stop gear 111 . the cam 112 engages the cam 110 in two positions to restrain the rotations in determined directions with each other . in one position shown in fig6 the idler gear 107 and stop gear 111 are prevented from rotating in counterclockwise and clockwise directions , respectively . in the other position which occurs when the cam members 110 and 112 assume positions substantially opposite to those shown in fig6 with respect to a line connecting centers of the gears 107 and 111 , the gears 107 and 111 are prevented from rotating in clockwise and counterclockwise directions . the stop gear 111 is formed on the opposite side of the shifter 122 with a casing 113 for receiving therein a restoring spring 114 ( fig1 ). the restoring spring 114 has an inner end anchored in a slit 121 ( fig1 ) of the shaft 120 and an outer end fixed to a slit of the inside 113a of the casing 113 and rotatively drives the stop gear 111 in a clockwise direction as viewed in fig6 so that upon disengaging the idle gear 107 and main gear 106 , the idle gear 107 and stop gear 111 are returned to and stopped at a first restraint position as shown in fig6 where the cam members 110 and 112 are engaged and restrained with each other . a solenoid assembly 130 for operating the shifter 122 in response to the engagement and disengagement of the buckle of the sheet belt will be then explained . the solenoid assembly 130 is fitted within a cavity 101d of the side plate and fixed thereto by means of a bracket 132 integrally forming one part of the solenoid assembly 130 and having lugs 132a and 132b extending from its sides bolted to the side plate 101 . the bracket 132 serves as a beam to reinforce the cavity 101d of the side plate 101 which would otherwise weaken the side plate . an actuator 133 is connected to the shifter 122 by means of a press fitted pin 131 passing through an opening 122a ( fig8 ) of the shifter 122 and is urged by means of a coil spring 117 upwardly as viewed in fig7 . the upper end of the coil spring 117 is stably supported at four points on the pin 131 and two notches 122b of the shifter 122 ( fig8 ). when the solenoid assembly 130 is energized , the actuator 133 is pulled downwardly against the force of the spring 117 and the shifter 122 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction as viewed in fig6 . when the solenoid assembly is deenergized , the actuator 133 is returned upwardly with the aid of the force of the spring 117 and therefore the shifter 122 is rotated in the clockwise direction as viewed in fig6 until its end becomes near an upper wall of a waterproof cover 135 ( fig7 ). the mechanism above described between the side plates 101 is covered by a cover 123 fixed thereto and the solenoid assembly 130 , within the cavity 101d of the side plate and exposured to the inside thereof is protected by the waterproof cover 135 . in this manner , the mechanism between the side plates 101 is substantially completely closed from the outside by the covers 123 and 135 with the exception of the lugs 132a of the bracket 132 and an opening through which lead wires l pass . the waterproof cover 135 includes flange portions 135a except the lower portion as viewed in fig7 which extend over the outer surface of the side plate 101 and are fixed together with the lugs 132a and 132b of the bracket 132 to the side plate 101 by means of common setscrews . the lower end of the cover 123 is inserted between a protrusion 135b and the lower portion of the waterproof cover 135 and jointed together at the shoulders of the covers . between the lugs 132a and 132b of the bracket 132 and the side plate 101 are inserted the flange portions 135a of the waterproof cover 135 made of a plastic resin to form an electric insulator which prevents magnetic flux from leaking during the solenoid energized condition to obtain the effective attraction . the operation of the device of this embodiment above described will be explained hereinafter . at first , a webbing 145 is drawn out of the device and a buckle is latched while the webbing is being tensioned against the force of the wind - up spring . at the moment a buckle switch bsw is closed to supply a current from a battery b to a solenoid s ( fig1 ). when the solenoid assembly 130 is energized in this manner , the shifter 122 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction as above described to bring the idle gear 107 and the main gear 103 into mesh with each other ( fig1 ). under this condition shown in fig1 , the wind - up shaft 103 is prevented from rotating in the webbing wind - up direction because the idle gear 107 in mesh with the main gear 103 is prevented from rotating in the counterclockwise direction as viewed in fig1 by the engagement of the cam members 110 and 112 . therefore , a user is not subjected to the force of the webbing wind - up spring while he is equipped with the safety belt . under the condition shown in fig1 , however , it is possible to draw the webbing out of the device to a certain length , because the rotation of the main gear 106 in the counterclockwise direction or the rotation of the idle gear 107 in the clockwise direction is not prevented by the cam members 110 and 112 . it is then possible to draw the webbing from a comfortable position to a certain length . the webbing must of course be drawn against the forces of the webbing wind - up spring and restoring springs 114 and 117 accommodated in the casing 113 of the stop gear 111 . the extent to which the webbing can be drawn is determined depending upon the gear ratios of the main gear 106 , gears 107a and 107b of the idle gear 107 and stop gear 111 , because the rotation of the main gear 106 in the counterclockwise direction is prevented by a second restraint of the cam members 110 and 112 which occurs after the main gear 106 has rotated a certain number of revolutions . when the buckle is released , the buckle switch bsw is opened to deenergize the solenoid assembly 130 so that the shifter 122 is rotated in the clockwise direction by the force of the coil spring 117 so as to return to the condition shown in fig6 . the idle gear 107 and main gear 106 are disengaged from each other in this manner and therefore with the aid of the restoring spring 114 the idle gear 107 , stop gear 111 and the cam members 110 and 112 are returned to and stationary at the condition shown in fig6 . as can be seen from the description the device of this embodiment is insusceptible to dust , salt water or the like and comfortable to use . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .
1
the parallax barrier shown in fig5 comprises a polarisation modifying layer 20 and a polariser in the form of a polarising sheet 21 . the polarisation modifying layer 20 comprises aperture regions 22 in the form of parallel elongate slit regions arranged to rotate linear polarisation 23 of incoming light through 90 degrees . the aperture regions 22 are separated by barrier regions such as 24 which are arranged not to affect the polarisation of the incoming light . the regions 22 may for instance comprise appropriately aligned half waveplate polarisation retarders or 90 degree polarisation rotators . the aperture regions 22 are disposed at the desired pitch of the parallax barrier , incorporating any viewpoint correction as described hereinbefore , and are of the width required for the parallax barrier slits . typical values for the pitch and width of such slits are 200 micrometers and 50 micrometers , respectively . the aperture regions 22 have an optic axis aligned so as to rotate the input polarisation through 90 degrees . for instance , when the parallax barrier is disposed in front of a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) of the thin film transistor ( tft ) type , light from the lcd is polarised at + 45 degrees to a vertical axis of the lcd with which the strip - shaped aperture regions 22 are parallel . the optic axis is therefore arranged so that the polarisation of light 25 output from the slit regions is at − 45 degrees with respect to the same vertical axis . the barrier regions 24 are transparent regions with little or no effect on the transmitted light , which therefore remains polarised at + 45 degrees . the polarising sheet 21 has a polarising direction indicated at 26 which is substantially orthogonal to the polarisation direction 23 of incoming light and hence of light passing through the regions 24 . however , the polarisation direction 26 is parallel to the polarisation direction of light passing through the slit regions 22 so that the parallax barrier operates in a barrier mode with incoming light being transmitted through the slit regions 22 and being substantially blocked or extinguished through the parts of the barrier defined by the barrier regions 24 . in order to operate the parallax barrier in a non - barrier mode , the polarising sheet 21 is disabled , for instance by being removed . in this mode , the strip regions 22 are substantially invisible because they are not analysed by any polarising sheet . by arranging for the regions 22 and 24 to haves substantially the same transmissivity , there should be no undesirable visual artefacts , such as moire beating with the pixel structure of an associated lcd . although the slit regions 22 still rotate the polarisation direction of the incident light , this is not visible to the human eye when the polarising sheet 21 has been removed . in this mode , the parallax barrier allows the full spatial resolution of the associated lcd to be available for 2d display with very little attenuation of light . the parallax barrier of fig5 may be used to replace the front parallax barrier 4 shown in fig1 so as to provide an autostereoscopic 3d display constituting an embodiment of the invention . a convenient way of arranging for the polariser sheet 21 to be removable is illustrated in fig6 a . the polariser sheet 21 is attached to the remainder of the autostereoscopic display by double hinges 30 and 31 . this allows the polariser sheet 21 to be swung over the front of the display with the polariser alignment controlled by the base line of the hinges and optionally further constrained by a location datum on the opposite edge of the polariser sheet from the hinges . in the 2d mode , the polariser is folded over the rear of the display unit and stored flush against the rear of the display unit . another convenient way of arranging for the polariser sheet 21 to be removable is illustrated in fig6 ( b ). the polarising sheet 21 is formed on a transparent film having a longitudinal region which is transparent and non - polarising . the film is wound on rollers 28 and 29 disposed at either side of the lcd 1 and polarisation modifying layer 20 . the rollers 28 and 29 are driven , for instance by an electric motor , so that the polarising region 21 or the transparent non - polarising region of the film may be disposed in front of the lcd 1 and layer 20 . alternatively , the rollers 28 and 29 may be operated manually . when the polarising region 21 is in front of the lcd 1 and layer 20 , the display operates in the 3d mode whereas , when the transparent non - polarising region of the film is in front of the lcd 1 and layer 20 , the display operates in the 2d mode . fig6 ( c ) illustrates a further way of switching between 3d and 2d modes of operation . in this case , the polarising sheet 21 is permanently disposed in front of the lcd 1 and the layer 20 but is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the sheet 21 . when the rotary position of the polarising sheet 21 is such that it transmits light from the slit regions 22 but extinguishes light from the barrier regions 24 , the display operates in the 3d mode with a front parallax barrier as illustrated at a . thus , a barrier is formed with narrow transmissive slits and wide opaque gaps , however , when the polarising sheet 21 is rotated through 90 ° it blocks or extinguishes light from the slit regions 22 but transmits light from the barrier regions 24 . in this case , as illustrated at b , light is transmitted through wide “ slits ” whereas narrow opaque “ gaps ” are formed . although the arrangement illustrated at b may be thought of as continuing to act as a parallax barrier , the viewing regions are not as well - defined and a broad 2d region is produced . the residual opaque regions will reduce the brightness in the 2d mode compared with displays in which there are no opaque regions formed by the parallax barrier . this is a convenient technique but there may be some residual moire effects in the 2d mode from black areas on the mask . if the parallax barrier 4 in the known types of display such as those shown in fig1 and 4 were made removable in order to provide a full resolution high brightness 2d mode of operation , it would have to be provided with mounts which defined the location in five degrees of freedom , namely two translation axes and three rotation axes , to positional tolerances of the order of 5 micrometers . it is also particularly difficult to maintain parallelism between the parallax barrier 4 and the slm 1 . any bow in either element would cause deviations in the window generating moire pattern . this results in reduced viewing freedom and increased levels of cross talk of the display . a removable element would have to compensate for such bows and this is very difficult to achieved in a robust manner with low cost overheads while preserving ease of use and reasonable bulk in the removable element . the effective plane of the parallax barrier shown in fig5 is at the plane of the polarisation modifying layer 20 . the alignment of this layer 20 with the associated lcd determines the optical alignment of the autostereoscopic display . for the parallax barrier shown in fig5 the layer 20 may be left permanently fixed to the associated lcd and so can conform to any bows in the lcd , minimising the degradation to window quality . this ensures rigidity and allows for adhesives or other forms of permanent fixative to be employed , for instance during manufacture or as a subsequent fitment using precision alignment tools which are available on lcd production lines . the removable polarising sheet 21 merely needs to be realigned in one rotational axis on replacement in front of the sheet 20 . the tolerance on translational position is merely that the whole of the display surface be covered by the polariser sheet 21 and rotations around axes in the plane of the display surface do not affect the polarisation absorption axis . accordingly , the only requirement is for rotational alignment about an axis normal to the display surface to ensure good extinction of light from the barrier regions 24 . in order to reduce light leakage from the barrier regions 24 to below 1 %, the alignment tolerance is of the order of plus or minus 5 degrees and this is easy to satisfy . fig7 illustrates the use of the parallax barrier of fig5 in a rear parallax barrier autostereoscopic display . the polarisation modifying layer 20 is disposed adjacent the lcd 1 and the polariser sheet 21 acts as an input polariser and is disposed between the layer 20 and the backlight 3 . the lcd 1 has an input polariser 32 whose polarisation direction is aligned so as to pass light from the strip regions 22 and to block light from the barrier regions 24 . thus , the polarisation directions of the input polariser sheet 21 and the lcd polariser 32 are orthogonal . in order to provide a full resolution high brightness 2d mode , the polariser sheet 21 is removed from the light path . the strip regions 22 are shown in the drawings as being fabricated on a substrate and , in particular , on the outer surface of the substrate , ie : the surface of the substrate facing away from the lcd 1 . this is merely an example as the strip regions 22 may be fabricated on either surface of the substrate , if the strip regions are fabricated on the inner substrate surface , ie . that facing the lcd 1 , they may be in contact with the lcd 1 and will be protected from scratching and dirt by the substrate . furthermore , the optimum viewing distance of the display in the 3d mode is set by the separation of the liquid crystal layer in the lcd 1 and the strip regions 22 . with the strip regions 22 on the inner surface of the substrate , the separation is reduced and hence the optimum viewing distance is reduced . fig8 illustrates a rear parallax barrier display in which the removable polariser 21 forms part of the backlight . the backlight comprises a light source 33 and a reflector 34 which , in the 3d mode , direct light through the polariser sheet 21 into a light guide 35 . the light guide 35 has on its output surface a patterned sheet 36 for providing uniformity of illumination of the lcd 1 and a polarisation preserving diffuser 37 to scatter the output light into a wider range of angles . such diffusers may be lenticular in nature . this arrangement allows the use of a relatively small polariser 21 at the input surface of the light guide 35 . the polariser 21 can be moved out of the light path by a relatively short movement in order to achieve the full resolution high brightness 2d mode of operation . fig9 illustrates an autostereoscopic display having a polarised light source of the type illustrated in fig8 but in which the polariser 21 is fixed at the input of the light guide 35 . the light source 33 is illuminated for 3d operation . the display comprises a further unpolarised backlight in the form of a light source 38 , a reflector 39 and a light guide 40 . the light guides 35 and 40 are disposed such that output light from the light guide 40 passes through the light guide 35 . in the full resolution high brightness 2d mode , the light source 33 is extinguished and the light source 39 is illuminated so that unpolarised light passes through the light guide 35 and illuminates the lcd 1 through the layer 20 . fig1 shows an example of a front parallax barrier autostereoscopic display which is switchable between 3d and 2d modes without requiring any mechanical movement . the polarisation modifying layer 20 is disposed adjacent the output surface of the lcd 1 and the exit polariser sheet 21 is located at the output of the display . a switchable quarter wave rotator 41 is disposed between the sheet polariser 21 and the layer 20 . the rotator 41 is switchable between a first state in which it does not affect the transmitted polarisation and a second state which causes the polarisation states to be equally transmitted through the sheet polariser 21 . in the second state , the rotator 41 acts as a quarter waveplate with the optic axis at 45 degrees to the polarising axis of the sheet polariser 21 . thus , the linear polarisations from the regions 22 and 24 are both converted to circular polarisations of opposite handedness of which 50 % is transmitted by the sheet polariser 21 . an advantage of this type of arrangement is that the control element 41 may be spatially controlled so that the two modes co - exist in different regions . this allows some parts of the display to operate in the 2d mode and other parts in the 3d mode . the display shown in fig1 a differs from that shown in fig1 in that the switchable quarter wave rotator 41 is replaced by a switchable diffuser 42 . the diffuser 42 is switchable electronically between depolarising and non - depolarising states . such a diffuser may be embodied as a polymer dispersed liquid crystal device . in its low diffusing state , the switchable diffuser 42 has substantially no effect on operation so that the display operates in the autostereoscopic 3d mode . in the more highly diffusing state , the diffuser 42 has two effects . firstly , the diffuser destroys the polarisation of incident light so that light from the regions 22 and 24 are transmitted substantially equally through the exit polariser sheet 21 . secondly , the diffuser destroys the directionality of light through the system by scattering the transmitted light into random directions . however , the scattering effect of the diffuser 42 does not need to be strong because the loss of polarisation is sufficient to cause the display to operate in the 2d mode . the diffuser 42 is merely required to provide sufficient scattering for an adequate angle of view of the display . thus , the diffuser 42 is required to provide less dense scattering of light than for known types of system so that a brighter 2d mode may be achieved . the display shown in fig1 b differs from that shown in fig1 a in that the positions of the layer 20 and the switchable diffuser 42 are interchanged . a switchable diffuser 42 may also be used in rear parallax barrier arrangements . the diffuser 42 may also be controllable so that different regions can be controlled to operate in different modes so as to provide a display in which some regions operate in the 2d mode and others simultaneously operate in the 3d mode . this arrangement may be more appropriate because the diffuser will not substantially affect image visibility in the 2d state . the parallax barriers disclosed herein may be used in the display disclosed in british patent application no 9702259 . 4 . this display is of the autostereoscopic type and includes an indicator visible to an observer so that the observer can position himself at the optimum viewing location . in some circumstances , it may be advantageous to be able to disable the visual position indication and this may be achieved by disabling the part of the parallax barrier which provides the indication , for instance as described hereinbefore for mixed 3d and 2d operation . fig1 illustrates a display of the rear parallax barrier type similar to that shown in fig7 but in which the polariser sheet 21 is replaced by a mask 43 and a parallax optic 44 which is illustrated as a lenticular screen but which may alternatively comprise a parallax barrier . the parallax optic 44 is optional because the parallax between the mask elements of the mask 43 and a pixel black mask within the lcd 1 serve to generate viewing zones 45 but with larger overlaps at the boundaries between the zones . the mask 43 comprises horizontal strips arranged , for example , as groups of three strips with each group comprising a polarising strip , a clear strip and an opaque strip . each group of strips is associated with a parallax element , in the form of a lenticule , of the lenticular screen 44 . the mask 43 is vertically movable with respect to the lenticular screen 44 . in the position illustrated in fig1 , the polarising strips are aligned with the lenticules of the screen 44 so as to provide 3d operation with an observer located in a zone indicated at 45 . an observer in the zone 45 , which is the normal viewing zone of the display , can thus perceive a 3d image . when 2d operation is required , the mask 43 is moved relative to the screen 44 so that the clear strips are imaged into the zone 45 , this allows the display to operate in the full resolution high brightness 2d mode . switching between 3d and 2d modes can therefore be achieved by a relatively small movement . the dark or opaque strips are used to avoid leakage of polarised light into the unpolarised viewing region and vice versa . the mask 43 may be made by any suitable method , such as that disclosed in jp 63 - 158525a . although the optical functions of the regions 22 and 24 of the parallax barrier could be reversed so that the barrier regions 24 rotate the polarisation and the strip regions 22 have substantially no effect on polarisation , the arrangement described hereinbefore with reference to fig5 is generally preferred . in particular , the dark level of the opaque regions formed by the barrier regions 24 and the associated regions of the polariser sheet 21 are effectively provided by two crossed polarisers without any intermediate ( optically active ) element , this provides strong extinction of light over a broad range of wavelengths and so minimises cross talk in the display . a possible alternative arrangement of the parallax barrier in the displays is for the two polarisers to have parallel polarisation directions , the barrier regions 24 to be optically active in order to provide the polarisation rotation , and the slit regions 22 not to affect polarisation . as described hereinbefore , in such an arrangement , the critical opaque regions of the barrier rely on the performance of the polarisation rotating material to achieve high extinction and light leakage of less than 1 %. a possible means for achieving this makes use of a polymerised layer of twisted nematic liquid crystal having a thickness which satisfies the first minimum criterion as the regions 24 . an advantage of such an arrangement is that the slit regions 22 are neutral and therefore have optimum chromatic performance to provide a 3d mode with reduced colour imbalance . the polarisation rotation performed by the strip regions 22 does not generally work optimally over such a broad range of wavelengths . thus , some parts of the visible spectrum are transmitted less than others . fig1 illustrates the calculated transmission of unpolarised light through an output polariser of the lcd 1 , a waveplate made of a uniaxial birefringent material known as rm257 available from merck ( uk ), and the polariser sheet 21 . when the two polarisers have their polarising axes crossed , transmission is highest by design at the centre of the visible spectrum but declines towards either end of the visible spectrum . if the centre wavelength is correctly chosen , the transmitted light maintains a good white colour balance . it may be necessary to adjust the balance between red , green and blue colour channels of the lcd 1 to ensure correct colour display in the 3d mode . such colour balance change may , for example , be precalibrated and set in drivers for the 3d image software or in the design of colour filters of the lcd to optimise between 2d and 3d colour spectra . the curve shown in fig1 for parallel polarisers is that which would have applied to the opaque barrier regions if the barrier regions 24 had rotated that polarisation . the centre wavelength of the system provides good extinction of light . however , towards the edges of the spectrum , the transmission substantially increases . in order to ensure cross talk levels of not more than 1 %, the barrier must provide a 100 : 1 contrast ratio across the visible spectrum . as indicated by fig1 , this would not be achieved with parallel polarisers and polarisation rotators as the barrier regions 24 . fig1 illustrates the transmission performance through two crossed polarisers without any intermediate optical element . the extinction of light is substantially improved and the desired contrast ratio is achieved throughout the whole range of wavelengths from 450 to 750 nanometers . this arrangement with , for instance , waveplates creating the slit apertures and crossed polarisers defining the opaque regions of the barrier is therefore the optimum configuration for most applications . the polarisation modifying layer 20 may be made , for example , by the deposition of a layer of reactive mesogen , such as rm257 , which is patterned by standard photolithographic techniques into the slit structure . a convenient mask for etching is an existing parallax barrier . fig1 illustrates a method of making the polarisation modifying layer 20 . in fig1 ( a ), an alignment layer 60 is applied to a substrate 61 . the alignment layer 60 may , for instance , comprise rubbed polyimide , polyamide , or silicon oxide . fig1 ( b ) shows the application of an optical retarder layer 62 whose alignment direction is determined by the alignment layer 60 . the retarder layer 62 comprises any suitable birefringent material which may be aligned and subsequently fixed in a pre - determined direction . a suitable material comprises a liquid crystal polymer or a reactive mesogen . an example of a suitable reactive mesogen is that known as rm257 ( as mentioned hereinbefore ) available from merck uk having a high birefringence which allows the use of relatively thin layers . as shown in fig1 ( c ), regions 63 of the retarder layer 62 are exposed to ultraviolet radiation through a mask 64 so as to be photopolymerised . as shown in fig1 ( d ), the unpolymerised regions are then removed , for instance by an etching process , to reveal the desired patterned optical retarder arrangement . the patterned retarder is then planarised by means of a planarisation layer 65 . the layer 65 fills the gaps left by the removed unpolymerised retarder material as illustrated in fig1 ( e ). the material of the planarisation layer 65 is preferably isotropic , transparent and substantially similar in thickness to the retarders 63 . suitable materials include acrylic and epoxy resins . the method of making the polarisation modifying layer 20 illustrated in fig1 differs from that illustrated in fig1 in that , after the selective polymerisation shown in fig1 ( c ), the unpolymerised retarder material 62 is not removed . the layer is heated to a temperature above the isotropic transition point of the unpolymerised retarder material , which is cured in an isotropic state by exposure to long wavelength ultraviolet radiation . this results in a layer having regions of isotropic material 66 and birefringent material 63 as illustrated in fig1 ( d ). the method illustrated in fig1 differs from that illustrated in fig1 in that a chiral dopant i & amp ; added to the reactive mesogen mixture before application as the retarder layer 67 . the chiral dopant introduces a continuous rotation of the retarder direction on passing through the layer so as to provide a guiding twisted retarder . selective polymerisation is performed as shown in fig1 ( c ). fig1 illustrates a method of making a retarder array which differs from that illustrated in fig1 in that a further patterned retarder 72 is formed . after the planarisation layer 65 is applied as shown in fig1 ( e ), another alignment layer 69 , for instance of the same type as the alignment layer 60 , is applied , for instance in the same way . the alignment layer 69 is applied with an alignment direction different from that of the alignment layer 60 . a further retarder layer 70 , for instance of the same type as the retarder layer 62 , is formed , for instance in the same way , on the alignment layer 69 . the layer 70 is selectively exposed to ultraviolet radiation through a mask 71 so that regions 72 forming the further patterned optical retarder are photopolymerised . the unpolymerised regions are then removed as illustrated in fig1 ( i ) and a further planarisation layer 73 is formed as illustrated in fig1 ( j ). by using this technique , it is possible to provide alternate areas of retarders aligned in different directions for use as described hereinafter . by repeating the process steps illustrated in fig1 ( b ) to 18 ( e ), multiple stacked layers of patterned retarders may be fabricated . fig1 illustrates a method of making a retarder array which differs from that shown in fig1 in that the standard alignment layer 60 is replaced by a layer of linearly photopolymerisable material 74 , for instance of the type described in “ surface induced parallel alignment of liquid crystals by linearly polymerising photopolymers ”, schadt et al , japanese journal of applied physics , vol 31 ( 1992 ), page 2155 and in ep 0 689 084 . the layer is selectively exposed to radiation of a first linear polarisation through a mask 64 as shown in fig1 ( b ) to form exposed regions a . the unexposed regions b are then exposed by a mask 76 to radiation having a different linear polarisation . thus , alternate regions of the alignment layer 28 provide different alignment directions , for example different by 45 ° or 90 °. the retarder layer 62 is then applied as shown in fig1 ( d ) as described hereinbefore . however , the retarder layer adopts the alternate directions imposed by the underlying part of the alignment layer 75 and so does not require selective photopolymerisation . instead , the retarder layer 62 may be cured by exposure to a uniform ultraviolet source . fig2 illustrates a method of making a retarder array which differs from that shown in fig1 in that the alignment layer 60 is rubbed twice . it is first rubbed in the direction a . photoresist material 77 is applied and selectively polymerised through a mask 64 as shown in fig2 ( d ). this may be done using known photolithographic techniques . the unpolymerised material is removed leaving the polymerised photoresist material 78 and regions of the underlying alignment layer 60 exposed . the assembly is then rubbed in a second direction b to produce an alignment layer with a spatially varying alignment direction 79 . a technique of this type is disclosed in “ four domain tn - lcd fabricated by reverse rubbing or double evaporation ” chen et al , sid95 digest , pages 865 to 868 ”. the photopolymerised photoresist material is then removed . the retarder layer 62 is then applied as shown in fig2 ( h ). however , the retarder layer adopts the alternate directions imposed by the underlying parts of the alignment layer 79 and so does not require selective photopolymerisation . instead , the retarder layer 62 may be cured by exposure to a uniform ultraviolet source . alternative techniques for manufacturing the patterned polarisation modifying layer are disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 2 , 647 , 440 and 5 , 537 , 144 . the polarisation rotation may be achieved by means of at least two physical effects . according to the first , polarisation rotation is provided by an optical retarder which employs a birefringent material . such a material is characterised in that the refractive index for light propagating in the material depends on the orientation of the polarisation with respect to the optic axis of the material . the optic axis is set by molecular or crystalline structure of the material . in the case of a uniaxial birefringent material , there is one refractive index for light propagating with a plane of polarisation parallel to the optic axis and another refractive index for light propagating with a plane of polarisation perpendicular to the optic axis . light with a plane of polarisation between these may be considered as a sum of these polarisations without loss in generality . if the material is given a thickness t such that light of wavelength λ suffers a phase delay of π between the fast and slow polarisations , then the element is termed a “ half waveplate ” or “ λ / 2 plate ”. the thickness is then given by : where δn is the difference between the two refractive indices and m is an integer . plane polarised light incident on such an optical element undergoes a rotation in the plane of polarisation of twice the angle between the incident plane of polarisation and the optic axis of the material . thus , if a half waveplate is oriented at 45 degrees to the incident plane of polarisation , the light exits the element with a 90 degree change in the plane of polarisation . a second physical effect is that produced by a polarisation rotator . such an element , which may be embodied by a reactive mesogen with a chiral dopant , comprises a material which is birefringent in any one thin slice but in which the angle of the optic axis rotates in a defined manner between slices to describe a spiral . such an optical element causes polarisation rotation by guiding and can be made to rotate an incident plane of polarisation through 90 degrees for a broad range of wavelengths . the rotation of the polarisation may further be provided by a combination of these two effects , for instance in order to optimise device performance . the tolerance of the angular alignment of the polariser sheet 21 with respect to the lcd 1 is determined by the level of light leakage which may be tolerated through the opaque regions of the parallax barrier . such leakage must be very low and preferably less than 1 %. the extinction of light from two perfect crossed polarisers with an angle θ between their axes is given by : the rotational angles for 1 % of light leakage are given by the solutions to the equation l ( θ )/ l ( 0 )= 0 . 01 and the angles are θ = 84 . 3 °, 95 . 7 °. thus , there is a tolerance of approximately plus and minus 5 degrees about the ideal value of 90 degrees . such an angular tolerance can easily be achieved by simple mechanics or alignment by eye against a reference mark . fig2 illustrates a front parallax barrier type of display in which the parallax barrier is modified by the provision of a quarter waveplate 46 fixed to the layer 20 with its fast axis vertical and a quarter waveplate 47 fixed to the polariser sheet 21 with its fast axis horizontal . the polarising directions of the polariser sheet 21 and an output polariser 48 of the lcd 1 are at minus and plus 45 degrees , respectively , the quarter waveplate 46 converts the linearly polarised light from the layer 20 to circularly polarised light . similarly , the quarter waveplate 47 converts the circularly polarised light back to linearly polarised light . with such an arrangement , the angular alignment tolerance can be substantially relaxed . in practice , quarter waveplates are only “ perfect ” at their design wavelength . at other wavelengths , the retardance within the plate is not correct to generate perfect circular polarisation and an elliptical state results . however , if the two quarter waveplates 46 and 47 are arranged such that their optical axes are mutually orthogonal , then the inaccuracy in retardance of one plate 15 substantially cancelled by the inaccuracy in the other plate . as the polariser sheet 21 and the quarter waveplate 47 are rotated about an axis substantially normal to the display surface , the cancellation of imperfection of the quarter waveplates 46 and 47 breaks down and the non - perfect nature of these plates becomes apparent . fig2 illustrates the extinction of light through the barrier regions 24 using this arrangement and for relative angular rotations of 0 , 5 , 10 and 15 degrees . transmission below 1 % for the majority of the visible spectrum can be achieved for angular displacements up to 10 degrees . thus , an alignment tolerance of plus or minus 10 degrees can be achieved and is twice that which is available when the quarter waveplates 46 and 47 are omitted . fig2 illustrates another parallax barrier which differs from that shown in fig5 in that the polarisation modifying layer 20 comprises a patterned retarder . the patterned retarder may be made , for instance , by any of the methods illustrated in fig1 to 20 and described hereinbefore . the aperture regions 22 comprise λ / 2 plates whose optic axes are aligned at 45 ° to the polarisation direction of the light 23 . the barrier regions 24 comprise λ / 2 plates whose optic axes are aligned at 0 ° to the polarisation on direction of the light 23 . thus , the polarisation of the light 23 passing through the barrier regions 24 is not affected and the light is extinguished by the polarising sheet 21 . the polarisation of the light 23 passing through the aperture regions 22 is rotated by 90 ° and the light therefore passes through the polarising sheet 21 . thus , in the 3d mode , the device functions as a parallax barrier as described hereinbefore . an advantage of the parallax barrier shown in fig2 is that the patterned retarder forming the layer 20 is planar so that there is substantially no phase step for light passing through the regions 22 and 24 of the layer 20 . diffraction effects are therefore reduced so that there are substantially no variations in illumination uniformity or flicker in the illumination as an observer moves with respect to the display . diffraction effects may also be , reduced by planarisation of the layer , for instance as illustrated in fig1 to 17 . the parallax barrier shown in fig2 and 25 differs from that shown in fig2 in that the polarisation vectors and the optic axes are rotated by 45 °. an input polariser 21 ′, which may comprise the output polariser of an associated lcd , has its polarisation axis oriented at 45 °. this is typical of lcd output polarisers , for instance of the twisted nematic type . the optic axes of the aperture regions 22 are oriented at 90 ° whereas the optic axes of the barrier regions 24 are aligned at 45 ° so as to be parallel to the polarisation vector of light from the input polariser 21 ′. the polarising sheet 21 has its polarising axis oriented at − 45 ° so as to be orthogonal to the polarising axis of the input polariser 21 ′ (− 45 ° is optically equivalent to + 135 ° as indicated in fig2 ). fig2 illustrates an arrangement in which the polarising sheet 21 is omitted and the polarising function is provided by analysing glasses 21 ″ worn by an observer . the glasses 21 ″ comprise polarising lenses with the polarising axes oriented at 90 ° so as to be orthogonal to the polarisation vector of the polarised light 23 . however , the polarising axes and the optic axes may be rotated to any desired angle provided the angular relationships are maintained . such an arrangement allows the use of conventional polarising sunglasses , which may be removed to allow the display to be viewed in the 2d mode . another important manufacturing issue is the matching of the viewing angle of the layer 20 and , when present , the plate 80 to the lcd 1 . when viewed from off - axis positions , light reaching the eyes of the observer travels obliquely through the layer 20 . such oblique light rays experience slightly different polarisation conditions because of their different orientation within the birefringent layers and the different layer thicknesses . contrast and colour performances of lcds degrade with increasing viewing angle . the aperture regions 24 of the barrier may also experience colour and transmission changes with off - axis viewing . it is therefore desirable for waveplate layer thicknesses to be chosen so as to give uncoloured transmission for the widest range of angles . furthermore , the pre - tilt of reactive mesogens or liquid crystals , if used to fabricate the waveplates , should be carefully chosen for the same reason . in order to improve the performance of the elements performing the rotation of polarisation when such elements are embodied as birefringent retarders , they may be fabricated as two or three layers of retarder of specific thicknesses and relative optic axis angles . combinations of waveplates for broadband performance are disclosed for example in proc . ind . acad . sci , vol . 41 , no . 4 , section a , pp . 130 , s . pancharatnam “ achromatic combinations of birefringent plates ”, 1955 . fig2 shows a passive polarisation modulating optical element 11 comprising a layer of birefringent material having substantially fixed birefringence . the thickness and birefringence of the layer are such that it acts as a half waveplate but with different regions acting as retarders with optic axes oriented in different directions , in particular , the element 11 has first retarders 12 and second retarders 13 . the retarders 12 and 13 and 13 comprise parallel vertical strips formed within the layer and alternating with each other . the strips 12 are of the same width and have their optic axis aligned at 45 ° with respect to a reference direction . the strips 13 are of the same width and have their optic axes aligned at 90 ° to the reference direction . the optical element 11 shown in fig2 co - operates with an input polariser 14 to form an optical device . the input polariser 14 may , for example , comprise an output polariser of a liquid crystal device . the input polariser 14 supplies linearly polarised light whose polarisation vector is at 45 ° to the reference direction . the polarisation vector of the light from the polariser 14 is parallel to the optic axes of the retarders 12 , which therefore have substantially no effect on the polarisation vector . accordingly , light leaving the retarders 12 has its polarisation vector at 45 ° to the reference direction . the optic axes of the regions 13 are aligned at 45 ° to the polarisation vector of the input light . accordingly , the retarders 13 behave as half waveplates and rotate the polarisation vector of light through 90 ° so that the output light from the retarders 13 has its polarisation vector at 135 ° to the reference direction . fig2 and 30 illustrate an arrangement which differs from that shown in fig2 and 28 in that the optic axes of the element 11 and the polarising direction of the polariser 14 are rotated through 45 °. thus , the polarisation vector of the light from the polariser 14 is at 0 °, as is the light leaving the retarders 12 , whereas light leaving the retarders 13 has its polarisation vector rotated to 90 °. fig3 and 32 illustrate an optical device of the type shown in fig2 and 28 co - operating with an output polariser 15 to form a parallax barrier . the polarising direction of the output polariser 15 is orthogonal to that of the input polarised 14 . the polariser 15 therefore substantially extinguishes light passing through the retarders 12 but passes light leaving the retarders 13 . the polarisation rotation performed by the retarders 13 does not generally work optimally over the whole of the visible spectrum . thus , some parts of the visible spectrum are transmitted less than others . fig3 illustrates the calculated transmission of unpolarised light through the device shown in fig3 and 32 with the element ii made of a uniaxilly birefringent material known as rm257 available from merck ( uk ). with the polarising axes of the polarisers 14 and 15 orthogonal , transmission is highest by design at the centre of the visible spectrum but declines towards either end of the visible spectrum . if the centre wavelength if correctly chosen , the transmitted light maintains a good white colour balance . fig3 illustrates the performance for a device of the type shown in fig3 and 32 but with the polarising axes of the polarisers 14 and 15 parallel to each other and the optic axes of the retarders 12 and 13 interchanged . in this case , extinction of light through the retarders 12 relies on broad band half waveplate performance . the centre wavelength provides good extinction of light but the transmission substantially increases towards the edges of the spectrum . in order to ensure cross talk levels of not more than 1 %, the parallax barrier in an autostereoscopic display must provide a 100 : 1 contrast ratio across the visible spectrum . as illustrated in fig3 , this would not be achieved with parallel polarisers and polarisation rotators acting as barrier regions between slit regions of the parallax barrier . fig3 illustrates the transmission performance through two cross polarisers without any intermediate optical element . the extinction of light is substantially improved and the desired contrast ratio is achieved throughout the whole range of wavelengths from 450 to 750 nanometers . this corresponds to the arrangement illustrated in fig3 because the retarders 12 have their opticaxes aligned with the polarisation vector of the input light and therefore have substantially no effect on the polarisation vector . in general , such an arrangement is preferable because it is capable of meeting the contrast ratio requirements of a parallax barrier . however , in applications where achromaticity of the transmitted light is more important than contrast ratio and achromatic extinction of light , an arrangement of the type shown in fig3 and 32 but with the output polariser axis rotated by 90 ° may be preferable . the element 11 may be bonded to the input polariser 14 so as to allow accurate tolerancing of relative tilts of the strip - shaped retarders 12 and 13 and the pixel structure of an lcd of which the polariser 14 is a part . this also allows index matching of the interface so as to reduce reflections within the device . examples of suitable materials which fulfil the requirements of the high transparency , achromaticity and thermal expansion similar to the polariser 14 and the element 11 include organic adhesives such as epoxy resins , acrylic polymers and those based on polyurethane adhesives . the device illustrated in fig3 and 32 may be used as the parallax barrier 4 of the autostereoscopic 3d display shown in fig1 . the retarders 13 then act as slits of the parallax barrier whereas the retarders 12 act as the opaque regions between the slits . when viewed from off - axes positions , light reaching the eye of an observer travels obliquely through the layer forming the element 11 . such oblique light rays experience slightly different polarisation conditions because of their different orientation within the birefringent layer and the longer propagation path through the layer . light through the barrier elits may therefore experience colour and transmission changes with off - axis viewing . however , the image contrast is substantially unaffected by viewing angle performance of the parallax barrier . for 3d displays using lcds as the slm , the viewing angle performance may be configured to give minimum visibility of chromaticity of the white state , in some arrangements , it may be that the colouration variations tend to be worse in a direction parallel to the alignment direction of the barrier slits . similarly , the lcd may have a viewing angle performance which is configured so that the most limited viewing direction is generally in the vertical direction . for the lcd , off - axis viewing causes degradation of contrast and colouration of the display , thus , if the worst viewing angle of the retarder is aligned with the worst viewing angle of the slm , the performance of the parallax barrier can be disguised by the worse image appearance of the slm . the retarders 12 and 13 are formed in a single layer whose optical properties , apart from optic axes , are uniform throughout the layer . further , the layer may be of substantially constant thickness . such an arrangement allows the layer 11 to be bonded to other layers without an air gap and without the need for planarisation . the viewing freedom of the 3d image is partly determined by the alignment of the barrier slits with the pixels of the lcd in the display shown in fig1 . tilting of the barrier slits with respect to the lcd causes a fringe misalignment which results in loss of viewing freedom and potentially areas of image cross talk on the display . this causes increased visual stress for an observer and is thus undesirable . by forming the layer 11 in contact with the polariser 14 , such tilts can be substantially avoided . in particular , techniques exist for providing the desired alignment and , by forming the layer 11 integrally with the associated lcd or other device , accurate alignment can be provided during manufacture and is not substantially affected by environmental conditions , such as mechanical shocks and changes in temperature . in order to operate a display of the type shown in fig1 in the 2d mode , the output polariser 15 may be removed or otherwise disabled . in this mode , it is desirable for the patterned structure of the optic axes of the element 11 to be invisible . for instance , the retarders 12 and 13 should have the same light absorption performance in order to avoid the visibility of moire beating with the lcd structure . another artefact which should be avoided is diffraction from the phase structure of the parallax barrier . such diffraction may beat with the pixel structure of the lcd to give some low contrast moire interference effect . with the optical element 11 , the diffraction efficiency of the phase structure is substantially reduced compared with known arrangements . for instance , the orthogonal linear polarisation states in the light from the retarders 12 and 13 do not substantially interfere with each other . the phase step between the retarders 12 and 13 is minimised because the retarders are formed in the same material with substantially the same refractive index . fig3 illustrates another technique for reducing the levels of diffraction . during manufacture of the optical element 11 as described in more detail hereinafter , a mask having the appearance shown at 20 is used to define one of the alignment layer orientations shown at 21 in order to form the element . the parallax barrier slits arc therefore defined by non - straight boundaries . instead , the boundaries are of sine wave shape . this results in a plurality of different diffraction structures because of the different aspect ratios so that the diffraction effects are blurred . this structure also allows some vertical blurring of the diffraction structure . however , care should be taken to minimise beating of the diffraction structure vertically with the vertical pixel structure . fig3 illustrates a first method of making the optical element 11 . the element is made on a substrate 30 on which an alignment layer 31 is formed , for instance by spin coating . the alignment layer comprises a linearly photopolymerisabie material , such as that described in “ surface induced parallel alignment of liquid crystals by linearly polymerised photopolymers ”, schadt et al , japanese journal of applied physics , vol 31 1992 , p 2155 and in ep 0 689 084 . the alignment layer 31 is exposed to radiation of a first linear polarisation through a mask 32 to form exposed regions a . the unexposed regions of the layer 31 are then exposed through a mask 33 to radiation having a different linear polarisation to form the exposed regions b . thus , alternate regions of the alignment layer 31 provide different alignment directions , for example differing by 45 ° or 90 °. the alignment layer 31 is then covered by a retarder layer 34 , for instance by spin coating . the retarder layer 34 comprises any suitable birefringent material which may be aligned and subsequently fixed in a predetermined direction . a suitable material comprises a reactive liquid crystal polymer containing a diacrylate and / or a monoacrylate . an example of a suitable material is known as rm 257 from merck ( uk ). the retarder layer 34 is then fixed or polymerised , for instance by exposure to ultraviolet radiation , so as to form the fixed retarder 35 . the optic axis of the retarder layer 34 adopts the alternate directions imposed by the underlying parts of the alignment layer 31 and so does not require selective polymerisation . also , there is no removal of the retarder material during processing , which allows remote exposure from a broad area source and avoids the risk of sticking of the retarder material to a mask . the substrate 30 is selected so as to minimise any birefringence which would otherwise affect the performance of the optical element , for instance reducing contrast ratio or degrading the chromatic performance of a device . for instance , the substrate 30 may be a suitable float glass of appropriate flatness so as not to distort the fringe structure in the case of a 3d display when the optical element is disposed at or near the polariser 14 . fig3 illustrates a second method of making the optical element . the substrate 30 is coated , for instance by spin coating , with a polyimide alignment layer 31 . the polyimide may comprise a material known as pi 2555 available from du pont dissolved in 1 : 20 in a solvent comprising a mixture of n - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidine and 1 - methoxypropan - 2 - ol known as t9039 and also available from du pont . for instance , the layer 31 is formed by spinning in an open bowl spin coater at 4000 rpm for 30 seconds . the polyimide layer 31 is then cured by heating at 170 ° centigrade for two hours . alternatively , the alignment layer may be silicon oxide depending on the requirement of the reactive mesogen effect for pre - tilt . the alignment layer 31 is rubbed with a soft cloth so as to impose a preferred direction and pre - tilt on the alignment layer , as indicated at a . a layer 36 of photo - resist is formed on the alignment layer 31 , for instance by spin coating . the photo - resist 36 is selectively exposed through a mask 37 , for instance in the form of a chrome copy of a desired parallax barrier so that , following exposure through the mask 37 , the photo - resist covers areas of the optical element which are intended to form the opaque regions between the parallax barrier slits . the unexposed photo - resist is then removed . the element is then re - rubbed so as to introduce a second different alignment of the alignment layer , for instance at 45 ° or 90 ° to the previous alignment . in some cases , it may be necessary to rub the revealed regions of the alignment layer 31 at an angle different from that which would have been necessary in the case of a previously unrubbed alignment layer so as to achieve the desired alignment direction . this may be necessary because the original alignment layer may continue to have an effect on the surface energy following the re - rubbing . thus , a rubbing direction different from the desired alignment orientation by 10 ° to 20 ° may be required to correct for the surface energy . the re - rubbed regions arc indicated at b . the remaining photo - resist is then removed , for example by washing with acetone . a retarder layer 39 , for instance of the type described hereinbefore with reference to fig1 , is then applied by spinning and its optic axis adopts the directions imposed by the underlying parts of the alignment layer 31 . the retarder layer 39 is then fixed , for instance by exposure to ultraviolet radiation to form the retarder 40 .
7
a dc switchgear having a commutation - type dc circuit breaker of embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings . fig3 is a schematic circuit of a dc circuit breaker having a commutation - type dc circuit breaker c . in fig3 , a main circuit a provided with a main switch 3 and a saturable reactor 10 which are comprised of a commutation - type dc circuit breaker c is interconnected with a dc power source 60 and a load 70 . the commutation - type dc circuit breaker c is provided with a commutating circuit b which is connected to the main circuit a having the main switch 3 . the commutating circuits b are electrically disposed parallel to the main switch 3 in the main circuit a , and a commutating capacitor 8 and a commutating switch 2 are interconnected in series in the one of the commutating circuit b . also , a non - linear resistor 9 disposed in the another commutating circuit b is electrically disposed in parallel to the main switch 3 in the main circuit a the non - linear resistor 9 in the another commutating circuit b acts for absorbing an electromagnetic energy of the main circuit a . fig1 is a schematic cross sectional view of a dc switchgear having a commutation - type dc circuit breaker of an embodiment of the present invention . the dc switchgear having a commutation - type dc circuit breaker c in fig1 is structured by connecting a main circuit a including a main switch 3 and a saturable reactor 10 that interconnects a dc power source 60 and a load 70 and turns on and off a current flowing in the main circuit a , and a commutating circuit b including a commutating capacitor 8 , a commutating switch 2 and a non - linear resistor 9 electrically disposed parallel to the main switch 3 . the commutating capacitor 8 and the commutating switch 2 are interconnected in series in the commutating circuit b . the non - linear resistor 9 in the commutating circuit b is connected in parallel to the main circuit a . the main devices being structured the dc switchgear are accommodated separately in a dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 , a front accommodating box 40 a disposed on the front of the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 , and a rear accommodating box 42 a disposed on the back of the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 . main standardized devices being structured the commutation - type dc circuit breaker c are accommodated in the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 . specifically , the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 internally includes , at the bottom of the front , a main switch driving device 1 which provides with the main switch 3 for extinguishing arc for the current flowing in the main circuit a and the commutating switch 2 for passing a current to be superimposed on the current flowing in the main circuit a . the main switch driving device 1 drives the main switch 3 for generating a current zero from the superimposed current to shut off the current to the main circuit a . the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 further internally includes , behind the main switch driving device 1 , a non - linear resistor 9 provided in the commutating circuit b for absorbing energy and a saturable reactor 10 for reducing a current change ratio around the current zero in the main circuit a . the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 internally includes , above the non - linear resistor 9 and saturable reactor 10 , a commutating capacitor 8 for supplying a commutating current to the main switch 3 ; control devices 4 to 7 for controlling and operating individual devices disposed in the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 are provided in front of the commutating capacitor 8 . the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 internally includes , at the bottom of the back , a bus bar 13 connected to an external dc power supply 60 ; connection conductors 11 a , 11 b , and 11 c provided in other spaces in the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 are connected to the bus bar 13 . the main switch 3 and commutating switch 2 disposed in the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 are respectively electrically connected to the individual devices , bus bar 13 , and connection conductors 11 a , 11 b , and 11 c through isolating points 14 a to 14 c ; an overcurrent detection relay 11 for detecting an overcurrent is attached to the connection conductor 11 a through which the main circuit current flows . the rear accommodating box 42 a is disposed on the back ( rear side ) of the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 ; the rear accommodating box 42 a is removably connected to the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 with connecting members 51 such as bolts and nuts . the rear accommodating box 42 a has a rear door 32 for opening and closing the rear accommodating box 42 a ; when the rear door 32 is opened , an operator can perform maintenance and inspection for a fuse disconnector 21 , a protection relay 22 for circuit protection , a dc current transformer 23 a for detecting the current in the main circuit , a rectifier box 25 , a dc voltage transformer 26 , and a main circuit on a load side , which are all disposed in the rear accommodating box 42 a . the main circuit on the load side of the rear accommodating box 42 a is formed as a lower drawer . the front accommodating box 40 a is disposed in front ( front side ) of the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 ; the front accommodating box 40 a is removably connected to the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 with connecting members 51 such as bolts and nuts . the front accommodating box 40 a has a front door 31 for opening and closing the front accommodating box 40 a ; when the front door 31 is opened and the main switch driving device 1 accommodated in the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 is drawn out from the inside of the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 toward the outside of the front accommodating box 40 a , the main switch driving device 1 is separated from the isolating points 14 a to 14 c accommodated in the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 , and thus the main switch 3 , commutating switch 2 , and the like of the accommodated devices can now be serviced for maintenance and inspected . a control unit 30 a for the switchgear is attached to the back of the front door 31 mounted on the front accommodating box 40 a , the control unit 30 a comprising an auxiliary relay and a control switch for the switchgear , lamps for status indication , a failure indicator , and the like . the front side of the front door 31 or the rear side of the control unit 30 a for the switchgear has a switch , lamps , and a failure indicator . terminal blocks 20 a to 20 c at which electric cables are terminated are provided on an internal side surface of the front accommodating box 40 a ; the control unit 30 a is electrically connected through the terminal blocks 20 a to 20 c to the individual devices constituting the dc switchgear that are disposed in the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 and rear accommodating box 42 a . as described above , the main devices accommodated in the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 , which is part of the dc switchgear in this embodiment , take a standardized device arrangement . in a specific example of a standardized arrangement of the devices disposed in the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 , the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 includes , as the device arrangement standardized for the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 in its inside : the main switch driving device 1 , which is movable and has the main switch 3 and commutating switch 2 , the non - linear resistor 9 and saturable reactor 10 , which are disposed behind the main switch driving device 1 , the commutating capacitor 8 disposed above the non - linear resistor 9 , the control devices 4 to 7 disposed in front of the commutating capacitor 8 , the bus bar 13 disposed at the bottom on the rear side inside of the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 , the connection conductor 11 b connected to the bus bar 13 , the isolating points 14 a to 14 c connected to the main switch 3 , the commutating switch 2 , the bus bar 13 , and the connection conductors 11 a to 11 c , and the overcurrent detection relay 11 attached to the connection conductor 11 a , in which the main circuit current flows . according to the dc switchgear including a commutation - type dc circuit breaker c in this embodiment , the devices which are accommodated in the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 are constructed in a standardized arrangement for the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 as described above , the devices accommodated in the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 can be used as the standardized arrangement regardless of the specifications and application of the product . and the devices disposed in the front accommodating box 40 a and the rear accommodating box 42 a mounted on the front and back of the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 a , which constitute the dc switchgear are just making a change the types , structures , and arrangement thereof according to the specifications and application of the product . consequently the devices accommodated in the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 having the above standardized device arrangement can be used without changing the arrangement thereof . accordingly , when a dc switchgear is designed and manufactured , changes can be made quickly and easily by just making a change of the devices disposed in the front accommodating box 40 a and the rear accommodating box 42 a according to the desired specifications and application , so that labor hours and time taken to design and manufacture the dc switchgear with a commutating dc circuit breaker suitable for various applications and specifications can be reduced . that is , as described above , a dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 having the standardized device arrangement can be standardized and manufactured . since it is also possible to concurrently manufacture the three accommodating boxes constituting the dc switchgear , that is , the front accommodating box 40 a and rear accommodating box 42 a that accommodate devices other than in the above standardized device arrangement and the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 having the above standardized device arrangement , the efficiency of designing and manufacturing the dc switchgear is increased . accordingly , labor hours and time taken to design and manufacture a dc switchgear can be reduced , and furthermore an inexpensive dc switchgear can be implemented . when control power is supplied to the inside of the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 , it becomes possible to shut off dc current only by a device accommodated in the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 when an overcurrent , back flow , or other failure is detected in the main circuit a . accordingly , when only the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 having the above standardized device arrangement is delivered to a customer and a separately manufactured or exiting front accommodating box 40 a and rear accommodating box 42 a are integrally connected to the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 to configure a dc switchgear , the resulting dc switchgear can function as a dc switchgear having a commutation - type dc circuit breaker c . that is , when a dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 with a standardized device arrangement is manufactured in a standard way , a various types of customers &# 39 ; demands not only for a newly - designed dc switchgear having a commutation - type dc circuit breaker c , but also for modification of dc switchgear having a commutation - type dc circuit breaker c can be flexibly met . according to this embodiment of the present invention , it is possible to provide a dc switchgear having a commutation - type dc circuit breaker for which labor hours and time taken to design and manufacture a dc switchgear suitable for various applications and specifications can be reduced by standardizing the design of a dc circuit breaker accommodating box . fig2 is a schematic cross sectional view of a dc switchgear having a commutation - type dc circuit breaker of another embodiment of the present invention . the dc switchgear in this embodiment and the dc switchgear , shown in fig1 , in the previous embodiment have a common basic part in their arrangements , so explanation of the common arrangement will be omitted and only different arrangements will be described . when the arrangement of the dc switchgear having a commutation - type dc circuit breaker , shown in fig2 , in this embodiment is compared with the arrangement in the previous embodiment shown in fig1 , there is no difference in the arrangement of the devices accommodated in the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 , which has a standardized device arrangement , because standardized devices are placed . however , the device arrangement of the devices disposed in the rear accommodating box 42 b differs from the device arrangement , shown in fig1 , in the previous embodiment in that a disconnector 27 , a dc current transformer 23 b , a rectifier box 25 , a dc arrestor 28 , and a main circuit a on the load side 70 are provided . furthermore , the main circuit a on the load side 70 is changed to an upper drawer . the devices accommodated in the front accommodating box 40 b also differs from the arrangement , shown in fig1 , in the previous arrangement ; control units 30 b and 30 c for the switchgear are attached to the back of the front door 31 , the control units 30 b and 30 c each comprising an auxiliary relay and control switch for the switchgear , lamps for status indication , a failure indicator , and the like . the front side of the front door 31 or the rear side of the control unit 30 b or 30 c has a switch , lamps , and a failure indicator . terminal blocks 20 d to 20 f at which electric cables are terminated are provided on an internal side surface of the front accommodating box 40 b ; the control unit 30 b is electrically connected through the terminal blocks 20 d to 20 f to the individual devices constituting the dc switchgear that are disposed in the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 and rear accommodating box 42 b . as in the embodiment in fig1 , the main devices accommodated in the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 , which is part of the dc switchgear in this embodiment , take a standardized device arrangement . in a specific example of a standardized arrangement of the devices disposed in the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 , the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 includes , as the device arrangement standardized for the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 in its inside : the main switch driving device 1 , which is movable and has the main switch 3 and commutating switch 2 , the non - linear resistor 9 and the saturable reactor 10 , which are disposed behind the main switch driving device 1 , the commutating capacitor 8 disposed above the non - linear resistor 9 , the control devices 4 to 7 disposed in front of the commutating capacitor 8 , the bus bar 13 disposed at the bottom on the rear side inside of the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 , the connection conductor 11 b connected to the bus bar 13 , the isolating points 14 a to 14 c connected to the main switch 3 , the commutating switch 2 , the bus bar 13 , and the connection conductors 11 a to 11 c , and the overcurrent detection relay 11 attached to the connection conductor 11 a , in which the main circuit current flows . as is understood from the above explanation , there is a difference in part of the product specifications between the dc switchgear , shown in fig2 , in this embodiment and the dc switchgear , shown in fig1 , in the previous embedment . the front accommodating box 40 b and rear accommodating box 42 b respectively disposed on the front and back of the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 having the standard device arrangement are removably connected to the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 having the standard device arrangement with connecting members 51 such as bolts and nuts , making it possible to attach them to the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 and remove them from the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 . fig2 shows a state in which the front accommodating box 40 b and rear accommodating box 42 b are separated from the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 , the arrangement of the devices in which is standardized . as described above , a structure is employed that enables the front accommodating box 40 b and rear accommodating box 42 b to be attached to the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 , the arrangement of the devices in which is standardized , and removed from the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 , so even when the specifications of the dc switchgear are changed after a product is delivered to a customer , the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 having the standardized device arrangement in it can be still diverted and used . in this embodiment as well , since the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 having the standard device arrangement in it can continue to be used , so it is also possible to concurrently manufacture the three accommodating boxes constituting the dc switchgear , that is , the front accommodating box 40 b and rear accommodating box 42 b that accommodates devices other than in the above standardized device arrangement and the dc circuit breaker accommodating box 41 having the above standardized device arrangement , the efficiency of operations for designing and manufacturing the dc switchgear is increased . accordingly , labor hours and time taken to design and manufacture a dc switchgear can be reduced , and furthermore an inexpensive dc switchgear can be implemented . according to this embodiment of the present invention , it is possible to provide a dc switchgear having a commutation - type dc circuit breaker for which labor hours and time taken to design and manufacture a dc switchgear suitable for various applications and specifications can be reduced by standardizing the design of a dc circuit breaker accommodating box . the present invention can be applied to a dc switchgear and , more particularly , to a dc switchgear including a commutation - type dc circuit breaker .
7
fig1 shows a perspective view of a modular document printing system which can advantageously employ the apparatus of the instant invention . the printing system 11 is shown to comprise a feeder module 13 , printing modules 15 , 17 and 19 and receiver module 21 which are coupled together to form an integrated high speed modular document printing system . each of the printing modules 15 , 17 and 19 , as will hereinafter be explained , can employ a document hole mask circuit for the different document sensors within each printing module . a more detailed description of the modular document printing system can be found in the previously referenced application entitled a modular high speed document printing system . fig2 shows a schematic of the modular document printing system of fig1 which includes the document feeder module 13 , printing modules 15 , 17 , 19 and the receiver module 21 . the dashed portion shows the document path 53 from the feeder module through each of the printing modules to the document receiver module . within the feeder module 13 is the system control 55 for controlling processing of documents by the printing system . also within the feeder module is a feed sensor 57 coupled to the system control 55 . the feed sensor could , for example , be a solid state detector which includes in a single housing a phototransistor and a light emitting diode . the diode and phototransistor are provided on the same side of the document path and are angularly related so that light from the diode would be reflected to the phototransistor when an article or document in the document path 53 passes the sensor 57 . the reflection of light to the phototransistor on the surface of the article results in a feed sensor pulse fs being propagated from feed sensor 57 to system control 55 . the feed sensor 57 could , however , be any type of sensor including a magnetic sensor depending upon the type of article or document which is being printed by the system . a document progressing from the feeder module 13 to the first printing module 15 passes lead edge sensor 59 and skip or black - spot sensor 61 . the lead edge sensor and the skip sensor are most advantageously of the optical type described for the feed sensor 57 . it is felt that one skilled in the art would be able to provide such a sensor which generates an output pulse whenever a document is passing beneath the sensor and does not provide an output pulse when no document is in the path of the sensor . thus it can be seen that if one or more apertures are present in a document in the path of the lead edge sensor 59 the output of the sensor will be low for the time it takes the aperture to pass completely past the sensor . the lead edge sensor 59 generates a lead edge sensor pulse which is supplied to the system control 53 as well as to the module control 70 of the first printing module 15 . the document hole mask circuit i receives the signal from the sensor 59 and processes it in a manner which will hereinafter be described before providing it to the system control 53 and the module control 70 . after the document passes the lead edge sensor 59 it encounters the document platen 63 , trip sensors 67 and the end stop 69 . the end stop 69 is selectively employed to arrest the movement of the document through the printing module 15 and position the document in a preselected manner on the surface of the platen 63 . the trip sensor 67 is similar to the lead edge sensor 59 in that it is an optical sensor and produces a high output when a document is passing beneath the sensor and a low output when there is no document or there is an aperture in the document beneath the trip sensor . printing module 17 receives a document from the printing module 15 and includes in the document path 53 another lead edge sensor 71 employed with document hole mask circuit i . the lead edge sensor 71 and hole mask circuit i cooperate to generate a pulse les2 which is supplied to both the system control 75 and the module control 80 of the printing module 17 whenever a document is passing beneath the sensor 71 . the printing module 17 further includes black spot sensor 73 , document printing platen 75 , trip sensor 77 , circuit 78 and end stop 79 . these elements function in the same manner as their complements in printing module 15 . printing module 19 receives documents from the printing module 17 and as are found in the printing modules 15 and 17 the module 19 includes a lead edge sensor 81 , document hole mask circuit i , black spot sensor 83 , platen 87 , trip sensor 89 , document hole mask circuit 91 and end stop 92 . more details on the functioning of the document printing platen , end stop and lead edge sensors and trip sensors can be found in the incorporated copending patent applications . fig3 exemplifies a type of document which could be printed by the modular high speed printing apparatus within which the instant hole mask circuit is employed . the document in fig3 will be recognized to be a conventional bank check 101 having a customer identification field 103 , account field 105 and a series of apertures 107 which in this case are located along the top edge of the document . assuming that a document such as 101 is presented to the first lead edge sensor 59 within document path 53 in such a manner that the apertures are within the scan area of the lead edge sensor 59 it can be seen that the signal from the lead edge sensor will contain at least three interruptions , or low values , within the scan of the document 101 . the hole mask circuit of the instant invention is capable of masking out these interruptions such that the lead edge sensor will produce a continuous output pulse for a complete scan of the document from its right hand edge to its left hand edge . fig4 shows an embodiment of the instant hole mask circuit which provides a simple and economical apparatus for masking out the presence of valid apertures in a document . the apparatus includes a lead 109 receiving the outputs from a document sensor and providing them through inverter 111 to or gate 113 . the other input to or gate 113 is the inverted output from a free running oscillator which for example , could be running at the rate of 10 khz . the or gate 113 functions as the trigger to one - shot 115 . the one - shot 115 has a selectable time constant which is controllable by the values of capacitor 117 and resistor 119 . in the example shown the values of the capacitor 117 , resistor 119 have been selected such that the one - shot will time out after five milliseconds ( ms ) and if the documents are being conveyed past the sensors at the speed of 100 inches per second , 5 ms will correspond to one - half inch of document movement and , therefore , a one - half inch aperture could pass by a document sensor without resulting in one - shot 115 timing out . the q output of one - shot 115 is les1 and corresponds to a high value representing the presence of a document beneath the associated document sensor . the q output is les1 and is a low value indicating that no document is currently within the associated document sensor . the les1 and les1 signals are provided as previously shown to the system control and the module controls . in operation of the device , the one - shot 115 will time out whenever the input on the trigger t is continuously high for the time constant of the one - shot . in the embodiment which has been described a pulse from a document lead edge sensor will go high when the light from the light emitting diode is reflected off the document and received by the phototransistor . this high value is inverted by inverter 111 to present a low to or gate 113 whenever a document is present within the associated document sensor . normally , the one - shot 115 will be retriggered every time the value of the oscillator goes high and will maintain q at a high output by continuously retriggering the one - shot before it times out . if , however , no document is present within the lead edge sensor the signal over lead 109 will be low and will be inverted by 111 to present the high or true value to or gate 113 for that period equal in duration to the period wherein no document is sensed by the lead edge sensor . if or gate 115 is held in a constant true state the one - shot will be inhibited from being retriggered by the oscillator and after 5 milliseconds will time out to thus generate a low output on q . it can be seen that if the output from the sensor over lead 109 is low because of the presence of an aperture in the document then the duration of the low value over lead 109 controls whether the one - shot 115 will time out . the operation of the instant whole mask circuit may best be understood when the timing diagram of fig5 is considered in conjunction with the sample document of 101 and its effect on the embodiment shown in fig4 . the document 101 is shown to include three apertures 107 . as has been previously explained whenever there is no document present within a lead edge sensor or when an aperture is present within a lead edge sensor the output from the lead edge sensor will be low and , conversely , whenever a document is present within the sensor the output from the lead edge sensor will be high . in fig5 the output from the lead edge sensor for the document shown in fig1 is graphically illustrated as waveform a . the output from the document sensor goes high concurrently with the presence of the document in the sensor . upon reaching the aperture 107 the output goes low for the period that it takes the aperture to pass the sensor . in the illustrated case assuming the aperture is 1 / 4 inch and the document is moving at 100 inches per second the output from the lead edge sensor will go low for 2 . 5 ms . after encountering the first aperture 107 the signal from the lead edge sensor goes back high until the second and then the third apertures 107 are encountered . waveform c exemplifies the output of the oscillator supplied as an input to or gate 113 and waveform b shows the inverted output from the lead edge sensor . waveform d shows that in the illustrated example the inverted output from the lead edge sensor is never continuously high for the time - out constant of the one - shot 115 and thus the oscillating input will continuously retrigger the one - shot such that a continuously high output is provided over les1 . since the period of the one - shot is 5 ms the output from les1 will be high for 5 ms longer than will be the output from the lead edge sensor . it should be understood that while the above description sets forth the use of a hole mask circuit in conjunction with a document lead edge sensor that it is intended that the hole mask circuit be employed whenever the presence of valid apertures is not to effect the output of the sensor . to summarize the operation of the disclosed hole mask circuit in general terms it can be seen that the apparatus receives an output from a document sensor and by incorporating a retriggerable device the circuit masks out any change in the value of the signal from the document sensor which is of a duration less than the time constant of the retriggerable device . thus , by selecting the appropriate time constant of the retriggerable device it is possible to process documents which contain valid apertures . the inclusion of this hole mask circuit within the previously mentioned modular high speed document processing system greatly adds to the flexibility of the system by inhibiting the erroneous generation of signals by the document sensors indicating that a document is not present therein . the foregoing description of a document hole mask circuit is intended to be explanatory of an apparatus for accommodating valid apertures in documents processed by a modular document processing system . it will be understood from the foregoing that various changes may be made in the preferred embodiment as illustrated herein and it is intended that the foregoing material be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense . the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims .
6
two human sperm proteins have recently been isolated , c19 and c23 , that appear to be lysozyme - c paralogues . these proteins are classified as lysozyme paralogues because of their high degree of conservation of critical amino acids found in other lysozyme - c &# 39 ; s . however , they differ significantly from the known human lysozyme - c in nucleic acid and amino acid sequence , and their genes are located on different chromosomes . the new proteins c19 and c23 are approximately 15 kda with pi &# 39 ; s of 5 . 2 and 5 . 9 , respectively . they possess sequence homology to the known human lysozyme - c ; however , c19 and c23 are located on chromosome 17 and the x - chromosome , respectively , and thus these two genes represent new human lysozyme - like genes . the nucleic acid sequence and the deduced amino acid sequence of c19 are represented by seq id no : 1 and seq id no : 3 , respectively , and nucleic acid sequence and the deduced amino acid sequence of c23 are represented by seq id no : 2 and seq id no : 4 , respectively . c19 and c23 each contain a signal peptide . the initial c19 polypeptide is synthesized as a 215 amino acid polypeptide ( seq id no : 2 ) having a mw of 23 . 4 kda and a pi of 8 . 0 . the mature c19 peptide is 128 amino acids ( seq id no : 8 ) and has a mw of about 14 . 6 kda and pi of 5 . 0 . the initial c23 polypeptide is synthesized as a 159 amino acid polypeptide ( seq id no : 4 ) having a mw of 17 . 9 kda and a pi of 5 . 9 . the mature c23 peptide is 138 amino acids ( seq id no : 9 ) and has a mw of about 15 . 7 kda and pi of 5 . 9 . c19 and c23 have 48 . 8 % sequence identity between one another and have 52 % and 44 % amino - acid sequence identity with the one known mature human lysozyme c , respectively , and 44 % and 43 % amino - acid sequence identity with the predicted lysozyrne homologue on chromosome 17q11 . 2 . c19 is most closely related to human lysozyme ( 52 % sequence identity ), whereas c23 is most closely related to chicken lysozyme ( 51 % sequence identity ). the gene encoding c19 is located on chromosome 17 and is 6012 bp in length . the c19 gene contains 5 exons ( 109 , 309 , 159 , 79 and 164 bp , respectively ) and 4 introns ( 3436 , 1125 , 443 and 188 bp , respectively ). the gene encoding c23 is located on chromosome xp11 . 1 and is 1950 bp in length . the c23 gene contains 4 exons ( 169 , 159 , 79 and 181 bp , respectively ) and 3 introns ( 428 , 830 , and 104 bp , respectively ). interestingly , exons 3 and 4 of c19 have a sequence identity with exons 2 and 3 of c23 greater than the overall sequence identity between the two complete proteins ( i . e . greater than 48 . 8 %) and exons 3 and 4 of c19 are identical in size to exons 2 and 3 of c23 , respectively . the expression of c19 and c23 is limited to the testes ( see fig1 ). to further characterize the expression of c19 and c23 , antibodies were generated against c19 and c23 . those antibodies are specific for the target peptide and do not cross react with each other &# 39 ; s repective lysozyme - like protein . c19 immunofluorescence and c19 and c23 em localization experiments demonstrate that expression of the c19 and c23 proteins is localized in the sperm acrosome . recombinant c19 and c23 have been expressed in e . coli and in yeast . the proteins expressed in yeast were produced in a form that is secreted into the medium , and c19 was purified from the media and used in an assay to test for lysozyme activity . secretion of the putatively processed forms of c19 and c23 ( c23 was in crude form ) as soluble proteins from pichia pastoris revealed no lysozyme activity for c19 and c23 using micrococcus lysodeikticus as the lysozyme substrate . in particular , micrococcus lysodeikticus was grown to confluence on a petri plate and the cells were contacted with 330 u of human lysozyme c ( as a positive control ), a reagent blank ( as a negative control ) and 1650 u of the purified soluble c19 protein ( yrc19 ). lysozyme activity was observed in the human lysozyme c portion ( the positive control ) as indicated by a zone of clearance about the introduce sample , but no activity was detected for yrc19 . although these compounds fail to exhibit lysozyme activity in the present assay , these compounds may still exhibit antibacterial / antiviral activity through an unknown mechanism . of all known lysozyme - c sequences (& gt ; 75 ), 20 amino acid residues are invariant ( see fig2 and 3 ). c19 contains all but two of those invariable amino acids ( e35t , y54n ). the amino acid 35 - e is considered a critical amino acid for catalytic function ( i . e . cleaving the polysaccharide bond between n - actetylglucosamine and n - acetylmuramic acid ). c23 contains all but one ( d53e ) of the 20 conserved amino acids . the amino acid 53 - d is considered a critical amino acid for catalytic function ; however , g - type lysozymes do not have a d in the corresponding position . homologous genes of c19 and c23 have also been isolated by applicants from other mammalian species ( for example , mice ), that contain similar mutations in the catalytic - residues of these genes . in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention , modified versions of the c19 and c23 proteins are provided wherein the 35 - t of c19 is converted to 35 - e ( seq id no : 5 ) and the 53 - e of c23 is converted to 53 - d ( seq id no : 6 ). it is anticipated that when these single amino acid substitutions are made in each lysozyme - like protein , the modified proteins will exhibit lysozyme activity and thus can be used as alternative compounds in all applications currently utilizing known human lysozyme - c . furthermore , in one embodiment a modified version of c19 is prepared wherein the 35 - t is converted to 35 - e and 54 - n is converted to 54 - y ( seq id no : 7 ). this modified version of c19 is also expected to have lysozyme activity . the c19 and c23 native polypeptides when modified to have lysozyme activity can be used in any of the applications described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 945 , 051 , 5 , 585 , 257 , 5 , 618 , 712 and wo 9924589 ( de19749973 ), the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein . the novel lysozymes of the present invention can also be used as the active agent in antibacterial wound dressings , dental plaque preventing formulations , anti - inflammatory throat lozenges , anti - acne compositions , sprays for controlling dry mouth condition and as food additives to prevent spoilage . it has also been reported that lysozyme may be effective against hiv ( lee - huang . s ., pnas 96 : 2678 , 1999 ). in one embodiment , a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of seq id no : 8 , seq id no : 9 , seq id no : 10 , and seq id no : 11 is used as the active agent in an antibacterial and antiviral composition . in one preferred embodiment , a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence of seq id no : 10 or seq id no : 11 is used as an antibacterial and antiviral agent . the lysozyme proteins of the present invention can also be combined with standard antibacterial and antiviral agents to enhance the efficacy of those agents . in accordance with one embodiment , a composition comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of seq id no : 8 , seq id no : 9 , seq id no : 10 , and seq id no : 11 is used as an antibacterial / antiviral additives to intravaginal gels or foams to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases . in another embodiment , compositions comprising the native c19 or c23 polypeptides or fragments thereof are used as contraceptive agents . in particular , the unmodified c19 and c23 proteins are anticipated to have sperm specific functions that can be the basis of a contraceptive vaccine , designed to prevent capacitation / fertilization . for example in accordance with one embodiment the c19 or c23 polypeptides or fragments thereof , are used as components of a contraceptive vaccine . in one aspect of the invention , c19 and c23 polypeptides ( either separately or in combination ) are delivered to a subject to elicit an active immune response . the vaccine acts as a temporary and reversible antagonist of the function of the egg surface proteins of the invention . for example , such vaccines could be used for active immunization of a subject , to raise an antibody response to temporarily block the sperm &# 39 ; s access to the egg - plasma antigen . in one aspect of the invention , an antigen could be administered at a certain period of the month , for example during ovulation of a female subject to block fertilization . in another aspect of the invention , c19 and c23 polypeptides ( either separately or in combination ) are used as vaccines for permanent sterilization of a subject . such vaccines can be used to elicit a t - cell mediated attack on the eggs , having an othoritic effect , useful as a method for irreversible sterilization . methods for generating t - cell specific responses , such as adoptive immunotherapy , are well known in the art ( see , for example , vaccine design , michael f . powell and mark j . newman eds ., plenum press , new york , 1995 , pp 847 - 867 ). such techniques may be particular useful for vetinary contraceptive or sterilization purposes , where a single dose vaccination may be desirable . in one embodiment , the present invention is directed to a purified polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 2 , or an amino acid sequence that differs from seq id no : 2 by one or more conservative amino acid substitutions . more preferably , the purified polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence that differs from seq id no : 2 by 10 or less conservative amino acid substitutions . alternatively , the polypeptide may comprise an amino acid sequence that differs from seq id no : 2 by 1 to 3 alterations , wherein the alterations are independently selected from a single amino acid deletion , insertion or substitution . alternatively , one embodiment of the present invention is directed to a purified polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence of seq id no : 4 , or an amino acid sequence that differs from seq id no : 4 by one or more conservative amino acid substitutions . more preferably , the purified polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence that differs from seq id no : 4 by 10 or less conservative amino acid substitutions . alternatively , the polypeptide may comprise an amino acid sequence that differs from seq id no : 4 by 1 to 3 alterations , wherein the alterations are independently selected from a single amino acid deletion , insertion or substitution . another embodiment of the present invention encompasses polypeptides comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of seq id no : 5 , seq id no : 6 , seq id no : 7 , seq id no : 8 , seq id no : 9 and amino acid sequences that differs from seq id no : 5 , seq id no : 6 , seq id no : 7 , seq id no : 8 or seq id no : 9 by 10 or less conservative amino acid substitutions . the present invention also encompasses fragments of seq id no : 2 and seq id no : 4 , wherein the peptide fragment is at least ten amino acids in length and comprises ten contiguous amino acids that are identical in sequence to an ten contiguous amino portion of seq id no : 2 or seq id no : 4 . in one embodiment , the present invention provides methods of screening for agents , small molecules , or proteins that interact with polypeptides of seq id no : 2 or seq id no : 4 . the invention encompasses both in vivo and in vitro assays to screen small molecules , compounds , recombinant proteins , peptides , nucleic acids , antibodies etc . which bind to or modulate the activity of c19 or c23 and are thus useful as therapeutics or diagnostic markers for fertility . for example , the c19 or c23 polypeptide , or a bioactive fragment thereof , can be used to isolate ligands that bind to the respective native polypeptide under physiological conditions . the method comprises the steps of contacting the c19 or c23 polypeptide with a mixture of compounds under physiological conditions , removing unbound and non - specifically bound material , and isolating the compounds that remain bound to the c19 or c23 polypeptide . typically , the c19 or c23 polypeptide will be bound to a solid support using standard techniques to allow rapid screening compounds . the solid support can be selected from any surface that has been used to immobilize biological compounds and includes but is not limited to polystyrene , agarose , silica or nitrocellulose . in one embodiment the solid surface comprises functionalized silica or agarose beads . screening for such compounds can be accomplished using libraries of pharmaceutical agents and standard techniques known to the skilled practitioner . in accordance with one embodiment the c19 and c28 polypeptides and peptide fragments are used to isolate oocyte proteins that bind to c19 and c28 . the procedures for recovering oocyte proteins and screening for ligands that bind to c19 and c23 are well known to those skilled in the art . in one embodiment the c19 or c23 polypeptide is immobilized to a solid support and the proteins are contacted with a solution / suspension of oocyte proteins under conditions that allow binding . unbound and non - specific bound materials are then washed from the solid support and the remaining bound materials are recovered and analyzed ( by microsequencing , for example ). microsequencing of the recovered proteins will allow for the design of nucleic acid probes and primers for the identification and cloning of the corresponding genes that encode the recovered proteins . the present invention also encompasses nucleic acid sequences that encode the c19 and c23 polypeptides , and bioactive fragments and derivatives thereof . in particular the present invention is directed to nucleic acid sequences comprising the sequence of seq id no : 1 , or seq id no : 3 , or fragments thereof . in one embodiment , purified nucleic acids comprising at least 20 contiguous nucleotides ( i . e ., a hybridizable portion ) that are identical to any 20 contiguous nucleotides of seq id no : 1 or seq id no : 3 are provided . in other embodiments , the nucleic acids comprises at least 25 ( contiguous ) nucleotides , 50 nucleotides , 100 nucleotides , or 200 nucleotides of seq id no : 1 or seq id no : 3 . one embodiment of the present invention includes nucleic acids that hybridize ( under conditions defined herein ) to all or a portion of the nucleotide sequence represented by seq id no : 1 or its complement . alternatively , the present invention also includes nucleic acids that hybridize ( under conditions defined herein ) to all or a portion of the nucleotide sequence represented by seq id no : 3 or its complement . the hybridizing portion of the hybridizing nucleic acids is typically at least 15 ( e . g ., 20 , 25 , 30 , or 50 ) nucleotides in length . hybridizing nucleic acids of the type described herein can be used , for example , as a cloning probe , a primer ( e . g ., a pcr primer ), or a diagnostic probe . the dna sequence of seq id no : 1 , seq id no : 3 , or fragments thereof , can be used as probes to detect homologous genes from other vertebrate species . nucleic acid duplex or hybrid stability is expressed as the melting temperature or tm , which is the temperature at which a nucleic acid duplex dissociates into its component single stranded dnas . this melting temperature is used to define the required stringency conditions . typically a 1 % mismatch results in a 1 ° c . decrease in the tm , and the temperature of the final wash in the hybridization reaction is reduced accordingly ( for example , if two sequences having & gt ; 95 % identity , the final wash temperature is decreased from the tm by 5 ° c .). in practice , the change in tm can be between 0 . 5 ° c . and 1 . 5 ° c . per 1 % mismatch . the present invention is directed to the nucleic acid sequence of seq id no : 1 and seq id no : 3 , and nucleic acid sequences that hybridize to - those sequences ( or fragments thereof ) under stringent or highly stringent conditions . in accordance with the present invention highly stringent conditions are defined as conducting the hybridization and wash conditions at no lower than − 5 ° c . tm . stringent conditions are defined as involve hybridizing at 68 ° c . in 5 × ssc / 5 × denhardt &# 39 ; s solution / 1 . 0 % sds , and washing in 0 . 2 × ssc / 0 . 1 % sds at 68 ° c . moderately stringent conditions include hybridizing at 68 ° c . in 5 × ssc / 5 × denhardt &# 39 ; s solution / 1 . 0 % sds and washing in 3 × ssc / 0 . 1 % sds at 42 ° c . additional guidance regarding such conditions is readily available in the art , for example , by sambrook et al ., 1989 , molecular cloning , a laboratory manual , cold spring harbor press , n . y . ; and ausubel et al . ( eds . ), 1995 , current protocols in molecular biology , ( john wiley & amp ; sons , n . y .) at unit 2 . 10 . in another embodiment of the present invention , nucleic acid sequences encoding the c19 or c23 polypeptides can be inserted into expression vectors and used to transfect cells to enhance the expression of those proteins on the target cells . in accordance with one embodiment , nucleic acid sequences encoding c19 or c23 , or a fragment or a derivative thereof , are inserted into a eukaryotic expression vector in a manner that operably links the gene sequences to the appropriate regulatory sequences , and recombinant c19 or recombinant c23 is expressed in a eukaryotic host cell . suitable eukaryotic host cells and vectors are known to those skilled in the art . in particular , nucleic acid sequences encoding c19 or c23 may be added to a cell or cells in vitro or in vivo using delivery mechanisms such as liposomes , viral based vectors , or microinjection . accordingly , one aspect of the present invention is directed to transgenic cell lines that contain recombinant genes that express c19 or c23 . the present invention also encompasses antibodies , including anti - idiotypic antibodies , antagonists and agonists , as well as compounds or nucleotide constructs that inhibit expression of the c19 and c23 genes ( transcription factor inhibitors , antisense and ribozyme molecules , or gene or regulatory sequence replacement constructs ), or promote expression of c19 and c23 ( e . g ., expression constructs in which c19 or c23 coding sequences are operatively associated with expression control elements such as promoters , promoter / enhancers , etc .). antagonists of c19 and / or c23 function can - be used to interfere with the capacitation of vertebrate sperm and fertilization of an ovum , and thus used as contraceptive agents . furthermore , antibodies against the c19 or c23 protein can be used for the diagnosis of conditions or diseases characterized by expression or overexpression of c19 or c23 , or in assays to monitor patients being treated with c19 or c23 agonists , antagonists or inhibitors . in accordance with one embodiment , antibodies are provided that specifically bind to c19 or c23 . in particular , a c19 or c23 polypeptide , fragments thereof , or other derivatives , or analogs thereof , may be used as an immunogen to generate antibodies - which immunospecifically bind such an immunogen . in accordance with one embodiment of the preset invention an antigenic compound is provided for generating antibodies , wherein the compound comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of seq id no : 2 , seq id no : 4 , seq id no : 5 , seq id no : 6 , seq id no : 7 , seq id no : 8 and seq id no : 9 . the antibodies generated can be formulated with standard carriers and optionally labeled to prepare therapeutic or diagnostic compositions . antibodies to c19 or c23 may be generated using methods that are well known in the art . in one embodiment , rabbit polyclonal antibodies to an epitope of c19 or c23 , is obtained . for the production of antibody , various host animals , including but not limited to rabbits , mice , rats , etc can be immunized by injection with a c19 or c23 peptide . various adjuvants may be used to increase the immunological response , depending on the host species , and including but not limited to freund &# 39 ; s ( complete and incomplete ), mineral gels such as aluminum hydroxide , surface active substances such as lysolecithin , pluronic polyols , polyanions , peptides , oil emulsions , keyhole limpet hemocyanins , dinitrophenol , and potentially useful human adjuvants such as bcg ( bacille calmette - guerin ) and corynebacterium parvum . for preparation of monoclonal antibodies directed toward an egg surface protein sequence or analog thereof , any technique which provides for the production of antibody molecules by continuous cell lines in culture may be used . for example , the hybridoma technique originally developed by kohler and milstein ( 1975 , nature 256 : 495 - 497 ), as well as the trioma technique , the human b - cell hybridoma technique ( kozbor et al ., 1983 , immunology today 4 : 72 ), and the ebv - hybridoma technique to produce human monoclonal antibodies ( cole et al ., 1985 , in motctonal antibodies and cancer therapy , alan r . liss , inc ., pp . 77 - 96 ). in an additional embodiment of the invention , monoclonal antibodies can be produced in germ - free animals utilizing recent technology ( pct / us90 / 02545 ). according to the invention , human antibodies may be used and can be obtained by using human hybridomas ( cote et al ., 1983 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 80 : 2026 - 2030 ) or by transforming human b cells with ebv virus in vitro ( cole et al ., 1985 , in monoclonal antibodies and cancer therapy , alan r . liss , pp . 77 - 96 ). in fact , according to the invention , techniques developed for the production of “ chimeric antibodies ” ( morrison et al ., 1984 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 81 : 6851 - 6855 ; neuberger et al ., 1984 , nature 312 : 604 - 608 ; takeda et al ., 1985 , nature 314 : 452 - 454 ) by splicing the genes from a mouse antibody molecule specific for epitopes of c19 or c23 together with genes from a human antibody molecule of appropriate biological activity can be used ; such antibodies are within the scope of this invention . according to the invention , techniques described for the production of single chain antibodies ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 946 , 778 ) can be adapted to produce egg surface protein - specific single chain antibodies . an additional embodiment of the invention utilizes the techniques described for the construction of fab expression libraries ( huse et al ., 1989 , science 246 : 1275 - 1281 ) to allow rapid and easy identification of monoclonal fab fragments with the desired specificity for egg surface proteins , derivatives , or analogs . antibody fragments which contain the idiotype of the molecule can be generated by known techniques . for example , such fragments include but are not limited to : the f ( ab ′) 2 fragment which can be produced by pepsin digestion of the antibody molecule ; the fab ′ fragments which can be generated by reducing the disulfide bridges of the f ( ab ′) 2 fragment , the fab fragments which can be generated by treating the antibody molecule with papain and a reducing agent , and fv fragments . in the production of antibodies , screening for the desired antibody can be accomplished by techniques known in the art , e . g . elisa ( enzyme - linked immunosorbent assay ). the foregoing antibodies can be used in methods known in the art relating to the localization and activity of the c19 or c23 proteins of the invention , e . g ., for imaging these proteins , measuring levels thereof in appropriate physiological samples , in diagnostic methods , etc . antibodies generated in accordance with the present invention may include , but are not limited to , polyclonal , monoclonal , chimeric ( i . e “ humanized ” antibodies ), single chain ( recombinant ), fab fragments , and fragments produced by a fab expression library . these antibodies can be used as diagnostic agents for the diagnosis of conditions or diseases characterized by expression or overexpression of c19 or c23 , or in assays to monitor patients being treated with c19 or c23 receptor agonists , antagonists or inhibitors . the antibodies useful for diagnostic purposes may be prepared in the same manner as those described above for therapeutics . the antibodies may be used with or without modification , and may be labeled by joining them , either covalently or non - covalently , with a reporter molecule . in accordance with one embodiment an antibody is provided that specifically binds to a polypeptide selected from the group consisting of seq id no : 2 , seq id no : 4 , seq id no : 5 , seq id no : 6 , seq id no : 7 , seq id no : 8 and seq id no : 9 . in one preferred embodiment the antibody is a monoclonal antibody . in one embodiment antibodies against the c19 and / or c23 proteins are used as contraceptive agents that prevent the binding of sperm cells to eggs . an experiment was conducted to determine if the antibodies against c19 and c23 could interfere human sperm &# 39 ; s ability to bind to eggs ( see example 2 ). the assay was conducted in vitro using human sperm and hamster eggs . c19 and c23 are on the acrosome membrane and are only exposed upon permeablization of the acrosome . only approximately ⅓ of sperm undergo acrosome reaction in vitro . as seen in example 2 , antibodies against c19 significantly interfered with sperm cells ability to bind to hamster eggs while no effect was observed for the antibody generated against c23 . these results suggest that a unique receptor for the c19 protein may exist on mammalian eggs , and this receptor itself could serve as a target for contraceptive agents . the present invention also encompasses compositions that can be placed in contact with sperm cells to inhibit the function of the c19 and c23 protein ( i . e . either by inhibiting the expression of the c19 and c23 proteins or by interfering with the protein &# 39 ; s function ). in particular the compositions may comprise peptide fragments of c19 or c23 , or analogs thereof that arataken up by the sperm cells and compete for binding with c19 and c23 &# 39 ; s natural ligands . such inhibitory peptides can be modified to include fatty acid side chains to assist the peptides in penetrating the sperm cell membrane . compositions comprising a c19 or c23 inhibitory agent can be used to modulate fertility of an individual , and in one embodiment , the inhibitory agents function as a male contraceptive pharmaceutical . in accordance with one embodiment a composition is provided that comprises an eight to fifteen amino acid sequence that is identical to an eight to fifteen contiguous amino acid sequence of seq id no : 2 or seq id no : 4 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . preparation of semen specimens and solubilization of sperm proteins were performed as previously described ( naaby - hansen et al , 1997a .) for analytical two - dimensional electrophoresis the detergent / urea extracted proteins were separated by isoelectric focusing ( ief ) in acrylamide tube gels prior to second dimensional gel electrophoresis ( sds - page ), which was performed in a protean ii xi multi - cell apparatus ( bio - rad , richmond , calif .) or on large format ( 23 × 23 cm ) gels ( investigator 2 - d electrophoresis system , esa ) which were also employed for preparative 2d gel electrophoresis . electrotransfer to nitrocellulose membranes and subsequent visualizing of the proteins by gold staining was accomplished as previously described ( naaby - hansen et al , 1997 ) while electrotransfer to pvdf membranes ( 0 . 2 mm pore size , pierce ) was carried out as described by henzel et al . ( 1993 ) using the transfer buffer composition of matsudaira ( 1987 ) ( 10 mm 3 -[ cyclohexylamino ]- 1 - propanesulfonic acid , 10 % methanol , ph 11 ). the immobilized proteins were visualized by staining in a solution containing 0 . 1 % commassie r250 , 40 % methanol and 0 . 1 % acetic acid for one minute , followed by destaining in a solution of 10 % acetic acid and 50 % methanol for 3 × 3 minutes . the 86 kda coomassie - stained protein spot was cored from three 1 . 5 mm thick 2 - d sds - page gels of human sperm extracts . the gel cylinders were minced into a slurry in 1 ml of pbs and emulsified with an equal volume of complete freunds adjuvant . six hundred ul of this emulsion was intradermally injected into a new zealand white rabbit , followed by two monthly subcutaneous booster injections of similarly - prepared antigen with incomplete freunds adjuvant . serum was collected 10 days after each booster injection . the c19 and c23 stained protein spots were cored from a 1 . 5 mm thick 2d sds - polyacrylamide gel and fragmented into smaller pieces . the proteins were destained in methanol , reduced in 10 mm dithiothreitol and alkylated in 50 mm iodoacetamide in 0 . 1 m ammonium bicarbonate . after removing the reagents , the gel pieces were incubated with 12 . 5 ng / ml trypsin in 50 mm ammonium bicarbonate overnight at 37 ° c . peptides were extracted from the gel pieces in 50 % acetonitrile in 5 % formic bcid and microsequenced by tandem mass spectrometry and by edman degradation at the biomolecular research facility of the university of virginia . differentiation of leucine and isoleucine in the sequences were determined by edman sequencing of hplc isolated peptides . a degenerate deoxyinosine containing primers were used to isolate the c19 and c23 cdna clones based on the microsequencing data and using pcr technology . a northern blot containing 2 mg of poly ( a ) + rna from eight selected human tissues was obtained from clontech . the northern blot was probed with a 32 p - labeled c19 cdna ( fig1 a ) or 32 p - labeled c23 cdna ( fig1 b ). probes were prepared by random oligonucleotide prime labeling ( feinberg and vogelstein , 1983 ). hybridization was performed in expresshyb solution ( clontech ) at 68 ° c . for 1 h followed by three washes in 2 × ssc , 0 . 05 % sds at room temperature and two washes in 0 . 1 × ssc , 0 . 1 % sds for 20 min at 50 ° c . a normalized rna dot blot containing 89 to 514 ng of mrna from 50 different human tissues was obtained from clontech and probed with 32 p - labeled c19 cdna or 32 p - labeled c23 cdna . the normalized ( 100 - 500 ng ) poly -( a )+ mrnas present on the grid were isolated from various tissue sources including : whole brain , amygdala , caudate nucleus , cerebellum , cerebral cortex , frontal lobe , hippocampus , medulla oblongata , occipitallobe , putamen , substantia nigra , temporal lobe , thalamus , subthalmic nucleus , spinal chord , heart , aorta , skeletal muscle , colon , bladder , uterus , prostate , stomach , testis , ovary , pancreas , pituitary gland , adrenal gland , thyroid gland , salivary gland , mammary gland , kidney , liver , small intestine , spleen , thymus , peripheral leukocyte , lymph node , bone marrow , appendix , lung , trachea , placenta , fetal brain , fetal heart , fetal kidney , fetal liver , fetal spleen , fetal thymus , fetal lung , and 100 ng total yeast rna , 100 ng yeast trna , 100 ng e . coli rrna , 100 ng e . coli dna , 100 ng poly r ( a ), 100 ng cot 1 human dna , 100 ng human dna , 500 ng human dna . the blot was hybridized in expresshyb solution ( clontech ) containing salmon sperm dna and human placental cot - 1 dna overnight at 65 ° c . the blot was then washed three times in 2 × ssc , 1 % sds at 65 ° c . followed by two additional washes in 0 . 1 × ssc , 0 . 5 % sds at 55 ° c . before exposing the filter to x - ray film . hybridization was only detected in the testis rna dot . motile sperm were harvested by the swim up method of bronson and fusi ( 1990 ). briefly , a 500 ml sperm sample underlaid in 2 ml of bww media containing 5 mg / ml hsa . sperm were allowed to swim up for 1 . 5 - 2 h . swimup sperm were collected and 8 ml of bww + 5 mg / ml hsa was added . the composition was spin at 600 × g for 8 min at rt , the supernatant was removed and 8 ml of media was added to the pellet . the resuspended pellet was spun at 600 × g for 8 min at rt . the supernatant was removed and 50 ml of bww containing 30 mg / ml hsa was added to the pellet . total sperm cells were counted and then incubated overnight in bww + 30 mg / ml hsa at a concentration of 20 × 10 6 sperm / ml . female hamsters received i . p . injections of 30 iu pmsg followed by 30 iu of hcg 72 h later . 14 - 16 h following hcg injection , hamsters were sacrificed and oviducts are collected in bww media containing 5 mg / ml hsa . cumulus cells were removed with 1 mg / ml hyaluronidase , the eggs were washed and zona pellucidae removed with 1 mg / ml trypsin . the eggs were then thoroughly washed and allowed to rest in the incubator . sperm was diluted to 20 × 10 6 sperm / ml and incubated with appropriate dilutions of pre - immune or immune sera ( initially a 1 : 10 and 1 : 50 dilution of sera is tested ) in paraffin oil covered microdrops for 1 h . hamster eggs were added to the drops containing the sperm + antibody . the gametes were then co - incubated for 3 h . eggs were washed free of unbound and loosely bound sperm by serial passage through 5 ( 50 ml ) wash drops . the same pipet is used for all eggs washed in an individual experiment . eggs are then stained by short - term ( 5 - 15 s ) exposure to 1 mm acridine orange - 3 % dmso in bsa / bww ( 30 mg / ml ), washed through 4 ( 50 ml ) wash drops and mounted under 22 × 22 mm coverslips . under uv illumination , unexpanded head s of oolemma - adherant sperm were counted and sperm that had penetrated the ooplasm exhibited expanded green heads . all experiments were repeated 3 times
2
certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting . the words “ right ”, “ left ”, “ top ”, “ bottom ”, “ front ”, and “ back ” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made . the words “ inwardly ” and “ outwardly ” refer to directions toward and away from , respectively , the geometric center of the pet crate and designated parts thereof . the words “ a ” and “ one ”, as used in the claims and in the corresponding portion of the specification , are defined as including one or more of the referenced item unless specifically stated otherwise . this terminology includes the words specifically noted above , derivatives thereof and words of similar import . referring now to fig1 - 25 , wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout , a preferred embodiment of a foldable pet crate 10 is shown . the pet crate 10 includes a base 12 , left side 20 , right side 22 , front door 40 , split rear wall 60 and top panel 80 . the base has left , right , front and back base walls , and a bottom panel . these components and their assembly to form the foldable pet crate 10 are described in detail below along with the method for transitioning the pet crate from an assembled to a folded position . referring to fig1 - 3 , 9 , 10 , 14 and 15 , the base 12 is shown in detail . the base 12 preferably includes a bottom panel 13 side walls 14 , 15 , a front wall 16 with two latch mounting recesses 17 , and a back wall 18 . the corners of the base 12 are rounded to prevent damage to items the crate may be rested on , such as flooring or a car seat . wheel recesses 19 are provided in which wheels 11 , shown in fig6 , are detachably mounted . the base 12 is preferably formed as a blow molded polymeric component in a single piece having an inner skin and an outer skin with reinforcements being provided by projections and recesses on the bottom thereof , as shown in detail in fig1 . as shown in fig1 , preferably the inner surface of the base 12 is smooth to allow for easy clean - ups . the side walls 14 , 15 , front wall 16 and back wall 18 help to contain spills or pet accidents . while the preferred material is polypropylene , those skilled in the art will recognize that other suitable polymeric materials and possibly other materials may be used to form the base 12 . referring to fig1 - 4 , 6 , 10 , 16 and 17 , the left and right sides 20 , 22 are shown . the left and right sides 20 , 22 each include a polymeric frame member 23 , 24 respectively , in which a respective air - permeable grate 25 , 26 is pivotably mounted . the grates 25 , 26 are preferably a metal grates , but also may be a metal mesh , a fabric screen , or a flat panel with holes formed therein . latches 27 are provided at the rear edge of the left side 20 and at the front edge of the right side 22 to hold the pivoting grates 25 , 26 in a closed - position . the grates 25 , 26 form doors for ingress and egress from the crate 10 . the front edge of the left side grate 25 is preferably , pivotably mounted to the front of the frame 23 using clips 28 , see fig6 for the left side , and a rear edge of the grate 26 for the right side 22 is pivotably mounted to the rear edge of the frame 24 also using clips 28 , as shown in fig4 . as will be more clearly recognized from fig1 - 3 , this provides two separate side doors for ingress and egress which is particularly useful when the center divider 95 is slid into channels formed in the top panel and the base , to split the main confine area in crate 10 into two separate confined areas . as shown in detail in fig1 and 17 , hinge lugs 30 are provided at the bottom of the frames 23 , 24 . the hinge lugs 30 are connected via brackets to the base 12 in order to allow the left side and right side panels to pivot down into the base 12 during a folding operation for placing the crate 10 into a folded position . additionally , as shown most clearly in fig1 and 16 , engagement protrusions 31 are provided along the front edges of the frames 23 , 24 for holding the front door 40 to prevent racking when the front door 40 is in the closed position , as described in more detail below . as shown in fig1 and 16 , projections 32 are also provided along the top edges of the frames 23 , 24 for engagement with the top panel 80 . preferably , the left side and right side frames 23 , 24 are made of blow molded single - piece polymeric material , such as polypropylene . those skilled in the art will recognize that other suitable polymeric materials may also be utilized . while the right side 24 has been shown in detail in fig1 and 17 , those skilled in the art will note that the left side 23 is generally a mirror image thereof , with the exception of the placement of the latch receiving recesses being switched from front to back and the hinge location for the grate 25 being moved to the front of the left side 23 . the pivotably attached grates 25 , 26 are preferably formed of welded steel and may be painted or coated with a polymeric or chromed material depending upon the particular application . alternatively , they may be made from stainless steel or any other suitable material . the latches 27 , shown in detail in fig2 , are preferably made of a polymeric material and are attached to the frames using mechanical fasteners , adhesive or any other suitable means . although the exploded view in fig1 shows the grates 25 , 26 located inside the respective frames 23 , 24 for illustrative purposes , they are in fact located on the outside of the frames 23 , 24 and pivot outwardly to open . the latches 27 hold the grates 25 , 26 in the closed position by trapping the free ends of the grates 25 , 26 opposite the pivotal attachment between the recessed portion of the frames 23 , 24 and the extended latch tongue 28 . it is noted that the width of the frames 23 , 24 is less than a distance between the front wall 16 and rear wall 18 of the base 12 so that both the left side 20 and the right side 22 can be pivoted downwardly about the hinges 30 into a folded position on top of the bottom panel 13 of the base 12 . a catch 66 shown in fig1 for the right side 22 , and shown in detail in fig2 a , is used to hold the split rear wall 60 in the open position . the catch 66 is pivotably connected to the back of both the left and right sides 20 , 22 . for the left side 20 , the catch 66 would be similarly mounted in the opposing position to the right side 22 . the catch 66 can be a simple hook or a flexible catch and can have either a smooth or ribbed surface , and holds the split back panel 60 in the opened configuration against the back edges of the left and right sides 20 , 22 . as shown in fig2 a , the preferred catch 66 is preferably a c - shaped hook with a smooth inner surface . an alternate catch is shown in fig2 b . referring to fig1 - 3 , 5 , 10 and 11 - 13 , the front door 40 of the crate 10 is comprised of the front frame 42 and a front grate 44 affixed thereto . the frame 42 preferably includes pivot pins 45 , 46 and slide rails 47 , 48 located on opposite sides thereof as shown in detail in fig1 - 13 . the pivot pins 45 , 46 are pivotably held in tracks 50 , 51 mounted on the inner side of the top panel 80 along the left and right side edges thereof as described in detail below . the slides 47 , 48 are sized to fit between the protrusions 31 on the front edges of the left side frame 23 and right side frame 24 when the front door 40 is closed , as shown in fig1 and 2 . recesses 49 are provided at the bottom front edge of the front frame 42 which are engaged by latches 27 mounted on the front wall 16 of the base 12 in order to hold the front door 40 in a closed position . releasing the latches 27 allows the front door 40 to pivot open about the pivot pins 45 , 46 and then be slid inwardly via the slide rails 47 , 48 moving along the door tracks 50 , 51 into a stowed position under the top panel 80 , as shown in fig2 and 27 . in the preferred embodiment , the front door frame 42 is preferably made of blow molded polymeric material , such as polypropylene . those skilled in the art will recognize that other suitable polymeric materials may be utilized . as shown in detail in fig1 , preferably a recess 52 is provided for mounting the grate 44 into the frame 42 . as the grate 44 is fixed mounted preferably using mechanical fasteners or clips or the like , it is mounted from the inside of the front door frame 42 and thus the front door 40 presents an outward smooth flush appearance , which facilitates its sliding into the open , stowed position under the top panel 80 . the front door grate 44 is preferably made of a metallic material , and can be painted , polymeric coated , or chrome coated steel , or may be made of stainless steel or any other suitable material . referring now to fig3 , 8 and 10 , the foldable split rear wall 60 will be described in detail . the foldable split rear wall 60 includes a lower grate 62 and an upper grate 64 which are pivotably connected together along a medial portion by tubular clips 65 along the adjoining edges thereof . the bottom edge of the lower grate 62 is pivotably connected to the upper portion of the rear wall 18 of the base 12 using clips or brackets to allow pivoting movement of the lower grate 62 relative to the base 12 . the upper edge of the upper grate 64 is pivotably connected to the back edge of the top panel 80 , preferably using clips or brackets to allow pivoting movement of the upper grate 64 relative to the top panel 80 . preferably , the catches 66 or 66 ′ shown in fig1 and in greatly enlarged detail in fig2 a and 24 b , are pivotably mounted to the back edges of the left side frame 23 and right side frame 24 . these catches can be pivoted so that the center region of the rear wall 60 is hooked and held in position against the back edges of the left and right side frames 23 , 24 respectively . with the preferred catches 66 , the slot in the catch 66 , shown in fig2 a is large enough to engage the bottom wire of the upper grate 62 and the top wire of the bottom grate 64 . these catches 66 can also be pivoted upwardly in order to release their engagement with the horizontal bars used to form the upper and lower grates 62 , 64 in order to allow the rear wall 60 of the pet crate 10 to be folded in half to facilitate folding of the pet crate 10 , as discussed in further detail below . alternatively , the catches 66 ′ of fig2 b could be used . the upper and lower grates 62 , 64 are preferably formed of a metallic material and may be painted , polymeric coated or chrome coated steel , stainless steel or any other suitable material . the catches 66 are preferably formed of a polymeric material and preferably include teeth 67 to help engage and hold their position on the bars forming the grates 62 , 64 . referring now to fig1 , 2 , 7 , 10 and 18 - 21 , the top panel 80 is shown in detail . the top panel 80 includes a frame 82 having a door recess 83 in which a top hatch door 90 is located . as shown in fig1 , recesses 87 are provided along the bottom facing left and right sides of the top frame 82 which are complementary to the engagement projections 32 provided along the top edges of the left and right side frames 23 , 24 . the front door tracks 50 , 51 are preferably connected to the underside of the top frame 82 along the left and right sides and may be connected using mechanical fasteners , adhesives or any other suitable means . the handle 85 is preferably located along the right side edge of the top panel 80 opposite from the wheels 11 located on the base 12 . latches 86 are provided at each of the left and right sides of the top 80 . as shown in fig3 a and 34 b , the latches 86 may be moved between open and closed positions . the latches 86 are preferably over - center pivotable latches as shown in fig3 a and 34 b , or can be of any other suitable type , such as the latch assemblies 27 or other types of latches or catches for engaging or releasably holding two pieces together . the latches 86 engage protrusions at the top edges of the left and right sides 20 , 22 , respectively , as shown in fig3 a , and then are pivoted upwardly about a connecting link which also pivots to an over - center position to retain the top panel 80 in the assembled position . the top frame 82 is preferably a blow molded polymeric part and includes stiffening recesses located on the underside thereof as shown in fig1 . these provide a structure that is both lightweight and having high rigidity based on the formation of the frame 82 as a blow molded part . preferably , the top door 90 has hinge pins 91 and is pivotably mounted in the door recess 83 of the top frame 82 . a latch 27 is also mounted in a latch recess 88 in the top frame , shown in fig1 , opposite from the hinge side of the top door 90 to hold the top door 90 closed . preferably finger recesses are molded into the top frame 82 along the edge of the door recess 83 to allow for easier opening of the door 90 when the latch 27 is released . the door 90 is preferably a blow - molded polymeric part , and is shown in detail in fig2 and 21 . the hinge pins 91 are preferably integrally molded to the door 90 . stiffening recesses are preferably provided in the underside of the top door 90 and are clearly shown in fig2 . referring to fig2 , the latch assembly 27 is shown in detail , and includes a slide member 34 located in a tubular body 36 . a flexible catch 35 on the slide member 34 is normally biased outwardly , and extends through openings 37 or 38 in the body 36 . in the illustrated position , in which the latch assembly 27 would be closed , the flexible catch is in the first opening 37 . in order to open the latch assembly , the flexible catch 35 is pressed inwardly , and the slide member is moved back so that the flexible catch 35 passes under the frame piece between the openings 37 , 38 , and then springs elastically out to its normal position and catches in the second opening 38 . based on the arrangement of the flexible catch 35 with the fixed end being located to the right in fig2 , and the free end that acts as a catch being toward the left , the latch can be closed by just pushing the slide member 34 to the right , with the flexible catch 35 being automatically deflected by the frame piece as the slide member moves toward the right in fig2 , toward the illustrated closing position . referring now to fig2 - 33 , a series of views are shown of the crate 10 being broken down from the fully assembled position to the folded position . referring to fig2 , the pet crate 10 is shown with the front door 40 having been folded upwardly about the pivot pins 45 , 46 and being shown in the process of sliding inwardly along the left and right door tracks 50 , 51 . this is accomplished via releasing the latches 27 located along the front wall 16 of the base 12 which allows the front door 40 to initially pivot open . fig2 shows the front door 40 in the totally stowed position under the top panel 80 . after releasing the catches 66 and the top latches 86 , the top panel can now be pivoted upwardly about its back edge , and fig2 shows the top panel 80 pivoted up to a vertical position . fig2 shows the tope panel 80 and split rear wall 60 pivoted further back away from the left and right sides , and the right side 22 is being folded inwardly on top of the base 12 about the hinges 30 . fig3 shows the left side 20 being folded down on top of the base 12 while the user holds the top panel 80 off to the rear , while it is still connected to the base 12 via the split rear wall 60 . fig3 shows the split rear wall 60 having been now folded inwardly , so that the bottom edge of the top grate 64 and the top edge of the bottom grate 62 extend inwardly and the top grate 64 folds on top of the bottom grate 62 allowing the rear edge of the top panel 80 to be lowered against the top of the rear wall 18 of the base 12 . fig3 shows the top panel 80 now being folded downwardly on top of the base 12 in which the left and right sides 20 , 22 and the split rear wall 60 having already been folded into the recess created by the front and rear walls 16 , 18 of the base 12 . fig3 shows the crate 10 in the fully folded configuration . clamps , latches or straps may be provided to secure the crate 10 in this folded configuration , which may be separate from or incorporated into the base 12 or the top panel 80 . in this configuration , a user can grasp the handle 85 and roll the folded crate 10 via the wheels 11 located on the base 12 on the opposite side from the handle 85 . while the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail , it will be recognized by those skilled in the art from the present disclosure that changes may be made to the above described embodiment of the invention without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof . it is understood , therefore , that this invention covers all modifications are within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims and / or shown in the attached drawings .
0
the drawing figures are intended to illustrate the general manner of construction and are not necessarily to scale . in the detailed description and in the drawing figures , specific illustrative examples are shown and herein described in detail . it should be understood , however , that the drawing figures and detailed description are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed , but are merely illustrative and intended to teach one of ordinary skill how to make and / or use the invention claimed herein and for setting forth the best mode for carrying out the invention . with reference to fig1 - 5 , seat track locking mechanism 10 comprises a rack 12 , which in the illustrative embodiment is mounted to the vehicle frame so that the longitudinal axis 14 of rack 12 is parallel to the direction of motion of the vehicle seat 16 along its track 18 ( fig6 ). rack 12 is formed with a series of external threads 20 formed , for example by machining on a geared lathe or by running rack 12 through a threading die , so that external threads 20 run substantially the entire length of rack 12 . in the illustrative embodiment threads 20 comprise 5 / 8 - 18 unf class 2 threads . rack 12 is further formed , e . g ., by machining a pair of longitudinal grooves 22 , leaving rack 12 with a substantially “ i ”- shaped cross - section with a continuous web portion 24 and flanges 26 incorporating the external threads 20 . in addition to reducing the unnecessary weight of rack 12 , grooves 22 center rack 12 as it slides across the guide lands 52 located on lower cover plate 28 and upper cover plate 30 . seat track locking mechanism 10 further comprises a clock nut 32 which comprises a generally short cylindrical “ hockey puck ” shaped body which is formed , e . g ., by machining to include a first bore 34 along a chord of the circular face 36 of clock nut 32 , preferably along the diameter of the circular face 36 of clock nut 32 . a second bore 38 is formed in clock nut 32 , e . g ., by machining , to intersect first bore 34 thereby separating first bore 34 into a discrete first jaw portion 40 and second jaw portion 42 . first bore 34 is formed , e . g ., by tapping , to have internal threads 44 and 46 that correspond to the diameter and pitch of external threads 20 of rack 12 ( e . g ., 5 / 8 - 18 unf class 2 ). the internal threads 44 and 46 of first bore 34 may be formed either before or after second bore 38 is formed but in either event are formed in a continuous operation so that internal threads 44 and internal threads 46 have a continuous helical pitch and , therefore , a threaded rod inserted and threaded into internal thread 44 would continue to thread without binding through internal thread 46 . a portion of each internal threads 44 and 46 are removed , e . g ., by machining away , to form reliefs 48 and 50 , the function of which can be seen most clearly with reference to fig4 and 5 . as can be seen from fig4 , first jaw portion 40 and second jaw portion 42 have internal threads 44 and 46 respectively that are the same diameter and pitch as the external threads 20 of rack 12 and therefore grip rack 12 as would a conventional nut . reliefs 48 and 50 , however , enable clock nut 32 to be rotated (“ clocked ”) to a position where internal threads 44 and 46 are disengaged from external threads 12 and rack 12 is capable of simply sliding through clock nut 32 by passing through reliefs 48 and 50 . when clock nut 32 is clocked back into the position shown in fig5 , internal threads 44 and 46 of first jaw portions 40 and 42 engage external threads 20 of rack 12 as jaw members 40 and 42 engage the sides of rack 12 . seat track locking mechanism 10 further comprises the necessary linkage for clocking or rotating the clock nut from the disengaged to the engaged position and for locking it in the engaged position against unintentional release . clocking linkage 56 comprises a first toggle linkage 58 that is loaded in compression when moving clock nut 32 into the closed position and a second toggle linkage 60 that is loaded in tension when moving clock nut 32 into the closed position . first toggle linkage 58 comprises a compression link 62 and a toggle input link 64 . toggle input link 64 is pinned at the central pivot point 66 by pin 68 which passes through lower cover plate 28 , upper cover plate 30 , and input lever 70 . pin 68 is retained to input lever 70 with cotter pin 72 and spacer washers 74 as required . the output end 76 of input lever 70 is pinned to the end 78 of toggle input link 64 and crossover link 80 by means of pin 82 which is retained by means of cotter pin 84 , spacer 86 and washer 88 as required . compression link 62 is pivotably connected to clock nut 32 at pivot 90 and is pivotably connected to toggle input link 64 at pivot 92 . as first toggle linkage 58 moves clock nut 32 from the disengaged position as shown in fig4 to the engaged position as shown in fig5 , first toggle linkage 58 moves from a substantially over - center position to a very slightly ( approximately 5 °) over - center position on the opposite side with toggle input link 64 coming to rest against limit stop 94 . once in this position , any force on clock nut 32 attempting to move clock nut 32 from the engaged to the disengaged position merely presses toggle input link 64 against limit stop 94 and does not break the linkage open . second toggle linkage 60 comprises a tension link 96 and slave links 98 a and 98 b . tension link 96 is pivotably attached to clock nut 32 at pivot 100 and is pivotably attached to slave links 98 a and 98 b and to crossover link 80 at pivot 102 . slave links 98 a and 98 b are pivotably attached to lower cover plate 28 and upper cover plate 30 at pivot 104 . as second toggle linkage 60 moves clock nut 32 from the disengaged position as shown in fig4 to the engaged position as shown in fig5 , second toggle linkage 60 moves from a substantially before bottom - dead - center position as shown in fig4 to a slightly ( approximately 5 °) after bottom - dead - center position with slave links 98 a and 98 b and / or tension link 96 operatively resting against limit stop 106 . with second toggle linkage 60 in this position , any force attempting to move clock nut 32 from the engaged position into the disengaged position places tension link 96 in tension and merely causes slave links 98 a and 98 b and / or tension link 96 to press against limit stop 106 but does not cause second toggle linkage to rotate past bottom - dead - center and therefore clock nut 32 is held firm . as can be seen from fig4 and 5 , as clock nut 32 is rotated by first and second linkages 58 and 60 , clock nut 32 is constrained to move in a circular path by means of guides 108 and 110 secured between lower cover plate 28 and upper cover plate 30 . to allow for minute adjustments , e . g ., for controlling backlash , tension member 96 is adjustable in length . this is accomplished by passing tension member 96 through a pillow block 116 that forms the connection between tension member 96 on the one hand and slave links 98 a and 98 b and crossover link 80 on the other hand . the tip 118 of tension link 96 is threaded to accept a nut 120 that prevents tension link 96 from withdrawing out of pillow block 116 when placed under tension . an anti - rattle spring 122 holds nut 120 firmly against pillow block 116 . as noted above , any force attempting to rotate clock nut 32 from the engaged position to the disengaged position merely causes first toggle linkage 58 and second toggle linkage 60 to press against their respective limit stops thereby preventing clock nut 32 from rotating . the lateral loads on clock nut 32 are also reacted through first toggle linkage 58 and second toggle linkage 60 , but in a unique and innovative way . with reference in particular to fig5 , a load tending to move cover plate 28 and the balance of seat track locking mechanism 10 along rack 12 to the right of fig5 will cause clock nut 32 , which is engaged with rack 12 to place tension link 96 in tension . because toggle linkage 60 is already in a slightly beyond bottom - dead - center position with slave links 98 a and 98 b and / or tension link 96 pressing against limit stop 106 ( through pillow block 116 ), the lateral load placing tension link 96 in tension merely causes slave links 98 a and 98 b and / or tension link 96 to press against limit stop 106 but does not cause second toggle linkage to rotate and therefore clock nut 32 is held firm against the lateral load . simultaneously , because tension link 96 is offset from the points of contact between jaws 40 and 42 , and rack 12 , the torque couple caused by the lateral load acting on tension link 96 , causes jaws 40 and 42 to rotate more firmly into engagement with rack 12 . as can be determined from the foregoing , the action of tension link 96 is effectively load - responsive , since the greater the lateral load , the more firmly clock nut 32 grips rack 12 . to ensure that the lateral load is reacted entirely by tension link 96 , clearance 67 between the pin and hole forming first pivot 90 ( and / or clearance between the pin and hole forming second pivot 92 ) prevents a lateral load in this first direction from reacting against first toggle linkage 58 . absent this clearance , that portion of the load reacted against compression link 62 would tend to reduce the torque couple that causes clock nut 32 to grip rack 12 and therefore would diminish the load - responsive action of tension link 96 . by ensuring that all of the lateral load in this first direction is reacted by tension link 96 the load - responsive action of tension link 96 is maintained . a load in the opposite direction , i . e . tending to move cover plate 28 and the balance of seat track locking mechanism 10 along rack 12 to the left of fig5 will cause clock nut 32 , which is engaged with rack 12 to place compression link 62 in compression . because toggle linkage 58 is already in a slightly over - center position with toggle input link 64 against limit stop 94 , the lateral load placing compression link 62 in compression merely presses toggle input link 64 against limit stop 94 and does not break the linkage open . therefore , clock nut 32 is held firm against the lateral load . simultaneously , because compression link 62 is offset from the points of contact between jaws 40 and 42 , and rack 12 , the torque couple caused by the lateral load acting on compression link 62 , causes jaws 40 and 42 to rotate more firmly into engagement with rack 12 . thus , in this second direction , the action of compression link 62 is effectively load - responsive , since the greater the lateral load , the more firmly clock nut 32 grips rack 12 . at the same time , because tension link 96 is capable of sliding through pillow block 116 , a lateral load in this second direction does not place tension link 96 in compression . absent this sliding connection , that portion of the load reacted against tension link 96 would tend to reduce the torque couple that causes clock nut 32 to grip rack 12 and therefore would diminish the load - responsive action of compression link 62 . by ensuring that virtually all of the lateral load in this second direction is reacted by compression link 62 , ( the force of anti - rattle spring 122 is at least an order of magnitude less than the tensile strength of compression link 62 ), the load - responsive action of tension link 96 is maintained . manual operation of seat track locking mechanism 10 is accomplished by means of an actuator rod ( not shown ) which is attached to the actuator hole 112 formed in input lever 70 . a resilient member such as compression spring 114 urges clock nut 32 into the engaged position and locks first and second toggle linkages 58 and 60 by urging crossover link 80 in the appropriate direction . although certain illustrative embodiments and methods have been disclosed herein , it will be apparent from the foregoing disclosure to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of such embodiments and methods may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , although in the illustrative embodiment the rack is secured to the vehicle and the clock nut is attached to the seat in certain circumstances , for example , if the clock nut is solenoid - actuated , it may be preferable to mount the clock nut mechanism to the vehicle and mount the rack to the vehicle seat . additionally other threads including square , acme , whitworth , bsf , buttress and even gear or other teeth profiles ( helical or non - helical ) may be incorporated , all without departing from the scope of the present invention . accordingly , it is intended that the invention shall be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the rules and principles of applicable law .
8
referring to fig1 , a canopy assembly according to the invention is shown at reference numeral 20 . the canopy assembly 20 is provided attached to a rollover protection bar 40 of a tractor 15 . one advantage of the present invention is that the sun shield 30 of the canopy assembly 20 can be quickly and easily attached and detached from the rollover protection bar 40 . the rollover protection bar 40 shown in fig1 and 4 is foldable and includes an upper portion 42 , a hinge 44 , and a lower portion 46 . however , it should be appreciated that while the canopy assembly 20 can be attached to a foldable rollover protection bar 40 on a tractor 15 , the canopy assembly 20 can also be attached to rollover protection bars that do not fold . in addition , it should be appreciated that the canopy assembly can be mounted on vehicles other than tractors . now referring to fig2 – 6 , the canopy assembly is shown in more detail . the canopy assembly 20 includes : a bracket assembly 100 shown in fig2 , 4 , and 6 ; a sun shield and attachment arms shown in fig3 and 4 ; and an attachment lock assembly shown in fig3 , 4 , 5 a , and 5 b . referring to fig2 , the bracket assembly 100 attaches to the upper rollover protection bar 42 and the attachment arms 204 and 202 ( see fig3 ). the bracket assembly 100 includes a first bracket mounting arm 120 , a second bracket mounting arm 130 , and a bracket mounting plate 110 extending therebetween , the bracket mounting plate 110 connecting the first bracket mounting arm 120 to the second bracket mounting arm 130 . when the canopy 30 is installed , the bracket mounting plate 110 of the bracket assembly 100 is fixed to the upper rollover protection bar 42 , the first bracket mounting arm 120 contacts and supports the first attachment arm 204 , and the second bracket mounting arm 130 contacts and supports the second attachment arm 202 . the bracket mounting plate 110 also includes a secondary bracket assembly 160 . the secondary bracket assembly 160 can include mounting slots 112 and clamp bars 166 that are adapted to receive mounting bolts 168 , mounting washers 164 , and mounting nuts 162 . installing the mounting bracket assembly 100 can include the steps of positioning the mounting plate 110 on the top side of the upper rollover protection bar 42 , positioning the clamp bars 166 on the bottom side of the upper rollover protection bar 42 , inserting mounting bolts 168 though the slots 112 in the mounting plate 110 and through the clamp bars 166 , and tightening the mounting nuts 162 onto the mounting bolts 168 until the bracket mounting plate 110 is securely attached to the rollover protection bar 40 . note that the bracket mounting plate 110 may include holes 302 or other features to ensure that it does not interfere with other features that may be attached to the upper portion of the rollover protection bar 42 . though the rollover protection bar shown in fig2 has a rectangular cross - section , it should be appreciated that the bracket mounting plate 110 may also be attached to a rollover protection bar that has a non - rectangular cross - section ( e . g ., a circular cross - section ). if the rollover protection bar has a circular cross - section , the secondary bracket assembly 160 can include rollover protection bar mounting brackets 169 , 170 and 171 shown in fig7 a , 7 b , and 7 c respectively . the rollover protection bar mounting brackets 169 , 170 , and 171 attach to the rollover protection bar and also attach to the bracket mounting plate 110 . though the mounting brackets 169 , 170 , 171 and the clamp bars 166 both secure the bracket mounting plate 110 to the rollover protection bar 40 , they are structurally different . in the embodiment shown in fig2 , the rollover protection bar 40 is sandwiched between the clamp bars 166 and the bracket mounting plate 110 ( i . e ., the clamp bars 166 do not independently attach to the rollover protection bar 40 ). on the other hand , in the embodiments shown in fig7 a , 7 b , and 7 c , the mounting brackets 169 , 170 , and 171 attach independently to the rollover protection bar 40 and the bracket mounting plate 110 attaches to the mounting bracket . in the embodiments shown in fig7 a , 7 b , and 7 c the mounting brackets 169 , 170 , and 171 serve as an interface between the bracket mounting plate 110 and the rollover protection bar 40 . it should be appreciated that , in accordance with the invention , the mounting plate 110 can be attached to the rollover protection bar 40 without clamp bars 166 or rollover protection mounting brackets 169 , 170 , and 171 . alternatives include , but not limited to , welding the bracket mounting plate 110 to the rollover protection bar 40 , or drilling holes into the rollover protection bar 40 and bolting the bracket mounting plate 110 directly to the rollover protection bar 40 . the bracket mounting arms 120 and 130 can include at least one contact flange 144 and one bracket catch 150 . the contact flange 144 provides structure that interfaces with other elements of the attachment lock assembly 220 that are mounted on the attachment arms 204 or 202 . the attachment lock assembly 220 will be discussed in detail below . the bracket catch 150 engages and supports the attachment arms 204 or 202 . during installation and removal of the sun shield 30 , the bracket catch 150 is adapted to support one end of an attachment arm 204 or 202 while allowing the canopy 30 to be rotated towards , and onto , the bracket assembly 100 , or away from , and off of , the bracket assembly 100 . the bracket catch 150 is shown in fig2 and 4 as a protrusion 152 . however , it should be understood that the bracket catch 150 can be any structure adapted to engage an attachment arm 204 or 202 and pivotally support one end of an attachment arm 204 or 202 . the bracket mounting arms 120 and 130 can include an angle adjustment mechanism 132 . the angle adjustment mechanism 132 may be used to level the sun shield 30 relative to the tractor , but it should be understood that the angle adjustment mechanism 132 can be used to set the sun shield 30 at any preferred angle . the angle adjustment mechanism 132 includes : a first adjustment plate 133 , a second adjustment plate 134 , and a adjustment mechanism fastener 140 that locks the first adjustment plate 133 to the second adjustment plate 134 . the adjustment mechanism fastener 140 includes through cuts 136 that are spaced at a radial distance r from a center hole 138 . the through cuts 136 can be constructed to receive a second adjustment plate fastener 142 that holds the second plate 134 at an angle relative to the first adjustment plate 133 . additional through cuts 136 and fasteners 142 can be included to ensure that the angle adjustment mechanism 132 does not unexpectedly come out of adjustment . note that in the preferred embodiment shown in fig2 , one additional though cut 136 and one additional second adjustment plate fastener 142 have been included on each bracket mounting arm 120 and 130 . referring to fig3 , it includes a sun shield 30 , a first attachment arm 204 , a second attachment arm 202 , an attachment lock assembly 220 , and engaging members 210 . the sun shield 30 can be any structure that is adapted to protect the tractor operator from the elements . in some embodiments the sun shields 30 can be made of fiberglass or opaque plastics so that they are both waterproof and sun proof . the attachment arms 204 and 202 can include two attachment lock assemblies 220 , two sun shield arms 203 , and two engaging members 210 , wherein each lock assembly 220 and each engaging member 210 is mounted on a different attachment arm 204 and 202 . as discussed above , the attachment arms 204 and 202 include sun shield arms 203 that are constructed to interface with the bottom surface of the sun shield 30 . the sun shield arms 203 of the attachment arms 204 and 202 can be secured to the sun shield 30 with fasteners 206 . fasteners 206 may include bolts 211 , washers 208 , and nuts 209 that are engage holes 300 in the sun shield and holes 301 in the sun shield arm 203 . in should be understood that the sun shield 30 can be fastened to the attachment arms 204 and 202 in many other ways including , but not limited to , the use of rivets , screws , adhesives , and interference fits . the attachment arms 204 and 202 include engaging members 210 . the engaging members 210 engage the bracket assembly 100 during installation and removal of the sun shield 30 . the engaging members 210 enable the attachment arms 204 and 202 to rest on , and pivot off of , the bracket assembly 100 . for stability , each attachment arm 204 and 202 can include its own engaging member 210 . the engaging members 210 can include a hook 270 and a slot 280 . during installation , the hook is adapted to rest upon the protrusions 152 on the bracket assembly 100 , thereby enabling the bracket assembly 100 to support one end of the attachment arms 204 or 202 . then , the attachment arms 204 and 202 can be rotated by the operator towards the bracket assembly 100 until the attachment arms 204 and 202 abut the bracket mounting arms 120 and 130 . during the rotation of the attachment arms 204 and 202 towards the bracket assembly 200 , the protrusion 152 slides from the hook 270 along the slot 280 to its end position 281 . as shown in fig4 , the rollover protection bar 40 can be folded over during installation and removal . folding over the rollover protection bar 40 lowers the upper portion of the rollover protection bar 42 thereby enabling a single operator to more easily install the sun shield 30 . though the engaging members 210 can include a hook 270 and a slot 280 , it should be appreciated that the engaging members 210 can be any structure adapted to engage the bracket assembly 100 such that one end of the attachment arms 204 and 202 can rest upon , and pivots on , the bracket assembly 100 . the attachment lock assemblies 220 are mounts to attachment arms 204 and 202 for securing the attachment arms 204 and 202 to the bracket assembly 100 . since the attachment arms 204 and 202 are connected together via the sun shield 30 , only one locking assembly is required . however , for added security , it is preferred that both attachment arms 204 and 202 include separate attachment lock assemblies 220 . the attachment lock assembly 220 as shown is an over - center mechanical latch 230 . the over - center mechanical latch is mounted on the attachment arms 204 and 202 at lock attachment points 205 and 207 . the over - center mechanical latch 230 includes a lever 234 , a linkage 236 , a plunger 237 , a retainer 250 , and a retainer fastener 232 . the linkage 236 is pivotally connected to the lock attachment point 205 and pivotally connected to the lever 236 . the plunger 237 is pivotally connected to the lock attachment point 207 and pivotally connected to the lever 236 . the plunger 237 includes an adjustment screw 239 that can be axially extended or retracted to ensure a positive secure contact between the plunger 237 and the contact flange 144 of the bracket mounting arms 120 or 130 . the point where the linkage 236 and the lock attachment point 205 connect and the point where the plunger 237 and the lever 234 connect defines a center line 238 . the linkage 236 and the plunger 237 are attached to the lever 234 at locations whereby when the lever 234 is in its closed position shown in fig5 a , the attachment point between the linkage 236 and the lever 234 is between the center line 238 and the attachment arms 204 or 202 , and when the lever 234 is in its open position , the attachment point between the linkage 236 and the lever 234 is on the opposite side of the center line 238 . it should be appreciated that the attachment locking assembly 220 can be any mechanism that can secure the attachment arm 202 or 204 to the bracket assembly 100 . other attachment locking assemblies 220 may include , but are not limited to , pins , clamps , hooks , and clips . the attachment lock assembly 220 can include a retainer otherwise know as a spring lock 250 that ensures that the lock assembly 220 does not open unexpectedly . the retainer 250 is particularly useful when the tractor 15 is driven in high wind conditions , over uneven terrain , or used in other conditions that would cause a great deal of vibrations that might unexpectedly unlock the attachment lock assembly 220 . the retainer 250 is position such that when the lever 234 of the over - center mechanical latch 230 is in its closed position , the retainer 250 springs against the lever 234 and prevents the lever 234 from unexpectedly opening , even when jostled . the retainer 250 is attached to the attachment arms 204 or 202 via a retainer fastener 232 . the retainer fastener 232 can include , but is not limited to , nut and bolt combinations , rivets , screws , or welds . it should be appreciated that the retainer 250 can be any mechanism that is adapted to prevent the unexpected unlocking of the attachment lock assembly 220 . the retainers according to the invention , may include , but are not limited to , straps , pins , clasps , hooks , and clips . the attachment arms 204 and 202 may further include handles 290 . handles 290 shown in fig3 and 4 are located on the attachment arms 204 and 202 opposite the engaging members 210 . the handles 290 are shown as through cuts in the attachment arms 204 and 202 that are sufficiently large for one to hold onto . it should be appreciated that the handles 290 can be of many other configurations so long as they provide structure that can be conveniently gripped by a human hand . referring to fig6 , an alternative embodiment of the adjustment mechanism fastener 140 of the angle adjustment mechanism 132 is shown . in the alternative embodiment the though cuts 136 comprise discrete through holes 137 . the alternative embodiment of the adjustment mechanism 131 shown in fig6 works substantially like the embodiment of the adjustment mechanism 132 shown in fig2 and 4 . the alternative embodiment of the angle adjustment mechanism 131 is advantageous because the adjustment mechanism 132 is operable even if the first pate 133 is not firmly pressed against the second plate 134 . in the above specification , examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention . since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended .
1
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 . 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 through and complete , and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art . referring now to the drawings there is shown in fig2 and fig3 , a preferred embodiment of the invention demonstrating repairing a rotator cuff . two arthroscopic portals 30 , 32 are formed in the shoulder 34 , such as by a scalpel . the humeral head 36 and rotator cuff tendons 38 are present . a curved or arcuate drill guide 16 having a central lumen is inserted into one of the portals , as shown in fig5 . the use of the arcuate drill guide is important in rotator cuff repair to miss neurovascular structures and avoid the acromion . the resulting curved tunnel also transfers biomechanical forces placed on the sutures over a radius of bone to minimize stress points on bone and suture alike . if required , cortical bone may be removed prior to insertion of the arcuate drill guide . the central lumen of the arcuate drill guide 16 has a protruding flexible stylus 4 therein that is advanced into the humeral head lateral of , or through , the torn rotator cuff . the stylus 4 , shown in fig4 b , is formed of a memory retaining material , such as nitinol . the stylus may have a cutter formed in an end thereof , such as a drill or mill type cutter . in the embodiment shown in fig4 a , the forward end of the arcuate drill guide 16 is curved . advancement of the arcuate drill guide 16 may be by manual pressure or by assisted manual force using , for example , a mallet , or by a power tool , such as a drill . the arcuate drill guide forms an arcuate tunnel in the bone . after the arcuate drill guide 16 is fully advanced , the stylus is withdrawn , leaving a small void in the bone that is present beyond the leading edge of the arcuate drill guide as shown in fig5 and fig6 . as shown in fig1 , straight drill guide 2 is used to guide instruments through the other portal , i . e ., the superior portal . the straight drill guide 2 has a lumen therein . a trephine guide pin 6 is positioned within this lumen . the guide pin may be formed of nitinol , stainless steel , or other materials well know to those skilled in the art . sufficient space is present within the drill guide lumen for placement of the trephine guide pin 6 ( shown in fig4 c ), so that the guide pin has a sloppy fit within the drill guide . not shown in fig1 is where some rotator cuff tears would allow the curved portion of the guide 16 to also pierce the rotator cuff to achieve two suture fixation points and thus a stronger repair . some tears will allow neither the trephine pin 6 , 8 or arcuate guide 16 to pierce the rotator cuff . a separate instrument such as a knot passer , shown in fig1 and fig1 or a suture passer known to those skilled in the art may be needed to pierce dysfunctional tissue . the trephine 8 , shown in fig4 d , is inserted through the lumen of straight drill guide 2 . the trephine 8 has a larger diameter than the trephine guide pin 6 , but will rotate within the lumen . the trephine 8 enlarges the tunnel , and is moved past the arcuate shaped tunnel formed using the arcuate drill guide 16 as shown most clearly in fig7 . in operation , the trephine 8 is retracted so that other steps may be performed . for example bone morphogenic proteins or other growth factors may be injected through the lumens . as shown in fig8 the trephine may have calibration marks 20 , 22 to indicate the depth of insertion and retraction of the trephine . the bone tunnels intersect / bisect as shown . with the trephine in place , but with the stylus 4 and the trephine guide pin 6 removed from the drill guides , one or more strands of suture 14 are passed through the lumens of the drill guides , likely converging through a re - approximated rotator cuff tear , and through the two bisecting bone tunnels . the suture also passes through the humeral head ( bone ), and exits the central lumen . the suture or multiple sutures are advanced through the arcuate drill guide 16 by the suture stylus 12 , shown in fig4 f or a knot pusher 112 . the hook probe 10 , shown in fig4 e shown in fig1 is inserted through the lumen of the trephine to hook the suture advanced by the suture stylus 12 or knot pusher 112 at approximately the intersection of the tunnels , as shown in fig9 . the suture or sutures are advanced past the point of the vacated trephine tunnel . removal of the drill guides 2 , 16 leaves the suture in place for tying . multiple suture passes allow for tying of the suture material . for example , three ( 3 ) suture passes allow tying three ( 3 ) simple stitches 40 as shown in fig2 . fig3 shows two arthroscopic mattress stitches 42 where the initial suture in the center bone tunnel was used to pass two sutures . the two sutures were tied twice with their adjacent sutures to form mattress stitches . alternatively , the outside suture strands could have been used to pull the corresponding central suture into the outside tunnel , resulting in one less knot left in the patient , and the opportunity to use a sliding knot . as shown in fig9 , the arcuate drill guide 16 and the straight drill guide 2 may be connected by a handle 44 . the handle positions the relative angles of the drill guides for forming the tunnels as described . the drill guides are positioned by the handle so that intersecting / bisecting tunnels are formed as disclosed herein . both drill guides could be straight , with the drill guides angled in a non - parallel fashion to form intersecting / bisecting tunnels . the handle may also be used to receive and transfer a force for advancing the drill guides , such as by striking the handle with a mallet . benefits of the present invention over the use of suture anchors include the introduction of minimal foreign material in the patient , a larger “ healing footprint ” ( which is variable with the distance between lumens ) and the use of lumens as injection ports for plate rich / poor blood / growth factors or other growth factors . this method of arthroscopic bone / suture tunnel creation also has applications in shoulder laberal repair and posterior cruciate ligament and anterior cruciate ligament repair , without , or at least reducing , the requirement of suture anchors , staples or screws . the geometry of the apparatus relates to an arthroscopic creation of bone tunnels and simultaneous suture passing to repair a torn or partially torn rotator cuff . fig1 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention wherein the method of arthroscopic attachment of tissue to bone uses a different drill guide configuration to address the anatomic structure of the genohumeral joint , which are different that rotator cuff repair . fig1 shows parallel drill guide lumens 102 , 103 that are useful for superior labrum deficiencies or tears . fig1 shows yet another embodiment of the present invention having a drill guide that is similar to the rotator cuff guide , having one arcuate lumen 216 and one straight lumen 202 but having a different converging angle for inferior laberal repair . aside from these differences in the apparatus , the method of arthroscopic securing tissue to the glenoid is the same as described for attaching the rotator cuff to the humeral head . as an alternative to using the suture stylus shown in fig4 , there is shown in fig1 a hollow tube or as is more preferably known , a knot pusher 112 , of small diameter . the knot passer 112 contains a single strand or multiple strands of suture material having an enlarged end , such as a knot 114 , threaded through the central lumen . as is apparent to those skilled in the art , the knot passer may be made of a rigid or flexible material . a knot 114 at the distal end of the strand or strands allows the suture to be passed into position . the tube 112 can be removed and the suture can be left behind as with the stylus of fig4 or the tube 112 can be used to provide improved tactile feedback when contacting the hook probe 10 , plus a means of suture protection . the suture 114 can be left in place where it is captured by a hook probe , such as shown in fig4 e and fig9 or other suitable means known to those skilled in the art , such as a loop . the hook probe or other instrument may be in place prior to inserting the tube 112 to engage the knot / tube junction and withdraw the suture ( s ) from the tube . fig1 is an embodiment of a knot passer 212 having a modified distal tip 211 and as shown more clearly in fig1 , an inner knot pusher 216 having a smaller diameter that knot passer 212 . this would be used to pass sutures through the tissue when neither the trephine or arcuate guide cannot reach dysfunctional tissue . the knot passer 212 contains a single strand or multiple strands of sutures 214 , threaded through the central lumen . a knot formed at the distal end of the strand or strands 214 allows the suture to be pushed into position . the knot passer tip 211 may be angled to form a shape point . the knot passer 212 tube has a slot 218 running the longitudinal length of the tube as shown in fig1 . in a like manner , the inner knot pusher 216 has a slot 217 running the longitudinal length . when the knot passer and the inner knot pusher are rotated the slots 217 , 218 are aligned so that the device may be easily removed from the sutures . in fig1 there is show another modified knot passer 312 having a modified distal end 311 herein the end is curved . many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings . therefore , it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims . although specific terms are employed herein , they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation .
0
fig1 a illustrates a schematic , cross - sectional view of a process chamber 100 according to one embodiment . the process chamber 100 may be used to process one or more substrates , including the deposition of a material on an upper surface 116 of a substrate 108 . the process chamber 100 may include a chamber body 103 that may include a lower wall 114 , a side wall 136 and an upper wall 138 . one or more of walls 114 , 136 , 138 may define a processing region 156 . the upper wall 138 may be made of a reflective material or coated with a reflective material . the lower wall 114 may be transmissive to thermal radiation emitted by a heat source 145 , such as a plurality of lamps , and may be transparent to the thermal radiation , defined as transmitting at least 95 % of light of a given wavelength or spectrum . materials useable for the lower wall 114 include quartz and sapphire . in one embodiment , the lower wall 114 is a quartz dome and is transparent to the emission spectrum of the plurality of lamps . a substrate support 106 may be disposed between the upper wall 138 and the lower wall 114 . a lower liner 164 may be coupled to the side wall 136 . the lower liner 164 may be formed from quartz , sapphire , or other materials compatible with processing in the chamber and the various process gases . the lower liner 164 may include a ledge 168 extending inward toward the substrate support 106 . the ledge 168 may have a recess 169 for receiving an edge ring 166 . the edge ring 166 may block a gap between the substrate support 106 and the lower liner 164 to prevent process gases from entering a region 158 defined by the substrate support 106 , the lower liner 164 and the lower wall 114 . the substrate 108 may be supported by the substrate support 106 , which is supported by a central shaft 132 . the substrate support 106 may be disposed in the processing region 156 . one or more lift pins 105 may lift the substrate 108 from the substrate support 106 as the substrate support 106 is lowered to a lower position , so the substrate 108 can be moved in and out of the process chamber 100 by a robot ( not shown ). a heat source 145 , such as an array of heat lamps 180 positioned in a lamphead 182 , may be disposed below the lower wall 114 to provide thermal energy to the substrate 108 . words such as below , above , up , down , top , and bottom described herein do not refer to absolute directions , but to directions relative to a basis of the process chamber 100 . a cooling channel may be formed in the lamphead 182 for cooling the lamps 180 . each lamp may be positioned in an opening 184 formed in the lamphead 182 , and the side walls 186 of the opening 184 may be coated with a reflective material for focusing and / or directing the thermal radiation emitted by the lamps 180 . a pumping ring 170 may be disposed on the lower liner 164 , and one or more exit ports 172 may be formed between the pumping ring 170 and the lower liner 164 . a gas distribution plate 128 may be disposed in the processing region 156 . the gas distribution plate 128 may be disposed on the pumping ring 170 and may be secured to the pumping ring 170 by any suitable fastening device , such as bolts or clamps . the gas distribution plate 128 may be made of a heat - resistant and chemical - resistant material , such as quartz or sapphire . an interface plate 130 , described in more detail below in connection with fig2 a and 2b , may be disposed on the gas distribution plate 128 for enclosing portions of the gas distribution plate 128 . the interface plate 130 may be bolted to the gas distribution plate 128 . the interface plate 130 may have a surface 109 facing the gas distribution plate 128 and the surface 109 may be coated with a reflective or absorptive coating , such as a dielectric reflective coating . seals 190 , such as o - rings , may be disposed between the pumping ring 170 and the upper wall 138 and between the lower liner 164 and the lower wall 114 . during operation , one or more process gases may be introduced into the process chamber 100 via a gas feed 110 , reaching the upper surface 116 of the substrate 108 through the gas distribution plate 128 , and out of the process chamber 100 via the one or more exit ports 172 . to promote center - to - edge uniformity , the process gases can reach the center and edge of the upper surface 116 of the substrate 108 at the same time by using the gas distribution plate 128 . fig1 b illustrates a schematic , cross - sectional view of the process chamber 100 according to one embodiment . instead of having an upper wall 138 shown in fig1 a , the process chamber 100 may include a structure 111 disposed on the side wall 136 and the pumping ring 170 . the structure 111 may include a plurality of compartments 113 , and each compartment 113 may include a gas feed 115 for introducing one or more process gases into the processing region 156 via the compartments 113 and the gas distribution plate 128 . the structure 111 may be made of a reflective or absorptive material . alternatively , a surface 117 of the structure 111 facing the gas distribution plate 128 may be coated with a reflective or absorptive material . a single compartment 113 may cover one or more through holes formed in the gas distribution plate 128 . fig2 a and 2b illustrate cross - sectional views of the gas distribution plate 128 . as shown in fig2 a , the gas distribution plate 128 may include a first surface 201 and a second surface 207 opposite the first surface 201 . the gas distribution plate 128 may include a plurality of through holes 202 extending from the first surface 201 to the second surface 207 and a plurality of blind holes 204 that partially extend from the first surface 201 toward the second surface 207 . the opening of each through hole 202 and each blind hole 204 may be circular , hexagonal , or any suitable shape . the opening of each through hole 202 may have the same shape as the opening of each blind hole 204 , or have a different shape as the opening of each blind hole 204 . the process gases flow through the through holes 202 to reach the substrate 108 ( fig1 ). each blind hole 204 may include side surfaces 203 and a bottom surface 205 . the bottom surface 205 may face the upper surface 116 of the substrate 108 . the side surfaces 203 and the bottom surface 205 of each blind hole 204 may be coated with a reflective or absorptive material to improve temperature control of the gas distribution plate 128 . during operation , the gas distribution plate 128 may be heated by the heat source 145 ( shown in fig1 ). the process gases flowing into and out of the blind holes 204 provide temperature control of the gas distribution plate 128 . the gas distribution plate 128 may be formed by boring the through holes 202 and the blind holes 204 in a solid piece of material , such as a solid piece of quartz material . the gas distribution plate 128 may have a shape that corresponds to the shape of the substrate 108 . in one embodiment , the gas distribution plate 128 is circular . the gas distribution plate 128 may have a dimension , such as a diameter , that is greater than the corresponding dimension of the substrate 108 . in one embodiment , the substrate 108 is circular and has a diameter or about 300 mm , and the gas distribution plate 128 is also circular and has a diameter of about 400 to 600 mm . the pattern of the through holes 202 and the blind holes 204 may be configured so the process gases are evenly distributed to the upper surface 116 of the substrate 108 and the layer formed on the upper surface 116 of the substrate 108 is uniform . in one embodiment , the through holes 202 alternate with the blind holes 204 along a linear direction , as shown in fig2 a . in one embodiment , the through holes 202 form a plurality of concentric rings , the blind holes 204 form a plurality of concentric rings , and the rings of the through holes 202 and the rings of the blind holes 204 are alternating . one or more temperature sensors , such as pyrometers , ( not shown ) may be placed inside one or more of the blind holes 204 . fig2 b shows the gas distribution plate 128 having the interface plate 130 disposed thereon . the interface plate 130 may be disposed adjacent the first surface 201 of the gas distribution plate 128 , and may be fastened to the gas distribution plate 128 by a fastening device 222 , such as a bolt , as shown in fig2 b . the interface plate 130 may have a plurality of through holes 211 , and each through hole 211 is aligned with a through hole 202 of the gas distribution plate 128 . two or more openings 212 a , 212 b may be formed in the interface plate 130 adjacent each blind holes 204 . a phase change material may be flowed into each blind hole 204 via an inlet 214 and a first opening 212 a , and out of each blind hole 204 via a second opening 212 b and the outlet 216 . the blind holes 204 may be in fluid communication with each other by a channel ( not shown ) formed on the interface plate 130 or by a channel formed in the gas distribution plate 128 around the through holes 202 . a pressure control system ( not shown ) may be employed to control the pressure inside the blind holes 204 . the pressure control system may vary the boiling point of the phase change material within each blind hole 204 in order to control the temperature of the gas distribution plate 128 . for example , the pressure inside the blind holes 204 may be controlled so the phase change material inside the blind holes 204 will change phase at a predetermined temperature . as the gas distribution plate 128 reaches the predetermined temperature , the phase change material inside the blind holes 204 changes phase , such as from a liquid to a vapor , which absorbs heat without increase the temperature of the gas distribution plate 128 . in this configuration , multiple set - points for the temperature of the gas distribution plate 128 can be achieved by adjusting the pressure of the phase change material , and agile thermal transients may be enabled within the gas distribution plate 128 . alternatively , a cooling fluid may be circulated through the gas distribution plate 128 via the blind holes 204 . the cooling fluid , such as water or helium gas , may be flowed into the blind holes 204 via the inlet 214 and the first opening 212 a , and out of the blind holes 204 via the second opening 212 b and the outlet 216 . the openings 212 a , 212 b formed in the interface plate 130 may be utilized for fluid communication among the blind holes 204 . in another embodiment , the blind holes 204 are in fluid communication with each other via a channel ( not shown ) formed in the gas distribution plate 128 . the channel may be connected to one or more openings ( not shown ) formed in the side surface 203 and / or the bottom surface 205 . a seal 220 , such as an o - ring , may be disposed between the gas distribution plate 128 and the interface plate 130 surrounding each blind hole 204 . fig3 is a top view of the gas distribution plate 128 according to one embodiment . the gas distribution plate 128 includes the plurality of through holes 202 and the plurality of blind holes 204 . as shown in fig3 , each opening of the through holes 202 and blind holes 204 has a circular shape . the opening of the through holes 202 and blind holes 204 may have other suitable shapes , such as hexagonal , or a mixture of circular and hexagonal . the through holes 202 and the blind holes 204 may be formed in the gas distribution plate 128 in any suitable arrangement . in one embodiment , as shown in fig3 , the holes 202 , 204 have a hexagonal tiling arrangement . the number of holes 202 , 204 may be maximized by using a closest packing arrangement of the holes 202 , 204 . the particular arrangement that achieves closest packing depends on the shape and dimension of the holes 202 , 204 . for circular holes of similar size , as shown in fig3 , it is believed that a hexagonal tiling arrangement achieves a closest packing arrangement . a ratio of total area of through holes 202 to total area of blind holes 204 may be from about 0 . 5 to about 3 . 0 , such as between about 0 . 8 to about 2 . 0 , for example about 1 . 0 , depending on the thermal control capability needed for a particular embodiment . the holes 202 , 204 may have any predetermined sizing and spacing . in the embodiment shown in fig3 , the holes 202 , 204 are circular , with diameter of about 0 . 5 mm to about 10 mm , such that the holes 202 have the same dimension as the holes 204 . the number of holes 202 , 204 may be maximized by minimizing the thickness of the wall . in one embodiment , the wall thickness separating two adjacent holes 202 , 204 is about 0 . 5 mm or more . with holes 202 , 204 of dimension 1 cm and spacing of about 0 . 5 mm , a gas distribution plate 128 for processing a 300 mm wafer may have less than 50 to about 300 holes , depending on the size and spacing of the holes , of which 50 to 80 % may be through holes 202 and 20 to 50 % may be blind holes 204 . it should be noted , that a first plurality of the holes 202 , 204 may have a first spacing , and a second plurality of the holes 202 , 204 may have a second spacing different from the first spacing . the through holes 202 and the blind holes 204 may be staggered , i . e ., same type of holes are not adjacent to each other , in order to prevent forming a pattern , such as a racetrack pattern , on the rotating substrate from overly radial gas distribution and / or a radial radiative effect associated with concentric rings of the through holes 202 . in alternate embodiments , the through holes 202 , 204 may have different dimensions . for example , providing larger blind holes 204 may enable more robust thermal control of the gas distribution plate 128 . additionally , the through holes 202 may have different dimensions to influence gas flow in different areas of the gas distribution plate 128 , if desired . likewise , the blind holes 204 may have different dimensions to provide more or less thermal control in different areas of the gas distribution plate 128 , if desired . thus , a first plurality of through holes 202 may have a first dimension , while a second plurality of through holes 202 has a second dimension . similarly , a first plurality of blind holes 204 may have a third dimension and a second plurality of blind holes 204 may have a fourth dimension . in this embodiment , the first , second , third , and fourth dimensions may be the same or different in any desired combination . while the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the disclosure , other and further embodiments may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof , and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow .
2
the energy storage assembly according to the invention as shown in fig1 comprises , along with a multiplicity of galvanic cells z 1 , z 2 , . . . zn , a control unit bms - c , a connecting unit bms - v , and also , for each of the galvanic cells z 1 , z 2 , . . . zn , a respectively assigned converter and control unit ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn . the galvanic cells z 1 , z 2 , . . . zn are connected in series by way of connecting lines 8 , in order to obtain the desired voltage for the energy storage assembly , which lies at the output 5 , 6 of the energy storage assembly for supplying a load . the control unit bms - c is connected to the converter and control units ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn by way of a data connection 11 . a data exchange of the control unit bms - c with further systems , such as for example a vehicle control system , or a charger , is additionally possible by way of a system bus 9 . with an — optional — diagnostic interface 10 , the configuration and the monitoring of the control unit bms - c or the energy storage assembly can be performed . the connecting unit bms - v can be used on the one hand for connecting the outputs of the converter and control units ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn to one another and to the positive terminal 5 and negative terminal 6 of the energy storage assembly , and on the other hand for connecting the data lines of the converter and control units ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn to the data connection 11 of the control unit bms - c . dispensing with switches in the connecting unit bms - v makes it possible to avoid elements that are susceptible to faults and , in the case of circuit - breakers , expensive . although semiconductor switches are maintenance - free , in the case of large currents they are generally expensive . if the energy storage assembly is installed in standardized racks , such as for example the so - called “ 19 inch racks ”, the connecting unit bms - v is formed by the rear side of the rack , the so - called backplane , which has a plurality of slots for slide - in modules , in the present case that is for the control unit and the cell modules . the backplane carries the plug - in connectors for the slide - in modules and connects them electrically . the function of the energy storage assembly according to the invention is as follows : in the typical state in which it is delivered , a brand - new energy storage assembly is partially charged . each of the converter and control units ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn has from the initialization process information on essential parameters of the assigned cell or group of cells , such as for example the cell types , the maximum end - of - charge voltage , the minimum discharge voltage , the rated load ( capacity ), impedance , etc . in an advantageous way , the converter and control units ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn are produced with the respectively assigned galvanic cells z 1 , z 2 , . . . zn or groups of cells as a structural unit , i . e . as cell modules which are electrically and mechanically connected to the storage battery unit by way of connectors . in this case , the initial detection of the cell parameters by the converter and control units ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn is already performed before the assembly operation to form an energy storage assembly . therefore , after the assembly operation , these parameters can be immediately passed on to the control unit bms - c . a precondition for this is a nonvolatile data memory in the converter and control units ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn . on the basis of this information , and the continuously monitored charging state of each of the galvanic cells z 1 , z 2 , . . . zn and of the total current flowing at the power output , the control unit bms - c determines optimum values for the base current flowing through the series connection of the cells and also for the additional currents to be drained from the individual cells z 1 , z 2 , . . . zn depending on their capacity . as a consequence , the discharging operation for each cell is individually controlled by the converter and control units ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn in order to achieve the determined values for the base current and the additional currents . the fact that the base current is comparatively great in relation to the additional currents means that large , and consequently expensive , converter units can be avoided . in the case of a total current of the energy storage assembly of , for example , 50 amperes , the series connection of the cells z 1 , z 2 , . . . zn is loaded with a base current of , for example , 48 amperes . the remaining 2 amperes of additional current are supplied by the converter and control units ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn through individual loading of the cells with greater capacity . the current flow through the respectively weakest cell , for example the first cell z 1 , is therefore 48 amperes , while the stronger cell , for example the second cell z 2 , is loaded by the assigned second converter and control unit ir 2 with a current of 52 amperes , i . e . the base current of 48 amperes and an additional current of 4 amperes . this additional current of 4 amperes is converted by the second converter and control unit ir 2 to the voltage level of the output voltage of the energy storage assembly , its contribution to the total current is therefore reduced by the ratio of the output voltage to the cell voltage and by comparatively small losses in the converter . by analogy with this , further cells z 3 , . . . zn make their contribution to the total current according to their capacity by way of the converter and control units ir 3 , . . . irn respectively assigned to them . the controlling of the additional current drains takes place dynamically , i . e . depending on the variation in the parameters of the individual cells . the ratio of the base current to the additional currents will therefore change depending on the variation in the discharge of the individual cells . in the case of a complete failure of a cell , this can even lead to the amount of base current tending toward zero and being replaced completely by the sum of the additional currents of the intact cells . in the case of a charging operation , on the other hand , it is established by the control unit bms - c when the voltage of one of the cells z 1 , z 2 , . . . zn approaches the cell - individual end - of - charge voltage . in this case , the respectively assigned converter and control unit ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn is made to return the then superfluous energy from this cell into the overall system . in this case , an additional current flow from the respective cell , for example the nth cell zn by way of the assigned nth converter and control unit irn into the series connection of the further cells z 1 , z 2 , . . . zn − 1 is therefore enforced , so that the overall power consumption of the energy storage assembly , that is to say the total current consumed in this case , is reduced by this additional current , also allowing the charging operation to be made more efficient . as the charging operation continues , more and more cells z 1 , z 2 , . . . zn will reach their individual end - of - charge voltages and feed the superfluous charge into the overall system as an additional current flow by way of the assigned converter and control units ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn , so that the power consumption of the overall system in this case becomes significantly less . in the state of rest of the energy storage assembly , i . e . when there is neither an active charging operation nor an active discharging operation , there is , depending on the type of cell , a so - called self - discharge . this is likewise different from cell to cell and , if it is drained completely , can lead to destruction of the cell z 1 , z 2 , . . . zn . according to the invention , therefore , a charge - reversing operation is carried out in the state of rest of the energy storage assembly . this takes place by enforcing a current flow from the cells with greater capacity by way of the assigned converter and control units ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn into the series connection of the cells , so the overall assembly is charged , and consequently premature discharge and destruction of the weaker cells is prevented . the construction of a converter and control unit ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn according to the invention , which is connected on the input side to the respectively assigned cell and on the output side to the power output of the energy storage assembly , is described on the basis of fig2 . each converter and control unit ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn comprises a control element 12 , an electrical isolating stage comprising a transformer 17 , a rectifier 18 , a filter capacitor 19 , a fuse 20 , which may be configured as a reversible fuse , and an overvoltage limiting unit 21 . also provided are a switching element 14 for converting the dc cell voltage into an ac voltage , a current sensor 13 , a sensor unit 22 for temperature and other essential storage - battery parameters and a communication unit 15 for connecting the control unit to the data interface 11 with respect to the control unit bms - c . the switching element 14 together with the transformer 17 , rectifier 18 , filter capacitor 19 and fuse 20 forms a switching converter , with which the dc voltage of the cell is converted into an ac voltage , transformed to the level of the output voltage of the energy storage assembly and then rectified . the amount of the current drain from the cell is determined by pulse width modulation of the switching element 14 . the control of the switching element 14 depending on the corresponding preselections given by the control unit bms - c is performed by the control element 12 . the additional current drained from the cell is measured by means of current sensor 13 . for the dimensioning of the converter and control unit ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn , the following consideration is decisive : it must be possible to transfer the power that has to be balanced in an extreme case by an individual cell . therefore , if the energy storage assembly has , for example , 20 cells z 1 , z 2 , . . . zn and the intention is to be able to compensate for the complete failure of a cell , the converter must therefore be able to transfer approximately 5 % of the rated power of the individual cell , since of course the other , operational 19 cells make their contribution . if there are n cells , this factor is 1 /( n − 1 ). to compensate for the complete failure of a number of cells , it is necessary for the converter units to be designed with correspondingly greater capacity . the information on the state of the respective cell is obtained by means of the sensors 22 for measurements of the cell parameters temperature , voltage and current , which are activated by means of control unit 12 . the control unit 12 stores the corresponding values and passes them on to the control unit bms - c . for this purpose , it uses a communication unit 15 , which in the simplest case may be configured as an interface adapter with electrical isolation and serves for balancing the signal voltages between the control unit 12 and the control unit bms - c . the assembly according to the invention produces its particular advantages whenever cells z 1 , z 2 , . . . zn of different technologies are used . for instance , it is suitable for combining cells for lower long - term loading with cells for higher short - term loading . the assembly is similarly favorable in the case of discharging for combining primary cells and energy converters , such as for example fuel cells , which have different performance characteristics as a result of individual parameters such as gas supply , surface properties of the electrodes , etc . by comparing the current cell parameters , such as for example temperature , voltage and current , with stored older measured values and evaluating the changes , an analysis of the specific properties of the cell and their changes is possible . this allows , for example , the early detection of possible cell defects , as can be detected in particular in the case of lithium batteries , and the signaling thereof to external devices by way of the connecting elements bms - v , and also the control unit bms - c . in particular , the thermal runaway that is feared in the case of lithium - ion storage batteries can also be detected and prevented . this is attributed as the cause of the fires affecting laptop batteries that have recently occurred with greater frequency . it may be advantageous to construct the converter and control units ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn from components that are spatially separate , so that merely a memory for the cell data forms a structural unit with the cell , while the other components of the converter and control units ir 1 , ir 2 , . . . irn are attached to the rear wall of the energy storage assembly , the so - called backplane . as already stated , the solution according to the invention makes it possible for an energy storage assembly to operate even when there is a failure of individual cells . this property can also be used to make undisturbed operation of an energy storage assembly possible during the exchange of individual cells , by the amount of the base current being brought toward zero during the exchange of a cell , and replaced completely by the sum of the additional currents of the other cells . the precise knowledge of the cell properties can also be used for a very exact determination of the remaining capacity of the energy storage assembly . in conjunction with a vehicle , this allows the distance that can still be covered to be determined very accurately .
7
a plasma processing system of the type to which this invention is applied includes a chamber which encloses a plasma region filled with an ionizable gas and into which rf electromagnetic energy is coupled . the energy interacts with the gas to initiate and sustain a plasma . according to the invention , one or more components are provided to control the energy contained in harmonics of the fundamental frequency of the rf energy coupled into and out of the plasma . this harmonic attenuation can take place wherever a suitable impedance - matched coupling structure is present , or can be provided to couple the harmonic power out of the plasma . in one embodiment , frequency selective trap elements are provided , that selectively absorb power associated with certain harmonics while not affecting the others . desirably , resistive loads are coupled to the transmission line , which delivers the rf electromagnetic energy to the plasma . all harmonics are generated at impedances different from the impedance of the fundamental frequency , and every harmonic has a different impedance at which it can be attenuated . in order to be effective at trapping different harmonics , the impedance of the trapping assembly must be variable . so not only is the trap frequency selective , but its input impedance is also variable and matched to the impedance of the harmonics that need to be controlled at that frequency . as the input of the matching network is changed , the frequency of the trapping assembly is also changed . as the plasma density or plasma species changes , the impedance of the harmonics will also change . therefore , the trapping networks and the matching networks have to be tunable . the design and implementation of a plurality of resistive loads and associated trapping networks that are under automatic control allows precise tailoring of the harmonic content in the plasma . the presence of matching networks is implicitly necessary because of the need to have some physical connection to the electrode so that electrical power can be applied . thus , a plurality of resistive loads and associated networks are under automatic control so as to allow precise tailoring of the harmonic content of the plasma . this invention further includes a method of using the trapping network as a plasma harmonic detector to feed back the variations of the harmonics to the controller controlling the trapping network . the plasma harmonic detector detects the spectral content and spatial variations of the rf field in the plasma . the feedback signals from the plasma harmonic detector will adjust the matching networks to minimize a particular function . that particular function can be the spectral and spatial variations of certain harmonics at certain frequency . there is a multiplicity of the small matching networks around the electrode . by using the plasma harmonics detector with a specific algorithm , each of the matching networks can be tuned to achieve the best plasma uniformity results . this invention still further includes a method of using the apparatus as a process reliability detector by measuring the voltage across the resistive elements in the trap . by monitoring the amount of the power dissipated by the resistive element , a very precise evaluation of the plasma process conditions is made . measuring the amount of power the plasma available in its harmonic range makes a very subtle and precise measurement of the condition of the plasma . fig1 shows a simplified block diagram of a plasma processing system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . plasma processing system 100 comprises plasma excitation rf source 102 that supplies rf power at a fundamental frequency and a match network 104 . trapping assembly 106 is coupled between match network 104 and an upper electrode 108 , which is located at the top of a plasma chamber 110 . plasma chamber 110 encloses a plasma region in which plasma 112 will be initiated and maintained . a wafer chuck 114 is located at the bottom of the plasma region and is connected to a second rf source 116 via a second match network 118 . electrodes 4108 , 114 ) and sources ( 102 , 116 ) form a capacitively coupled rf plasma source that is used for performing an etch or deposition operation on a wafer mounted on chuck 114 . source 116 acts primarily to impose a dc self - bias on wafer chuck 114 , which self - bias acts to attract ions to the surface of the wafer mounted on chuck 114 . trapping assembly 106 is located on the main rf feed line to electrode 108 . controller 130 is coupled to trapping assembly 106 . controller 130 receives measurement data from trapping assembly 106 and sends control data to trapping assembly 106 . controller 130 processes a portion of the measurement data to create control data . for example , the controller can perform a fast fourier transform ( fft ). in addition , controller 130 is used to control system operations and monitor the process . controller 130 can comprise a computer or embedded processor , such as a digital signal processor ( dsp ). these types of processors are known to those skilled in the art . plasma 112 can be excited and maintained by rf electromagnetic wave energy at the fundamental rf frequency that is passed to upper electrode 108 and plasma 112 by match network 104 and trapping assembly 106 . trapping assembly 106 comprises a transmission line that is essentially transparent to rf electromagnetic wave energy at that frequency . plasma 112 , in turn , converts some of the energy that it receives at the fundamental frequency into harmonics , and these are coupled back into upper electrode 108 and trapping assembly 106 . energy at harmonic frequencies is strongly attenuated in the resistive loads of trapping assembly 106 , and a significant amount of this energy is dissipated in the form of heat along the length of trapping assembly 106 . the reduction of power at harmonic frequencies results in better electric field uniformity at and below upper electrode 108 , and thus better etch and deposition uniformity . fig2 a and 2 b show a simplified block diagram of a trapping assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . trapping assembly 106 comprises transmission line 170 and a plurality of frequency selective trap elements 172 . transmission line 170 has a frustoconical coaxial geometry . this geometry primarily serves to reduce reflection points between match network 104 and upper electrode 108 . preferably , transmission line 170 has a constant characteristic impedance , which also helps to reduce reflections . by making the ratio of the outer diameter to the inner diameter of transmission line 170 constant , a constant characteristic impedance is maintained . alternately , the impedance of transmission line 170 can vary along its length . transmission line 170 comprises inner conductor 174 and outer conductor 176 . transmission line 170 can comprise any suitable configuration including a coaxial line , microstrip , or strip - line . outer conductor 176 comprises a conically shaped sheet of low - loss conducting material such as copper , silver - plated copper , aluminum , or silver - plated aluminum . outer conductor 176 is coupled to element 199 . element 199 is part of the process chamber wall and supports trapping assembly 106 . outer conductor 176 is coupled to ground via element 199 . inner conductor 174 comprises a conically shaped block of low - loss conducting material such as copper , silver - plated copper , aluminum , or silver - plated aluminum . inner conductor 174 is coupled to cooling plate 120 , and cooling plate 120 is coupled to electrode 108 . inner conductor 174 comprises at least one cooling channel , as described below . frequency selective trap elements 172 are electrically coupled to both inner conductor 174 and outer conductor 176 . frequency selective trap elements 172 on the transmission line are tuned to harmonic frequencies to selectively monitor and control the harmonic content of the plasma . frequency selective trap elements 172 are arranged in the space outside the outer conductor 176 and are in electrical contact with the inner conductor 174 through an opening in the outer conductor 176 . alternately , frequency selective trap elements 172 can be positioned between the inner conductor 174 and the outer conductor 176 . conductors 174 , 176 and the above - mentioned cooling channel are all axially symmetrical in this embodiment although they do not necessarily need to be . outer conductor 176 constitutes a rf ground return terminal . the usual two match network output terminals are connected to inner conductor 174 and outer conductor 176 , respectively . this is achieved by mounting a match network output capacitor 128 directly on top of the inner conductor 174 . outer conductor 176 is connected within the enclosure of match network 104 , which enclosure serves as a ground conductor . upper electrode 108 is of the shower head type , provided with a plurality of passages ( not shown ) for delivery of process gas to the plasma region from a plenum 129 enclosed between electrode 108 and cooling plate 120 . the plenum is supplied with process gas by a gas feed line 132 . gas feed line 132 is connected to a process gas source and extends along the vertical axis of the frustoconic outline of transmission line 170 . the lower surface of electrode 108 , the surface which faces the plasma region , is covered with a shower - head plate 136 , i . e ., a plate provided with gas passages aligned with passages . plate 136 may be made of material compatible with the chamber process , e . g ., doped silicon . plate 136 acts to prevent sputtering of material from electrode 108 . in addition , silicon plate 136 is made of a material compatible with the chamber process , to prevent contamination , and as such acts to separate the plasma from the lower surface of electrode 108 . this is particularly advantageous when electrode 108 contains a material that is not chemically compatible with the process . an alumina dielectric ring insulator 198 serves to extend coax transmission line below trapping assembly 106 and around cooling plate 120 and electrode 108 . the part of the transmission line constituted by insulator 198 does not absorb any rf and acts as a connection between the plasma and the trapping assembly 106 . insulator 198 constitutes the dielectric of a coax line whose walls are metallic parts provided by cooling plate 120 , electrode 108 , and the chamber structure , a portion of which is shown as element 199 . a quartz shield ring 138 is attached around plate 136 and below electrode 108 . quartz shield ring 138 is provided to cover the screws that are used to attach silicon plate 136 to electrode 108 , thereby isolating those screws from the plasma environment to prevent process contamination . electrode 108 , plate 136 and ring 138 are all attached to , and supported by , cooling plate 120 , which is in turn supported by insulator ring 198 , the latter itself being supported by the chamber wall structure 199 . cooling of the inner conductor 174 is performed through a coolant fluid circulated through a cooling channel 140 formed in inner conductor 174 . cooling channel 140 is annular in shape and communicates with a coolant fluid source and a heat exchange element via inlet and outlet cooling lines 142 . as noted earlier herein , cooling channel 140 is axially symmetrical . the coolant fluid in channel 140 also acts to cool upper electrode 108 . match network 104 ( details of which are not shown ) is mounted on top of trapping assembly 106 , and all cooling and gas feed connections are made within its rf enclosure . match network 104 can be constructed according to principles well known in the art . fig3 illustrates a simplified schematic representation of a frequency selective trap element in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . in the illustrated embodiment , frequency selective trap element 172 comprises input port 310 connected to inner conductor 174 , output port 312 connected to outer conductor 176 , control port 314 , transmission line 316 , coupling capacitor 318 , match network 320 , resistive load 322 , and probe 330 . in the illustrated embodiment , control port 314 is coupled to match network 320 and probe 330 . alternately , other configurations can be envisioned . control port 314 is coupled to controller 130 and comprises both control and sensor functions . control port 314 is configured using at least one shielded cable . resistive load 322 comprises at least one high power resistor that is mounted on a thermally conductive surface , such as the outer conductor . match network 320 comprises a plurality of narrow band components , and wideband components . for example , variable capacitors and variable inductors can be used , or at higher frequencies , stub tuners and hybrid networks can be used . match network 320 allows each frequency selective trap element 172 to be tuned to a particular harmonic frequency . for example , a control voltage can be provided to at least one varactor diode or at least one variable capacitor . matching network techniques are known to those skilled in the art . in addition , match network 320 can provide measurement data from load resistor 322 and / or from match network 320 to controller 130 . for example , measurement data can include voltage , current , and / or power data . desirably , probe 330 provides measurement data that includes voltage and current information from transmission line 316 . alternately , measurement data can include magnitude and phase information . controller 130 uses the measurement data to determine which frequency components are present and sends control data to match network 320 . desirably , match network 320 is tuned to the proper frequency , and the desired signal level is achieved at load resistor 322 . alternately , the desired signal level can be achieved at match network 320 or probe 330 . one or more frequency selective trap element 172 is used for each harmonic signal being controlled . controller 130 is coupled to each one of the frequency selective trap elements 172 and tunes the match networks in all of the frequency selective trap elements 172 in the trapping assembly to achieve the proper harmonic profile . desirably , proper harmonic profiles can be determined using experimental data from processes providing uniform etch rates . for example , historical data correlating process results to harmonic profiles can be used to produce algorithms for controller 130 . harmonic profiles include fundamental and harmonic signal information . also , controller 130 controls the operating levels of the rf sources used to generate the plasma . controller 130 can adjust these operating levels to control the power delivered to the plasma at the fundamental frequency and to a lesser degree the harmonic levels . for example , controller 130 may have to increase the power delivered to the plasma at the fundamental frequency in order to maintain the desired plasma density . in addition , controller 130 controls the operating frequencies of the rf sources used to generate the plasma and can tune the operating frequencies to further control the harmonic profile . those skilled in the art will also recognize that controller 130 controls match networks 104 and 108 ( fig1 ) and can use these system level match networks to control the harmonic profile . by controlling the fundamental level and the harmonic levels , controller 130 generates a high density , uniform plasma . fig4 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention in which a trapping assembly is coupled between a match network and a lower electrode . lower electrode comprises a wafer chuck for supporting wafer 470 while a plasma process is performed . rf power is supplied to match network 418 by power source 416 . trapping assembly 406 comprises transmission line 480 and a plurality of frequency selective trap elements 472 . transmission line 480 is a coaxial transmission line comprising inner conductor 474 , outer conductor 476 , and dielectric layer 478 . at least one frequency selective trap element 472 is coupled between and in electrical contact with conductors 474 and 476 . frequency selective trap elements 472 selectively controls the amount of energy which arises within the plasma at frequencies that are harmonics of the fundamental frequency produced by power source 416 and also all other frequencies in the chamber associated with upper electrode plasma excitation ( e . g ., fundamental and harmonics of upper electrode ), and which is conducted to trapping assembly 406 via chuck 414 , after being coupled into chuck 414 from the plasma . fig5 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention in which a trapping assembly comprising a plurality of transmission lines is coupled between a match network and an upper electrode . trapping assembly 506 comprises a plurality of transmission lines 570 and a plurality of frequency selective trap elements 572 . desirably , at least one frequency selective trap element 572 is coupled to each transmission line 570 . transmission line 570 comprises first conductor 574 , second conductor 576 , and dielectric 578 . transmission lines 570 can comprise any suitable configuration including coaxial line , microstrip , or strip - line . transmission lines 570 can have different physical characteristics . one or more frequency selective trap elements can be tuned to selectively control the amount of energy , which arises within the plasma chamber at frequencies that are harmonics of the fundamental frequency . in addition , when multiple transmission lines are used in a trapping assembly , the transmission lines can be designed to make the trapping assembly more efficient . alternately , the transmission lines can also comprise an absorber material , which can be used to further control the harmonic levels . while the description above refers to particular embodiments of the present invention , it will be understood that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit thereof . the accompanying claims are intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the true scope and spirit of the present invention . the presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims , rather than the foregoing description , and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein .
7
the present invention will now be described with reference to embodiments thereof , which , however , should not be construed as restrictive . an embodiment of this invention which is applied to the manufacture of a compressor screw rotor will be described . fig1 a and 1b are schematic diagrams illustrating a process in the preparation of a mold in accordance with this invention ; and fig2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process in the manufacture of a compressor screw rotor wherein the mold of this invention is used . first , the master pattern of the screw section ( having five blades ), constituting the intricately shaped section of the screw rotor to be manufactured , was formed by machining , obtaining a metal pattern 1 . as shown in fig1 a , this pattern 1 was secured at a predetermined position on a stationary platen 2 , and a material prepared beforehand was poured into a molding space 5 defined by setting in position a frame 3 and a cover 4 , through an inlet 8 provided in the cover 4 . the material used consisted of a fluid solution obtained by adding 500 ml of warm water ( 50 ° c .) to 100 g of a gelatin on the market and stirring it well . subsequently , the entire mold was kept in a refrigerator and was cooled down to 10 ° c . to solidify the solution to gel . then , the stationary platen 2 and the cover 4 were removed and the metal pattern 1 was released from the mold by rotating it in the torsional direction while supplying compressed air to the interface between the metal pattern 1 and the solidified gel substance . then , as shown in fig1 b , a gelatin mold 6 including a screw - section space was obtained . afterwards , the mold was kept in the refrigerator . a gypsum mold 7 for forming the shaft section of the screw rotor was prepared as follows : gypsum in limited amounts was added to a solution consisting of 100 parts by weight of a calcined gypsum on the market and 80 parts by weight of water , and , by stirring the mixture quietly , a slurry was obtained . subsequently , the slurry was poured into a wood pattern previously prepared , and , after the setting and solidification of the slurry , the pattern was removed . afterwards , the solidified slurry was subjected to a heating process of 50 ° c . × 72h in a dryer , and was then cooled down to room temperature . by combining the gelatin mold 6 and the gypsum mold 7 with each other , a screw rotor mold as shown in fig2 could be obtained . the ceramics slurry was prepared by the following composition : 240 g of metal silicon powder having an average grain size of 0 . 9 μm ; 60 g of silicon carbide powder having an average grain size of 0 . 6 μm ; 120 ml of distilled water as the dispersion medium ; and 0 . 39 g of naphthalenesulfonic acid sodium salt as the deflocculant . these materials were put in a resin pot and were mixed with each other in a ball mill for 50 hours . afterwards , the slurry was subjected to a degassing process for 2 minutes in a decompression chamber , thereby removing the air in the slurry . in molding , the mold was filled with slurry , which was poured through the slurry inlet 81 provided in the upper section of the mold . since the gelatin pattern 6 is nonabsorbent , the water in the slurry is absorbed by the gypsum mold 7 , thereby gradually forming a green body . meanwhile , the supply of slurry was continued in consecutive stages . after the completion of the formation of the green body , the frame 3 is removed , and the mold is put in a constant temperature bath of 50 ° c ., where the gelatin pattern 6 was melted and removed from the green body . finally , the gypsum mold 7 was removed to obtain a molded object . for comparison , separately prepared at the same time in addition to the gelatin pattern 6 were a metal mold , a resin mold , a wax mold , a rubber mold , and a water - absorption - disintegrable mold . because of their poor flexibility , the metal mold , the resin mold , and the wax mold involved generation of cracks due to the contraction of the molded object during the drying process for dehydration after the completion of the green body formation . the rubber mold did not involve any crack generation during molding . however , with the rubber mold , release was difficult to perform ; when forced to be released , the molded object suffered damage . the waterabsorption - disintegrable mold , a mold with an aggregate binder meltable when absorbing water , allowed , because of its absorbent property , green body formation to occur also on the surface thereof , with the result that cavity defects were generated in the central section of the molded object . furthermore , it took much time to remove the mold material after release . in addition , the aggregate particles were liable to adhere to the surface of the molded object , so that the mold was softened and deteriorated in strength at the time of molding , resulting in the dimensional accuracy of the molded object being degenerated . next , to completely remove water from the molded object , the following process was performed : the molded object was allowed to stand in a constant temperature chamber ( with a temperature of 20 ° c . and a humidity of 50 to 60 %) for 70 hours , and was then subjected to heating processes of 60 ° c . × 5 h and 100 ° c . × 5 h in a drying furnace . afterwards , the molded object was sintered . the sintering was performed in a sintering furnace with a 0 . 88 mpa nitrogen gas atmosphere under the conditions of 1100 ° c . × 20 h , 1200 ° c . × 20 h , 1300 ° c . × 10 h , and 1350 ° c . × 20 h . afterwards , the molded object was cooled . the heating rate for each of the above temperatures was 5 ° c ./ min . the resulting molded object did not involve any generation of cracks or deformation and exhibited a high level of dimensional and surface precision . in this way , a screw rotor made of si 3 n 4 - bonded sic ceramics and having a relative density of 83 % was obtained . an embodiment applied to the manufacture of a compressor scroll blade will be described . fig3 a and 3b are schematic diagrams showing a process in a mold preparation method ; and fig4 a and 4b are schematic diagrams showing a mold for a compressor scroll blade . first , the master pattern of the scroll blade to be manufactured was prepared by machining . thus , a metal pattern 1 was obtained , which was fixed , as shown in fig3 a , at a predetermined position on a stationary platen 2 . then , a frame 3 was set around the pattern 1 , and a reinforcing core 9 was placed on the frame 3 , thereby defining a molding space 5 , into which was poured a material consisting of a solution obtained by heating 300 ml of a silicone on the market ( white emulsion : shin - etsu kagaku ) up to 50 ° c ., adding 30 g of ( granular ) gelatin thereto , and stirring the mixture . subsequently , the entire mold was put in a refrigerator and cooled down to 10 ° c . to solidify the solution to gel . then , the stationary platen 2 was removed therefrom , and the remaining parts were immersed in water ( 10 ° c . ), allowing water to get into the interface between the metal pattern 1 and the solidified gel substance so as to remove the metal pattern , thereby obtaining a gelatin pattern 6 including a scroll blade space as shown in fig3 b . a mold containing a space for molding the shaft section was prepared in the same manner as in the first embodiment . by containing the gelatin pattern 6 with the gypsum mold 7 , a scroll blade mold as shown in fig4 a could be obtained . the molding was performed by filling the mold with slurry , which was poured into it through a slurry inlet 83 provided in the upper section of the mold . the slurry was prepared in the same manner as in the first embodiment . the water in the slurry was absorbed by the gypsum mold , thereby causing a green body to be formed gradually . after completing the green body formation while continuing the slurry supply , the mold was put in a drying furnace warmed up to 50 ° c ., thereby softening and melting the gelatin pattern 6 so as to allow it to flow out , thus removing it from the green body . then , the reinforcing core 9 and the frame 3 were removed . finally , the gypsum mold 7 was removed , thus obtaining a molded object . afterwards , the molded object was dried and sintered as in the first embodiment . because of its flexibility and satisfactory releasability , the gelatin mold allowed no crack generation or deformation to occur in the molded object . in this way , a scroll blade made of si 3 n 4 - bonded sic ceramics and having a relative density of 83 . 5 % was obtained , which consisted of a sintered form excelling in both dimensional and surface precision . ( the perspective view of fig4 b schematically shows its configuration .). by way of experiment , the size of the reinforcing core 9 was gradually made larger and the thickness of the gelatin mold 6 was accordingly reduced . at a certain thickness , cracks were generated in the molded object . this is because the mold had become incapable of absorbing the shrinkage of the molded object when dried . in such a case , a gelatin mold containing a multitude of bubbles exhibited a higher flexibility and easily allowed compression to decrease in volume , involving no crack generation in the molded object even when its thickness was made relatively small . in another example , no reinforcing core 9 was used , forming the corresponding section of gelatin too . this made the mold flexible , so that no cracks were generated in the molded object . on the other hand , the rigidity of the mold was excessively small , with the result that the molded object deteriorated in dimensional accuracy . thus , the mold of this invention allows itself to be modified in terms of its structure in accordance with the configuration , size and precision of the product to be obtained . next , an embodiment applied to the manufacture of an automobile turbocharger rotor will be described . fig5 a and 5b are schematic diagrams showing a process in a mold preparation method in accordance with this invention ; and fig6 is a schematic process drawing showing a process in a rotor manufacturing method using a mold in accordance with this invention . first , the master pattern of the intricate section ( having eleven blades ) of the rotor to be manufactured was formed in a metal mold , and , by utilizing this metal mold , a silicon rubber blade was prepared , which was used as a rubber pattern . as shown in fig5 a , this pattern was fixed at a predetermined position on a stationary platen 2 . then , a frame 3 and a cover 4 were set around the pattern to define a molding space 5 , into which a molding material , prepared beforehand , was poured through a material inlet 84 provided in the cover 4 , preparing a mold in the following sequence : 400 ml of warm water ( 50 ° c .) was added to 100 g of a gelatin on the market and stirred well to obtain a fluid solution . subsequently , the entire mold containing this solution was kept in a refrigerator , where the solution was cooled down to 5 ° c . to solidify to gel . afterwards , the stationary platen 2 and the cover 4 were removed , and the rubber pattern 10 was released while rotating it in the torsional direction of the blades . in this way , a gelatin pattern 6 containing a rotor space as shown in fig5 b was obtained . a gypsum mold 7 including a molding space for the shaft section was prepared in the same manner as in the first embodiment . by combining the gelatin pattern 6 with the gypsum mold 7 , a rotor mold as shown in fig6 could be obtained . 85 . 5 wt % of silicon nitride powder ( si 3 n 4 with an average grain size of 0 . 6 μm ); 3 . 0 wt % of aluminum nitride ( aln with an average grain size of 1 μm ); 6 . 0 wt % of yttrium oxide ( y 2 o 3 with an average grain size of 0 . 5 μm ); and 5 . 5 wt % of aluminum oxide ( al 2 o 3 with an average grain size of 0 . 5 μm ). 120 ml of distilled water and 0 . 5 g of the deflocculant were added to 300 g of the material powder . the mixture was put in a resin pot along with resin balls and subjected to a ball milling process of 72 h , thereby obtaining a slurry , which was then allowed to stand three minutes in a decompression chamber so as to remove air therefrom . the above mold was filled with the slurry thus obtained by pouring it through an upper inlet 85 of the mold . the water in the slurry was absorbed by the gypsum mold 7 , thereby gradually forming a green body . after the completion of the green body formation out of the slurry , the frame 3 was removed , and the mold was placed in a constant temperature bath heated to 40 ° c . so as to release it by dissolving the gelatin pattern 6 . afterwards , the gypsum mold 7 was removed , thus obtaining a molded object . subsequently , to remove water and deflocculant from it , the molded object was put in a drying furnace , where it was subjected to heating processes of 60 ° c . × 2 h and 100 ° c . × 5 h . afterwards , the temperature was raised up to 500 ° c . and retained at this level for ten hours . then , the molded object was cooled . subsequently , the molded object was put in a sintering furnace , where it was sintered in a nitrogen gas atmosphere of 0 . 88 mpa , heating it under the conditions of 1600 ° c . × 2 h and 1750 ° c . × 5 h . afterwards , the object was cooled . the increasing rate for each of the above temperatures was 10 ° c ./ min . after this process , the molded object exhibited no cracks or deformation . in this way , a turbocharger rotor made of si 3 n 4 - bonded sic ceramics and having a relative density of 99 . 9 % was obtained . next , to be described will be a case where a hollow ceramics sphere is produced . fig7 is a schematic diagram showing a method of molding a hollow sphere by using a mold in accordance with this invention . in this embodiment , the structure of the gypsum mold 7 is such that it can be separated in the middle into two sections . the gelatin pattern 6 used consisted of a solid sphere , which was prepared out of a solution obtained by putting 100 g of a ( granular ) gelatin on the market in 300 ml of warm water ( 50 ° c ). the solution was fluidized by adding thereto 0 . 2 ml of a surface - active agent ( alpha - olefin - sulphonic acid sodium salt ) and stirring the mixture by a high - speed mixer . then , the solution was poured into a metal mold to be cast into a sphere containing bubbles . the gelatin mold 6 thus obtained is pierced with a fixed pin 11 which is fastened to a weight 12 by welding . a molding space 5 constituting the pattern of a hollow sphere is defined between the gelatin pattern 6 and the gypsum mold 7 . slurry in limited amounts was poured into the gypsum mold through an inlet 86 thereof and along the fixed pin and the gelatin mold , thereby forming a green body layer from the bottom of the molding space 5 upwards while allowing the gypsum mold to absorb the dispersion medium . when the green body has grown up to a position near the inlet 86 , the fixed pin 11 was drawn out of the gelatin pattern 6 , and , by further pouring slurry into the gypsum mold , the green body layer was formed up to a position directly under the inlet 86 . allowed to stand one day in this condition , the green body section , for example , the molded object , shrank as a result of being dried . since the gelatin mold was formed of a porous flexible material , it easily absorbed this shrinkage , so that no cracks were generated . afterwards , the gypsum mold was removed and the remaining parts were heated in a dryer at 40 ° c ., thereby melting the gelatin sphere and allowing it to flow out through the porous molded object . by sintering the molded object , a hollow ceramics sphere was obtained . the gelatin mold , the gypsum mold , and the slurry used in this embodiment were the same as those in the first embodiment . when the wall thickness of the hollow sphere is small , cracks are likely to be generated in the molded object due to the expansion of the gelatin sphere and the bubbles contained therein when heating it in order to melt it . in such a case , it is advisable to melt the gelatin sphere by heating it in a heated - gas atmosphere . by doing so , the expansion pressure of the gelatin sphere is suppressed by the gas pressure of the atmosphere , thereby avoiding the generation of cracks . further , if the removal of the gelatin sphere cannot be effected sufficiently by heating alone , the molded object may be impregnated with a solvent for dissolving a compressible material like gelatin , for example , water , alcohol or acetone . this allows the gelatin sphere to be melted away effectively . another example of a method of producing a hollow ceramics sphere will be described . fig8 is a schematic diagram showing a method for molding a hollow ceramics sphere . a spherical mold 13 which was absorbent to the dispersion medium , has prepared by putting 10 g of a ( granular ) gelatin on the market in 30 ml of warm water ( 50 ° c . ), adding 8 g of a pulverized absorbent resin ( aqua keep ) to the solution thus obtained , cooling the mixture down to 20 ° c . to plasticize it , and pressure - forming this mixture in a metal mold . this mold was made of a flexible gel material allowing compression with ease and meltable at a temperature lower than the boiling point of the dispersion medium . when immersed in slurry 14 , this dispersion - medium absorbent mold 13 absorbed dispersion medium from the slurry , whereby a green body layer 15 was formed on the surface of the mold 13 . when the thickness of this layer had attained a certain level , the mold 13 was taken out of the slurry and dried . the green body layer shrank in this process . however , due to the high compressibility of the dispersion - medium - absorbent mold 13 , no cracks were generated . afterwards , as in the fourth embodiment , the dispersion - medium - absorbent mold 13 was removed , and the remaining object was sintered , thereby obtaining a hollow ceramics sphere . the slurry used was the same as that in the first embodiment . a description will be given of the production of a hollow cylindrical object by slip casting under pressure , which helps to reduce the molding time . fig9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a molding method in accordance with this invention . a gypsum mold 7 and a cylindrical said gelatin pattern 61 , which was hard to compress were arranged inside a metal mold 16 capable of withstanding high pressure , in the manner shown in fig9 and slurry 14 was poured into this metal mold , through an inlet 87 , up to the position indicated by the solid line . afterwards , a gas pressure of 300 atm was applied through the inlet 87 . because of the low compressibility of the gelatin pattern 61 , no deformation occurred when the pressure was applied . thus , a molded object having predetermined inner and outer diameters was obtained . the height of the molded object is indicated by the broken line of 9 . the slurry and the gelatin mold use were the same as those in the first embodiment . after the molding , the gelatin mold was removed by heating and melting it . then , the remaining object was dried and sintered , thereby obtaining a hollow cylindrical ceramics product having no defect and exhibiting a high level of dimensional accuracy . for comparison , a rubber mold was prepared and used instead of the gelatin mold . because of its compressibility , the rubber mold suffered shrinkage when the pressure was applied , with the result that the accuracy in terms of configuration of the green body deteriorated . in addition , because of the expansion of the rubber mold , cracks were generated in the molded object .
1
[ 0027 ] fig1 shows the steps of a method according to an embodiment for comparing the addresses of potential recipients of goods with at least part of the denied parties listing ( dpl ). the method is performed by the system shown in fig2 . the system of fig2 comprises an order management system 100 , such as the smarts system , including a database 110 for storing shipping and / or billing addresses of individuals and / or companies which have placed orders or which are due to receive orders , and a data input device 120 for entering data using pin yin characters into the database 110 . only one data input device 120 is shown , but in practice there may be multiple such units . the system further includes a second database 130 for storing the english - language dpl . the system further includes a first conversion unit 140 for converting the simplified mandarin data items in the first database 110 into pin yin data items to form a first pin yin database 150 . this process does not erase the database 120 . the system further includes a second conversion unit 160 for converting the english language data in the second database 130 into pin yin data items in a second pin yin database 170 . this process does not erase the second database 130 . finally , the system includes a comparison unit 180 for comparing the pin yin items in the first and second databases 150 , 170 , and an output unit 190 for notifying an operator of the system of any matches between items in the first and second pin yin databases 150 , 170 which are discovered by the comparison unit 180 . the first two steps of the method of fig1 ( i . e . the ones above the dashed line in fig1 ) are the known steps of entering data into the first database 110 of the order management system 100 . specifically , in step 10 users such as inside sales representatives use the data input devices 120 to enter data such as billing and shipping addresses into the order management system 100 . a window presented to the user by the order management system 100 is shown in fig3 . using this window , in step 20 , and helped by user intervention , the order management system 100 converts the input data into simplified mandarin double byte characters , to form items in the first database 110 . when items from the first database 110 are printed out they are in simplified mandarin , as is generally required for use on shipping and invoice documents . fig4 shows an element from the second database , having the whole of the billing and mailing addresses written in double byte simplified mandarin characters . note that the database 110 may contain further items which are not chinese - related , and which are not relevant to the present disclosure . such items , if they are already in the english language , may be compared directly with items ( e . g . non - chinese items ) in the database 130 by known methods . in step 30 , the billing and shipping data which resides in the first database 110 in simplified mandarin double byte form is converted by the first conversion unit 140 into pin yin characters , to form items in the first pin yin database 150 . as noted above , a single simplified mandarin character may correspond to multiple sets of pin yin characters , and these sets of pin yin characters will have different meanings . hence , the first conversion unit 140 generates , for each simplified mandarin item in the first database 110 , all the possible sets of pin yin characters which can be derived from that item , and each of these sets of pin yin characters forms an item in the database 150 . we have determined that this “ simplistic ” process does not , however , compromise the integrity of the screening process . specifically , the conversion carried out in step 30 by the conversion unit 140 may be performed using a conversion file such as the default copy of the loaded microsoft windows 98 simplified chinese operating system . the default file system location for each install can be found at c :\ windows \ system \ winpy . com of each pc into which this operating system is installed . [ 0037 ] fig5 shows an example of the process of step 30 . the address displayed in the window of fig4 is order no . 4602249011 in the first database , as shown in fig5 ( a ). fig5 ( b ) shows the various ways in which each of the simplified mandarin characters can be converted into pin yin . most only have one pin yin version , but three of them have two pin yin transliterations , of which one is shown shaded . using the table of fig5 ( b ), the string of simplified mandarin characters in converted into a string of pin yin characters . each simplified mandarin character with multiple pin yin representations is converted as one representation followed by the other representation ( s ). this string is shown in fig5 ( c ) by indicating a first pin yin representation for each such mandarin character followed by the other pin yin representation shaded . in step 40 , the chinese addresses in the second database 130 are converted into pin yin by the second conversion unit 160 to form the items of the second pin yin database 160 . note that this conversion process must normally be performed manually by a chinese speaking operator , though the process may in principle also be automated or semi - automated . [ 0040 ] fig6 illustrates the conversion operation . each row corresponds to an entity on the dpl ( labelled pin_yin — 1 up to pin_yin — 9 ). for example , the entity pin_yin — 2 is the “ beijing institute of structure and environmental engineering ”. the us government dpl includes an address for this entity of “ no . 36 wanyuan road beijin china ( prc )” ( this address is labelled “ bxa dpl address ” in fig6 ). note that the address is a mixture of conventional english words ( e . g . “ road ”) and pin yin ( e . g . “ wanyuan ”). in step 40 , the bxa dpl address is converted ( e . g . by an operator ) into a wholly pin yin address . for reference , the corresponding simplified chinese address is shown in the right hand column of fig6 though the generation of this column is not necessary to the present disclosure . while in principle it would be possible to convert all the items in the dpl into pin yin , the present embodiment only converts the addresses of the chinese items in the dpl . for example , “ chinese ” in this context may be defined as the items which are addresses in the people &# 39 ; s republic of china and optionally other territories . by taking this “ simplistic ” approach , the number of conversions ( and thus of subsequent comparisons ) is much reduced . in general , this does not reduce the integrity of the screening , since the screening process is based on addresses , and addresses by their nature are not “ mobile ”. in step 50 , a comparison is performed of the first and second pin yin databases 150 , 170 to determine matches . this done by automatically extracting matches between the pin yin strings in the first database ( e . g . the string shown in fig5 ( c )), and the pin yin strings in the second database ( the “ pin yin addresses ” column of fig6 . [ 0043 ] fig7 shows a window optionally presented to the user by comparison unit 180 for the user to decide how the match is to be treated . as shown , a possible match has been found between order number 402211081 ( shown in fig4 and 5 , and in the upper part of fig7 ) and entity pin - yin — 4 in the list of fig6 ( shown in the lower part of fig7 ). note that the entity name in the dpl (“ beijing aerospace automatic control limited ”) is different from the name (“ dali furniture ( china ) ltd .”) in which the order was made ; the embodiment has found the match based on the addresses alone . by entering ticks in appropriate option boxes in the window of fig7 and then clicking on “ ok ”, the user can indicate how the match is to be treated . step 50 may if desired be performed by a dpl compliance department of the organization operating the order management system . the matches can be incorporated into a local dpl , i . e . a list of parties ( not necessarily the same as those on the us government &# 39 ; s dpl ) with which the organization operating the order management system refuses to transact business , at least without a screening operation . the local dpl may be subsequently used to add to an export management system for export compliance screening purposes as well as for the generation of export / shipping documents . thus , steps 30 and 40 have resulted in a common platform ( pin yin ), enabling in step 50 the compliance screening of addresses of china orders . the embodiment may be operated in a batch mode in which a plurality of items in the first database 110 ( e . g . all the chinese items in the first database 110 ) are converted into pin yin items one after another ( e . g . as a continuous sequence ) to form the database 150 , and later each of the converted items in the database 150 are compared ( e . g . one after another ) with the converted items of the second database 170 . alternatively , step 30 may be performed for the items of the first database 110 individually ( for example , whenever a new item is added to the first database 110 ), and step 50 may be performed for the resultant items in the database 150 by comparing the individual converted items with all the converted items of the second pin yin database 170 . if no matches are found , the contents of the database 150 may be discarded . in other words , in this variant of the embodiment , the first pin yin database 150 need not contain at any time more than the number of pin yin items which are derived from a single one of the simplified mandarin items in the database 110 . the comparison in step 50 may be performed as described above . if any matches are found , the output unit 190 is used to notify an operator of the system , who may cancel the corresponding order . alternatively , though less preferably , the order may be cancelled automatically . although illustrative embodiments have been shown and described , a wide range of modification , change and substitution is contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances , some features of the embodiments may be employed without a corresponding use of other features . accordingly , it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the embodiments disclosed herein .
6
with reference to the number references of the above mentioned figures , the barrier transition for removably closing road gaps , according to the invention , which has been generally indicated by the reference number 1 , comprises longitudinal elements 20 , made by coupling two barrier sections , and connected to one another by a hinge assembly 30 , the removable pin 31 of which constitutes a disengagement element for opening the road gap at one or more points . each element 20 is supported on the ground by two supporting feet 4 which can freely slide on the ground 5 . to facilitate the barrier opening movement , said transition barrier can optionally comprise , either fully or partially , a lifting and sliding system 60 , arranged near the feet 4 and comprising an adjustable lifting device 61 , so designed as to turn about a vertical axis passing through a hub 62 , and further including one or more wheels 63 for only contacting the ground as the road gap is opened . the terminal or end elements 8 are conventionally bolted to an existing fixed barrier 90 , which can be either metal barrier 91 or a concrete barrier 92 . if said existing barrier is considered as excessively weak , then the terminal elements 8 are suitably modified at their end portions for coupling to a strong ground driven pole 10 . according to another embodiment , designed to protect the existing barrier end portion from front impacts due to vehicles passing through the barrier gap , the end portion of the barrier terminal can be constructed , by any prior method , so as to absorb impacts . from the above disclosure it should be apparent that the invention fully achieves the intended objects . in particular , a barrier transition has been provided which is designed to absorb angled impacts from vehicles , meeting , for example , the european standard en 1317 , and which can be essentially dynamically deformed so as to guide an impacting vehicle to its carriageway again . moreover the barrier has a stiffened construction and operates in an elastic range , in order to achieve small side dynamic deformation ( camber ), thereby increasing the safety level of the transition . moreover , the connection with respect to the fixed barrier is such as to provide a gradual deformation of the fixed barrier , thereby preventing any dangerous hard points from occurring . with respect to the required maintenance interventions , since no foundation construction is necessary for anchoring and tensioning purposes , the existing barrier can be easily modified by only two maintenance operators who can use an optional service vehicle and related tooling . likewise , if the road gap is to be opened , the same operators can disengage either one or more element connections , lower the optionally provided wheels , for facilitating the sliding thereof , and quickly open the system as a book either from a part or from the other , or from both parts . according to preferred embodiments , the corrugated panels are arranged from the ground at a maximum height of 600 to 1 , 200 mm and preferably from 800 to 1 , 100 mm . moreover , the panels can have any desired contour and moment of inertia , even with barriers of closed circular or polygonal cross - section . to render the barrier more visible at the road gap , the longitudinal elements can be colored or decorated with patterns , to allow the closure region to be clearly seen . the invention , as disclosed , is susceptible to several modifications and variations , all of which will come within the scope of the invention . moreover , all the details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements . in practicing the invention , the used materials , as well as the contingent size and shapes , can be any , depending on requirements .
4
reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings , wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout . the embodiments are described in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures . from now on , the present invention will be described in greater detail by referring to the appended drawings . fig3 is a block diagram showing an image scanning device according to an embodiment of the present invention . the scanning device includes a charge coupled device ( ccd ) sensor 31 that receives a signal generated from a document scanned by using a scanning unit 20 , an amplifier that amplifies the received signal of the ccd sensor 31 by a predetermined amount , an a / d converter 33 that converts the amplified analogue signal into a digital signal , a controller 36 that stores the digitalized image in a storage unit 34 and controls so that the data can be edited or outputted by an image processor 35 and an operation panel 39 having a key input portion 37 operable by a user and a display 38 . the controller 36 controls a general document reading operation by controlling the driving of the scanning unit 20 according to a control program . the controller 36 controls so as to move a first carriage 23 having a lamp 21 and a mirror 22 and a second carriage 25 having mirrors 25 a , which are shown in fig4 . the controller 36 also controls the driving of the lamp 21 so as to scan a document 24 . the storage unit 34 includes a ram or eerom , and stores various data generated during the execution of the program , and various reference data . the key input portion 37 has numeral keys and function keys for operation of the respective components , and generates and sends to the controller 36 the data required for controlling the image scanning device . the display 38 is an indicating device such as a liquid crystal display ( lcd ), and displays a certain message while being driven by the controller 36 . in fig4 a reference numeral 26 denotes a white panel , and a reference numeral 27 denotes a condensing lens . the scanning unit 20 shown in fig4 is a typical example of a so - called optical path moving type of a reduced optical system that scans the image while the first and second carriages 23 and 25 move along the optical path . during driving of the image scanning device constructed as above , a method distinguishes the need for a lamp replacement from the existence of contaminants in the optical path and selectively indicates either the need for the lamp replacement or the existence of the contaminants in the optical path . referring to fig5 first , the entire system of the image scanning device is set in operation s 20 . the operation s 20 is performed through a key manipulation at the time of shipping the product , or in a serviceman mode , i . e ., when some parts are replaced or repaired . in this embodiment , initial references for the lamp 21 are obtained and stored in the storage unit 34 . the operation s 20 will be described in detail in a later part of the description and fig6 . with the system being set as described above , the user turns the power on to use the device in operation s 21 . accordingly , by a control program , the data are initialized , and the image scanning device is ready for the scanning operation in operation s 22 ). next , the quantity of light of the lamp 21 is measured , and the comparison / determination operation is selectively performed as to whether the lamp 21 operates appropriately or there are contaminants in the optical path including the white panel 26 in operation s 23 . in the operation s 23 , appropriate measures are taken according to the result of the comparison / determination operation to perform a normal scanning operation of the image scanning device . that is , the component can be replaced , repaired , or the device can be cleaned to remove the contaminants disposed in the optical path . the detailed description about the operation s 23 will be made in a later part of the description and fig8 . after the operation s 23 , the controller 36 determines whether an operation start command has been input through the key input or the like in operation s 24 , and performs the corresponding operation according to the key input in operation s 25 that is , the controller 36 either performs the scanning by driving the scanning unit 20 , or performs operations like print , copy , etc ., by driving the image processor 35 . after the operation s 25 , the system is in a standby mode . the controller 36 compares / determines whether a counting time tc counted from the operation s 23 till the standby mode exceeds a predetermined reference time ts , i . e ., 24 hours for example in operation s 26 . when it is determined that the counting time tc exceeds the reference time ts , the operation s 23 repeats , and if not , the device is in the standby mode until the key input . the system setting mode in the operation s 20 will be described in greater detail below with reference to fig6 . the setting mode in the operation s 20 is performed at the time of the shipping , or at the end of the component replacement or repair . referring to fig6 in the setting mode in the operation s 20 , the controller 36 first controls the driving of the scanning unit 20 to scan the white panel 26 in operation s 31 , and extracts a quantity of light of the white value in operation s 32 . as shown in fig7 the light quantity of the white value obtained from the scanned white panel is measured and extracted by the ccd sensor 31 by a predetermined voltage in the available pixels , respectively . according to the light quantity of the white value , the controller 36 determines a predetermined reference value r . the reference value r is for determining the appropriateness of the light quantity , and is programmable in consideration of the various types of lamps 21 and performance of the amplifier 32 . next , the determined reference value r is stored in the storage unit 34 in operation s 34 . further , the controller 36 calculates an initial average a of light quantity from the light quantity of the extracted white value in operation s 35 . the initial average value a is obtained with respect to the entire area of the available pixels of the white panel 26 . the initial average value a is stored in the storage unit 34 in operation s 36 . the controller 36 also divides the extracted white values into pixel divisions n in operation s 37 . next , the controller 36 calculates initial divisional average values b 1 ˜ bn of the respective divisions of pixels in operation s 38 . the initial divisional values b 1 ˜ bn are stored in the storage unit 34 and set in operation s 39 . the initial divisional values b 1 ˜ bn may be an average value of a plurality of pixels disposed within each of the divisions n corresponding to each portion of the white panel 26 . as described above , when the initial references of the light quantity of the lamp 21 , i . e ., the reference value r , the initial average ( a ), and the initial divisional values ( b 1 ˜ bn ) are obtained and stored in the storage unit 34 , the initial setting in operation s 20 is completed . with the initial references being set as described above , the devices are shipped and sold . in the home , when the user turns on the system for the first time , the initial references that are set before the shipping are initialized as stored in the storage unit 34 . accordingly , the comparison / determination of the light quantity is performed in operation s 23 ). the comparison / determination mode of operation s 23 will be described below in detail with reference to fig8 . in operation s 23 , first , the white panel 26 is scanned to re - extract the quantity of light of the lamp 21 and to obtain the respective measured values with which the initial reference values as set are compared . the ccd sensor 31 extracts the quantity of light of the white value of the scanned white panel 26 in operation s 42 . the controller 36 calculates an average value a and a minimum value m from the extracted quantity of light of the white value . then the controller 36 divides the extracted white value into divisions n , and calculates each light quantity of measured divisional values b 1 ˜ bn for the respective pixels of the divisions n in operation s 43 ). the calculated measured values , i . e ., the average value a , the minimum value m and the measured divisional values b 1 ˜ bn are stored in the storage unit 34 , respectively in operation s 44 . the measured divisional values b 1 ˜ bn may be a measured average value of a plurality of pixels of divisions n corresponding to the white panel 26 . next , the controller 36 compares the average value a initially set and stored in the storage unit 34 with the extracted average value a in operation s 45 . then the controller 36 determines whether the initial and measured average values a , a are different from each other by more than 10 % in operation s 46 . when it is determined that the light quantities of the initial and measured average values are different from each other by more than 10 %, the controller 36 performs a first checking in operation s 50 in which the controller 36 checks if there is abnormality in the lamp 21 . in the first checking operation s 50 , the controller 36 first searches the divisions to determine to which of the divisions the minimum value m falls in operation s 47 . then it is determined whether the minimum value m of the light quantity is in the first division or in the nth division in operation s 48 . the first and nth divisions correspond to respective opposite end sides of the white panel 26 . here , as shown in fig7 when the minimum value m of the measured light quantity l 2 is in the first or in the nth division , the minimum value m is compared with the reference value r of the light quantity l 1 as set in operation s 49 . next , the controller 36 determines whether the minimum value m is less than the reference r in operation s 51 . in operation s 51 , when the minimum value m is less than the reference r as shown in fig7 the controller determines that the quantity of light of the lamp 21 is not enough , and displays a message urging a lamp replacement in the display device 38 in operation s 52 . that is , when the minimum value m is smaller than the reference value r , the light quantity from both ends of the lamp 21 are insufficient , which is because of blackening . when using the lamp 21 in such a condition , there are considerable distortions in the images . accordingly , noticing the message for lamp exchange in the display 38 , the user replaces the lamp 21 with a new one by himself / herself or has the repairman do the replacement . meanwhile , when the difference between the initial and measured averages a , a compared in operation s 46 is smaller than 10 %, a second checking in operation s 56 is performed . in operation s 56 , it is checked whether there is a contaminant in the optical path that includes a white panel 26 and mirrors 22 and 25 a . in operation s 56 , first , the initially set averages of the respective initial divisional values b 1 ˜ bn are compared with the measured averages of the respective measured divisional values b 1 ˜ bn , respectively in operation s 53 . then it is determined whether there is any division where the difference between the initial divisional values b 1 ˜ bn and newly measured divisional values b 1 ˜ bn is more than a predetermined reference , i . e ., more than 10 % for example in operation s 54 . in operation s 54 , when the difference of the initial and measured divisional values b 1 ˜ bn , b 1 ˜ bn is more than 10 % in the seventh division , for example ( see fig9 ), the controller 36 drives the display 38 to indicate a warning message about the contaminations in the optical path in operation s 55 . that is , as shown in fig9 when the more than 10 % of difference is found in the seventh division instead of the first or the nth division , it is assumed that a certain location of the white panel 26 that corresponds to the seventh division , or the mirrors 22 and 25 a are contaminated . accordingly , the warning message , like “ white panel , mirror contamination ! !” is displayed . noticing the warning message , the user can check and clean or have the repairman clean the contaminated area . meanwhile , when there is no division where the difference if more than 10 %, since it is assumed that the optical path inclusive of the lamp 21 is in a normal condition , the controller 36 performs the next step , i . e ., the controller 36 maintains the standby mode and waits for a key input . further , in operation s 48 , even when it is determined that the minimum value m does not fall neither to the first division nor to the nth division , the second checking in operation s 56 can still be performed to check the contamination of the optical path . further , after displaying the message urging the lamp replacement in operation s 52 , the presence of contaminants in the optical path can still be checked by performing the second checking operation s 56 ). this is in consideration of the possibility that the lamp replacement time would coincide with the contamination of the optical path . accordingly , by checking the need for lamp replacement together with the presence of contaminants in the optical path at one time , the user can be prepared for the possible errors of various kinds appropriately . as described above , with the method of detecting an error in an image scanning device according to the present invention , it is determined whether to check a need for lamp replacement or a presence of contaminants in an optical path by comparing initially set reference values with newly measured values . accordingly , unlike the conventional way , the checking of the need for lamp replacement and the checking of the presence of contaminants in the optical path , can either be distinguishably and selectively performed , or simultaneously performed , so that the accurate error detecting and indicating is guaranteed . further , since the user appropriately deals with the error according to the indicated error message , replacing the lamp or cleaning the contaminated area , there is no possibility that the user replaces the lamp , which is still good , and accordingly , the costs can be reduced . also , the user can maintain the machine with more convenience . although a few preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in this embodiment without departing from the principles and sprit of the invention , the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents .
6
hereinafter , an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . in the following description of the present invention , a detailed description of known functions or configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear . the terms which will be described below are terms defined in consideration of the functions in the present disclosure , and may be different according to users , intentions of the users , or customs . therefore , the definitions of the terms should be determined based on the contents throughout the specification . hereinafter , in the present specification , embodiments of the present invention will be described based on a fallback transmission , but the present invention is not limited thereto , and may be applied to a general data transmission . further , the detailed description of embodiments of the present invention is made mainly based on a wireless communication system based on ofdm , particularly 3gpp eutra standard , but the subject matter of the present invention can be applied to other communication systems having a similar technical background and channel form after a little modification without departing from the scope of the present invention and the above can be determined by those skilled in the art . in the existing lte / lte - a system , when the fallback transmission is performed , as described above , the fallback transmission is performed based on the crs or the dmrs according to whether the subframe in which the fallback transmission is performed is the normal subframe or the mbsfn subframe . that is , as noted in table 1 , although the transmission mode is based on the dmrs , the fallback transmission in the normal subframe is always performed based on the crs . as described above , when the fallback transmission is always performed with a downlink transmission based on the crs in the normal subframe , in the above - mentioned distributed antenna system , transmission resources of all antennas included in one cell should be assigned for a terminal receiving the fallback transmission . as described above , this has an advantage of increasing a reception performance , but may incur inefficiency of a wireless resource assignment . in addition , in the lte / lte - a system , when an enb performs the fallback transmission based on the dmrs , the dmrs is scrambled by using a scrambling sequence determined according to a cell id , as noted equation 1 above . such a scrambling method may be a factor incurring a performance decline when the fallback transmission is performed based on the dmrs in the distributed antenna system . in a case of the distributed antenna system , antennas are disposed at a plurality of different positions in a cell , an initial state in which a scrambling of the dmrs is determined according to a cell id is used when the fallback transmission is performed . in a case wherein such a scrambling is performed , when the different antennas of the distributed antenna system perform the fallback transmission on the different terminal , respectively , by using the dmrs , the different antennas use the same initial state . when the same initial state is used , the same scrambling sequence is generated and interferences of signals transmitted from different positions cannot be randomized , thereby , incurring performance decline . in the distributed antenna system , the performance decline due to interference becomes worse , because a dmrs port 7 is always used when the fallback transmission using the dmrs is performed . but , when the fallback transmission is performed by using different dmrs ports in different transmission points , an interference effect caused by dmrs may be avoided . therefore , the present invention proposes a fallback transmission method for minimizing the performance decline due to the interference in the distributed antenna system . in the case of the fallback transmission in the normal subframe , when the base station selects one of the crs and the dmrs , rather than the base station always transmits data based on the crs , the base station may perform the fallback transmission by properly using the crs or the dmrs according to circumstances . that is , when it is importance to secure a reception performance of a terminal receiving the fallback transmission , the fallback transmission , based on the crs , which transmits data to only a specific terminal , is performed . when it is important to transmit data from different antennas in a cell to different terminals , the fallback transmission , based on the dmrs , which may transmit data to a plurality of terminals , is performed . as described above , in order for the base station to perform the fallback transmission by selecting one of the fallback transmission based on the crs and the fallback transmission based on the dmrs in the normal subframe , a function of informing of the selection should be supported . in a first embodiment of the present invention , as a method of informing of which of the fallback transmission based on the crs or the fallback transmission based on the dmrs is transmitted in the normal subframe , from the base station to the terminal , the following three methods are proposed . in method 1 , when a channel informing of the performance of the fallback transmission is the pdcch , it is informed that the fallback transmission is performed based on the crs . when the channel informing of the performance of the fallback transmission is an enhanced - pdcch ( e - pdcch ), it is informed that the fallback transmission is performed based on the dmrs . as described above , the base station transmits and informs of the performance of the fallback transmission to the terminal by using the dci format 1a . the dci format 1a is transmitted by using the pdcch or the e - pdcch , the pdcch is a control channel transmitted based on the crs , and the e - pdcch is a control channel transmitted based on the dmrs . when the dci format 1a informing of the fallback transmission in the normal subframe is transmitted by using the pdcch , the terminal assumes that the fallback transmission is performed based on the crs . in addition , when the dci format 1a informing of the fallback transmission in the normal subframe is transmitted by using the e - pdcch , the terminal assumes that the fallback transmission is performed based on the dmrs . a method of informing of whether the fallback transmission is performed to the terminal based on the crs or based on the dmrs by using the transmission of the dci format 1a by either the pdcch or the e - pdcch as described in the method 1 , does not have to transmit additional control information . in method 2 , a fallback transmission type bit , which is one bit of control information for informing of a fallback transmission manner , is added to the dci format 1a , which is a control information type informing of the performance of the fallback transmission . when the fallback transmission type bit , in the dci format 1a informing of the fallback transmission in the normal subframe , is 0 , the terminal assumes that the fallback transmission is performed based on the crs . in addition , when the fallback transmission type bit , in the dci format 1a informing of the fallback transmission in the normal subframe , is 1 , the terminal assumes that the fallback transmission is performed based on the dmrs . as described above , in the method 2 , the fallback transmission type bit is added in the dci format 1a , and therefore , whether the fallback transmission is performed based on the crs or is performed based on the dmrs is informed of , regardless of the channel ( pdcch or e - pdcch ) transmitting the dci format 1a . such a method needs an additional one bit of control information , but enables the base station to freely determine regardless of transmitting the pdcch or the e - pdcch . fig6 illustrates informing of the fallback transmission manner to the terminal by using the method 1 and the method 2 according to the first embodiment of the present invention . in the lte / lte - a system , the pdcch or the e - pdcch is transmitted together with the pdsch , as shown in fig6 . at this time , the pdcch or the e - pdcch performs a function of informing of the control information , for receiving the pdsch which is a data channel , to the terminal . in a subframe 600 , the pdcch or the e - pdcch is transmitted together with the pdsch . according to the method 1 , when the base station informs that the fallback transmission is performed based on the crs to the terminal , the dci format 1a is transmitted with the pdcch . when the base station informs that the fallback transmission is performed based on the dmrs to the terminal , the dci format 1a is transmitted with the e - pdcch . in addition , according to the method 2 , when the base station informs that the fallback transmission is performed based on the crs to the terminal , the base station sets the fallback transmission type bit as ‘ 0 ’ and transmits the fallback transmission type bit with the pdcch or the e - pdcch . when the base station informs that the fallback transmission is performed based on the dmrs to the terminal , the base station sets the fallback transmission type bit as ‘ 1 ’ and transmits the fallback transmission type bit with the pdcch or the e - pdcch . the base station performs the fallback transmission based on the crs or the dmrs according to the method 1 or the method 2 in the normal subframe such as 600 in fig6 . however , the base station performs the fallback transmission by always using the dmrs in the mbsfn subframe such as 610 in fig6 . in addition to informing of whether the fallback transmission is performed based on the crs or is performed based on the dmrs by using the pdcch or the e - pdcch as described in method 1 and the method 2 , a method of setting , whether the fallback transmission is performed based on the crs or is performed based on the dmrs in the normal subframe , by using a higher layer signaling is possible , as a method 3 . as described in table 1 , the downlink transmission includes a transmission determined by the fallback transmission and a transmission mode . in a transmission mode such as a transmission mode 9 of table 1 , the control information transmitted together with data includes information indicating which dmrs port is used and which initial state is used among initial states of a plurality of dmrs scrambling sequences . in contrast , in the case of the fallback transmission , the control information does not include the information indicating which dmrs port is used and which initial state is used among the initial states of the plurality of dmrs scrambling sequences . therefore , in the lte / lte - a release 10 , when the fallback transmission is performed , a dmrs port 7 and an initial state , of a dmrs scrambling sequence , which is always constant , are used . as described above , when the fallback transmission is performed by using the dmrs , the dmrs is scrambled with a sequence generated by an initial state using a function of the cell id such as equation 1 . in the distributed antenna system , as described above , in a case wherein the dmrs is scrambled with a sequence different according to the cell id , interference occurring when the distributed antennas transmit different signals is not randomized , and therefore reception performance is declined . in order to prevent such a problem , in the distributed antenna system , the scrambling sequence of the dmrs used in the fallback transmission should be applied differently to each of positions of the distributed antennas or should be applied differently to each terminal . therefore , in the second embodiment of the present invention , the following three methods are proposed , as a method of determining the dmrs port and the initial state of the dmrs scrambling sequence used in the fallback transmission . in the distributed antenna system , when the fallback transmission is performed based on the dmrs , the dmrs port and the initial state for the scrambling sequence of the dmrs are informed of to the terminal by using the higher layer signaling . setting the initial state by using the higher layer signaling as described above , does not need the transferring of the control information by using the additional pdcch or the e - pdcch . in addition , when the fallback transmission is performed , one of the plurality of initial states determined by the transmission mode is designated as the initial state for the scrambling sequence of the dmrs , and therefore , an overhead of the higher layer signaling may be decreased . table 2 below is one example wherein the initial state for the dmrs scrambling sequence is set by using the higher layer signaling when the fallback transmission is performed according to the method 1 of the second embodiment of the present invention . as noted in table 2 above , when the method 1 is applied , the dmrs port and the initial state for the dmrs scrambling sequence used in the fallback transmission in the normal subframe and the mbsfn subframe of the terminal may be individually set by using the higher layer signaling . the reason why the initial states are individually set in the normal subframe and the mbsfn subframe , as noted in table 2 above , is for expanding a range of choices of the scrambling sequence when the fallback transmission is performed by using two different initial states . that is , in table 2 above , an initial state a may be useful in effectively controlling or randomizing interference when the fallback transmission is performed from a plurality of transmission points in the distributed antenna system . an initial state b may be useful in effectively controlling or randomizing interference when the fallback transmission is performed from one transmission point in the distributed antenna system . when the initial states are individually set with respect to the normal subframe and the mbsfn subframe as noted in table 2 above , the base station may perform the fallback transmission in correspondence to circumstances . in addition , the dmrs port for the normal subframe and the dmrs port for the mbsfn subframe are individually set , and therefore , a mu - mimo which simultaneously transmits a signal to a plurality of terminals in the distributed antenna system may be effectively supported . for example , when one terminal performs the fallback transmission by using a dmrs port 7 and another terminal performs the fallback transmission by using a dmrs port 8 in the mbsfn subframe , orthogonality of the dmrs port 7 and the dmrs port 8 is maintained , and therefore , an improvement effect of a channel estimation and the like may be obtained . the higher layer signaling is performed by using a ue specific signaling individually transmitted to each terminal . in the method 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention , the initial state for the dmrs scrambling sequence in time of the fallback transmission is individually set in the normal subframe and the mbsfn subframe by using the higher layer signaling . because the higher layer signaling is used for setting the initial state for the fallback transmission in the method 1 as described above , finally , a overhead is incurred . therefore , in method 2 , in order to prevent such a higher layer signaling overhead , one of a plurality of initial states determined by the transmission mode is selected and used with a predetermined method . that is , as noted table 2 above , when the initial state a , the initial state b and the initial state c are set , each one of among the initial state a , the initial state b and the initial state c is designated and used as the initial state for the dmrs scrambling sequence in the normal subframe and the mbsfn subframe . in a method of selecting one of the plurality of initial states without additional signaling , a firstly set initial state may be always used in consideration of a sequence of the initial states . in addition , a minimum value or a maximum value among values of the initial states may be used . in addition , a modulo operation is performed on a radio network temporary identifier ( rnti ) which is a unique id of the terminal by a total number of selectable initial states , and an initial state corresponding to a value obtained by the modulo calculation may be used . in addition , in the method 2 , one of a plurality of dmrs ports which may be supported by the base station is selected and used with a predetermined method as the dmrs port used in the fallback transmission , without additional higher layer signaling . the method of selecting one of the dmrs ports includes a method of using the rnti which is the unique id of the terminal . for example , when the dmrs ports used for the fallback transmission are two kinds of the dmrs port 7 and the dmrs port 8 , a modulo operation is performed on an rnti value by 2 , when a result of the modulo operation is 0 , the port 7 is used , and when the result of the modulo operation is 1 , the port 8 is used . as another method , the modulo operation is performed on one among cell ids of the csi - rss measured by the terminal by 2 , and one of the dmrs port 7 or the dmrs port 8 may be selected according to a result of the modulo operation . in the method 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention , the initial state and the dmrs port for the dmrs scrambling sequence in time of the fallback transmission are individually set in the normal subframe and the mbsfn subframe by using the higher layer signaling . in addition , in the method 2 , the initial state and the dmrs port for the dmrs scrambling sequence in time of the fallback transmission are individually set according to the predetermined method in the normal subframe and the mbsfn subframe , without additional higher layer signaling . besides such the method 1 and the method 2 , the base station may inform of the two kinds of information to the terminal by using the pdcch or the e - pdcch according to method 3 . that is , according to the method 3 , the base station inputs the information of the initial state and the dmrs port for the dmrs scrambling sequence to the control information by using the dci format 1a for the fallback transmission , so as to transmit the information of the initial state and the dmrs port . the terminal receives the control information with respect to the initial state and the dmrs port for the dmrs scrambling sequence included in the dci format 1a received by using the pdcch or the e - pdcch , and obtains information necessary to receive the fallback transmission . in the first and second embodiments of the present invention , in the case that the fallback transmission is performed , which method the base station uses to transmit the fallback transmission and how the terminal receives the fallback transmission were described . in the third embodiment of the present invention , a method of controlling an uplink transmission power when an ack / nack is transmitted to the base station is proposed . here , the ack / nack indicates whether the terminal receiving the fallback transmission properly receives the fallback transmission after the base station performs the fallback transmission on a specific terminal . in general , when the fallback transmission is performed , a wireless channel environment may not be proper for performing a downlink transmission by a transmission mode . when a channel environment of a downlink where a transmission from the base station to the terminal is performed is poor , a channel environment of an uplink where a transmission from the terminal to the base station is performed also becomes poor . in order to resolve such a problem , in the third embodiment of the present invention , a method of properly controlling the uplink transmission power in time of the fallback transmission is proposed . table 3 below is summary of the uplink transmission power in time of the fallback transmission proposed in the present invention . in table 3 above , when the fallback transmission is performed in the downlink , the uplink transmission power of the ack / nack signal with respect to the fallback transmission is set differently according to whether the fallback transmission is performed in the normal subframe or is performed in the mbsfn subframe . in addition , the uplink transmission power of the ack / nack signal may be determined as a comparative value of a specific uplink transmission power . in table 3 above , a standard uplink transmission power uses an uplink transmission power ( level a ) which is applied when the transmission by the set transmission mode is performed . table 3 above specifies an example of setting the uplink transmission power of the ack / nack with respect to the fallback transmission based on the specific uplink transmission power . however , besides such a method , it is also possible to set the transmission power of the ack / nack with respect to the fallback transmission as an absolute value . in this case , when the fallback transmission is performed , the terminal transmits the ack / nack with a predetermined uplink transmission power . at this time , the uplink transmission power of the ack / nack with respect to the fallback transmission is set by an informing from the base station to the terminal with the higher layer signaling . another method besides the method noted in table 3 above , includes a method of setting the uplink transmission power of the ack / nack with respect to the fallback transmission differently according to whether the base station performs the fallback transmission based on the crs or performs the fallback transmission based on the dmrs . furthermore , when the fallback transmission is performed based on the dmrs , the uplink transmission power of the ack / nack with respect to the fallback transmission may be set differently according to which initial state for a scrambling sequence is used . in the fourth embodiment of the present invention , a diversity transmission method based on the dmrs is proposed as another method of improving the fallback transmission . in a case of an existing lte / lte - a system , a transmission diversity such as a space frequency block code ( sfbc ) is used , for a diversity transmission . the transmission diversity of such an existing lte / lte - a system is based on the crs . in the case of the fallback transmission based on the dmrs , the fallback transmission is performed by using a beam forming of which a rank is 1 . but , in general , the beam forming provides poor reception performance compared to the transmission diversity in a rapidly changing wireless channel environment . in order to secure a performance of a level identical to the transmission diversity , it is necessary to obtain a diversity within one rb . in addition , such a transmission method should be based on the dmrs rather than the crs . the diversity transmission method based on the dmrs proposed in the fourth embodiment of the present invention performs the fallback transmission by using a plurality of dmrs ports , assigns res transmitted with the fallback transmission in the one rb to the plurality of dmrs ports , respectively , and transmits the res assigned to a specific dmrs port in one rb with a precoding identical to that of a corresponding dmrs port . fig7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the base station performing the fallback transmission in the distributed antenna system according to an embodiment of the present invention . in fig7 , the base station performs a scheduling for determining a terminal for the downlink data transmission in step 700 . after the base station determines the terminal for the downlink data transmission in step 700 , the base station determines whether there is a terminal receiving the downlink data with the fallback transmission among terminals receiving the downlink data in step 710 . when it is determined that there is not a terminal receiving the downlink data with the fallback transmission in step 710 , the downlink transmission is performed by using the dci format determined according to the set transmission mode rather than the dci format 1a in step 720 . in contrast , when it is determined that there is the terminal receiving the downlink data with the fallback transmission in step 710 , the base station determines whether the fallback transmission is performed in the mbsfn frame or is performed in the normal subframe in step 730 . when it is determined that the fallback transmission is performed in the mbsfn subframe in step 730 , the base station performs the fallback transmission based on the dmrs on the terminal in step 740 . in addition , the base station transmits the dci format 1a to the terminal to inform that the fallback transmission is performed based on the dmrs . at this time , the base station informs the initial state for the dmrs scrambling and the control information including the uplink transmission power of the ack / nack with respect to the fallback transmission to the terminal , according to the second or third embodiment of the present invention . in addition , the fallback transmission based on the dmrs may be performed according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention . when it is determined that the fallback transmission is performed in the normal subframe in step 730 , the base station determines whether the base station performs the fallback transmission based on the crs or performs the fallback transmission based on the dmrs in step 750 . when it is determined that the fallback transmission is performed based on the dmrs in step 750 , the base station performs the fallback transmission based on the dmrs and informs that the fallback transmission is performed based on the dmrs to the terminal . in addition , the base station informs of the initial state for the dmrs scrambling and the control information including the uplink transmission power of the ack / nack with respect to the fallback transmission to the terminal , according to the second or third embodiment of the present invention . in addition , the fallback transmission based on the dmrs may be performed according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention . when it is determined that the fallback transmission is performed based on the crs in step 750 , the base station performs the fallback transmission based on the crs and informs that the fallback transmission is performed based on the crs to the terminal . in addition , the base station determines the uplink transmission power of the ack / nack with respect to the fallback transmission to the terminal , according to the third embodiment of the present invention . fig8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the terminal performing the fallback transmission in the distributed antenna system according to an embodiment of the present invention . the terminal performs a blind decoding with respect to the pdcch / e - pdcch in step 800 of fig8 . next , the terminal determines whether the terminal receives a downlink scheduling grant based on a result of the blind decoding with respect to the pdcch / e - pdcch of step 800 , in step 810 . when it is determined that the downlink scheduling grant is not received in step 810 , the terminal performs the blind decoding again in the next subframe . in contrast , when it is determined that the downlink scheduling grant is received in step 810 , the terminal determines whether a corresponding downlink data transmission is the fallback transmission in step 820 . it is determined whether the downlink data transmission is the fallback transmission in step 820 according to whether the dci format transferred to the terminal by using the pdcch / e - pdcch is the dci format 1a or not . when it is determined that the downlink data transmission is not the fallback transmission in step 820 , the terminal receives the downlink transmission from the base station according to the transmission manner defined by the transmission mode in step 830 . when it is determined that the fallback transmission is received in step 820 , the terminal performs operations which are different according to whether the subframe where the fallback transmission is received is the mbsfn subframe or the normal subframe . that is , when the subframe is the mbsfb subframe , the terminal receives the fallback transmission based on the dmrs in step 850 . at this time , the terminal determines an initial state for a dmrs de - scrambling and the uplink transmission power of the ack / nack with respect to the fallback transmission , according to the second or the third embodiment of the present invention . in addition , the fallback transmission based on the dmrs may be performed according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention . in addition , when a corresponding subframe is the normal subframe , the terminal determines whether the fallback transmission is performed based on the dmrs or the crs in step 860 . such a determination is performed according to the first embodiment of the present invention . when it is determined that the fallback transmission is based on the crs as a result of step 860 , the terminal receives the fallback transmission based on the crs in step 870 , and the uplink transmission power of the ack / nack with respect to the fallback transmission is determined according to the third embodiment of the present invention . in contrast , when it is determined that the fallback transmission is based on the dmrs , the terminal receives the fallback transmission based on the dmrs in step 880 . at this time , the terminal determines the initial state for the dmrs de - scrambling and the uplink transmission power of the ack / nack with respect to the fallback transmission , according to the second or the third embodiment of the present invention . in addition , the fallback transmission based on the dmrs may be performed according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention . fig9 illustrates an apparatus configuration of the base station according to an embodiment of the present invention . in fig9 , the base station includes a controller 900 , a pdcch / e - pdcch signal generator 910 , a pdsch signal generator 920 , a multiplexer 930 and an ofdma transmitter 940 . the controller 900 determines the downlink scheduling . in addition , the controller 900 determines whether the fallback transmission is performed or not . in addition , the controller 900 determines whether the fallback transmission is based on the dmrs or the crs . when the determination is performed , the controller 900 controls the pdcch / e - pdcch signal generator 910 and the pdsch signal generator 920 so that the pdcch / e - pdcch signal generator 910 and the pdsch signal generator 920 generate signals in correspondence to the determination . the signals generated from the pdcch / e - pdcch signal generator 910 and the pdsch signal generator 920 are multiplexed in the multiplexer 930 and transmitted through the ofdma transmitter 940 under a control of the controller 900 . fig1 illustrates an apparatus configuration of the terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 , the terminal includes an ofdma receiver 1000 , a de - multiplexer 1010 , a pdcch / e - pdcch signal decoder 1020 , a controller 1030 , a pdsch signal decoder 1040 and a power controller 1050 . the ofdma receiver 1000 receives a wireless signal transmitted from the base station . the wireless signal received from the ofdma receiver 1000 is divided into a pdcch / e - pdcch signal and a pdsch signal in the de - multiplexer 1010 . the divided pdcch / e - pdcch signal and pdsch signal are input to the pdcch / e - pdcch signal decoder 1020 and the pdsch signal decoder 1040 , respectively , to be decoded . in addition , the controller 1030 determines how to receive the fallback transmission in consideration of a transmission of the pdcch / e - pdcch , a transmission of the dci format 1a , a transmission of the mbsfn or the normal subframe , information included in the pdcch / e - pdcch , and the like . the controller 1030 informs of a determination result to the pdcch signal decoder 1020 and the pdsch signal decoder 1040 . in addition , the controller 1030 determines the uplink transmission power of the ack / nack with respect to the fallback transmission in consideration of the transmission of the pdcch / e - pdcch , the transmission of the dci format 1a , the transmission of the mbsfn or the normal subframe , the information included in the pdcch / e - pdcch , a parameter set by the higher layer signaling , and the like . the controller 1030 informs of a result of the determination to the ack / nack transmitter 1050 .
7
a digital logic design implementing subtraction with a 3 : 2 carry - save - adder ( csa ) in a high speed floating point unit ( fpu ), is disclosed . in the following description , for purposes of explanation , specific numbers , times , signals , etc ., are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well known circuits and devices are shown in block diagram form in order not to obscure the present invention unnecessarily . referring now to fig1 a computer system comprising a main processor and a math processor is illustrated . a main processor 50 and a math processor 30 are coupled to transfer information over a common bus 40 . in this arrangement , the main processor 50 transfers math instructions over a control bus 55 and arguments to the math processor 30 over the bus 40 . the results of math operations are transferred from the math processor 30 to the main processor 50 , also over the common bus 40 . control bus 55 provides for synchronization and control of communication between the math processor 30 and the main processor 50 . the math processor 30 receives arguments from main processor 50 over the bus 40 . the arguments may include two floating point numbers x and y . a wide variety of inter - processor communication structures may be used for transferring instructions , arguments , and results between the main processor 50 and the math processor 30 . possible inter - processor communication structures include stacks and data cues , which may be located internal to the main processor 50 and the math processor 30 , or located in an external memory . in floating point representation , a computer word defining a number is divided into three fields , a sign field , an exponent field , and a mantissa field . the sign field determines whether the number is positive or negative , the exponent field determines the magnitude of the number , and the mantissa field determines the fractional part of the number . for one embodiment , the remainder generator of the present invention supports single , double , and double extended precision . fig2 is a block diagram of a remainder generator portion of the math processor 30 . the remainder generator is comprised of a control circuit 100 , a quotient prediction circuit 200 , a partial remainder generator circuit 300 , a quotient generator circuit 400 , and an exponent difference circuit 500 . the exponent difference circuit 500 receives the exponent fields of floating point numbers x and y over buses 82 and 84 . the exponent difference circuit 500 subtracts the exponent of y from the exponent of x , and delivers the result to the control circuit 100 over signal lines 86 . the control circuit 100 receives control signals 88 indicating that a remainder function is being executed by math processor 30 . the control circuit 100 receives exponent difference 86 and determines parameters for performing the remainder function . the control circuit 100 then generates control signals 32 in order to control the flow of data through the quotient prediction circuit 200 , the partial remainder generator circuit 300 , and the quotient generator circuit 400 . a wide variety of state machine designs may be used to implement the function of control circuit 100 , without departing from the spirit of the present invention . partial remainder generator circuit 300 receives the mantissa field of floating point number x over signal lines 70 , and receives the mantissa field of floating point number y over signal lines 72 . partial remainder generator circuit 300 generates a partial remainder for non - restoring division , and restoring division . fig3 illustrates partial remainder generator circuit 300 , which generates a redundant partial remainder . the redundant partial remainder is generated by carry save adder ( csa ) 360 and stored in sum register 390 and carry register 392 . sum 76 and carry 78 are fed back to input 346 and input 336 of csa 360 through multiplexers 340 and 330 . multiplexers 310 and 320 receive the mantissa fields of floating point numbers x and y from main processor 50 over busses 70 and 72 . in the current embodiment , either bus 70 or 72 may carry the mantissa of x , with the other carrying the mantissa of y . control signals 315 and 325 received from control circuit 100 cause multiplexers 310 and 320 to selectively couple the mantissa of x to dividend 74 , and the mantissa of y to divisor 324 . in the current embodiment , busses 70 and 72 are each 68 bits wide . multiplexers 350 , 352 and 354 generate adder input 356 equal to next quotient 235 ( received from quotient prediction circuit 200 ) times divisor 324 . csa 360 is a 3 : 2 carry save adder that performs subtraction in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . however , for purposes of illustration , the teachings of the present invention are discussed with reference to fig4 . in fig4 a 3 : 2 csa 20 receives three datavalues a , b , and f , having data formats of the form [ b n - 1 : 0 ]. datavalue f is transmitted to csa 20 via a 1 &# 39 ; s complement generator block 19 , in the preferred embodiment comprising an inverter and a 2 : 1 mux . 1 &# 39 ; s complement generator block 19 has inverting logic necessary to produce the correct sign of datavalue f at the input of csa 20 , and receives a control signal 22a . control signal 22a may be supplied either by a state machine controlling the digital logic implementation , or by a separate controlling ( not shown ) hardware arrangement . csa 20 has two outputs respectively producing a sum vector 21a and a carry vector 21b . the sum vector 21a has a data format of [ b n - 1 : 0 ], which result is then steered to and stored in a sum vector latch 24a . with respect to the carry vector 2lb , the least significant bit of the carry vector 21b is disregarded , with the data format of the output carry vector 21b being of the form [ b n : 1 ] the purpose of the different data format for carry vector 21b will become clear in the following paragraphs . the carry vector 21b is then steered to and latched in a carry vector latch 24b , similar to the case of sum vector 21a . all three inputs to csa 20 consist of operands to be combined as required , without allocating an additional input for a constant &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; to be added . therefore , there are no additional input paths to csa 20 beyond the three inputs shown in fig4 . instead , a constant &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; signal 28 is taken from control signal 22aand routed to carry vector latch 24b . the signal 28 provides a constant &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, in essence , if asserted ( or a constant &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; if deasserted ) as shown in fig4 which gates a datavalue equal to logical 1 to the lsb position of carry vector latch 24b whenever a subtraction operation is to be performed . the significance of the present invention is that rather than adding &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; at input of csa 20 , the constant &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; is added after operands have been combined in csa 20 , the foregoing being accomplished by &# 34 ; inserting &# 34 ; the &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; into the least significant bit ( lsb ) position of the output carry vector 21b taken from csa 20 . inasmuch as the output carry vector 21b is defined to have a data format [ b n : 1 ], there remains an additional bit location which may be adjusted , namely the lsb . in the present invention , the lsb position of carry vector 21b is used as the carry - in &# 34 ; input &# 34 ; for csa 20 , depending whether the carry - in signal 28 is asserted . in the case where carry - in signal 28 is not asserted , the lsb of the output carry vector 21b remains unaltered ( logic 0 ), and no addition is accomplished to the lsb position of carry vector latch 24b . the final result will be formed from &# 34 ; sum &# 34 ;, representing the final sum vector 21a produced by csa 20 and &# 34 ; carry &# 34 ;, representing the final carry vector 21b . on the other hand , if constant &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; signal 28 is asserted , latch 24b will capture the constant &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; to the lsb position of carry vector latch 24b , where the lsb of output carry vector 21b will be set to logical 1 , and thereby adding &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. in the latter case , the result latched in latch 24b is a final carry vector &# 34 ; carry &# 34 ; having again a full data format of [ b n : 0 ]. as shown in fig4 the final results taken from csa 20 and stored as sum and carry in latches 24a and 24b respectively , may be subsequently taken and combined to form a single nonredundant representation of a final result . obviously , in other specific implementations , carry - in signal 28 could be asserted when no addition is to occur , and deasserted when &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; is to be added , depending on the designer &# 39 ; s preference . the operation of the present invention may be best explained in connection with the following example . for purposes of the following example , four - bit data values will be used for explaining operation of the circuit . however , it should be obvious that the actual data format anticipated by the present invention may encompass any arbitrary size data value . in the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention , the operands consist of 70 - bit data segments ( i . e ., data format is [ 69 : 0 ]. assume for purposes of the following example that three binary values are to be combined : assume further that it is desired to perform the operation a + b - f . as previously described in the art background , because subtraction operations are difficult to implement , subtraction is almost always invoked by addition of the 2 &# 39 ; s complement representation of the number to be subtracted . datavalue f ( equal to 0101 ) has a 2 &# 39 ; s complement representation of f *= 1011 . accordingly , the operation a + b - f to be performed may be restated as a + b + f *. the 3 : 2 csa configured according to the present invention adds &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; after the addition has already taken place . using the same binary data values for a , b , and f , inputs of csa 20 of the present invention shown in fig4 the problem is illustrated in fig5 . as can be seen in fig5 the effect of the present invention is to obviate the need for a dedicated fourth adder input in order to form the 2 &# 39 ; s complement in csa 20 . rather , the present invention permits the constant &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; to be added after the addition of a 1 &# 39 ; s complement to two other datavalues , thereby adding 1 and forming the 2 &# 39 ; s complement after the addition has already occurred . a principle benefit of the present invention is that the result is available sooner , and the margin with which results are delivered to subsequent logic blocks is increased . consequently , the speed of subsequent operations using the result is enhanced . another benefit of the present invention is that the smaller layout area required for a 3 : 2 csa results in a dimensionally smaller overall fpu . obviously , the 3 : 2 csa 20 can be used for a three input adder in a straightforward manner , by not asserting the constant &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; signal 28 , thereby causing all three input datavalues a , b , and f , to be added . the foregoing has described a digital logic design implementing subtraction with a 3 : 2 csa in a high speed floating point unit fpu is disclosed . it is contemplated that changes and modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art , to the device components and arrangements of elements of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .
6
although the method of the present invention is explained with reference to exemplary nmos and pmos devices , it will be appreciated that the method of the present invention may be applied to the formation of any mosfet device where a stress level is controllably introduced into a charge carrier channel region by selective formation and subsequent removal of stressed dielectric layers overlying an nmos and / or pmos gate structure . referring to fig1 a - 1f in an exemplary embodiment of the method of the present invention , are shown cross - sectional schematic views of a portion of a semiconductor wafer during stages in production of cmos structures including nmos and pmos devices 10 a and 10 b . for example , referring to fig1 a is shown a silicon substrate 12 including respective p - doped well regions 12 a and n - doped well region 12 b formed by conventional methods , for example a masking process followed by ion implantation and activation annealing . formed by conventional processes prior to forming the n - well and p - well regions are isolation areas , for example shallow trench isolation ( sti ) structures , e . g ., 14 back filled with an oxide dielectric , for example teos oxide . still referring to fig1 a , a gate structure is formed by conventional processes including first depositing a gate dielectric portion e . g ., 16 a and 16 b followed by formation of a polysilicon layer and photolithographic patterning and plasma assisted etching e . g ., an ( rie ) process to form polysilicon gate electrode portions e . g ., nmos device polysilicon gate electrode 18 a and pmos device polysilicon gate electrode 18 b . following formation of the polysilicon gate electrodes , source / drain extension ( sde ) regions forming a portion of doped s / d regions e . g ., 20 a and 20 b are formed by a conventional ion implant process adjacent the polysilicon electrodes to a shallow depth e . g ., ( 30 to 100 nm ) beneath the silicon substrate surface according to a low energy ion implantation or plasma immersion doping process . still referring to fig1 a , sidewall spacers e . g ., 22 a and 22 b , also referred to as dielectric offset spacers , are formed along the polysilicon gate electrode sidewalls by depositing one or more layers of silicon nitride ( e . g ., si 3 n 4 ), silicon oxynitride ( e . g ., sion ), or silicon oxide ( e . g ., sio 2 ) over the gate dielectric followed by etching away portions of the one or more layers to form self - aligned sidewall spacers on either side of the polysilicon gate electrodes . following sidewall spacer formation , the nmos and pmos device areas are sequentially doped according to a conventional a high dose ion implantation ( hdi ) process to form the high density implant portions of doped source / drain ( s / d ) regions e . g ., 20 a and 20 b in the silicon substrate adjacent the sidewall spacers . the polysilicon electrodes 18 a and 18 b are preferably doped at the same time the hdi is carried out to lower a sheet resistance of the polysilicon . the hdi process , carried out at higher implantation energies known in the art compared to the sde ion implantations , preferably at least partially forms amorphous polysilicon in polysilicon electrodes 18 a and 18 b including the entire polysilicon electrode portion . in one embodiment , an annealing process to activate the hdi treated s / d regions and the polysilicon electrodes is postponed until after the formation of overlying dielectric films in tensile stress and / or compressive stress over respective nmos and pmos gate structures as explained further below . referring to fig1 b , according to an important aspect of the invention , at least one first dielectric layer e . g ., 24 a is blanket deposited to cover the nmos and pmos structures formed in one of compressive and tensile stress to form a first strained layer . prior to formation of the first dielectric layer 24 a , optionally , but preferably to enhance a subsequent etch processes , a silicon oxide buffer layer e . g ., 23 having a thickness of less than about 200 angstroms is formed by a conventional cvd process over the nmos and pmos devices . it will be appreciated , as explained below , that the order of first depositing dielectric ( strained ) layers in either tensile ( over nmos device ) or compressive stress ( over pmos device ) may be reversed provided that a tensile stress dielectric layer is formed over the nmos device portion and / or the compressive stress dielectric layer is formed over the pmos device portion , prior to the dopant activation and polysilicon recrystallization annealing process . in the exemplary embodiment as shown , the first dielectric layer 24 a is deposited in tensile stress over both the nmos device and pmos devices . for example , the first dielectric layer is deposited to be in tensile stress , having a tensile stress , preferably of up to about 2 gpa . it will be appreciated that the level of the tensile stress can be varied by a number of factors including the thickness of the dielectric film , preferably being from about 50 angstroms to about 1000 angstroms in thickness . in a preferred embodiment , the dielectric film 24 a is deposited by a cvd process where the relative reactant flow rates , deposition pressure , and temperature may be varied to vary a composition of the dielectric layer thereby controlling the level of either tensile or compressive stress . for example , the dielectric film may be a nitride film , preferably including silicon nitride ( e . g ., sin , si x n y ) or silicon oxynitride ( e . g ., si x on y ) where the stoichiometric proportions x and y may be selected according to cvd process variables as are known in the art to achieve a desired tensile or compressive stress in a deposited dielectric layer . for example , the cvd process may be a low pressure chemical vapor deposition ( lpcvd ) process , an atomic layer cvd ( alcvd ) process , or a plasma enhanced cvd ( pecvd ) process . according to an aspect of the invention the first dielectric layer 24 a is deposited at a temperature lower than a recrystallization temperature of the amorphous polysilicon gate electrode 18 a and 18 b portions formed in the hdi process . for example , although the precise recrystallization temperature is dependent on the level and type of doping , deposition at a temperature of less than about 600 ° c . is generally sufficient to prevent recrystallization of the amorphous polysilicon gate electrode portions . conventional cvd precursors such as , silane ( sih 4 ), disilane ( si 2 h 6 ) dichlorosilane ( sih 2 cl 2 ), hexacholorodisilane ( si 2 cl 6 ), btbas and the like , may be advantageously used in the cvd process to form the first dielectric layer . for example , a low temperature lpcvd process for forming a tensile stress nitride dielectric layer includes supplying hexacholorodisilane ( hcd ) ( si 2 cl 6 ) and nh 3 gaseous precursors deposited at a temperature of from about 400 ° c . to about 600 ° c . at a pressure of about 0 . 1 torr to about 10 torr mtorr . an nh 3 to hcd volumetric gas ratio is from about 0 . 1 to about 500 with a stress increasing with an increasing volumetric ratio . for example , a low temperature pecvd process for forming a compressive stress nitride layer may include supplying silane ( sih 4 ) and nh 3 gaseous precursors at a deposition temperature of from about 300 ° c . to about 600 ° c . carried out at pressures of from about 50 mtorr to about 5 torr and rf powers of from about 100 watts to about 3000 watts . the rf power frequency is from about 50 khz to about 13 . 56 mhz . compressive stress increases with increasing power and frequency . referring to fig1 c , following formation of the first dielectric layer 24 a , a resist patterning process is carried out to cover one of the nmos and pmos device portions and remove the first dielectric layer remaining exposed over the uncovered portion . for example , in the exemplary order of processing steps shown , a protective resist covering 25 a is formed over the nmos device portion 10 a and the first dielectric layer 24 a formed in tensile stress is removed over the pmos device portion 10 b , e . g ., including over about half the width of the sti feature 14 by a conventional wet etching ( e . g ., hf or hot h 3 po 4 ) or dry etching process . at this point , an annealing process is optionally carried out to simultaneously activate the hdi dopants in the polysilicon gate electrodes 18 a and 18 b and s / d regions e . g ., 20 a and 20 b as well as recrystallize the amorphous polysilicon gate electrode portions formed in the hdi process . for example , the annealing process is preferably carried out at temperatures greater than about 600 ° c ., more preferably greater than about 900 ° c . by conventional annealing techniques . during the annealing process and recrystallization of the amorphous polysilicon portions , the stressed ( strained ) dielectric layer e . g ., 24 a enhances a stress , e . g ., tensile stress imparted to the respective channel region e . g ., 12 a while not affecting ( enhancing ) the stress ( e . g ., compressive ) imparted to the channel region of the device ( e . g ., pmos ) having the stressed dielectric layer first removed , thereby enhancing electron mobility in the nmos device while not degrading electron mobility in the pmos device . it will be appreciated that a compressive stress dielectric layer may be first formed over the nmos and pmos devices 10 a and 10 b followed by removal of that portion of the compressive stress dielectric layer overlying the nmos device 10 a portion followed by an annealing process to impart an enhanced compressive stress to the pmos channel 10 b portion e . g ., 12 b to enhance hole mobility , while not degrading electron mobility in the nmos device . in one embodiment , following the annealing process , the remaining portion of the first dielectric layer 24 a overlying the nmos device 10 a and the oxide buffer layer 23 over both nmos and pmos devices may be removed , for example by sequential wet etching ( e . g ., hot h 3 po4 dip ) or dry etching , followed by a dilute hf wet etching solution dip to remove remaining portions of the oxide buffer layer 23 . referring to fig1 d , in another embodiment , following removal of a portion of the first dielectric layer 24 a ( e . g ., in tensile stress over the pmos device 10 b ), at least one second strained ( stressed ) dielectric layer 24 b is formed over the nmos device 10 a and pmos device 10 b according to preferred embodiments as outlined for the first dielectric layer 24 a , but now preferably formed in an opposite stress relationship , e . g ., compressive stress up to about 2 gpa . referring to fig1 e , a second protective resist layer 25 b is then deposited to cover and protect the pmos device 10 b portion while a portion of the second dielectric layer 24 b overlying the nmos device portion 10 a is removed according to a conventional wet or dry etching process as previously outlined for dielectric layer portion 24 a . for example , for a silicon nitride containing second dielectric layer 24 b , a wet etching process including hf and / or hot h 3 po 4 , or a fluorocarbon and / or hydrofluorocarbon containing dry etching chemistry . at this point , after forming a respective tensile stress dielectric layer e . g ., 24 a over the nmos device and a compressive stress dielectric layer e . g ., 24 b over the pmos device , an annealing process is not necessary if the respective dielectric layers will remain in place to form a protective layer , e . g ., a contact etching stop layer in subsequent processes . on the other hand , if the stressed dielectric layers 24 a and 24 b are desired to be removed to improve a subsequent gap filling process , prior to removal , an annealing process , similar to that previously outlined is preferably carried out to recrystallized amorphous polysilicon portions with the respective stressed dielectric layers in place over one or both of the nmos and pmos devices to transfer a stress to the channel region to form a strained channel thereby improving the charge carrier mobility in at least one and preferably both nmos and pmos devices . advantageously , following formation of the respective tensile stress and compressive stress dielectric layers , e . g ., 24 a and 24 b are left in place to serve both stressors and as protective layers in subsequent manufacturing processes . referring to fig1 f , in a another embodiment , if the dielectric layer portions 24 a and 24 b are removed , and oxide buffer layer 23 , conventional processes may then carried out to complete formation of the nmos and pmos mosfet devices including forming salicide ( self aligned silicide ) portions over the source and drain regions e . g ., 28 a and 28 b , and silicide over the upper portion of the polysilicon electrodes , e . g ., 30 a and 30 b . for example , tisi 2 or cosi 2 silicides are formed by conventional processes including titanium or cobalt deposition followed by silicide formation and annealing processes to achieve the low electrical resistance silicide phase as is known in the art . referring to fig2 is a process flow diagram including several embodiments of the present invention . in process 201 , a an semiconductor substrate including a polysilicon gate electrode is provided . in process 203 a high density implant ( hdi ) doping process is carried out inducing polysilicon gate electrode amorphization . in process 205 , at least one dielectric layer in tensile and / or compressive stress over respective nmos and pmos polysilicon electrodes ( i . e ., tensile stress over nmos and / or compressive stress over pmos ). in process 207 , an annealing process is carried out to activate the hdi dopants and recrystallize the polysilicon gate electrodes forming a desired stress in the semiconductor substrate . in process 209 , the at least one dielectric layer is removed . in process 211 , conventional processes are carried out to complete formation of mosfet devices . thus a method has been presented for selectively delivering a selected stress level and type to a mosfet channel region to improve charge carrier mobility and device performance . among the several advantages of the invention include the fact that the stressed dielectric layer may be deposited at higher temperatures since the deposition temperature is limited by a temperature of amorphous polysilicon recrystallization rather than another phase transformation such as a previously formed silicides . further , since the hdi dopant activation is carried out following formation of the stressed dielectric layer , the temperature of dielectric layer formation does not contribute to dopant deactivation . moreover , an embodiment of the method of the present invention allows the simultaneous formation of a desired level and type of stress in both pmos and nmos devices to improve both hole and electron charge carrier mobility , respectively . other realized advantages include the fact that the stressed dielectric layers may be removed following the stressed channel enhancing process thereby avoiding process window limitations including gap filling ability in a subsequent ild layer deposition process . alternatively , portions of the stressed dielectric layers may be left in place to serve as both stressors and protective layers without the necessity of additional formation processes . advantageously , the method is cost efficient in that the same photomask used for respective nmos and pmos hdi processes may be used to selectively remove stressed dielectric layer portions followed by formation of stressed dielectric layer over respective nmos and pmos devices . the preferred embodiments , aspects , and features of the invention having been described , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous variations , modifications , and substitutions may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as disclosed and further claimed below .
7
the instant new , novel , and unique invention , including methods , means , processes and techniques is based on the discovery that selective removal of elemental mercury from flue gas or the like can produce a reference gas for a zero point calibration at measurement wavelengths for elemental mercury . other components in the flue gas which absorb radiation at the measurement wavelength or wavelengths for mercury are nulled when referenced to the zero point calibration . consequently , elemental mercury in the raw flue gas can then be measured without interference from other components which absorb radiation at the same wavelength ( s ) used for the measurement of elemental mercury . the practice of this invention is generally carried out with a system comprising a uv photometer , a condensing unit , and preferably a gold - containing device to scrub mercury from at least a portion of the flue gas sample which later may be used for purposes of establishing the zero point calibration . the practice of this invention is not limited to a uv photometer . also , if a condensing unit is not used to first remove water from the flue gas before it is introduced into the mercury scrubber heating of the mercury scrubber to about 70 ° c . to prevent water condensation therein is suggested to help prolong the useful life thereof . in order to achieve the foregoing and other objects of the instant invention , the present invention provides a method and means for gases , including a process comprising : ( a ) taking a first sample , preferably in the form of a continuous stream for a predetermined period of time of the waste gas , ( b ) removing from the sample obtained in ( a ) supra , the water and water - soluble components from the stream , ( c ) diverting the stream through a cartridge containing therein gold - coated particulate material to effect removal of elemental mercury , ( d ) measuring the radiation intensity of the resultant stream of first sample as a reference gas ; and ( e ) taking a second sample , preferably in the form of a continuous stream for a predetermined period of time of the waste gas and comparing the radiation intensity measured in said second sample of the raw flue gas to the reference gas intensity to obtain a measure of elemental mercury in the flue gas . in order to practice the instant invention a system was devised to carry out the tests necessary therefore . accordingly , one embodiment of such a system can comprise : a first conduit is provided which communicates between a de - watering unit and the common input of a first transfer valve . a second conduit is provided which communicates between the normally open output of said first transfer valve and the normally open input of second transfer valve . a third conduit is provided which communicates between the common output of said second transfer valve and the input to a photometric analyzer . a fourth conduit is provided which communicates between the normally closed output of the said transfer valve and the input of a mercury scrubber . a fifth conduit is provided which communicates between the output of said mercury scrubber and the normally closed input of said second transfer valve . during a normal measuring cycle which normally last from 20 to 30 minutes a sample stream is passed through a heated sample line to the de - watering unit which condenses and removes the water from the sample gas . this allows the mercury scrubber to be operated at ambient temperature , i . e . about 20 ° to 30 ° c . which extends its life span . a first conduit communicates between the de - watering unit and the first transfer valve which directs the sample stream to a second conduit which communicates between the first and second transfer valve . the second transfer valve directs the sample stream to a third conduit which communicates between the second transfer valve and the photometric analyzer . the sample stream is passed from the third conduit to the photometric analyzer where a photometric analysis records the amount of mercury present . during a zero cycle which occurs every 20 to 30 minutes and lasts about 300 seconds , a first conduit which communicates between the de - watering and the first transfer valve , passes the sample stream to the first transfer valve which directs the sample stream to a fourth conduit which communicates between the first transfer valve and the mercury scrubber . the fourth conduit passes the sample stream to the mercury scrubber where a noble - metal - coated substrate absorbs the mercury but does not affect the other components of the sample stream . the mercury free sample stream now referred to as the zero reference stream passes into a fifth conduit which communicates between the mercury scrubber and the second transfer valve . the second transfer valve directs the zero reference stream to the third conduit which communicates between the second transfer valve and the photometric analyzer . at the start of the zero cycle the photometric analyzer goes into a hold mode at which time the zero reference stream passes through the analyzer for 150 seconds . at the end of the first 150 seconds the photometric analyzer zeroes itself and the transfer valves are switched back to the normal read cycle position described earlier . the photometric analyzer remains in a hold mode for another 150 seconds while the sample stream fills the analyzer . at the end of the second 150 seconds &# 34 ; hold ,&# 34 ; the photometric analyzer goes into a normal read mode . in order that those skilled in the art may better understand how the present invention can be practiced , the following examples are given by way of illustration only and not necessarily by way of limitation , since numerous variations thereof will occur and will undoubtedly be made by those skilled in the art without substantially departing from the true and intended scope and spirit of the instant invention herein taught and disclosed . the measurement instrument which was used in tests comprising the following examples was an existing uv monitoring system of the type described in &# 39 ; 156 , supra . the photometer was configured to measure mercury in the presence of sulfur dioxide . the measurement of elemental mercury at 254 nm in the presence of sulfur dioxide was accomplished by electronically nulling the sulfur dioxide contribution to the elemental mercury measurement . the sulfur dioxide absorptivity at 313 nm is comparable to that at 254 nm . thus , by subtracting the intensity of radiation absorbed at 313 nm from that at 254 nm permitted the mercury absorbance to be measured . the instrument was calibrated for 1 ppb elemental mercury and 1500 ppm sulfur dioxide and was found to accurately measure elemental mercury at values as low as 0 . 2 ppb . the measurement system also incorporated a water - condensing unit upstream of the mercury scrubber unit and the photometer . the water - condensing unit protected the mercury scrubber from water soluble components in the flue gas which could affect its mercury removal life - span and efficiency . the mercury scrubber was located upstream of the photometer and comprised a borosilicate tube of 6 mm diameter containing from 0 . 75 to 1 gram of gold - coated sand held in place with glass wool plugs . during operation , the flue - gas was diverted every 20 minutes through the mercury scrubber to produce a mercury - free reference gas , and the instrument response was nulled on the mercury - free flue gas during a 132 second zeroing operation . upon completion of the zeroing cycle , measurement of the mercury in the flue gas was resumed with the resulting compensated instrument . in the examples given below the gas flow through the instrument was adjusted to 2 l / min . of dry gas matrix . example i illustrates the adverse influence of nitrogen dioxide on the measurement of elemental mercury hg °! in the presence of sulfur dioxide and the elimination of the adverse effect in the preparation and use of a mercury - free reference gas as taught by the instant invention . the gas mixture was variously composed of no 2 at 46 ppm , so 2 at 250 to 1000 ppm , hg ° at 1 . 4 ppb , and n 2 to make up a total flow of 2 l / min . the simulated flue gas was caused to flow either directly through the photometer for a mercury measurement or through the mercury scrubber to produce the mercury - free reference gas and subsequently through the photometer . the nitrogen dioxide effect on the mercury reading is illustrated in tests ( a )-( d ) of table 1 , infra . in table 1 , &# 34 ; by - pass &# 34 ; means that the mercury scrubber was circumvented . as may be seen , fifty ppm of no 2 in n 2 produced a mercury reading of - 0 . 5 ppb in test ( b ). when elemental mercury was added at 1 . 4 ppb ( nist mercury permeation source ) only 0 . 9 ppb of mercury was measured in test ( c ). in test ( d ) the gas mixture flows through the mercury scrubber but the instrument was not zeroed and the resultant reading was - 0 . 5 ppb indicating that the mercury was removed and only nitrogen dioxide was affecting the measurement . in test ( e ) the gas mixture of mercury , nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen passed through the mercury scrubber and the instrument was &# 34 ; zeroed &# 34 ; on the extracted gases , nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen . upon zeroing , the mercury measurement of the gas mix containing the mercury , nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen read correctly at 1 . 4 ppb . tests ( f )-( h ) illustrate that as sulfur dioxide concentration was added from 250 to 500 ppm the instrument compensated for the presence of sulfur dioxide in the gaseous mixture per &# 39 ; 156 , supra . tests ( i )-( k ) show that a gas mix of mercury , sulfur dioxide , nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen passed through the mercury scrubber and the instrument was &# 34 ; zeroed &# 34 ; on remaining sulfur dioxide , nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen . the sulfur dioxide concentration from 500 to 1000 ppm was effectively compensated by the instrument and correctly read the 1 . 4 ppb elemental mercury being generated by the nist tube . table 1______________________________________ mercury instrumenttest hg ° ppb no . sub . 2 ppm so . sub . 2 ppm scrubber zero reading , ppb______________________________________a -- -- -- by - pass 0b -- 50 -- by - pass - 0 . 5c 1 . 4 50 -- by - pass 0 . 9d 1 . 4 50 -- in - line - 0 . 5be 1 . 4 50 -- in - line . check mark . 0f 1 . 4 50 -- by - pass 1 . 4g 1 . 4 50 250 by - pass 1 . 4h 1 . 4 50 500 by - pass 1 . 4i 1 . 4 50 500 in - line . check mark . 0j 1 . 4 50 1000 by - pass 1 . 4k 1 . 4 50 1000 in - line . check mark . 0______________________________________ the measuring instrument was as described with the exception that the 313 nm measurement was disabled eliminating the compensation for the sulfur dioxide concentration as described in &# 39 ; 156 , supra . this example demonstrates that a mercury scrubber composed of gold - coated sand allows for the measurement of elemental mercury at 254 nm wavelength in presence of sulfur dioxide . it should , however , be noted that the procedure in this example is based on the premise of combustor operation parameters wherein so 2 in the gas is relatively constant throughout the burn . accordingly , the use of this method in practice assumes that fluctuations in the concentration of sulfur dioxide are substantially minimal . the sulfur dioxide effect on the elemental mercury reading is demonstrated in tests ( a )-( b ) of table 2 , infra . one hundred ppm of so 2 in n 2 produced a mercury reading of 1 . 9 , an increase of 1 ppb over the actual concentration . in test ( c ) the instrument was zeroed on the reference gas produced after diverting the gas flow through the mercury scrubber , and the mercury measurement corresponds to the concentration generated by the nist tube . the concentration of so 2 was then raised to 800 ppm which produced an 8 . 3 ppb reading for mercury . again , the instrument was zeroed on the reference gas produced by diverting this gas flow through the mercury scrubber and the elemental mercury concentration measurement again corresponded to that generated by the nist tube . the process was repeated with a concentration of 1500 ppm so 2 with the same result . in the final test ( h ), 50 ppm no 2 was added to the gas matrix and in accordance with the predictions , supra , no change in elemental mercury measurement was observed . table 2______________________________________ mercury instrumenttest hg ° ppb so . sub . 2 ppm no . sub . 2 ppm scrubber zero reading , ppb______________________________________a 0 . 9 -- -- -- 0 . 9b 0 . 9 100 -- by - pass 1 . 9c 0 . 9 100 -- in - line . check mark . 0 . 9d 0 . 9 800 -- by - pass 8 . 3e 0 . 9 800 -- in - line . check mark . 0 . 9f 0 . 9 1500 -- by - pass 8 . 3g 0 . 9 1500 -- in - line . check mark . 0 . 9h 0 . 9 1500 50 by - pass 0 . 9______________________________________ the measuring instrument was as described in the lead - in to these examples with the exception that the mercury scrubber was positioned upstream of the water - condensing unit . the mercury scrubber was heated to 70 ° c . to prevent water condensation within the scrubber . with this arrangement , the effects of hydrochloride gas in the presence of 10 % water , and of temperature changes on the mercury scrubber containing the gold - coated sand were evaluated . as data in table 3 infra suggests , a dry gas matrix , a lower scrubber temperature , and a reduced hcl concentration increase the lifetime of the scrubber . test ( 1 ) shows that a lower temperature extends the breakthrough time for the mercury scrubber . the term &# 34 ; breakthrough time ,&# 34 ; as used herein means and is intended to mean the time it takes the mercury scrubber to become saturated and the mercury to begin passing through it , rather than being trapped therein . the saturation , although substantially contributed by mercury may also be attributed to poisoning of the noble - metal surface by other materials such as hcl and so 2 . the effect of hydrochloride gas in the presence of 10 % water vapor is shown in tests ( 3 ) to ( 5 ) to reduce the breakthrough time of the mercury scrubber . in test ( 5 ), 140 ppm hcl in 10 % water vapor saturated the mercury scrubber prior to introduction of the gaseous matrix containing elemental mercury , and accordingly , mercury breakthrough occurred within only 10 minutes . based on the data in the table 3 , infra , the prediction of the useful life - span of the particular gold or sand mercury scrubber without regeneration ranges from about 40 to about 95 days , however , a regular heating interval to rejuvenate the gold affinity for mercury can be easily incorporated into the design to increase life - span of the referencing process . table 3__________________________________________________________________________ prior to wt . au - test , hg ° hcl co hg ° break - coated saturate conc ., h . sub . 2 o conc ., conc ., temp throughtest sand , gms au with : ppb conc ., % ppm ppm ° c . time , hrs__________________________________________________________________________1 0 . 740 -- 1 . 6 -- -- -- 40 2 . 82 0 . 759 -- 1 . 6 -- -- -- 70 1 . 83 0 . 756 -- 1 . 6 10 140 -- 70 1 . 64 0 . 756 -- 1 . 6 10 140 100 70 1 . 55 0 . 728 hcl 1 . 6 10 140 -- 70 0 . 1__________________________________________________________________________ again , the measuring instrument is as described in the lead - in to these examples . the mercury concentration of a simulated flue gas containing 1 . 6 ppb ( v / v ) of elemental mercury , 1500 ppm so 2 , 50 ppm no 2 , 550 ppm no , 140 ppm hcl , 14 % co 2 , 10 % h 2 o , 7 % o 2 was monitored continuously for 84 hours . the instrument was automatically zeroed on the elemental mercury - free reference gas obtained after flowing the simulated gas through a 6 mm id tube containing 1 . 01 grams of gold - coated sand to remove elemental mercury from the gas matrix . the instrument was zeroed every 30 minutes , for a period of 132 seconds , albeit this time can be varied as long as sufficient time is allowed for the cell to be purged with reference gas prior to zeroing and is also allowed sufficient time to refill with sample gas before the resumption of measuring . the mercury generated by a nist calibrated mercury diffusion tube was monitored at 1 . 6 ppb ± 0 . 1 ppb elemental mercury for the 84 hours of the test . this example illustrates that a gold sorbent can selectively remove elemental mercury from a simulated flue gas matrix and can produce a reference gas free of elemental mercury which can be used for zero point calibration of a mercury measurement photometer . after sifting and winnowing through the data herein presented , as well as other results and operations of the instant new , novel , and improved technique , including methods and means for the effecting thereof , the operating variables , including the acceptable and preferred conditions for carrying out the instant , new , and novel invention are summarized below : ______________________________________ operating preferred most preferredvariables limits limits limits______________________________________temp hg ° 0 - 100 ° c . *** 4 - 7 ° c . 25 - 30 ° c . scrubber * water vapor 0 - 15 % 5 - 10 % 7 - 8 % conc . so . sub . 2 conc . ** 0 - 2500 ppm 500 - 1500 ppm 500 - 1000 ppmno . sub . 2 conc . 0 - 500 ppm 1 - 100 ppm 0 - 50 ppmhcl conc . 0 - 200 ppm 0 - 50 ppm 0 - 25 ppm______________________________________ * the hg ° scrubber must be operated above the dew point temperature of the flue gas to prevent water condensation . the higher the temperature of the hg ° scrubber the less hg ° it will hold , so the shorter its operational life will be . ** above 2500 ppm so . sub . 2 the instrument compensation for so . sub . 2 does not work well . *** the hg ° scrubber may be operated above 100 ° c ., but its breakthrough time will be reduced . while we have shown and described particular embodiments of this invention , modifications and variations thereof will occur to those skilled in the art . it is to be understood therefore that the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and variations which are within the true scope and spirit of this invention .
6
the present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments . it is to be noted that the following description of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed . please refer to fig4 . it illustrates a first embodiment of a battery pack 40 with functions of near field communication for use in a mobile phone 41 . the battery pack 40 comprises an antenna 401 , a near - field - communication integrated chip ( nfc ic ) 402 , two ic card holders 403 and a rechargeable lithium ion battery module 404 . the antenna 401 is provided outside of the battery pack 40 and wiredly connected to the nfc ic 402 to transmit rf signals to a remote card reader 42 or a remote tag 43 . the antenna 401 also receives rf signals from the remote card reader 42 or the remote tag 43 and transmits the relevant information to the nfc ic 402 . the rechargeable lithium ion battery module 404 is linked to the nfc ic 402 to provide power to the nfc ic 402 . the rechargeable lithium ion battery module 404 supplies power to the mobile phone 41 as well . the ic card holders 403 are electrically connected to the nfc ic 402 . the ic card holders 403 accommodate two ic cards , i . e ., a subscriber identity module ( sim ) card 405 and a magnetic prepaid card 406 . here the magnetic prepaid card 406 is for contactless transaction in a supermarket . the battery pack 40 is stowed in a battery holder 411 in the mobile phone 41 so that the power can be provided to the mobile phone 41 via a connector ( at the back side of battery pack 40 , not shown ). meanwhile , a dual card controller 407 links to the sim card 405 in the ic card holders 403 . the dual card controller 407 is further linked to another sim card 413 in the mobile phone and provides access to other mobile phone number in the sim card 405 than the one in the sim card 413 . the user of the mobile phone 41 can use two mobile phone numbers with only one mobile phone . the user can also check the data stored in the sim card 405 in the ic card holder 403 via a human - machine interface , for example , a lcd panel 412 on the mobile phone . the nfc ic 402 has information inquiring unit 4021 and communicating unit 4022 . the information inquiring unit 4021 requests the remote card reader 42 or the remote tag 43 to send the relevant information via the antenna 401 to the magnetic prepaid card 406 . the communicating unit 4022 keeps communication between the antenna 401 and the magnetic prepaid card 406 . on the other hand , the remote card reader 42 keeps sending rf inquiry signals to the nfc ic 402 via the antenna 401 to ask for information , such as user name and balanced credit , in the magnetic prepaid card 406 . the nfc ic 402 replies the inquiry and sends the information via the antenna 401 . the nfc ic 402 also sends rf inquiry signals to inquire information , such as price and date of manufacturing , in the remote tag 43 and gets the corresponding information . in the first embodiment , the antenna 401 is assembled outside of the battery pack 41 . alternatively , the antenna 401 can be provided within the battery pack 41 . the battery module 404 is not limited to lithium ion batteries . it can be any rechargeable batteries , such as nickel mental hydride batteries . of course , with different wireless network systems , the sim card 405 can be replaced with usim for wcdma , ruim for cdma2000 , pim for phs , and any smart card for transaction . besides , the battery pack 41 has functions of near field communication even if the battery pack 41 is not connected with the mobile phone 41 . as long as the power is sufficient to drive the antenna 401 and the nfc ic 402 , the near field communication works . as shown in fig5 , a second embodiment shows a design for users to use near field communication without power source from a battery module . in the second embodiment , a battery pack 50 comprises an antenna 501 , a near - field - communication integrated chip ( nfc ic ) 502 , two ic card holders 503 , a rechargeable lithium ion battery module 504 and a switch 507 . the antenna 501 is assembled outside of the battery pack 50 and wiredly connected to the switch 507 . the switch 507 is used for selecting different electrical conduction paths and is in turn linked to the nfc ic 502 and the ic card holders 503 . if the electrical conduction between the antenna 501 and the nfc ic 502 is on , the antenna 501 transmits rf signals from the nfc ic 502 to a remote card reader 52 or a remote tag 53 , receives rf signals from the remote card reader 52 or the remote tag 53 and transmits the relevant information to the nfc ic 502 . the rechargeable lithium ion battery module 504 is linked to the nfc ic 502 to provide power to the nfc ic 502 . the rechargeable lithium ion battery module 504 supplies power to the mobile phone 51 as well . the ic card holder 503 is electrically connected to the nfc ic 502 . the ic card holders 503 accommodate two ic cards , i . e ., a subscriber identity module ( sim ) card 505 and a magnetic prepaid card 506 . here the magnetic prepaid card 506 is for contactless transaction in a supermarket . the switch 507 is connected with the magnetic prepaid card 506 via contacts c 4 and c 8 ( standard ) of the magnetic prepaid card 506 through the ic card holders 503 . the switch 507 is not connected to the sim card 505 . the battery pack 50 is stowed in a battery holder 511 in the mobile phone 51 so that the power can be provided to the mobile phone 51 via a connector ( at the back side of battery pack 50 , not shown ). meanwhile , a dual card controller 508 links to the sim card 505 in the ic card holders 503 . the dual card controller 508 is further linked to a sim card 513 in the mobile phone and provides access to other mobile phone number in the sim card 505 than the one in the sim card 513 . the user of the mobile phone can use two mobile phone numbers with only one device . the user can also check the data stored in the sim card in the ic card holder 503 via the interface , for example , a lcd panel 512 on the mobile phone . the nfc ic 502 has information inquiring unit 5021 and communicating unit 5022 . the information inquiring unit 5021 requests the remote card reader 52 or the remote tag 53 to send the relevant information via the antenna 501 to the magnetic prepaid card 506 . the communicating unit 5022 keeps communication between the antenna 501 and the magnetic prepaid card 506 . the remote card reader 52 keeps sending the rf inquiry signals to the nfc ic 502 via the antenna 501 to ask for information , such as user name and balanced credit , in the magnetic prepaid card 506 . the nfc ic 502 replies the inquiry . the nfc ic 502 also sends rf inquiry signals via the antenna 501 to request information , such as price and date of manufacturing , in the remote tag 53 and gets the corresponding information . when the electrical conduction between the antenna 501 and the ic card holder 503 is on by the switch 507 , the rf inquiry signals from the antenna 501 bypass the nfc ic 502 and are transmitted to the magnetic prepaid card 506 . the magnetic prepaid card 506 will reply the request from the remote card reader 52 via the antenna 501 . the battery pack 50 under this situation is not able to send rf signals via the antenna 501 to request the information in the remote tag 53 . in this embodiment , the antenna 501 is assembled out side of the battery pack 50 . alternatively , the antenna 501 can be provided within the battery pack 50 . the battery module 504 is not limited to lithium ion batteries . it can be any rechargeable batteries , such as nickel mental hydride batteries . of course , with different wireless network systems , the sim card 505 will be replaced with usim for wcdma , ruim for cdma2000 , pim for phs , and any smart card for transaction . while the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiments . on the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims , which are accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures .
7
the following discussion of the embodiments of the invention directed to a current monitoring and control circuit employing a magnetic amplifier and a feedback circuit is merely exemplary in nature , and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its applications or uses . fig4 is a schematic diagram of a current monitoring and control circuit 40 , according to an embodiment of the present invention , that includes a magnetic amplifier 38 . the elements of the magnetic amplifier 38 are the same as the amplifier 10 discussed above and are identified by the same reference numeral . the control circuit 40 includes an active feedback circuit 42 that sets the operating current of the control circuit 40 so that it remains at a fixed operating point defined by a reference voltage v ref , as will be discussed in detail below . by adding the feedback circuit 42 , the full operating range of the circuit 40 is not limited by the range of the amplifier 38 , and can be expanded to the limit of bias circuitry applying a bias voltage v b to the bias winding 14 . further , dependencies of the excitation signal quality and external magnetic field effects are virtually eliminated by the feedback circuit 42 so that the output voltage is more linear . directional sensing ( polarity ) is inherent in this design because of the offset bias current . the bias winding 14 is coupled to the feedback circuit 42 and receives the bias voltage v b . the bias current i b through the bias winding 14 is coupled 180 ° out of phase with the control winding 12 , and therefore acts to cancel the control current i c . the control circuit 40 also includes a negative ac feedback compensation for controlling feedback ac stability . because of the turns ratio of the bias winding 14 to the control winding 12 ( for example , 1000 : 1 ), one milliamp of the bias current i b effectively offsets one amp of the control current i c . in the control circuit 40 , the output voltage of the magnetic amplifier 38 is identified as the gate voltage v g , and the output voltage v 0 is the output of the feedback circuit 42 that is proportional to the control current i c . the feedback circuit 42 includes a feedback comparator or amplifier 44 that receives the reference voltage v ref at its positive input and the gate voltage v b across the resistor 32 at its negative input . in one embodiment , the reference voltage v ref is provided by a precision voltage reference diode 46 , such as an lm 113h diode , and can be , for example , 1 . 2 volts . the output of the feedback amplifier 44 is coupled to the gate terminal of a field effect transistor ( fet ) 48 . the source terminal of the fet 48 is coupled to the bias winding 14 and the drain terminal of the fet 48 is coupled to an output resistor 50 , where the output voltage v 0 across the resistor 50 is proportional to the control current i c in the control winding 12 . therefore , as the output of the feedback amplifier 44 increases , the gate terminal fet 48 is driven higher , and more of the bias current i b from the bias winding 14 is allowed to flow through the resistor 50 to generate the output voltage v 0 . in this design , the bias voltage v b applied to the bias winding 14 is controlled to maintain the gate voltage v g at the fixed operating point . in other words , as the control current i c in the control winding 12 changes , the bias voltage v b is changed so that the gate voltage v b remains constant at the fixed operating point as set by the reference voltage v ref . the bias voltage v b is measured across the resistor 50 to determine the control current i c . the bias current i c cancels the influence of the control current i c by magnetic coupling in the magnetic amplifier 38 . when the control current i c is zero , the bias current i b stabilizes the gate voltage v g at the desired operating point determined by the reference voltage v ref . if the control current i c increases in a positive direction , then the bias current i b is increased to maintain the set point at the output voltage v g , and thus , the output voltage v 0 across the resistor 50 will increase . likewise , if the control current i c increases in a negative direction , then the bias current i b is reduced to maintain the gate voltage v g at the desired operating point , causing the output voltage v 0 across the resistor 50 to decrease . therefore , the control circuit 40 can determine the direction of the control current i c in the control winding 12 because the circuit 40 knows the output voltage v 0 when the control current i c is zero , and thus , it also knows the direction of the control current i c by the value of the output voltage v 0 when the control current i c is not zero . if the gate voltage v g is at a lower potential than the reference voltage v ref , the gate terminal of the fet 48 is driven more positive . as the gate terminal of the fet 48 is driven more positive , the bias current i b is increased through the resistor 50 . because of the gain of the fet 48 , the bias current i b is drawn through the bias winding 14 . an increase in the bias current i b shifts the magnetic flux in the gate windings 16 and 18 towards the saturation region , causing an increase in the gate current i g and an increase in the gate voltage v g . as the gate voltage v g increases towards the reference voltage v ref , the output of the feedback amplifier 44 goes to zero , reducing the drive power applied to the gate terminal of the fet 48 , and the feedback circuit 42 becomes stable . in the stable mode , the gate voltage v g is maintained equal to the reference voltage v ref . the bias current i b is set to the desired zero current operating point of the amplifier 38 . for example , v g is set to 1 . 4 volts . when the control current i c goes more negative , the gate current i g and the gate voltage v g tend to decrease . when the gate voltage v g decreases below the reference voltage v ref , the output of the feedback amplifier 44 drives the gate terminal of the fet 48 more positive . as the gate terminal of the fet 48 is driven more positive , the bias current i b through the resistor 50 increases . conversely , when the control current i c goes more positive , the gate current i g and the gate voltage v g tend to increase . when the gate voltage v g increases above the reference voltage v ref , the output of the amplifier 44 drives the gate terminal of the fet 48 less positive . as the gate terminal of the fet 48 is driven less positive , the bias current i b through the resistor 50 decreases . fig5 is a graph showing the output voltage v 0 of the feedback circuit 42 as a function of the control current i c . a large ac ripple could potentially occur on the bias winding 14 at twice its excitation frequency . therefore , a filtering capacitor 52 is provided to remove this ripple from the output voltage v 0 . also , a dc bias voltage of i b r b , where r b is the value of the resistor 50 , must be subtracted from the output voltage v 0 to remove the offset voltage from the output voltage v 0 . as discussed above , the conventional magnetic amplifier cannot differentiate between a positive control current i c and a negative control current i c . the output voltage v o will go positive when a negative control current i c is present and will also go positive when a positive control current i c is present . the operation of the feedback circuit 42 discussed above allows the control circuit 40 to determine the polarity of the control current i c . however , for the feedback circuit 42 to operate properly , the feedback circuit 42 must always operate on the proper slope of the dual slope ( fig2 ) of the gate voltage v g . a large negative transient control current i c exceeding the design range of the amplifier 38 can erroneously cause the feedback circuit 42 to try to stabilize on the wrong slope of the gate voltage v g . in other words , if the direction of the control current i c is changing faster than the response time of the amplifier 38 , the gate voltage v g may stabilize on the negative slope of the gate voltage v g . this would cause the control circuit 40 to lock up , and not be able to return to the proper operating slope . when the control current i c is driven more negative by an external load demand , the feedback amplifier 44 and the fet 48 will increase the bias current i b ( out of phase with the control current i c ) to compensate for the increase in the control current and maintain the feedback circuit 42 in the stable condition . when the bias current i b can no longer increase due to the supply limitations , the useful range of the feedback circuit 42 is exceeded . as the control current i c continues to increase into the over - range condition , the output voltage v 0 will decrease from the stable reference voltage v ref to zero volts , and then start to increase more positive towards 1 . 2 volts on the negative slope of the gate voltage v g . as the gate voltage v g rises above the reference voltage v ref causing the output of the feedback amplifier 44 to drive the gate of the fet 48 negative , the feedback circuit 42 will lock into saturation on the wrong ( negative ) slope of the output voltage v 0 . to protect against this over - range condition , the control circuit 40 includes a reset circuit 54 to detect if the feedback circuit 42 goes out of its operating range , and to return the feedback circuit 42 to its operating range and the proper slope . the reset circuit 54 is necessary in the event the control current i c changes beyond the rate or amplitude that the feedback circuit 42 can compensate ( for example , & gt ; 2 i o ). if the control circuit 40 is attempting to measure a control current i c that is out of its operating range , then the reset circuit 54 will repeatedly attempt to reset the feedback circuit 42 , until the control current i c returns to the operating range of the amplifier 40 . however , if the reset circuit 54 is triggered because the control current i c is changing its polarity too rapidly , the reset circuit 54 will cause the feedback circuit 42 to return to the proper slope of the gate voltage v g . the reset circuit 54 includes a first comparator 56 and a second comparator 58 . the output of the feedback amplifier 44 is applied to the positive terminal of the first comparator 56 , and the gate voltage v g is applied to the positive terminal of the second comparator 58 . the reference voltage v ref is applied to the negative terminals of the comparators 56 and 58 . the output of the first comparator 56 is applied to the negative input of the feedback amplifier 44 , and the output of the second comparator 58 is applied to the negative input of the first comparator 56 . when the output of the feedback amplifier 44 goes below the reference voltage v ref , the output of the comparator 56 goes low . this pulls the negative input of the amplifier 44 low to try and force the output of the feedback amplifier 44 back into the linear control region . the feedback amplifier 44 and the comparator 56 are electrically coupled in a cross - strap configuration so that they continue to toggle until the over - range condition is corrected . when the negative over - range condition is corrected , the positive input of the comparator 58 senses that the gate voltage v g is reduced below one - half of the reference voltage v ref , and the output of the comparator 58 goes low . the output of the comparator 58 pulls the negative input of the comparator 56 low allowing the output of the comparator 56 to return high , which indicates that it is in the proper operating range of the feedback circuit 42 . the feedback circuit control is reestablished on the correct slope ( negative feedback ) and the closed loop control operates correctly . under large transient load conditions , the feedback circuit 42 can transition from the stable slope where negative feedback controls the feedback circuit regulation to the unstable slope where the feedback goes positive . the reset circuit 54 will respond as with the large dc over - current correct condition , correcting the proper slope after the current transient is terminated . an output of the comparator 56 can set a reset flag so that control circuit knows that the reset circuit 54 has been activated . the control circuit 40 also includes an output circuit 62 including a first amplifier stage 64 , a second amplifier stage 66 and a third amplifier stage 70 . the amplifier stages 64 , 66 and 68 are responsive to the output voltage v 0 and the reference voltage v ref . as will be discussed below , the output circuit 62 removes the zero current offset , identifies the control current i c polarity , and provides the desired output ranges . the amplifier stage 64 includes an output amplifier 72 that provides an indication of the magnitude of a positive control current i c , such as a positive battery charging current v charge in the control winding 12 . the positive input of the output amplifier 72 is coupled to the reference voltage v ref to remove the zero offset bias voltage . the negative input of the output amplifier 72 is coupled to the output voltage v 0 . when the output voltage v 0 is above the reference voltage v ref , the output of the output amplifier 72 is driven to ground indicating the control current i c is zero or negative . as the control current i c becomes more positive causing the output voltage v 0 to decrease below the reference voltage v ref , the output of the output amplifier 72 becomes more positive . the output range of the amplifier 72 is set by selecting the value of resistor 74 . in one example , the gain of the amplifier 72 is set for 5 volt full scale output equal to 16 amps of positive charge control current i c . the second amplifier stage 66 includes an output amplifier 76 that provides an indication of the polarity i direction of the control current i c . the positive input of the output amplifier 76 is coupled to the reference voltage v ref , and the negative input of the amplifier 76 is coupled to the voltage output v 0 of the feedback circuit 42 . when the voltage v 0 is greater than the reference voltage v ref , the output of the amplifier 76 is driven low indicating a negative or discharge control current i c . when the control current i c goes positive , the output voltage v 0 will decrease below the reference voltage v ref , allowing the output of the amplifier 76 to go high to indicate a positive charge current . the third amplifier stage 68 includes a first output amplifier 78 and a second output amplifier 80 that provide an output voltage indication of the magnitude of the negative or discharge control current i c , such as a battery discharge v discharge the negative input of the amplifier 78 is coupled to the reference voltage v ref to remove the zero offset bias voltage , and the positive input of the amplifier 78 is coupled to the output voltage v 0 . as the discharge control current i c increases , the output voltage v 0 will rise above the reference voltage v ref . because the amplifier 78 is coupled as a non - inverting stage , the output of the amplifier 78 will increase as its positive input increases with a predetermined gain factor . the output of the amplifier 78 is coupled to the positive input of the amplifier 80 , which is also coupled as a non - inverting amplifier . the output of the amplifier 80 will also increase with a predetermined gain factor as the output voltage v o increases . in one embodiment , the gain of the amplifiers 72 , 76 , 78 and 80 are set to indicate 16 amps of positive charge current and 60 amps of negative charge current . drifts in the reference voltage v ref are partially compensated and designed because the reference voltage v ref is used to determine the output voltage v 0 , and thus the output current i o , and also to cancel the offset voltage . thus , with a fixed reference voltage v ref , the resistors 32 and 50 can be used to determine the zero offset current , and the resistors 74 and 82 can be selected to determine the output full - scale current ranges for charge and discharge current . the foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely 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 spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims .
6
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings , wherein like reference numerals refer to same elements throughout . the figures are not drawn to scale , for the sake of clarity . it should be understood that when one layer or region is referred to as being “ above ” or “ on ” another layer or region in the description of device structure , it can be directly above or on the other layer or region , or other layers or regions may be is intervened therebetween . moreover , if the device in the figures is turned over , the layer or region will be “ under ” or “ below ” the other layer or region . in contrast , when one layer is referred to as being “ directly on ” or “ on and adjacent to ” another layer or region , there are not intervening layers or regions present . some particular details of the invention will be described , such as an exemplary structure , material , dimension , process step and fabricating method of the device , for a better understanding of the present invention . nevertheless , it is understood by one skilled person in the art that these details are not always essential for but can be varied in a specific implementation of the invention unless the context clearly indicates otherwise , each part of the semiconductor device can be made of material ( s ) well - known to one skilled person in the art . as an initial structure , a soi substrate can be for example silicon - on - insulator substrate , silicon germanium - on - insulator substrate , or multilayer semiconductor - on - insulator substrate . the multilayer semiconductor includes for example group - iii - v semiconductor , such as gaas , inp , gan , sic . a gate conductor can be for example a metal layer , a doped polysilicon layer , or a multilayer gate conductor including a metal layer and a doped polysilicon layer . the metal layer is made of one selected from a group consisting of tac , tin , tatbn , taern , taybn , tasin , hfsin , mosin , rutax , nitax , monx , tisin , ticn , taalc , tialn , tan , ptsix , ni3si , pt , ru , ir , mo , hfru , ruox , and their combinations . a gate dielectric is made of sio 2 or other dielectric insulation material which has a dielectric constant larger than that of sio 2 , such as an oxide , a nitride , an oxynitride , a silicate , an aluminate , and a titanate . the oxide includes for example sio 2 , hfo 2 , zro 2 , al 2 o 3 , tio 2 , la 2 o 3 . the nitride includes for example si 3 n 4 . the silicate includes for example hfsiox . the aluminate includes for example laalo 3 . the titanate includes for example srtio 3 . the oxynitride includes for example sion . moreover , the gate dielectric can be made of those developed in the future , besides the above known materials . fig1 a and 1b are perspective and top views respectively of a structure of a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention . lines a - a ′, 1 - 1 ′ and 2 - 2 ′ in fig1 b indicate where the following cross - sectional views are taken . specifically , line a - a ′ is perpendicular to a length direction of a channel region and through a gate , line 1 - 1 ′ is parallel to the length direction of the channel region and through the channel region , and line 2 - 2 ′ is also parallel to the length direction of the channel region but through an insulating filler between source / drain regions . referring to fig1 a and 1b , a semiconductor device 100 is formed in a semiconductor layer of a soi substrate , which comprises a channel region 11 at a central portion of a fin of semiconductive material , a source region 12 and a drain region 13 at two ends of the fin respectively , a stack of a gate 15 and a gate dielectric 14 disposed adjacent to one side of the fin , and an insulating filler 18 for filling a trench at the other side of the fin . the channel region at the central portion of the fin has relatively small thickness , for example in a range of about 5 - 40 nm . the thickness of the channel region is approximately equal to that of the conventional finfet and provided with a similar self - aligned process . the inventor has found that the gate at one side of the fin , instead of a double gate configuration , can still control the whole channel region and thus suppress the short channel effect if the thickness of the channel region is set to be in the above range . preferably , the semiconductor device further includes stressors 16 , 17 which apply stress to the source region 12 and the drain region 13 respectively . the stressors 16 , 17 contact the source region 12 and the drain region 13 respectively , with a contact area as large as possible so that a contact resistance between the stressors 16 , 17 and the source region 12 and the drain region 13 can be minimized . as shown in fig1 a and 1b , the source region 12 and the drain region 13 include trenches where the stressors 16 , 17 are disposed with one side and a bottom thereof in contact with the source region 12 and the drain region 13 . the stressors 16 , 17 are made of a material inducing a stress in the channel region , which has beneficial effect on electrical property of the transistor . in a case of an n - type mosfet , the stressors 16 , 17 should apply tensile stress towards the channel region in a direction parallel to the source and drain regions so as to maximize mobility of electrons which function as charge carriers . on the other hand , in a case of a p - type mosfet , the stressors 16 , 17 should apply compressive stress towards the channel region in a direction parallel to the source and drain is regions so as to maximize mobility of holes which function as charge carriers . it should be noted that the exemplary structure of the semiconductor device shown in fig1 a and 1b includes stressors 16 , 17 located in conduction paths between the source region 12 and a source contact ( not shown ), and between the drain region 13 and a drain contact ( not shown ). thus , the stressors 16 , 17 are also electrically conductive . for an n - type mosfet , si : c doped with as or p can be used as a material of the stressors . for a p - type mosfet , sige doped with b can be used as a material of the stressors . additional layers and portions of the semiconductor device , which are disposed above the source region 12 , the drain region 13 and the gate 15 , are not shown in fig1 a and 1b , such as gate spacers , a silicide layer , a source contact , a drain contact , a gate contact , an interlayer insulator and vias formed therein , and a passivation layer . in the following contents regarding the process steps of fabricating the semiconductor device , some of the above additional layers and portions related to the semiconductor device will be described , but detailed description of those additional layers or portions ( for example a source contact , a drain contact , and a gate contact ) well known to one skilled person are omitted . for simplicity , the structure of the semiconductor device having been subject to several relevant process steps may be shown in one figure . referring to fig2 , a method of manufacturing semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention starts with an soi wafer which is a stack of a bottom substrate 21 , a buried oxide layer ( box ) 22 and a top semiconductor layer 23 . by a conventional deposition process , such as pvd , cvd , atomic layer deposition , sputtering and the like , a sige layer 24 which has a ge content of about 5 - 15 % and a thickness of about 3 - 20 nm and a si layer 25 which has a thickness of about 30 - 100 nm are epitaxially grown in sequence on the soi wafer . the si layer 25 can be formed either in an independent deposition process or in - situ by using a si target or a precursor in the same chamber after the sige layer 24 is epitaxially grown . then , a hfo 2 layer 26 which has a thickness of about 3 - 10 nm is formed on the si layer 25 by atomic layer deposition or magnetron sputtering . referring to fig3 , by a conventional lithographical process including exposure and development steps , a photoresist pattern 27 in form of a stripe is formed on the hfo 2 layer 26 . referring to fig4 , with the photoresist pattern 27 as a mask , portions of the hfo 2 layer 26 , the si layer 25 , and the sige layer 24 are selectively removed in sequence by dry etching such as ion beam milling , plasma etching , reactive ion etching , laser ablation and the like , so as to provide a stacked structure of the hfo 2 layer 26 , the si layer 25 , and the sige layer 24 in a stripe pattern . two steps may be involved if the reactive ion etching is performed . at the first step , the portions of the hfo 2 layer 26 and the si layer 25 are selectively removed with the sige layer 24 as a stop layer , by choosing a suitable gas in an etching atmosphere . at the second step , a portion of the sige layer 24 is further selectively removed with the top semiconductor layer 23 of the soi substrate as a stop layer , by changing to another type of gas in the etching atmosphere . it is well known to one skilled person that one of the sige layer and the si layer can be selectively removed by , controlling an etch selectivity with a different type of gas in an etching atmosphere being used in the reactive ion etching process . then , the photoresist pattern 27 is removed by ashing or dissolution with a solvent . a conformal thin oxide layer 28 which has a thickness of about 2 - 5 nm is formed on the stacked structure in the stripe pattern and on a exposed portion of the top semiconductor layer 23 of the soi substrate . the thin oxide layer can be formed by a conventional deposition process , such as pvd , cvd , atomic layer deposition , sputtering and the like . then , a conformal nitride layer is firstly formed and then has a portion thereof being removed so as to provide nitride spacers 29 which has a thickness of about 5 - 50 nm at both sides of the stacked structure comprising the hfo 2 layer 26 , the si layer 25 and the sige layer 24 . referring to fig5 , by a conventional lithographical process including exposure and development steps , a photoresist pattern 30 is formed on the structure shown in fig4 so as to mask the spacer at the left side of the stacked structure and its left portion . referring to fig6 , with the photoresist pattern 30 as a mask , the spacer at the right side of the stacked structure is removed by an isotropic etching process , such as conventional wet etching using a solution of etchant . alternatively , the spacer at the right side of the stacked structure can be removed in three steps . at the first step , with the photoresist pattern 30 as a mask , an angular implantation of ge is performed so as to cause damages in the spacer at the right side of the stacked structure . at the second step , the photoresist pattern 30 is removed by ashing or dissolution with a solvent . at the third step , by wet etching or dry etching , the spacer at the right side is selectively removed relative to the spacer at the left side . after the spacer at the right side of the stacked structure is removed , the portion of the thin oxide layer 28 that is exposed on the main surface of the semiconductor structure is selectively removed by choosing a suitable gas in an etching atmosphere for example in an reactive ion etching . then , with the remaining portion of the thin oxide layer 28 , the spacer 29 at the left side of the stacked structure and the stacked structure comprising the hfo 2 layer 26 , the si layer 25 and the sige layer 24 as a hard mask , an exposed portion of the top semiconductor layer of the soi substrate is selectively removed by changing to another type of gas in the etching atmosphere for example in the reactive ion etching , so as to provide a fin 23 ′ of semiconductive material in a self - aligned manner . referring to fig7 , by cvd or atomic layer deposition for example , a conformal thin oxide ( for example , hfo 2 ) layer 26 ′ which has a thickness of about 2 - 4 nm , a conformal metal ( for example , tin , which is a metal ceramic ) layer 31 which has a thickness of about 3 - 10 nm , and a blanket polysilicon layer 32 are formed in sequence on the main surface of the semiconductor structure shown in fig6 . the conformal thin oxide layer 26 ′ will provide a gate dielectric , and the conformal metal layer 31 and the polysilicon layer 32 constitutes a multiplayer gate conductor . preferably , the polysilicon layer 32 can be in - situ doped so as to improve an electrical conductivity . the polysilicon layer 32 covers the whole top of the semiconductor structure . then , the polysilicon layer 32 is subjected to a planarization process such as chemical mechanical polishing ( cmp ). the cmp stops at the top of the metal layer of the multilayer gate conductor so as to provide a flat surface for the semiconductor structure . referring to fig8 , by wet etching or dry etching , a portion of the polysilicon layer 32 is selectively removed relative to the metal layer 31 so that the polysilicon layer 32 is etched back . then , for example by cvd , a blanket oxide layer 33 is formed on the whole surface of the semiconductor structure . the oxide layer 33 is subjected to cmp which stops at the top of the metal layer of the multilayer gate conductor so as to provide a flat surface for the semiconductor structure . consequently , the oxide layer 33 fills the portion of the polysilicon layer 32 removed by etching back . then , for example by cvd , a nitride layer 34 is formed on the main surface of the semiconductor structure . referring to fig9 , by a conventional lithographical process including exposure and development steps , a photoresist pattern 35 in form of a stripe is formed for defining a gate region of the device , the multilayer gate conductor comprising the metal layer 31 and the polysilicon layer 32 . then , with the photoresist pattern 35 as a mask and the buried oxide layer ( box ) 22 of the soi wafer as a stop layer , portions of the nitride layer 34 , the oxide layer 33 , the polysilicon layer 32 , the metal layer 31 and the thin oxide layer 26 ′ that are located outside of the fin 23 ′ are removed in sequence by dry etching , such as ion beam milling , plasma etching , reactive ion etching , laser ablation and the like . corresponding to the cross sectional view of the semiconductor structure along line a - a ′ shown in fig9 , fig1 shows the cross sectional view of the semiconductor structure along line 1 - 1 ′. in the etching step with the photoresist pattern 35 as a mask , a stack of the nitride layer 34 , the oxide layer 33 , the polysilicon layer 32 , the metal layer 31 , and the thin oxide layer 26 ′ is provided on the si layer 25 . before or after the above etching step , an additional masking step and an additional etching step can be involved so as to remove portions of the fin 23 ′, the sige layer 24 and the si layer 25 for defining a length of the fin . fig1 shows the dimension of the length of the fin 23 ′ in a horizontal direction after that . referring to fig1 , still with the photoresist pattern 35 as a mask , portions of the si layer 25 and the sige layer 24 are selectively removed in sequence by dry is etching such as ion beam milling , plasma etching , reactive plasma etching , laser ablation and the like , which stops at the top of the fin 23 ′. consequently , a stack 101 of layers including the nitride layer 34 , the oxide layer 33 , the polysilicon layer 32 , the metal layer 31 , the thin oxide layer 26 ′, the si layer 25 and the sige layer 24 is provided on the fin 23 ′. referring to fig1 , the photoresist pattern 35 is removed by ashing or dissolution with a solvent . then , for example by cvd , a conformal oxide layer 36 which has a thickness of about 2 - 5 nm and a conformal nitride layer 37 which has a thickness of about 10 - 20 nm are formed , in sequence on the whole surface of the semiconductor structure . by dry etching , such as ion beam milling , plasma etching , reactive ion etching , laser ablation and the like , a portion of the nitride layer 37 is removed , with the oxide layer 36 as a stop layer , so as to form nitride spacers 37 at both sides of the fin 23 ′ and the stack of layers 101 respectively . referring to fig1 , with the stack of layers 101 and the nitride spacers 37 as a hard mask , a portion of the oxide layer 36 exposed at the main surface and a portion of the semiconductive material of the fin 23 ′ are removed by dry etching , such as ion beam milling , plasma etching , reactive ion etching , laser ablation and the like , so as to provide trenches 38 at two ends of the fin 23 ′ in its length direction ( i . e . a horizontal direction in the drawing ). a thin layer of semiconductive material , which has a thickness of about 10 nm , remains at the bottom of the trenches 38 . the etching step is performed in a self - aligned manner , where the size of the trenches 38 is defined by the oxide layer 36 and the nitride spacers 37 . fig1 shows an optional step of the manufacturing method according to some embodiments , in which an angular ion implantation is performed through the trenches 38 towards to the central portion of the fin 23 ′ so as to provide halos in channel or in the substrate below the channel ( i . e . a halo implantation ). as a dopant for an n - type mosfet , b or bf 2 may be used . as a dopant for a p - type mosfet , as or p may be used . fig1 shows an optional step of the manufacturing method according to some embodiments , in which an angular ion implantation is performed through the trenches 38 towards to the central portion of the fin 23 ′ so as to provide source / drain extensions ( i . e . an extension implantation ). as a dopant for an n - type mosfet , as or p may be used . as a dopant for a p - type mosfet , b or bf 2 may be used . compared with the halo implantation , the extension implantation uses a relatively small implantation angle and a relatively large implantation energy . consequently , in the extension implantation , most of the implanted ions pass through the thin layer of semiconductive material at the bottom of the trenches 38 so that no amorphous phase occurs in the thin layer of semiconductive material . since the trenches 38 provide a window for ion implantation , and the nitride layer 34 , the oxide layer 36 and the nitride spacers 37 on the surface of the semiconductor structure provide a hard mask , the above extension implantation , halo implantation and the source / drain implantation can be performed in - situ , which reduces the number of masks needed and simplifies the process steps . referring to fig1 , the resultant semiconductor structure is subjected to an anneal treatment , for example spike anneal . the anneal treatment is used to activate the dopants injected at the previous implantation steps and to eliminate implant damages . after the anneal treatment , the doping profile in the fin 23 ′ of semiconductive material is also shown in fig1 , which includes a source region 12 and a drain region 13 provided at the bottom of the trenches 38 , a source extension 12 ′ adjacent to the source region 12 , a drain extension 13 ′ adjacent to the drain region 13 , a source halo 12 ″ adjacent to the source extension 12 ′ and extending towards to the central portion of the fin 23 ′, and a drain halo 13 ″ adjacent to the drain extension 13 ′ and extending towards to the central portion of the fin 23 ′. then , by a conventional deposition process , such as pvd , cvd , atomic layer deposition , sputtering and the like , stressors 39 and epitaxial silicon layer 40 are epitaxially grown in sequence in the trenches 38 . due to the epitaxial growth , the to stressors 39 form only on the thin layer of semiconductive material at the bottom of the trenches 38 . for a p - type mosfet , the stressors 39 may be made of sige which has a ge content of about 20 - 50 % and is doped with b in - situ , so as to apply a compressive stress to the channel region from the source / drain regions after the epitaxial growth to improve an electrical property of the p - type mosfet . for an n - type mosfet , the stressors 39 may be made of si : c which has a c content of about 0 . 5 - 2 % and is doped with as or p in - situ , so as to apply a tensile stress to the channel region from the source / drain regions after the epitaxial growth to improve an electrical property of the n - type mosfet . then , the resultant semiconductor structure is subjected to oxidation so that a top of the epitaxial silicon layer 40 is oxidized and provides a thin oxide layer 36 ′ which has a thickness of about 3 - 10 nm . the epitaxial silicon layer 40 at the top of the stressors 39 is used to provide a high - quality sio 2 layer . referring to fig1 , with the oxide layer 33 formed in the step shown in fig8 as a hard mask and the buried oxide layer 22 of the soi wafer as a stop layer , portions of the metal layer 31 , the thin oxide layer 26 ′, the si layer 25 , the sige layer 24 and the fin 23 ′ are removed in sequence by dry etching such as ion beam milling , plasma etching , reactive ion etching , laser ablation and the like , so as to provide a trench 41 in a self - aligned manner . consequently , a thickness of the fin 23 ′ is reduced to be approximately equal to a sum of the thickness of the oxide layer 28 and that of the nitride spacer 29 . as mentioned above , the channel region is formed in the fin . due to the removed materials in the trench , the stress induced in the channel region is enhanced so as to further improve an electrical property of the device . at the right portion of the sidewall ( i . e . a portion of the inner wall ) of the trench 41 , a portion of the stack of the thin oxide layer 26 ′, the metal layer 31 , the polysilicon layer 32 and the oxide layer 33 remains . in the manufacture of an integrated circuit including a plurality of mosfets having the same structure , the portion of the stack of the thin oxide layer 26 ′, the metal layer 31 , the polysilicon layer 32 and the oxide layer 33 at the right portion of the sidewall of the trench 41 may be used to provide a gate , region for a next mosfet ( not shown in fig1 ), and the insulating filler in the trench 41 may provide a shallow trench isolation . moreover , as shown in fig1 , the nitride spacers 37 formed in the step shown in fig1 remain at the sidewall of the multilayer gate conductor . referring to fig1 , by dry etching such as ion beam milling , plasma etching , reactive ion etching , laser ablation and the like , the portions of the thin oxide layer 26 ′ and the metal layer 31 that remain at the sidewall ( i . e . the right portion of the sidewall shown in fig1 ) of the trench 41 are selectively removed relative to the oxide layer 33 . preferably , ions are implanted into the fin 23 ′ of semiconductive material by an angular ion implantation , followed by an anneal treatment ( for example , laser anneal ) for activating the dopants , so as to provide a super steep retrograde well ( ssrw ) 42 in the fin 23 ′ at the side near the trench 41 . the trench 41 provides a window for ion implantation . the process for forming ssrw can be found in the following documents : 1 ) g . g . shahidi , d . a . antoniadis and h . i . smith , ieee ted vol . 36 , p . 2605 , 1989 2 ) c . fiegna , h . iwai , t . wada , m . saito , e . sangiorgi and b . riccò , ieee ted vol . 41 , p . 941 , 1994 . 3 ) j . b . jacobs and d . a . antoniadis , ieee ted vol . 42 , p . 870 , 1995 . 4 ) s . e . thompson , p . a . packan and m . t . bohr , vlsi tech symp ., p . 154 , 1996 . referring to fig1 and 20 , the spacer 37 at the left side can be removed in three steps . at the first step , with the oxide layer 33 as a mask , an angular ion implantation of ge is performed so as to cause damages in the spacer at the left side , as shown in fig1 . at the second step , the photoresist pattern is removed by ashing or dissolution with a solvent . at the third step , by wet etching or dry etching , the spacer at the left side is selectively removed relative to the spacer at the right side , as shown in fig2 . referring to fig2 , for example by cvd , a conformal thin oxide layer 33 ′ which has a thickness of about 2 - 5 nm is formed on the whole surface of the semiconductor structure . for example by cvd , a nitride is then deposited to a thickness sufficient for filling the trench 41 . the nitride layer is selectively etched back relative to the oxide layer 33 ′ so that the portion of the nitride layer around the trench 41 is completely removed and the nitride filler 43 remains in the trench 41 . referring to fig2 a and 22b , by dry etching such as ion beam milling , plasma etching , reactive ion etching , laser ablation and the like , the oxide is selectively removed relative to the nitride filler 43 . the etching step removes completely the portion of the oxide layer 33 ′ that exposes at the main surface of the semiconductor structure , and the portion of the oxide layer 33 ′ that is located at the sidewall and the bottom of the trench is protected by the nitride filler 41 and remains . consequently , a top surface and a left side of the polysilicon layer 32 of the multilayer gate conductor , and a top surface of the epitaxial silicon layer 40 at the source / drain regions are exposed . the etching step also removes a portion of the buried oxide layer 22 of the soi substrate . referring to fig2 a and 238 , by a conventional silicidation process , a portion of the top surface and the left side of the polysilicon layer 32 of the multilayer gate conductor , and at least a portion of the epitaxial silicon layer 40 at the source / drain regions are converted to a silicide layer , so as to minimize a contact resistance between the gates , the source / drain and the corresponding metal contacts . for example , a ni layer which has a thickness of about 5 - 12 nm is firstly deposited , and then subjected to a heat treatment at a temperature in a range of about 300 - 500 ° c . for about 1 - 10 seconds , so that at least a portion of the polysilicon layer 32 and the epitaxial silicon layer 40 is converted to nisi . finally , the unreacted ni is removed by wet etching . after the steps shown in fig2 - 23 are finished , an interlayer insulator may be formed on the resultant semiconductor structure , and vias may be provided therein , wirings and electrical contacts may be provided on an upper surface of the interlayer insulator in conventional processes well known in the art , so that other parts of the semiconductor device are formed . while the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments , the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be considered as limiting the invention . various modifications and applications may occur for those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .
7
the invention and the resulting advantages can be seen in the following examples of embodiments backed up by the appended figures . the whole dry plant comes from south america or more generally from tropical countries . this plant is ground until a powdered is obtained . the extraction of the ground plant is performed in a mixture of ethanol at 96 . 2 ° h 2 o ( 80 / 20 ); volume / volume at ambient temperature subjected to magnetic stirring and protected from light , for 6 hours . the extract is then filtered through a nylon filter then through a cellulose membrane ( to 0 . 22 microns ). in example 2 , it is then lyophilised to be used diluted to 50 % in maltodextrine . to assess the ability of purified spilanthol and an acmella oleracea extract to produce a reversible blockage of muscular contractions . nerve - muscle co - culture is a culture model which is used to recreate human striated muscle cell innervation with spinal cord and spinal ganglion explants from rat embryos . after 21 days of culture , the muscle fibres formed contract spontaneously . the nerve - muscle co - culture model is a model suited to studying the influence of a substance on muscle contraction frequency , as well as to studying the recuperation of contractile activity after blockage of muscle contractions by a substance . carisprodol at 1 mm is used as a positive control for reversible blockage of muscle contractions . for each selected culture well , a muscle fibre showing regular contractions is referenced . using automated counting software , the number of contractions is counted for 30 seconds for each measurement period : before incubation ( pre - incubation frequency ), during incubation and during the contractile activity recuperation phase after elimination of the substance . each measure was taken in triplicate ( in 3 different wells ) and an activity is considered to be significant when at least 2 fibres out of 3 show the same effect according to the following modulation range : when the frequency of contractions is greater than 120 % of the pre - incubation frequency before adding the substance , we speak of an increase in the frequency of contractions , indicated by +. when the frequency becomes too high to be measurable , we speak of vibration , indicated by vib . when the frequency of contractions is between 80 % and 120 % compared to the pre - incubation frequency before adding the substance , it is not modified and is indicated by 0 . when the frequency of contractions is less than 80 % of the pre - incubation frequency before adding the substance , we speak of a decrease in the frequency of contractions , indicated by — or block ( blockage ) if it is 0 %. we speak of complete recuperation of contractile activity after blockage when at least 2 fibres out of 3 return to a frequency of contraction greater than or equal to 80 % of the pre - incubation frequency of contraction , indicated by +. we speak of incomplete recuperation of contractile activity after blockage when at least 2 fibres out of 3 return to a frequency of contraction between 10 and 80 % of the pre - incubation frequency of contraction , indicated by +/−. lyophilised extract of the aerial portions ( containing flower buds ) of acmella oleracea diluted to 50 % in maltodextrine . spilanthol purified to 97 % from an acmella oleracea extract . the frequency of contraction is determined after 5 minutes , 1 hour and 6 hours of incubation with the substance . at 6 hours , the substance is eliminated and recuperation of contractile activity is studied 1 hour and 24 hours later . the frequency of contraction is determined ( at 5 minutes , 1 hour and 6 hours ) until a blockage of contractions is obtained with the substance . once blockage is achieved , the substance is eliminated and recuperation of contractile activity is studied at 1 hour , 4 hours and 24 hours . at the concentrations ( 40 × 10 − 5 % and 160 × 10 − 5 %), pure spilanthol blocks muscle contractions after 5 minutes of incubation . the blockage is maintained until 6 hours and the fibres remain blocked for 24 hours after elimination of the substance . at a concentration of 600 × 10 − 5 %, the extract blocks the frequency of contraction of muscle fibres after 6 hours of incubation . after washout of the cultures , the muscle fibres totally recuperate their contractile activity in 1 hour . at concentrations of 1 , 200 × 10 − 5 % and 2 , 400 × 10 − 5 %, the extract blocks the frequency of contraction of muscle fibres after 5 minutes of incubation . after washout of the cultures , the muscle fibres totally recuperate their contractile activity in 1 hour . under the conditions of the study , the acmella oleracea extract and the spilanthol compound lead to a blockage of muscle contractions . recuperation of contractile activity is observed in presence of the plant extract but not observed in presence of spilanthol . this difference should probably be attributed to a difference in the protocol since the nerve - muscle system was only incubated for 5 minutes in presence of the extract compared to 6 hours in presence of pure spilanthol . the anti - wrinkle effect of botulinum toxin lies in its ability to inhibit subcutaneous muscle contractions considered to be responsible for expression lines ( deep wrinkles ); the substances tested , given their ability to inhibit contractile activity ( or botox - like effect ), have the same anti - wrinkle potential as botulinum toxin .
0
referring to fig1 , an apparatus for cathodic arc vapor deposition on a substrate , hereinafter referred to as a “ cathodic arc coater ” 10 , is provided having a vessel 12 , means 14 for maintaining a vacuum in the vessel 12 , a cathode 16 , a contactor 18 , and means 20 for sustaining an arc of electrical energy between the cathode 16 and an anode . a coolant supply 22 maintains the coater 10 within acceptable temperatures by cycling coolant through cooling passages within the vessel 12 and contactor 18 . in the preferred embodiment , the means 14 for maintaining a vacuum in the vessel 12 includes a mechanical rough vacuum pump and a high volume diffusion - type vacuum pump piped to the interior of the vessel 12 . other vacuum means may be used alternatively . a cathodic arc coater 10 as described in this paragraph is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 036 , 828 , which is hereby incorporated by reference . referring to fig1 - 3 , the cathode 16 is a substantially cylindrical disk having an axially extending evaporative surface 24 extending between a pair of end surfaces 26 , 28 . the coating to be deposited dictates the material composition of the cathode 16 . the end surfaces 26 , 28 are substantially parallel with one another . the axial length 30 of the cathode 16 is equal to or greater than the anticipated final width of the erosion pattern 32 ( shown in phantom ) along the evaporative surface 24 of the cathode 16 . keeping the erosion pattern 32 between the end surfaces minimizes the possibility that the arc will leave the evaporative surface 24 of the cathode 16 . the cathode 16 has a maximum acceptable evaporative surface 24 heat transfer flux that occurs when subjected to a particular power density value . the term “ heat transfer flux value ” is defined as the average heat transfer value exiting a unit of evaporative surface 24 area of the cathode 16 . the term “ power density ” is defined as the magnitude of electrical power introduced into the cathode 16 ( i . e ., “ cathode amperage ”) divided by the area of the evaporative surface 24 . a portion of the cathode amperage / electrical energy introduced into the cathode 16 exits the cathode 16 via an electrical arc extending between the cathode 16 and an anode , but a significant portion of the energy exits the cathode 16 in the form of thermal energy . the thermal energy is a function of the electrical resistance provided by the cathode material ( e . g ., a cathode that is more electrically conductive will produce less thermal energy than a cathode that is less electrically conductive ). according to the present invention , the thermal flux ( thermal energy / unit area ) exiting the evaporative surface 24 must be below a particular value . that value will depend principally on the cathode material , is associated with a particular power density value , and is dictated by the maximum amount of heat transfer that can occur for that cathode material while maintaining macroscopic particle creation to a tolerable level . the tolerable level will depend upon the application , but in all cases a tolerable level is that which can occur and still produce a coating operable for the application contemplated . an example is provided below . the cathode evaporative surface 24 is sized to create a power density that in turn produces an average heat transfer flux through the evaporative surface 24 that is equal to or less than the maximum acceptable heat transfer flux value for a given cathode amperage . heat transfer at the point of the arc is greater than the maximum acceptable heat transfer flux value . the substrates 82 to be coated are mounted on a platter 34 that preferably rolls into and out of the vessel 12 . the platter 34 includes means for rotating the substrates 82 ( not shown ). the contactor 18 includes a head 36 attached to a shaft 38 . the head 36 is positioned inside the vessel 12 and the shaft 38 extends from the head 36 to outside the vessel 12 . an insulative disk 40 ( see fig1 ) electrically insulates the contactor 18 from the vessel 12 . the contactor 18 preferably further includes a cooling tube 42 coaxially positioned within the shaft 38 , a coolant inlet port 44 ( see fig1 ) connected to the cooling tube 42 , and a coolant exit port 46 connected to the passage 48 formed between the coaxial coolant tube 42 and shaft 38 . the coaxial arrangement between the cooling tube 42 and the shaft 38 allows coolant from the coolant supply 22 to enter the cooling tube 42 and return via the passage 48 between the shaft 38 and the cooling tube 42 , or vice versa . the contactor 18 head includes a cup 50 , a shaft flange 52 , and a magnetic field generator 54 . the shaft flange 52 is fixed to the shaft 38 and the cup 50 is removably attached to the shaft flange 52 . the cup 50 , shaft flange 52 , and shaft 38 are fabricated from an electrically conductive material such as a copper alloy . the magnetic field generator 54 includes a ferromagnetic centerpiece 56 , and a plurality of magnets 58 . the centerpiece 56 includes at least one side surface 60 extending between two end surfaces 62 . the magnets 38 are preferably permanent magnets , although alternative magnetic field sources such as electromagnetics may be used . the magnets 38 are attached to the centerpiece 56 . in all embodiments , the number of magnets 38 can be varied to accommodate the process at hand . referring to fig1 and 2 , apparatus 64 is included for rotating the magnetic field generator 54 . the rotation apparatus 64 includes a rod 66 extending through the coolant tube 42 and into the head 36 where it connects with the ferromagnetic centerpiece 56 . the opposite end of the rod 66 is connected to a variable speed drive motor 68 via a drive belt 70 . in some embodiments , the cathodic arc coater 10 includes an actuator 72 for selectively actuating the contactor 18 into electrical contact with the cathode 16 . the actuator 72 includes a pair of two - way actuating cylinders 74 ( e . g ., hydraulic or pneumatic ) acting between the vessel 12 and a shaft flange 76 attached to the contactor shaft 38 . mechanical apparatus may be used in place of the actuating cylinders 74 . a commercially available controller ( not shown ) can be used to control the position and force of the cylinders ( or mechanical apparatus ). the cathodic arc coater 10 includes a biasing source 78 for electrically biasing the substrates 82 . negatively biasing the substrates 82 relative to the anode makes the substrates 82 electrically attractive to positive ions liberated from the cathode 16 . a contact electrically connects the biasing source 78 to the platter 34 . the substrates 82 , which are electrically connected to the platter 22 , are consequently electrically connected to the biasing source 78 . other means for electrically connecting the substrates 82 to the biasing source 78 may be used alternatively . deflector shields 80 are used throughout the coater 10 to confine the vaporized cathode materials in the area of the substrates 82 . the deflector shields 80 attached to the vessel 12 , platter , and contactor 18 also minimize undesirable material build - up on those surfaces . in the preferred embodiment , the deflector shields 80 attached to the vessel 12 are electrically connected to the vessel 12 and are made of an electrically conductive material resistant to corrosion , such as stainless steel . the means 20 for sustaining an arc of electrical energy between the cathode 16 and an anode includes a direct current ( d . c .) power supply . in the preferred embodiment , the positive lead of the power supply is connected to the vessel 12 , thereby making the vessel 12 act as an anode . the negative lead of the power supply is electrically connected to the contactor shaft 38 . alternative embodiments may use an anode ( not shown ) disposed inside the vessel 12 . an arc initiator 81 , maintained at or near the electrical potential of the vessel 12 , is used to initiate an arc . referring to fig1 , in the operation of the present invention cathodic arc coater 10 , a plurality of substrates 82 and a cathode 16 are attached to the platter 34 and loaded into the vessel 12 . the substrates 82 have been previously degreased and substantially cleaned , although each will likely have some molecular contaminant and oxidation remaining on its exterior surface . the actuating cylinders 74 subsequently actuate the contactor 18 into electrical contact with the cathode 16 and the vessel 12 is closed . the mechanical rough vacuum pump is operated to evacuate the vessel 12 to a predetermined pressure . once that pressure is reached , the high volume diffusion vacuum pump further evacuates the vessel 12 to near vacuum conditions . the substrates 82 are then cleaned of any remaining contaminants and / or oxidation by a method such as “ sputter cleaning ”. sputter cleaning is a process well known in the art and will not be described in detail here . other cleaning methods may be used alternatively . after the substrates 82 are cleaned , the contaminants are purged typically using an inert gas . prior to initiating an arc , several steps are performed . the substrates 82 are electrically biased via the biasing source 78 , making them electrically attractive to positive ions emitted from the cathode 16 . the substrates 82 are rotated at a predetermined rotational speed . the power supply is adjusted to produce a cathode amperage that establishes an arc having a predetermined current , but no arc is initiated . the vacuum pumps are operated to establish and maintain a predetermined vacuum pressure of gas within the vessel 12 . coolant is cycled through the cooling passages within the vessel 12 and contactor 18 . specific process parameters will depend upon factors such as the substrate material , the material to be coated , and the desired characteristics of the coating , etc . once the aforementioned steps have been completed , the arc initiator 81 is brought into and out of contact with the evaporative surface 24 of the cathode 16 , causing an arc to jump between the arc initiator 81 and the evaporative surface 24 . the arc initiator 81 is subsequently moved a distance away from the cathode 16 , preferably radially outside of the substrates 82 . once the arc initiator 81 is no longer proximate the cathode 16 , the arc jumps between the cathode 16 and the deflector shields 80 electrically connected to the vessel 12 ( or directly between the cathode 16 and the vessel 12 ). the magnetic field generator 54 positioned in the contactor 18 drives the arc spot along the evaporative surface 24 of the cathode 16 . to be more specific , each side magnet produces a magnetic field that permeates the cathode 16 and runs substantially parallel to the cathode evaporative surface 24 . the direction of the magnetic field vector 57 depends upon the orientation of the magnet poles , and all the magnets 58 are oriented in like manner . a vector 59 representing the electric arc , in contrast , extends away from the evaporative surface 24 in a substantially perpendicular direction . together , the magnetic field and the electric current of the arc create a force ( the hall effect ) on the arc that causes the arc to travel a distance around the circumference of the cathode 16 . the dwell time of the arc at any particular arc spot is inversely related to the hall effect force ; i . e ., an increase in the hall effect force , causes a decrease in the dwell time . a person of skill in the art will recognize that decreasing the dwell time reduces the occurrence of macroscopic particles that can adversely affect the uniformity and surface finish of the deposited coating . the individual magnetic fields of the magnets 58 disposed along the side surface ( s ) of the ferromagnetic centerpiece 56 , in close circumferential proximity to one another , collectively force the arc to circle the cathode evaporative surface 24 along an arc path . the number of magnets 58 , the relative spacing of magnetic fields emanating from the magnets 58 , and the intensity of those magnetic fields can be adjusted to satisfy the application at hand . in some applications , however , it is advantageous to further include a magnet 84 ( see fig3 ) disposed proximate the center of the ferromagnetic centerpiece 56 . the magnetic field of the centrally located magnet appears to favorably influence the geometry of the magnetic fields emanating from the magnets 58 disposed along the side surfaces 60 of the ferromagnetic centerpiece . the energy delivered by the arc causes the material at the arc spot to vaporize , thereby liberating atoms , molecules , ions , electrons , and particles from the cathode 16 . the biased substrates 82 attract the ions , causing them to accelerate toward the substrates 82 . the ions strike the exterior surface of the substrates 82 , attach , and collectively form a coating of the cathode material . the rate at which material is liberated from the cathode 16 and deposited onto the substrate ( s ) within the vessel 12 ( i . e ., the deposition rate ) is predominantly a function of the magnitude of the cathode amperage . the maximum deposition rate for a given cathode material is dictated by the maximum acceptable heat transfer flux value for the evaporative surface 24 of the cathode 16 , which is a function of the arc current magnitude . the maximum acceptable heat transfer flux for a given disk - shaped cathode 16 comprising a particular material can be determined by empirical methods , including but not limited to , inspection of the applied coating to ascertain density , grain size , etc . once the maximum acceptable heat transfer flux , and therefore power density , is known for the given cathode material , the deposition rate can be increased by increasing both the cathode amperage and the surface area of the cathode 16 in a ratio that maintains the heat transfer flux at or below the determined maximum acceptable heat transfer flux value . as an example , a cathode 16 comprising a titanium alloy ( e . g ., ti - 8al - 1mo - 1v ) is provided having a four - inch diameter and a two - inch axial height . cathode amperage is applied to the cathode 16 and increased until the frequency and / or magnitude of macro particles and cathode melting exceeds a predetermined tolerable level . analysis of the coatings applied at different cathode amperages provides the information necessary to establish the predetermined tolerable level . in our experience , 450 amperes of electrical power applied to the above - described four - inch diameter titanium alloy cathode 16 produces a power density of approximately 16 amperes per square inch of evaporative surface 24 , which in turn produces a maximum acceptable heat transfer flux out of the evaporative surface 24 of the cathode 16 . the deposition rate at a cathode amperage of 450 amperes is in the range of approximately 1 . 5 mils to 2 . 0 mils per hour . increasing the magnitude of the electrical power applied to the same cathode 16 geometry yields a higher deposition rate , but the applied coating is less desirable . increasing the cathode evaporative surface area by , for example , increasing the diameter to six inches while maintaining the axial height at two - inches , decreases the power density and heat transfer flux out of the evaporative surface 24 . as a result , the current applied to the cathode 16 can be increased . a current of approximately 600 amperes applied to the six - inch diameter cathode 16 comprising the aforesaid titanium alloy , creates the same power density and heat transfer flux as 450 amperes does for the four - inch diameter cathode 16 . at a cathode amperage of 600 amperes , however , the deposition rate increased to within the range of approximately 3 . 5 mils to 4 . 0 mils per hour ; i . e ., at least twice the deposition rate possible with the four - inch cathode 16 . referring to fig1 , when a coating of sufficient thickness has been deposited on the substrates 82 , the power supply is turned off and the arc extinguished . the vessel 12 is purged with inert gas and brought to ambient pressure . the contactor 18 is actuated out of contact with the cathode 16 and the platter is removed from the vessel 12 . the substrates 82 are subsequently removed from the platter and new substrates 82 attached . the loaded platter is then inserted back into the vessel 12 in the manner described earlier and the process repeated . although this invention has been shown and described with respect to the detailed embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention .
2
while the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions , certain illustrated embodiments thereof have been shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail . it should be understood , however , that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed , but , on the contrary , the invention is to cover all modifications , alternative constructions , and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims . in the following description and in the figures , like elements are identified with like reference numerals . the use of “ e . g .,” “ etc ,” and or indicates non - exclusive alternatives without limitation unless otherwise noted . the use of “ including ” means “ including , but not limited to ,” unless otherwise noted . fig1 shows an example of the da vinci wine press screw . a frame 16 contains a threaded hole which conjugately engages upper screw 11 . a piston 15 contains a threaded hole which conjugately engages a finer pitched thread 12 . as the operator twists the turning handle 17 , the external threads 11 and 12 engage the conjugate internal threads in the frame 16 and piston 15 forcing the piston 15 into the container 13 . grooved slides 14 limit rotation of the piston 15 with respect to the frame 16 . as the operator turns the handle , the shaft advances downward toward the container 13 . the piston 15 advances upward away from the container 13 but at a slower rate . the combined effect of these two motions is to advance the piston 15 into the container 13 at slower rate than could be achieved by either set of threads alone . by employing threads 11 and 12 of differing pitches , the press of fig1 achieves a mechanical advantage unobtainable in leonardo &# 39 ; s day with one thread pitch alone . note , however , that the press of fig1 requires that the different threads 11 and 12 must be located at different sections of the shaft . additionally , the conjugate internal threads for 11 and 12 must be located in different locations . fig2 is a view of one embodiment of an adjustment shaft 20 for use in the adjustment bracket of the invention , in which multiple thread paths ( compound differential threads ( cdt )) are located on a shaft . two differing thread paths 21 and 22 exist in the same area along the shaft of fig2 . these threads can differ in a number of ways , including , but not limited to handedness ( right hand or left hand ), pitch , thread form or number of thread starts . fig3 shows a detailed view of an embodiment of the adjustment shaft of the invention where two threads of differing pitches exist on the same portion of a shaft . thread 31 is of a coarser pitch while thread 32 is of a finer pitch . both threads exist on the same shaft in the same location . this is another example of compound differential threads ( cdt ). the threads are together or compounded , while being of diverse kinds or differential . fig3 also shows how the valley of one thread occasionally cuts the peak of the other thread . this effect called over - running can reduce the load capacity is some situations but does not prevent operation of either thread or conjugate internal threads ( not shown ). fig4 shows an example of two compound differential threads 41 and 42 with the valley of thread 41 cutting across the peak of thread 42 . this is the condition called over - running . in applications where strength is important , the effects of over - running can be compensated by increasing the number of thread engagements between the outside threads 41 and 42 and the conjugately engaging inside threads of a bracket or hole ( not shown ). fig5 shows one embodiment of a compound differential ( cdt ) bracket , also referred to as an adjustment bracket 24 . within the bracket 24 , two different types of inside threads 51 and 52 exist in the same bracket 24 in the same longitudinal location . similar to the outside threads of fig2 - 4 , the threads of fig5 can differ in a number of ways , including , but not limited to , handedness ( right hand or left hand ), pitch , thread - form or number of thread starts . the inside threads of fig5 also demonstrate over - running similar to the outside compound differential threads ( cdt ). fig6 is an embodiment of a bracket 24 which is split or severed along its axis , for a first bracket subunit and a second bracket subunit . this is an example of a longitudinally severed segment ( lss ) nut ( bracket ) with internal threads . the bracket 24 of fig6 has two halves or subunits 61 and 62 . the two subunits each have a different type of internal threads . the two subunits 61 and 62 can fit around a cdt shaft 20 with each half conjugately engaging one of two different thread types on the cdt shaft . note also that an lss bracket 24 is easily assembled on a cdt shaft simply by placing each bracket 24 segment on the shaft in engagement with the conjugate threads . it is not required to turn the bracket 24 to thread it along the length of the shaft . fig7 shows the two subunits of an lss bracket 24 similar to fig6 surrounding and conjugately engaging the threads of the cdt shaft of fig2 . in this embodiment the threads 21 on the cdt shaft conjugately engage the threads on the lss bracket subunit 61 , while the threads 22 of the cdt shaft conjugately engage the threads on the lss subunit 62 . as the shaft 20 is turned , but held stationary along its longitudinal axis , the two bracket subunits 61 and 62 move at different rates . if the two thread types differ by handedness , such as right hand and left hand , the lss subunits 61 and 62 , while restrained from rotation , will move in different directions as the cdt shaft 20 is turned . if the two thread types differ by pitch , the subunits 61 and 62 will move in the same direction but at different rates as the cdt shaft 20 is turned . a numerical example demonstrates the benefit of a cdt shaft coupled with an lss bracket 24 . suppose in fig7 , the conjugate threads 21 and 61 have a pitch of 20 threads per inch ( tpi ) while the conjugate threads 22 and 62 have a pitch of 25 threads per inch ( tpi ). with each turn of the shaft 20 , lss bracket 24 61 moves 1 / 20 or 0 . 050 inches . with each turn of the shaft 20 , lss bracket 62 moves 1 / 25 or 0 . 040 inches . if both sets of threads 21 / 61 and 22 / 62 are the same handedness , the brackets move in the same direction but at different rates . the difference is 0 . 050 - 0 . 040 or 0 . 010 inches per turn of the shaft 20 . this differential movement is equivalent to a single thread ( non - cdt , non - lss ) pitch of 100 threads per inch . a pitch of 100 threads per inch is more difficult to manufacture due to the fine pitch . thus , the cdt - lss combination offers several advantages especially in applications requiring precise motion . fig6 and 7 show an lss bracket . fig8 shows an embodiment of an adjustment shaft subunit , or lss shaft . the lls shaft 81 has outside threads and is in form of a half - pipe . other embodiments include a half shaft where the center of the shaft 81 is solid . attachment points 82 and 83 enable the connection of the shaft 81 to other devices ( not shown ). another shaft of similar shape to shaft 81 , but with differing threads can form a complete full circle shaft . the two lss shafts can then be captured by a cdt bracket as will be shown in a following diagram . this , as well as fig9 , 10 , and 11 , are examples of an adjustment shaft in which the different thread paths are on different subunits , and the threads do not completely circumvolve the shaft . in fig9 three lss shaft subunits 91 , 92 , and 93 illustrate yet another embodiment . while the discussion of fig8 suggested two lss shafts , fig9 shows how three lss shafts can be put together . a cdt bracket 24 ( not shown ) with three thread types can surround , capture and conjugately engage with the different threads of lss shafts 91 , 92 and 93 . when the cdt bracket is held stationary in the longitudinal axis , the three lss shafts 91 , 92 and 93 will move linearly at different rates so long as the lss entities are prevented from rotating when the cdt bracket is turned . fig1 expands on the concepts of fig8 and 9 to show an embodiment of four lss shaft subunits 101 , 102 , 103 and 104 . in fig1 the four lss shafts can have four different thread types or a mix . an example of a mix is where lss shafts 103 and 104 share a common thread type and a common helix while lss shafts 101 and 102 share a different thread type and their own common helix . the corresponding cdt bracket ( not shown ) contains as many thread types as needed to conjugately engage all the thread types on the lss shafts 101 - 104 . the number of lss shafts possible is conceivably unlimited . fig1 shows an embodiment where the three lss shafts of fig9 are captured by a cdt bracket 110 . the cdt bracket 110 of fig1 has three different overrunning internal threads to conjugately engage a corresponding thread on each of the lss shafts 91 , 92 , and 93 . depending upon the thread handedness and pitch , the lss shaft subunits 91 - 93 move at different axial rates and / or directions as the cdt bracket 110 is turned while the lss entities are rotationally restrained . while the embodiment of fig1 shows three lss shafts , a person skilled in the related mechanical arts will recognize that many different numbers of lss shafts and thread types are possible . the advantages of mixing thread pitches to achieve fine differential motion as discussed in fig7 are also possible with the embodiment of fig1 . in fig1 , the cdt bracket 110 is split into three sections . while not always required , this alternate embodiment of a split bracket enables rapid and easy assembly of lss shafts with cdt brackets . other embodiments include forming the bracket 110 as the rotor of a motor to form a linear actuator . as the rotor - bracket 110 rotates , the lss shafts 9 , 92 , and 93 move in an axial manner . still other embodiments ( not shown ) include fixed members between the lss shafts to allow axial movement of the shafts 91 , 92 and 93 while preventing rotation of the shafts . fig1 shows another embodiment of an lss bracket similar to that of fig6 . a cdt shaft ( not shown ) conjugately engages the internal threads in the hole 121 formed by the two lss bracket subunits 122 and 123 . together , the two brackets 122 and 123 can provide a range of differential axial movement between them from very fine to very coarse depending on thread type . such an embodiment is quite useful . one example application may be an adjustable platform on an optical bench while other applications enable precise measuring devices similar to micrometers . fig1 shows an embodiment where the lss bracket subunits 132 , 133 and 134 are elongated . earlier embodiments shown lss brackets of shorter dimension . in some applications , longer lss brackets are possible . increasing the length and therefore the number of threads engaged , enables the lss / cdt combination to exert more force among the members . the cdt shaft 131 turns to move the rotationally restrained lss bracket subunits 132 , 133 and 134 according to their respective thread types . it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to what has been described hereinabove merely by way of example . while there have been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of this invention , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other embodiments , changes , and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention and that it is , therefore , aimed to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . while there is shown and described the present preferred embodiment of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that this invention is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied to practice within the scope of the following claims . from the foregoing description , it will be apparent that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims .
5
methods and apparatuses for updating database systems are described . note that in this description , references to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” mean that the feature being referred to is included in at least one embodiment of the invention . further , separate references to “ one embodiment ” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment ; however , neither are such embodiments mutually exclusive , unless so stated and except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art . thus , the invention can include any variety of combinations and / or integrations of the embodiments described herein . fig1 illustrates an exemplary architecture according to one embodiment of the invention . a user system 100 communicates with a database system 110 via an interface 130 . the interface 130 may be a command line interface or a graphical user interface . the operations specified by a user of the user system via an interface 130 are performed utilizing application programming interface ( api ) 150 calls . for example , addition of a new employee data to a data storage 120 is performed via an api call of an add_employee function according to one embodiment , wherein the add_employee function adds the new employee data to an employee data table of the data storage 120 . code objects 160 access data storage 120 via synonyms 140 in response to an api call . a synonym is an alternative name of a database table , database view or another synonym . synonyms represent a convenient way to address tables that are contained in another schema . for example , if a view called employee_details is contained in the schema called humanresources_department , the full name of the view is humanresources_department . employee_details . this view may be referenced from the schema called marketing_department by its fully qualified name as given above . alternatively , a synonym may be created for the view in schema marketing_department , e . g . emp_details , to associate with the view humanresources_department . employee_details . then the name emp_details can simply be used to refer to the view humanresources_department . employee_details . in other words , a synonym is a pointer to a database table , view or another synonym . it will be appreciated that user system and database system may reside on the same processing system , or may communicate via network connections in a local or wide area networks . with these concepts in mind embodiments of the invention can be further described with reference to fig2 . at 200 , when the data storage 120 and / or application code objects 160 need to be updated , a schema of the database system 110 is generated and stored in an update storage space 300 , illustrated in fig3 , while the database continues running in the original storage space according to one embodiment of the invention . in one embodiment the schema is generated upon initialization of the database system 110 . in alternative embodiment the schema is generated when the database system 110 needs to be updated . package specifications and bodies , synonyms , views , functions and procedures , triggers , object types , object privileges and system privileges of the database system 110 are maintained in the schema 110 ′. the layout of the data storage 120 is copied into the update storage space 300 , the data itself stored in the data storage 120 is not maintained to reduce unnecessary data replication time . in one embodiment , the data storage layout may be stored in the different schema to separate locations of the application code and data storage . at 210 the necessary changes are introduced into the schema 110 ′, for example , to the data storage 120 ′ data layout and / or into the application code objects 160 ′. for example , a set of new tables may be added to the data storage , a set of new columns may be added to a table , a new partition may be added to a table , code objects that access and manipulate data in the new partition may be introduced , etc . it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to any particular changes and any changes can be made to the data storage 120 ′ layout and or application code objects 160 ′ in the update storage space . at 220 the schema 110 ′ is tested in the update storage space 300 to ensure that all the introduced changes are compatible with the rest of the apis 150 ′, code objects 160 ′ and database layout components . if errors are encountered , the necessary changes are introduced into the rest of the apis 150 ′, code objects 160 ′ and database layout components in the update storage space to ensure compatibility with the introduced changes . in one embodiment of the invention , upon successful testing of the updated schema , the database system 110 is taken off - line at 230 . in one embodiment prior to taking the database system 110 off - line , the schema 110 ′ is synchronized with the database system 110 to ensure that changes that were introduced into the database system 110 while the schema was updated are incorporated into the schema . upon synchronization the testing of the schema may be necessary . at 240 the necessary changes are introduced into the data storage 120 to match the updated data storage 120 ′. synonyms 140 ′ are then repointed to the data storage 120 in the original database storage space at 250 , as illustrated in fig4 . at 260 , the user system 100 is directed to communicate with the repointed database system as illustrated in fig5 . the database downtime for system updates is thereby significantly reduced . in another embodiment of the invention , upon successful testing of the schema , at 600 of fig6 the database system 110 is taken off - line and at 610 the necessary changes are introduced into the database 110 , synonyms 140 , and the application code objects 160 . the changes may be introduced by replacing the code objects , synonyms and data storage of the original database system with a copy of the updated schema . alternatively , only portions of the original database system corresponding to the updated portions of the schema are modified . once the database system is updated , the system is placed back online at 620 . the database downtime is reduced as the updates have been already tested prior to their introduction into the original database system . it will be appreciated that physical processing systems , which embody components of database system described above , may include processing systems such as conventional personal computers ( pcs ), embedded computing systems and / or server - class computer systems according to one embodiment of the invention . fig6 illustrates an example of such a processing system at a high level . the processing system of fig7 may include one or more processors 700 , read - only memory ( rom ) 710 , random access memory ( ram ) 720 , and a mass storage device 730 coupled to each other on a bus system 740 . the bus system 740 may include one or more buses connected to each other through various bridges , controllers and / or adapters , which are well known in the art . for example , the bus system 740 may include a “ system bus ”, which may be connected through an adapter to one or more expansion buses , such as a peripheral component interconnect ( pci ) bus or an extended industry standard architecture ( eisa ) bus . also coupled to the bus system 740 may be the mass storage device 730 , one or more input / output ( i / o ) devices 750 and one or more data communication devices 760 to communicate with remote processing systems via one or more communication links 765 and 770 , respectively . the i / o devices 750 may include , for example , any one or more of : a display device , a keyboard , a pointing device ( e . g ., mouse , touch pad , trackball ), and an audio speaker . the processor ( s ) 700 may include one or more conventional general - purpose or special - purpose programmable microprocessors , digital signal processors ( dsps ), application specific integrated circuits ( asics ), or programmable logic devices ( pld ), or a combination of such devices . the mass storage device 730 may include any one or more devices suitable for storing large volumes of data in a non - volatile manner , such as magnetic disk or tape , magneto - optical storage device , or any of various types of digital video disk ( dvd ) or compact disk ( cd ) based storage or a combination of such devices . the data communication device ( s ) 760 each may be any device suitable to enable the processing system to communicate data with a remote processing system over a data communication link , such as a wireless transceiver or a conventional telephone modem , a wireless modem , an integrated services digital network ( isdn ) adapter , a digital subscriber line ( dsl ) modem , a cable modem , a satellite transceiver , an ethernet adapter , internal data bus , or the like . the term “ computer - readable medium ”, as used herein , refers to any medium that provides information or is usable by the processor ( s ). such a medium may take may forms , including , but not limited to , non - volatile and transmission media . non - volatile media , i . e ., media that can retain information in the absence of power , includes rom , cd rom , magnetic tape and magnetic discs . volatile media , i . e ., media that cannot retain information in the absence of power , includes main memory . transmission media includes coaxial cables , copper wire and fiber optics , including the wires that comprise the bus . transmission media can also take the form of carrier waves ; e . g ., electromagnetic waves that can be modulated , as in frequency , amplitude or phase , to transmit information signals . additionally , transmission media can take the form of acoustic or light waves , such as those generated during radio wave and infrared data communications . thus , methods and apparatuses for updating databases have been described . although the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments , it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims . accordingly , the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense .
6
the only limitations with respect to the dye and / or pigment that may be used in this invention is that the same is / are safe for topical application , compatible with a lipophilic carotenoid and suitable to be used to generate a composition with the color characteristics as defined herein . such dyes and / or pigments are preferably those that are allowed in all cosmetic compositions , including those that may come in contact with lips . illustrative non - limiting examples of the types of dyes and / or pigments that may be used in this invention include pigment red 4 , food red 1 , acid orange 7 , pigment red 57 , food yellow 3 , acid red 33 , food red 12 , acid yellow 23 , food yellow 4 , food green 3 , food blue 2 , acid blue 9 , solvent red 43 , acid red 87 , solvent red 48 , acid red 92 , solvent violet 13 , acid violet 43 , solvent green 3 , acid green 25 , vat red 1 , pigment metal 1 , pigment blue 29 , pigment white 21 , pigment white 22 , pigment white 14 , pigment white 31 , pigment brown 6 , or pigment red 101 , pigment 102 , pigment brown 6 , pigment yellow 42 , pigment yellow 43 , pigment black 11 , pigment white 18 , pigment violet 16 , pigment white 6 , pigment white 4 , mixtures thereof or the like . in a preferred embodiment , the first colorant is a red ( azo ) dye ( food red 1 ) sold under the name ponceau sx ( cas 4548 - 53 - 2 ), made commercially available from suppliers like sensient technologies , spectrum chemicals & amp ; laboratory products as well as alfa chem . the second colorant suitable for use herein is limited only to the extent that the same may be used in a cosmetic composition and is a lipophilic carotenoid ( i . e ., coloring antioxidant ) having a logp of greater than about 12 . 5 . illustrative non - limiting examples of the types of carotenoids suitable for use in this invention include beta - carotene , lycopene , lutein , astaxanthin , β - cryptoxanthin , mixtures thereof or the like . in a preferred embodiment , however , the carotenoid used herein is lycopene which is available from suppliers like dsm nutritional products and parry nutraceuticals . often , the weight ratio of first colorant : second colorant equals 0 . 004 to about 1 , 000 . preferably , the weight ratio of first colorant : second colorant is from about 1 : 6 to about 6 : 1 , and most preferably , from about 1 : 3 to about 3 : 1 , including all ratios subsumed therein . in an especially preferred embodiment , the total colorant ( first and second colorant ) used in this invention is less than about 0 . 4 %, and preferably , less than about 0 . 25 %, and most preferably , less than a bout 0 . 1 %, based on total weight of the topical composition . optional additives may be added to the topical composition of the present invention in order to yield a desired end use composition . for example , such an end use topical composition may optionally contain a skin conditioning agent . these agents may be selected from humectants , exfoliants or emollients . humectants are polyhydric alcohols intended for moisturizing , reducing , scaling and stimulating removal of built - up scale from the skin . typical polyhydric alcohols include polyalkylene glycols and more preferably alkylene polyols and their derivatives . illustrative are propylene glycol , dipropylene glycol , polypropylene glycol , polyethylene glycol , sorbitol , glycerin , hydroxypropyl sorbitol , hexylene glycol , 1 , 3 - butylene glycol , 1 , 2 , 6 - hexanetriol , ethoxylated glycerin , propoxylated glycerin and mixtures thereof . most preferably , the humectant is glycerin . amounts of humectant may range ( if used ) anywhere from about 0 . 01 to 15 %, preferably from about 0 . 01 to about 10 %, optimally from about 0 . 75 to about 5 % by weight . exfoliants suitable for use in the topical compositions of the present invention may be selected from alpha - hydroxycarboxylic acids , beta - hydroxycarboxylic acids and salts of these acids . often , the exfolliants , when employed , make up from about 0 . 1 to about 6 % by weight of the topical composition . most preferred are glycolic , lactic and salicylic acids and their ammonium salts . a wide variety of c 2 - c 30 alpha - hydroxycarboxylic acids may be employed . suitable examples include : α - hydroxyethanoic acid α - hydroxypropanoic acid α - hydroxyhexanoic acid α - hydroxyoctanoic acid α - hydroxydecanoic acid α - hydroxydodecanoic acid α - hydroxytetradecanoic acid α - hydroxyhexadecanoic acid α - hydroxyoctadecanoic acid α - hydroxyeicosanoic acid α - hydroxydocosanoic acid α - hydroxyhexacosanoic acid , and α - hydroxyoctacosanoic acid . when the conditioning agent is an emollient it may be selected from hydrocarbons , fatty acids , fatty alcohols and esters , whereby the emollients ( when used ) typically make from about 0 . 1 to about 25 % by weight of the total weight of the topical composition . petrolatum is the most preferred hydrocarbon type of emollient conditioning agent . other hydrocarbons that may be employed include mineral oil , polyolefins such as polydecene , and parafins such as isohexadecane ( e . g . permethyl 99 ® and permethyl 101 ®)). fatty acids and alcohols ( as emollients ) suitable for use often have from 10 to 30 carbon atoms . illustrative of this category are pelargonic , lauric , myristic , palmitic , stearic , isostearic , hydroxystearic , oleic , linoleic , ricinoleic , arachidic , behenic and erucic acids and alcohols . oily ester emollients suitable for use in the topical compositions made according to this invention can be those selected from one or more of the following classes : examples include castor oil , cocoa butter , safflower oil , cottonseed oil , corn oil , olive oil , cod liver oil , almond oil , avocado oil , palm oil , sesame oil , squalene , kikui oil and soybean oil . 2 . acetoglyceride esters , such as acetylated monoglycerides . 3 . ethoxylated glycerides , such as ethoxylated glyceryl monostearate . 4 . alkyl esters of fatty acids having 10 to 20 carbon atoms . methyl , isopropyl , and butyl esters of fatty acids are useful herein . examples include hexyl laurate , isohexyl laurate , isohexyl palmitate , isopropyl palmitate , isopropyl myristate , decyl oleate , isodecyl oleate , hexadecyl stearate , decyl stearate , isopropyl isostearate , diisopropyl adipate , dilsohexyl adipate , dihexyldecyl adipate , diisopropyl sebacate , lauryl lactate , myristyl lactate , and cetyl lactate . 5 . alkenyl esters of fatty acids having 10 to 20 carbon atoms . examples thereof include oleyl myristate , oleyl stearate , and oleyl oleate . 6 . ether - esters such as fatty acid esters of ethoxylated fatty alcohols . 7 . polyhydric alcohol esters . ethylene glycol mono and di - fatty acid esters , diethylene glycol mono - and di - fatty acid esters , polyethylene glycol ( 200 - 6000 ) mono - and di - fatty acid esters , propylene glycol mono - and di - fatty acid esters , polypropylene glycol 2000 monooleate , polypropylene glycol 2000 monostearate , ethoxylated propylene glycol monostearate , glyceryl mono - and di - fatty acid esters , polyglycerol polyfatty esters , ethoxylated glyceryl monostearate , 1 , 2 - butylene glycol monostearate , 1 , 2 - butylene glycol distearate , polyoxyethylene polyol fatty acid ester , sorbitan fatty acid esters , and polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters are satisfactory polyhydric alcohol esters . 8 . wax esters such as beeswax , spermaceti , myristyl myristate , stearyl stearate . the topical compositions of the present invention should contain substantial levels of water . such compositions often contain water in amounts ranging from 50 to 90 %, preferably from 55 to 85 % by weight , whereby the topical compositions of this invention can comprise water - in - oil or oil - in - water emulsions . other emollients which may be used are generally classified as siloxanes or silicon derivatives . illustrative non - limiting examples include materials like dimethicone , cyclopentasiloxane , cross - linked siloxane based polymers and mixtures thereof . surfactants can be a further optional additive of the topical compositions made according to the present invention . these may be selected from nonionic , anionic , cationic or emulsifying agents . they may range , when used , in amount anywhere from about 0 . 1 to about 25 % by weight . illustrative nonionic surfactants are alkoxylated compounds based on c 10 - c 22 fatty alcohols and acids , and sorbitan . these materials are available , for instance , from the shell chemical company under the neodol trademark . copolymers of polyoxypropylene - polyoxyethylene , sold by the basf corporation under the pluronic trademark , are sometimes also useful . alkyl polyglycosides available from the henkel corporation may also be utilized for purposes of this invention . anionic type surfactants include fatty acid soaps , sodium lauryl sulphate , sodium lauryl ether sulphate , alkyl benzene sulphonate , mono - and di - alkyl acid phosphates and sodium fatty acyl isethionate . amphoteric surfactants include such materials as dialkylamine oxide and various types of betaines ( such as cocoamidopropyl betaine ). still other optional additives suitable for use in the topical compositions of this invention include thickeners . such thickeners are often generally classified as carboxylic acid polymers , cross - linked polyacrylate polymers , polyacrylamide polymers or the like . typical thickeners include cross linked acrylates ( e . g . carbopol 982 or carbopol ultrex 10 ), hydrophobically - modified acrylates ( e . g . carbopol 1382 ), cellulosic derivatives and natural gums . among useful cellulosic derivatives are sodium carboxymethylcellulose , hydroxypropyl methylcellulose , hydroxypropyl cellulose , hydroxyethyl cellulose , ethyl cellulose , polyacrylamide comprising thickeners ( like sepiger ™ 305 ) and hydroxymethyl cellulose . gums suitable for the present invention include guar , xanthan , magnesium aluminum silicate ( veegum ), sclerotium , carrageenan , pectin and combinations of these gums . amounts of the thickener may range from 0 . 0001 to 5 %, usually from 0 . 001 to 1 %, optimally from 0 . 01 to 0 . 5 % by weight , based on total weight of the topical composition and including all ranges subsumed therein . typically , the optional additives used in the topical composition of this invention , collectively , make up less than about 30 %, and preferably , less than about 15 %, and most preferably less than about 10 % by weight of the topical composition , based on total weight of the topical composition and including all ranges subsumed therein . optional , but especially preferred additives which may be used in the topical composition of this invention include sunscreen or ultra violet light blocking materials . illustrative compounds are paba , and derivatives of cinnamic and salicylic acid . for example , octyl methoxycinnamate and 2 - hydroxy - 4 - methoxy benzophenone ( also known as oxybenzone ) can also be used . octyl methoxycinnamate , 2 - ethylhexyl - p - methoxycinnamate ( parsol mcx ®), and 2 - hydroxy - 4 - methoxy benzophenone are all commercially available . others which may be used include octocrylene , butylmethoxydibenzoyl methane ( parsol 1789 ®) and phenylbezimidazole sulfonic acid . the preferred ultraviolet light blockers are parsol 1789 ® and parsol mcx ®, and especially , a mixture of the same at a weight ratio from about 1 : 6 to about 6 : 1 , and preferably , from about 1 : 5 to about 5 : 1 , and most preferably , from about 1 : 4 to about 4 : 1 , including all ranges subsumed therein . typically , the amount of ultraviolet light blocker used in this invention , when desired , is from about 0 . 5 to about 10 %, and preferably , from about 0 . 75 to about 6 %, and most preferably , from about 1 to about 5 % by weight , based on total weight of the topical composition and including all ranges subsumed therein . even other optional but especially preferred additives that may be used with the topical composition of this invention include physical scatterers ( like tio 2 and / or zno ), skin lighteners like niacinamide , coumarin derived compounds 4 - hydroxyphenylpyruvate , 3 - propionylbenzothiazol - 2 - one , mixtures thereof or the like , skin care chelators ( like edta ), benefit agents like a linoleic acid , retinol and derivatives thereof or mixtures thereof , other antioxidants , like , vitamin c , vitamin e , and derivatives thereof ( like sodium ascorbyl phosphate and tocopherol acetate ), mixtures thereof or the like . when used , these other especially preferred optional additives , collectively , make up from about 0 . 01 to about 12 %, and preferably , from about 0 . 1 to about 7 % by weight of the topical composition , based on total weight of the topical composition and including all ranges subsumed therein . preservatives can desirably be incorporated into the compositions of this invention to protect against the growth of potentially harmful microorganisms , and therefore , are yet another class of optional but especially preferred additives . while it is in the aqueous phase that microorganisms tend to grow , microorganisms can also reside in the oil phase . as such , preservatives which have solubility in both water and oil are preferably employed in the present compositions . suitable traditional preservatives are alkyl esters of para - hydroxybenzoic acid . particularly preferred preservatives for use in this invention are methyl paraben , propyl paraben , sodium dehydroxyacetate , phenoxyethanol and benzyl alcohol . preservatives are preferably employed in amounts ranging from 0 . 01 % to 3 % by weight of the topical composition . in an especially preferred embodiment , the preservative employed is methyl paraben , propyl paraben or a mixture thereof , and the weight ratio of preservative to ultraviolet light blocker employed is from about 1 : 8 to about 8 : 1 , and preferably , from about 1 : 6 to about 6 : 1 , and most preferably , from about 1 : 4 to about 4 : 1 , including all ratios subsumed therein . minor adjunct ingredients may also be included such as fragrances , antifoam agents , and colorants , each in their effective amounts to accomplish their respective functions . when making the compositions of the present invention , the desired ingredients can be mixed , in no particular order , and usually at temperatures from about ambient to about 65 ° c . and under atmospheric pressure . in a preferred embodiment , however , water is added to oil . the viscosity of the topical composition prepared according to this invention is typically from about 2 , 000 to about 400 , 000 cps , and preferably from about 3 , 000 to about 300 , 000 cps , and most preferably , from about 5 , 000 to about 225 , 000 cps taken at a shear rate of 1s − 1 at ambient temperature with a strain controlled parallel plate rheometer ( like those sold by t . a . instruments under the ares name ). the colorants used herein may be encapsulated ( either or both , if desired ) by conventional techniques . such techniques include the use of cyclodextrin , whereby the conventional technique is further described in eur . j . org . chem . 2005 , pages 4051 - 4059 . when applying the topical composition of this invention , the consumer is typically directed to use approximately 0 . 1 g of composition for about every 5 cm 2 of skin in order to yield a healthy and desirable skin color . the packaging for the compositions of this invention is not limited and can include a bottle , tube , foil wrap , roll - ball applicator , squeeze container or lidded jar . the examples below are provided to illustrate the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims . topical compositions , according to this invention , were made by combining the following ingredients : topical compositions similar to those made in example 1 were stored for about three ( 3 ) months at ambient temperature . unexpectedly , the color of the compositions in packaging and when applied ( after the three ( 3 ) month period ) remained substantially the same as the color when the compositions were first made . the topical compositions when made and after storage satisfied the l * and hue characteristics described herein .
0
referring now to the drawings there is shown in fig1 a wheeled vehicle 9 having four wheels each with a tire 10 . this vehicle 9 is illustrative of any type of motorized or non - motorized vehicle that may be moved over a supporting surface 11 . each tire 10 has an anti - scuff device 12 mounted thereon to provide a surface anti - scuff system for the vehicle 9 . each surface anti - scuff device 12 includes an anti - scuff or non - scuffing member 14 shown in the form of a single rectangular strip of material of a preselected width and length that is sized according to tire size that is wider than the tire tread so it will overlay the tire tread and a portion of each sidewall of the tire with the strip being fastened to the tire along both sides . the strip is secured at the ends by folding the opposite end portions 14a and 14b of the strip 14 against one another and securing them as with stitching 15 to form the strip 14 into a closed loop having substantially the same circumference as the circumference of the tire to which it is secured . a first folded side edge portion 16 is provided along an inner side edge of the material 14 and a second folded side edge portion 18 is provided along the opposite outer side edge of the material . these edge portions 16 and 18 are formed as by stitching at lines 22 and 24 , respectively . a first draw line 26 is provided in the first folded edge portion 16 and a second draw line 28 is provided in the second folded side edge portion so that the draw lines 26 and 28 can be used to draw the strip of material 14 tightly against the circumference and portion as of the sidewalls on both sides of the tread of the tire . the opposite end portions of the draw lines are shown held by a conventional line clamp 29 having a hole through which two of the draw lines extend and a spring biased button that releases when depressed . the draw lines could also be tied in a suitable , readily releasable knot . at each end of each folded side edge portion and at the connected end portions 14a and 14b a corner portion 31 of the material is folded over and secured as by stitching 32 to provide a double - thickness beveled edge portion 33 . this enables each draw string to be pulled on a straight line so there is uniform pull and no bunching up of the material . a material found suitable for this anti - scuff member 14 is cordura ® plus manufactured by dupont company . this product is a pliable , tightly woven nylon , preferably a plain weave that will readily conform to the exterior surface of the tread and sidewalls of the tire and is provided with an inside coating or layer to make it water resistant . it is found that if this strip is held tightly to the tire , tread and along the sides that vehicles with rubber tires can be driven over a surface to prevent or substantially prevent scuffing the surface or without significantly scuffing the surface . an alternative embodiment shown in fig8 and 9 has a stretchable strip of material 42 of a suitable elastic material fastened at and between folded end portions of the anti - scuff member 14 to enable the closed loop to stretch slightly over a limited width . this stretchable strip of material 42 is shown sewn to the ends as by stitching indicated at 43 . although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity , it is understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example and that changes in details of structure may be made without departing from the spirit thereof .
8
the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to fig6 - 9 . each of the embodiments will be described as a control operation of the primary / non - primary base station mode controller 206 at a base station , which may be implemented by a control program running on a program - controlled processor in the primary / non - primary base station mode controller 206 . as described before , the primary / non - primary base station mode controller 206 in each of the base stations updates the interim controlled transmission power value p1 depending on the base station selection code word e - 002 to produce a final controlled transmission power value p2 . referring to fig6 , a first embodiment of the present invention controls the transmission power taking into consideration the amount of loss of a base station selection signal or code word . more specifically , the primary / non - primary base station mode controller 206 inputs the base station selection code word from the base station selection signal demodulator 204 ( step s 601 ) and measures the amount of loss of the base station selection code word ( step s 602 ). the amount of loss of the base station selection code word may be the number of punctured bits as shown in fig3 c or the ratio of the number of punctured bits to the number of all bits of the base station selection code word . hereafter , the amount of loss of the base station selection code word is denoted by l cw . subsequently , it is determined whether the amount of loss of the base station selection code word , l cw , is greater than a threshold l th ( step s 603 ). the threshold l th may vary depending on the length of the base station selection code word . if l cw & gt ; l th ( yes at step s 603 ), then it is determined that the demodulated base station selection code word is not sufficiently reliable and the final controlled transmission power value p2 is set to the interim controlled transmission power value p1 inputted from the transmission power controller 205 , that is , p2 = p1 ( primary base station mode ), ( step s 604 ). in other words , the transmission power is not suppressed regardless of whether the base station itself is the primary base station or not . if l cw is equal to or lower than l th ( no at step s 603 ), then the base station identification number bs_id rsv is detected from the base station selection code word ( step s 605 ). then , it is determined whether the base station identification number bs_id rsv is identical to the identification number id of its own ( step s 606 ). if the base station identification number bs_id rsv is identical to the own identification number id ( yes at step s 606 ), then the final controlled transmission power value p2 is set to the interim controlled transmission power value p1 , that is , p2 = p1 ( primary base station mode ), ( step s 604 ). if the base station identification number bs_id rsv is not identical to the own identification number id ( no at step s 606 ), then the final controlled transmission power value p2 is set to a predetermined minimum transmission power value p min , that is , p2 = p min ( non - primary base station mode ), ( step s 607 ). the predetermined minimum transmission power value p min may be 0 . the final controlled transmission power value p2 is output to the transmission controller 207 ( step s 608 ). alternatively , if the base station identification number bs_id rsv is not identical to the own identification number id ( no at step s 606 ), it may be further determined whether the reception quality of the base station selection code word satisfies a predetermined level . if the reception quality does not satisfy the predetermined level , then it is determined that the demodulated base station selection code word is not sufficiently reliable , and the final controlled transmission power value p2 may be set to the interim controlled transmission power value p1 ( step s 604 ). as described above , in the case where the amount of loss of the base station selection code word is greater than the threshold , in other words , where the demodulated base station selection code word is not sufficiently reliable , the transmission power is not suppressed regardless of whether the base station itself is designated as the primary base station or not . referring to fig7 , a second embodiment of the present invention controls the bs mode update timing so that synchronization among the primary / non - primary mode update timings of base stations is achieved . more specifically , the primary / non - primary base station mode controller 206 inputs the base station selection code word from the base station selection signal demodulator 204 ( step s 701 ) and detects the base station identification number bs_id rsv from the base station selection code word e - 002 ( step s 702 ). then , variable i is set to the number of a current slot and variable j is set to the number of a slot conveying the last part of the base station selection code word ( step s 703 ). thereafter , it is determined whether the following equation ( 1 ) is satisfied ( step s 704 ): where tos is waiting time for mode update , fn is the number of slots included in one frame , and x mod y is an operator whose result is the remainder of a division operation ( x / y ). in other words , the base station mode updating operation is not performed until the current slot reaches a slot numbered ( j + tos ) mod fn . when the equation ( 1 ) is satisfied ( yes at step s 704 ), it is determined whether the base station identification number bs_id rsv is identical to the identification number id of its own ( step s 705 ). if the base station identification number bs_id rsv is identical to the own identification number id ( yes at step s 705 ), then the final controlled transmission power value p2 is set to the interim controlled transmission power value p1 inputted from the transmission power controller 205 , that is , p2 = p1 ( primary base station mode ), ( step s 706 ). if the base station identification number bs_id rsv is not identical to the own identification number id ( no at step s 705 ), then the final controlled transmission power value p2 is set to a predetermined minimum transmission power value p min , that is , p2 = p min ( non - primary base station mode ), ( step s 707 ). the predetermined minimum transmission power value p min may be 0 . the final controlled transmission power value p2 is output to the transmission controller 207 ( step s 708 ). alternatively , if the base station identification number bs_id rsv is not identical to the own identification number id ( no at step s 705 ), it may be further determined whether the reception quality of the base station selection code word satisfies a predetermined level . if the reception quality does not satisfy the predetermined level , then it is determined that the demodulated base station selection code word is not sufficiently reliable , and the final controlled transmission power value p2 may be set to the interim controlled transmission power value p1 ( step s 706 ). referring to fig8 , a time slot is denoted by reference symbol j - 001 and each transmission signal has a frame structure where fn (= 15 ) slots are numbered from 0 to 14 . for simplicity , it is assumed that two base stations 1 and 2 transmit downlink transmission signals j - 002 and j - 003 to the mobile station with the respective transmission timings ( propagation delays : d 1 and d 2 ) adjusted so that the downlink transmission signals arrive at the mobile station within an acceptable time deviation . accordingly , the mobile station receives the downlink transmission signals j - 002 as a downlink reception signal j - 004 from the base station 1 and , at the approximately same time , receives the downlink transmission signals j - 003 as a downlink reception signal j - 005 from the base station 2 . the mobile station transmits an uplink transmission signal j - 006 to the base stations 1 and 2 a time period of transmission timing offset t tr after the downlink reception signals j - 004 and j - 005 have been received . as described before , the uplink transmission signal j - 006 includes the base station selection code word such that respective parts of the base station selection code word are conveyed in the dedicated fields as shown in fig3 b . the base station 2 receives the uplink transmission signal j - 006 as an uplink reception signal j - 007 with a propagation delay time of d 3 and the base station 1 receives the uplink transmission signal j - 006 as an uplink reception signal j - 008 with a propagation delay time of d 4 . it is assumed that an entire base station selection code word is received when the slot numbered 14 has been received , that is , j = 14 , and the mode update waiting time tos is set to 3 , fn = 15 . in this case , ( j + tos ) mod fn = 2 . therefore , the base station 1 performs the actual mode update at the slot j - 017 numbered 2 . similarly , the base station 1 also performs the actual mode update at the slot j - 017 numbered 2 . in this manner , from the standpoint of the mobile station , the primary base station update timing of the base station 1 is in synchronization with that of the base station 2 . it is preferable that the waiting time tos is as short as possible to achieve high - speed mode switching . since the propagation delay and processing delay in a base station may vary , it is possible to make the waiting time tos variable during communication . further , the waiting time tos may be varied depending on the number j of the slot conveying the last part of the base station selection code word . in this case , the primary base station mode update timing at the mobile station can be set to a desired timing . referring to fig9 , a third embodiment of the present invention is a combination of the first and second embodiments . steps s 901 - s 905 are the same as the steps s 701 - s 705 of fig7 , respectively . if the base station identification number bs_id rsv is identical to the own identification number id ( yes at step s 905 ), then it is determined whether the amount of loss of the base station selection code word , l cw , is greater than a threshold l th ( step s 906 ). if l cw & gt ; l th ( yes at step s 906 ), then it is determined that the demodulated base station selection code word is not sufficiently reliable and the final controlled transmission power value p2 is set to the interim controlled transmission power value p1 inputted from the transmission power controller 205 , that is , p2 = p1 ( primary base station mode ), ( step s 604 ). in other words , the transmission power is not suppressed regardless of whether the base station itself is the primary base station or not . if l cw is equal to or lower than l th ( no at step s 906 ), then the final controlled transmission power value p2 is set to a predetermined minimum transmission power value p min , that is , p2 = p min ( non - primary base station mode ), ( step s 908 ). the final controlled transmission power value p2 is output to the transmission controller 207 ( step s 909 ). alternatively , if the base station identification number bs_id rsv is not identical to the own identification number id ( no at step s 905 ), it may be further determined whether the reception quality of the base station selection code word satisfies a predetermined level . if the reception quality does not satisfy the predetermined level , then it is determined that the demodulated base station selection code word is not sufficiently reliable , and the final controlled transmission power value p2 may be set to the interim controlled transmission power value p1 ( step s 907 ). as described above , according to the present invention , when the amount of loss of a base station selection signal received from a mobile station exceeds a predetermined level due to an uplink puncturing operation of the mobile station , the base station mode is set to the primary mode regardless of whether the base station selection signal instructs the base station itself to be the primary base station or not . therefore , such a decision error that the base station is erroneously set to the non - primary base station mode due to reception error can be effectively eliminated , resulting in stable and reliable quality of a downlink signal from the base station to the mobile station . further , since the update timings of the base stations are in synchronization with each other in the downlink signal received at the mobile station , loss of a downlink signal caused by loss of synchronism can be avoided without the need of an added circuit for monitoring the mode update timing at the mobile station .
7
fig1 a - c illustrate an instrument that provides the functionality of three pulse oximeters in one . fig1 a illustrates a full - featured handheld pulse oximeter 101 . fig1 b illustrates a full - featured standalone pulse oximeter 105 . fig1 c illustrates an upgrading pulse oximeter 109 . as shown in fig1 a , the handheld 101 contains the majority of the pulse oximeter features . pulse oximetry measurement information , as well as instrument status data is displayed to a user on a handheld lcd screen 210 ( fig2 a ). user input is handled through control keys 220 - 260 ( fig2 a ) on a front panel . user input and displays are controlled by the handheld 101 . a sensor cable 10 connects into a swivel connector 20 on the handheld 100 . the handheld 101 is battery powered and can be used either as a transport monitor or as a handheld pulse oximeter for spot checks . a handheld release button 30 is pressed to pull the handheld 101 out of a docking station 103 ( fig1 b ). as shown in fig1 b , the handheld 101 snaps into the docking station 103 to provide the standalone pulse oximeter 105 . the docking station 103 connects to ac power for standalone operation or handheld battery charging . in one embodiment , a docking station battery is also available . the standalone pulse oximeter 105 features an analog output / nurse call and a serial output that interfaces to , for example , a printer or computer . as shown in fig1 c , utilizing an interface cable 107 , the standalone 105 also interfaces to the sensor port of an spo 2 module of a validated multiparameter patient monitor or other pulse oximeter monitor so as to upgrade conventional pulse oximetry to advanced pulse oximetry . the interface cable 107 attaches to the back of the docking station 105 . a handheld pulse oximeter , docking station , standalone pulse oximeter and interface cable are described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 516 , 110 filed mar . 1 , 2000 entitled “ universal / upgrading pulse oximeter ,” assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated by reference herein . pulse oximeters having handheld , docking stations and standalone features include those commercially available from , for example , masimo corporation of irvine , calif ., under the radical ™ brand . an associated publication entitled “ radical , signal extraction pulse oximeter , operator &# 39 ; s manual ,” © 2001 masimo corporation is incorporated by reference herein . interface cables are also available from , for example , masimo corporation under the satshare ™ brand . fig2 a - c generally illustrate a pulse oximeter user interface . fig2 a illustrates a handheld user interface having the display 210 , the fixed function keys 220 - 240 , programmable function keys (“ soft keys ”) 260 , associated soft key icons 270 and a loudspeaker 280 . the loudspeaker 280 provides an audio indication of alarms , which are described with respect to fig1 a - b , below . the display 210 is described with respect to fig4 - 6 , below . the four soft keys 260 are pressed to select a corresponding one of the soft key icons 270 . the soft key icons 270 indicate the software menu items that can be selected through the soft keys 260 . pressing a soft key 260 next to an icon 270 selects the option . the soft keys 260 and soft key icons 270 are described with respect to fig8 a - b , below . as shown in fig2 a , the fixed function keys 220 - 240 include a power / standby button 220 , an alarm silence button 230 and a backlight / contrast button 240 . the power / standby button 220 is pressed to turn the instrument on , and it is held down for more than 2 seconds and then released to turn the instrument off . the alarm silence button 230 is pressed to temporarily silence patient alarms . also , the alarm silence button 230 is pressed when sensor off or no sensor messages are flashing , such as when the sensor is removed from the patient , to acknowledge the end of monitoring . in these states , all further alarms are suspended until the pulse oximeter starts measuring oxygen saturation ( i . e . spo 2 ) and pulse rate again . system fault alarms can be silenced by pressing the power / standby button 220 or the alarm silence button 230 . the backlight / contrast button 240 is pressed to change the illumination level of the backlight . with the ac line power connected , four levels of illumination are available in addition to a no illumination level . in the handheld mode , three levels of illumination are available in addition to a no illumination level . the lowest illumination is used for the most efficient battery usage . the backlight / contrast button 240 is also used to change the contrast of the lcd display by pressing and holding it for longer than two seconds to begin the contrast change and releasing it at the desired contrast setting . [ 0048 ] fig2 b illustrates a standalone user interface having led indicators 290 in addition to some or all of the interface features of the handheld , described above . when the handheld is placed into the docking station , the handheld can become a full - featured standalone pulse oximeter . the standalone acts as a battery charger for the handheld and has ac power connection capabilities . the standalone can also interface to serial devices , nurse call or analog output devices , and multiparameter patient monitors through an interface cable . [ 0049 ] fig2 c illustrates the standalone led indicators 290 including a docking station battery charging indicator 292 , a handheld battery charging indicator 294 , a visual alarm indicator 295 , an ac power indicator 297 and a docking indicator 299 . the docking station battery charging indicator 292 is illuminated when the docking station battery is charging . the handheld battery charging indicator 294 also is illuminated when the handheld battery is charging . both charging indicators 292 , 294 blink just prior to charging . neither charging indicator 294 illuminates when a battery is fully charged or when a battery is not present . the visual alarm indicator 295 is illuminated when an alarm condition is active and the alarm status indicator is shown . the ac power indicator 297 is illuminated when the docking station is plugged into ac line power . the docking indicator 299 is illuminated when the handheld is turned on and is properly interfaced to a docking station . when the standalone is turned on at start up , all indicator leds initially turn on and off . [ 0051 ] fig3 provides a hierarchical overview 300 of the content of the user display 210 ( fig2 a ) having display views 310 , display view soft key icons 320 , main menu and trend view 330 , submenus 340 , trend soft key icons 350 and trend - related screens 360 . there are three display views 310 including a pleth only view 400 , described with respect to fig4 a pleth and signal quality view 500 , described with respect to fig5 a - c , and a numeric view , described with respect to fig6 . as shown in fig3 there are two pages of soft key icons 320 that appear in the display views 310 . a first page of icons 801 includes a main menu icon 814 ( fig8 a ) that , when selected , provides a main menu 900 . the main menu 900 includes soft key icons 820 ( fig8 a ) that allow selection of the submenus 340 . a second page of icons 802 include a trend icon 864 ( fig8 b ) that , when selected , provides a trend view 1000 . the trend view 1000 includes three pages of trend soft key icons 350 . one of the trend soft key icon pages 350 provides for the selection of the trend - related screens 360 . the display view icons 320 , main menu icons 820 ( fig8 a ), and trend icons 350 are described with respect to fig8 a - b , below . the main menu 900 is described with respect to fig9 a - b , below , and the trend view 1000 is described with respect to fig1 , below . the submenus 340 are described with respect to fig1 - 17 , below . the general submenu 1300 provides for the selection of a home mode and associated password screen 1800 , described with respect to fig1 and fig1 , below . the content of the user display 210 ( fig2 a ) can appear as a horizontal format or a vertical format . the content of the user display 210 ( fig2 a ) can rotate between display formats as the handheld 101 ( fig1 a ) or standalone 105 ( fig1 b ) are physically moved to corresponding horizontal or vertical positions . alternatively , the display content can rotate between horizontal and vertical formats by selection of a rotate soft key icon 868 ( fig8 b ), described below . horizontal and vertical format pairs are illustrated in fig5 a - b , 9 a - b , and 11 a - b . a rotatable format display is described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 516 , 110 , referenced above . [ 0056 ] fig4 illustrates a pleth only view 400 having an oxygen saturation 412 , a pulse rate 414 , a perfusion index 418 and a pulse waveform 422 . the oxygen saturation 412 displays a functional arterial hemoglobin oxygen saturation measurement in units of percentage spo 2 . when a sensor is not connected to a patient and during pulse search , the display will show dashed lines . the oxygen saturation 412 is calculated and the display is updated at a frequency of once per second . the pulse rate 414 displays a patient &# 39 ; s pulse rate in beats per minute . the pulse rate 414 is calculated and the display is updated at a frequency of once per second . the pulse waveform 422 displays the acquired plethysmograph (“ pleth ”). the pulse waveform 422 is scaled with signal strength , as described in detail with respect to fig7 a - d , below . the pulse waveform 422 is updated at a frequency of 31 . 25 times per second . the perfusion index 418 displays the percentage of pulsatile signal to non - pulsatile signal . as shown in fig4 the pleth view 400 also has saturation limits 432 , pulse rate limits 434 and an alarm status indicator 436 . the saturation limits 432 display the upper and lower saturation alarm limits . the saturation limits 432 are displayed next to the oxygen saturation 412 . the pulse rate limits 434 display the upper and lower pulse rate alarm limits . the pulse rate limits 434 are displayed next to the pulse rate 414 . when a measured value reaches or exceeds an alarm limit 432 , 434 the associated number display 412 , 414 and the corresponding violated limit 432 , 434 flash . the alarm status indicator 436 is a bell symbol that can be shown with or without a slash . it flashes when an alarm condition is present . when the alarm is silenced using the alarm silence button 230 ( fig2 a ), an alarm status indicator 436 with a slash and a timer is shown to indicate that the alarm is temporarily silenced . when the alarm is silenced through an “ all mute ” menu selection , which is permanent until power is cycled or deselected using menu , an alarm status indicator 436 with a slash is shown to indicate that alarm has been silenced . also shown in fig4 the pleth view 400 has status messages 442 - 448 and indicators 460 - 480 . the status messages include an advanced signal processing message (“ masimo set ”) 442 when such processing is active , a fast signal processing message (“ fastsat ”) 444 when operating in that mode , and a maximum sensitivity message (“ max ”) 448 when operating in that mode . the advance signal processing can include advanced pulse oximetry such as that commercially available from masimo corporation of irvine , calif . under the masimo set ® brand . fast signal processing is described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 586 , 845 entitled “ variable mode averager ,” assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated by reference herein . the indicators include battery status indicators 460 , time and date indicators 470 and an output mode indicator 480 . battery status indicators 460 show the capacity of the handheld and optional docking station batteries . an indicator 460 flashes when less than 15 minutes of battery life is left and the battery needs to be recharged . the docking station battery status indicator is not shown when the optional docking station battery is not present . the time and date indicators 470 display the current time and date . the date and time are displayed in dd / mm / yyyy or mm / dd / yyyy format . the date and time display format is selected in the clock menu 1400 ( fig1 ). the output mode indicator 480 displays the output mode selected by the user . the output mode indicator 480 also displays the type of interface cable . in are embodiment , the output mode indicator 480 is only displayed when the instrument actively outputs data other than ascii text or interfaces with a monitor through the interface cable . further shown in fig4 the pleth view 400 has system messages generated by the instrument that are displayed in a system message area 450 . each message and its meaning are described immediately below . an “ ambient light ” message indicates that too much light is on the patient ( sensor ). a “ defective sensor ” message indicates that the oximeter cannot identify the connected sensor or the sensor has failed , which , for example , may be caused by a broken sensor cable wire , inoperative leds , an unauthorized sensor , or a faulty detector . an “ interference ” message indicates that an outside signal or energy is preventing a reading . an “ invalid sensor ” message indicates the oximeter cannot identify the connected sensor , which again can be due to a broken sensor cable wire , inoperative leds , an unauthorized sensor , or a faulty detector . a “ low battery ” message indicates that the battery charge is low , signaling that the handheld be placed into the docking station to be powered with ac line power or that the battery be replaced . a “ low perfusion ” message indicates that the signal is too small . a “ low signal iq ” message indicates a low signal quality , and is discussed further with respect to fig5 a - c , below . a “ no sensor ” message indicates that a sensor is not fully inserted into the connector , which may be due to an incorrect sensor , or a defective sensor or cable , or that the sensor is inserted upside down . a “ pulse search ” message indicates that the instrument is searching for patient &# 39 ; s pulse . a “ sensor off ” message indicates that a sensor is off the patient and should be reattached . a “ service required ” message indicates an internal failure and that the instrument requires service . the “ service required ” message fills the entire display . as shown in fig4 the pleth view 400 has soft key icons 270 as described with respect to fig2 a , above . in the display views 400 - 600 ( fig3 ), including the pleth view 400 , the soft key icons 270 can be page 1 display view icons 810 ( fig8 a ) or page 2 display view icons 860 ( fig8 b ), described below . fig5 a - b illustrate a pleth and signal quality view 500 , in horizontal and vertical format , respectively , having the features of the pleth only view 400 ( fig4 ) in addition to a signal quality waveform 510 . the signal quality waveform 510 provides a visual indicator of the plethysmogram signal quality . in particular , the signal quality waveform 510 displays the acquired signal quality and the timing of a patient &# 39 ; s pulse by a series of vertical lines 512 . with motion , the plethysmographic waveform is often distorted and may be obscured by one or more artifacts . the vertical lines 512 coincide with peaks of an arterial pulsation . even with a plethysmographic waveform obscured by artifacts , the instrument locates the arterial pulsation . a pulse tone generated by the loudspeaker 280 ( fig2 ), when enabled , coincides with the vertical lines 512 . the height of a particular vertical line of the signal quality waveform 510 indicates the quality of the measured signal . a generally large vertical line indicates that the spo 2 measurement is based on a good quality signal . a generally small vertical line indicates that the spo 2 measurement is based on data with low signal quality . when the signal quality is very low the accuracy of the spo 2 measurement may be compromised and the “ low signal iq ” system message 450 ( fig4 ) is displayed , as described above . the signal quality waveform 510 is updated at a frequency of 31 . 25 times per second . signal quality may also be shown as a single , pulsating bar 610 ( fig6 ), as described with respect to the numeric view 600 ( fig6 ), below . signal quality is described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 858 , 114 entitled “ pulse oximetry data confidence indicator ,” assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated by reference herein . low signal quality may be due to various factors , such as improper sensor application , misalignment of the sensor &# 39 ; s emitter and detector resulting in smaller signals , extreme changes in the patient &# 39 ; s physiology and blood flow at the monitoring site , such as an inflated blood pressure cuff , a squeezing motion , sampling of an arterial blood specimen from the hand containing the pulse oximetry sensor , severe hypotension , peripheral vasoconstriction in response to hypothermia , medications , or a spell of raynaud &# 39 ; s syndrome . with neonates or infants , the peripheral blood flow to the sensor site may occur as the result of lifting or crossing of their legs , such as during a diaper change . [ 0068 ] fig6 illustrates a numeric view 600 having the features of the pleth view 400 ( fig4 ) without the pulse waveform 422 ( fig4 ). in particular , the numeric view prominently displays oxygen saturation 412 and pulse rate 414 . further , the numeric view 600 features a signal quality bar 610 having a pulsating height that is responsive to the patient &# 39 ; s arterial pulse and to signal quality . signal quality is described with respect to fig5 a - b , above . specifically , the bar height pulses coincide with peaks of an arterial pulsation and the bar height indicates signal quality , with a generally small bar height corresponding to low signal quality and a generally large bar height corresponding to high signal quality . stability of the oxygen saturation 412 readings may be a good indicator of signal validity . although stability is a relative term , experience provides a good feeling for changes that are artifactual or physiological and the speed , timing , and behavior of each . the stability of the oxygen saturation 412 readings over time is affected by the averaging mode being used . the longer the averaging time , the more stable the readings tend to become . this is due to a dampened response as the signal is averaged over a longer period of time than during shorter averaging times . however , longer averaging times delay the response of the oximeter and reduce the measured variations of spo 2 and pulse rate ( pr ). inaccurate measurements may be caused by significant levels of dysfunctional hemoglobin ( e . g ., carboxyhemoglobin or methemoglobin ), intravascular dyes such as indocyanine green or methylene blue , venous pulsations at the frequency of the patient &# 39 ; s arterial pulse and very low hemoglobin levels . the displayed pulse rate 414 may differ slightly from the heart rate displayed on ecg monitors due to differences in averaging times . there may also be a discrepancy between cardiac electrical activity and peripheral arterial pulsation . significant differences may indicate a problem with the signal quality due to physiological changes in the patient or one of the instruments or application of the sensor or patient cable . the pulsations from intra - aortic balloon support can be additive to the pulse rate displayed on the pulse oximeter . fig7 a - d illustrate auto - scaling and auto - clipping characteristics for the pulse waveform 422 ( fig4 ) available on the pleth view 400 ( fig4 ) or pleth and signal quality view 500 ( fig5 a - c ). the measured signal strength can vary quite widely . however , in a preferred embodiment , the signal strength can vary from 0 % to 100 %. in a more preferred embodiment , the signal strength can vary from 02 % to 20 %. the challenge is to display a measured waveform having three orders of magnitude dynamic range in a meaningful way . fig7 a illustrates an auto - scale / auto - clip graph 701 having a display target axis 710 in units of percentage of full - scale and a signal strength axis 720 in units of percentage of dc . plotted on the graph 701 is a scaling / clipping curve 730 , which illustrates the display characteristics for the pulse waveform 422 ( fig4 ) at various measured signal levels . fig7 b illustrates an expanded graph 702 corresponding to fig7 a for values along the signal strength axis 720 in a range from about 0 to 0 . 2 %. fig7 a - b illustrate one auto - scaling and auto - clipping embodiment , where the measured pulse waveform is scaled to about a 90 % full - scale value for all signal strength values above about 0 . 02 % and clipped to about 0 for all signal strength values below about 0 . 02 %. [ 0073 ] fig7 c illustrates an auto - scale / auto - clip graph 703 similar to 701 ( fig7 a ). plotted on the graph 703 is a scaling / clipping curve 750 , which illustrates the display characteristics for the pulse waveform 422 ( fig4 ) at various measured signal levels . fig7 d illustrates an expanded graph 704 corresponding to fig7 c for values along the signal strength axis 720 in a range from about 0 to 0 . 5 %. fig7 c - d illustrate another auto - scaling and auto - clipping embodiment where the measured pulse waveform is scaled to between about 15 % and 90 % full - scale in a piecewise linear fashion for signal strength values above about 0 . 02 % and clipped to about 0 for all signal strength values below about 0 . 02 %. in this manner , the displayed pulse waveform 422 ( fig4 ) advantageously conveys to the user meaningful information about the measured signal strength . specifically , for signal strength in the range of about 10 %- 20 %, the pulse waveform 422 ( fig4 ) is scaled to about 90 % full - scale . for signal strength in the range of about 2 % to 10 %, the pulse waveform 422 ( fig4 ) is scaled linearly to a corresponding range of about 60 % to 90 % full - scale . for signal strength in the range of about 0 . 5 % to 2 %, the pulse waveform 422 ( fig4 ) is scaled linearly to a corresponding range of about 15 % to 60 % full - scale . for signal strength in the range of about 0 . 02 % to 0 . 5 %, the pulse waveform 422 ( fig4 ) is scaled to about 15 % full - scale . for signal strength in the range of about 0 to 0 . 02 %, the pulse waveform 422 ( fig4 ) is clipped to about 0 . fig8 a - b are hierarchical charts of soft key icons corresponding to the soft key buttons 260 ( fig2 a ). a soft key icon is selected by pressing and releasing the soft key button to the right of the icon ( horizontal display ) or underneath the icon ( vertical display ). four icons are shown on the right side or bottom of the display . fig8 a illustrates a first set of soft key icons 801 , including the first page of display view icons 810 , menu icons 820 , category icons 830 and parameter icons 840 . fig8 b illustrates a second set of soft key icons 802 , including the second page of display view icons 860 and trend - related icons 870 - 890 . the display view icons 810 ( fig8 a ), 860 ( fig8 b ) are those icons initially shown on the three views 400 ( fig4 ), 500 ( fig5 a - b ), 600 ( fig6 ), described above . the menu icons 820 ( fig8 a ) are those icons shown on the main menu 900 ( fig9 a - b ). the category 830 and parameter 840 icons are those shown on the submenus 1100 - 1700 ( fig1 - 17 ). the trend - related icons 870 - 890 ( fig8 b ) are those icons shown on the trend view 1000 ( fig1 ) and on the trend - related menus and screens 1900 - 2100 ( fig1 - 21 ). as shown in fig8 a , the first page of display view icons 810 include next page 812 , menu access 814 , increase loudness 816 and decrease loudness 818 . next page 812 is selected to access the second page of display view icons 860 ( fig8 b ). menu access 814 is selected to enter the main menu 900 ( fig9 a - b ). increase loudness 816 is selected to increase the volume of the pulse beep . in one embodiment , there are seven levels of volume available . decrease loudness 818 is selected to decrease the volume of the pulse beep . the lowest volume level will silence the pulse beep and the decrease loudness 818 icon will appear with a slash through it . as shown in fig8 b , the second page of display view icons 860 include next page 862 , trend display 864 , sensitivity 866 and rotate display 868 . next page 862 is selected to return to the first page of display view icons 810 ( fig8 a ). trend display 864 is selected to show the trend view 1000 ( fig1 ). sensitivity 866 is selected to toggle between normal and maximum sensitivity modes . normal sensitivity is used for normal patient monitoring purposes . maximum sensitivity is used for improved sensitivity performance on patients with extremely low perfusion . with the maximum sensitivity setting , the sensor off detection performance may be compromised . in one embodiment , the instrument automatically retains a sensitivity setting after a power cycle , and in another embodiment , the instrument does not retain a sensitivity setting after a power cycle . rotate display 868 is selected to reconfigure the display contents in a vertical or horizontal format . the display contents rotate clockwise in 90 degree increments , accordingly . fig9 a - b illustrate horizontal and vertical formats , respectively , of a main menu 900 . when the main menu 900 is accessed , the plethysmograph and signal quality waveform displays are replaced with main menu categories 910 . the display view soft key icons 810 ( fig8 a ), 860 ( fig8 b ) are also replaced by the main menu soft key icons 820 ( fig8 a ). when the main menu 900 is accessed the instrument remains functional and the saturation and pulse rate numbers will continue to be displayed . as shown in fig8 a , the main menu 900 ( fig9 a - b ) uses the four main menu icons 820 , including exit 822 , select category 824 , previous 826 and next 828 . exit 822 is selected to exit the main menu 900 ( fig9 a - b ) and return to the original display view . select category 824 is selected to choose a highlighted menu category 910 ( fig9 a - b ) and display the corresponding submenu 1100 - 1700 ( fig1 - 17 ). previous 826 is selected to scroll through the menu categories 910 ( fig9 a - b ), highlighting categories without selecting them . next 828 is selected to scroll through the menu categories 910 ( fig9 a - b ), in a direction opposite from previous 826 , also highlighting categories without selecting them . once a menu category 910 ( fig9 a - b ) is highlighted , the chosen submenu 1100 - 1700 ( fig1 - 17 ) is displayed with a select category 824 selection . also shown in fig8 a , a submenu 1100 - 1700 ( fig1 - 17 ) is displayed with a set of category icons 830 , including exit 832 , edit parameter 834 , previous 836 and next 838 . exit 832 is selected to exit the category submenu 1100 - 1700 ( fig1 - 17 ) and return to the main menu 900 ( fig9 a - b ). edit parameter 834 is selected to choose a highlighted parameter in a submenu for editing . previous 836 and next 838 function in a similar manner as described above to highlight parameters without selecting them . once a parameter is highlighted , the parameter is edited by selecting edit parameter 834 . further shown in fig8 a , once a parameter has been selected for editing , a set of parameter icons 840 are displayed , including exit 842 , accept 844 , previous 846 and next 848 . exit 842 is selected to exit a parameter without making any new selections permanent . accept 844 is selected to save any changes . previous 846 is selected to increase or toggle a parameter settings . next 848 is selected to decrease or toggle a parameter settings . submenus and associated parameters are described in more detail with respect to fig1 - 17 , below . [ 0084 ] fig1 illustrates a trend view 1000 having a first line of information 1010 , a second line of information 1020 , an oxygen saturation trend graph 1030 , a low signal quality indicator 1040 , and a pulse rate trend graph 1050 . the first line 1010 on the trend view 1000 shows the time scale of the trend graph , followed by the starting date , starting time and end time of the data set that is displayed on the screen . the second line 1020 of the trend view 1000 shows the minimum , average , and maximum spo 2 and pulse rate measurements contained in the displayed data set ( excluding zero measurements ). the oxygen saturation trend graph 1030 shows the spo 2 measurements displayed versus time . the pulse rate trend graph 1050 shows the pulse rate measurements displayed versus time . a dark line 1032 , 1034 on the trend graphs 1030 , 1050 indicates averaged data , while grayed - out data points show minimum and maximum values . the low signal quality indicator 1040 appears as a grayed - out box , line or other designation located on the bottom axis or other portion of the oxygen saturation trend graph 1030 and indicates a period of time for which the “ low signal iq ” message was active . during this time , the signal quality was very low and the accuracy of the measurement may have been compromised . the vertical scale of the oxygen saturation 1030 and pulse rate 1050 graphs can be set in the trend setup screen 1900 ( fig1 ). once the trend display icon 864 ( fig8 b ) is selected , the trend data is shown on the trend view 1000 . the instrument stores one data set of oxygen saturation , pulse rate and system messages in a dedicated memory area . depending on the trend period , a setting for how often the data is stored in the trend memory , the instrument can store between 72 hours and 30 days worth of trend data . the instrument also employs data compression . the actual amount of trend data that is stored is dependent on the type of data that is collected . the instrument only stores data in the trend memory while the instrument is turned on , and the trend data remains in memory until the memory fills up or is cleared by the user . changing the date and time of the system clock or changing the trend period will also clear the data in the trend memory . the trend capacity for a trend period setting of 2 seconds is a minimum of 72 hours ( 3 days ). for a trend period setting of 10 seconds , the trend memory capacity is typically 720 hours ( 30 days ). by default , the trend view 1000 automatically refreshes at a rate of once every 10 seconds , to show the latest measured spo 2 and pulse rate data . this feature is only available while the trend view is 2 hours or less and the latest measured data is shown . if the user scrolls through the data set to display previously recorded trend data or if the trend scale is greater than 2 hours , the trend view will time out after 1 minute of inactivity ( i . e . the user does not press any of the soft key buttons ) and the previous display view will be shown . as shown in fig8 b , in the trend view there are a total of 12 soft key icon selections 870 - 890 on 3 pages . the first page has next menu 872 , exit 874 , scroll left 876 and scroll right 878 icons . next menu 872 is selected to access the next page of menu selections . exit 874 is selected to return to the previous display view . scroll left 876 is selected to scroll through the data set in the backward time direction . scroll right 878 is selected to scroll through the data set in the forward time direction . the display scrolls by ½ the selected time scale . for example , if a 2 hr display view is selected , then selecting scroll left 876 or scroll right 878 will scroll the displayed data by 1 hr to the left or right , respectively . also shown in fig8 b , the second page has next menu 882 , zoom 884 , zoom from left 886 , and zoom from right 888 icons . next menu 882 is selected to access the next page of icons . zoom 884 is selected to change the time scale of the trend view . the available time scales are 24 hrs , 12 hrs , 8 hrs , 4 hrs , 2 hrs , 1 hr , 30 minutes , 10 minutes , 1 minute and 20 seconds . zoom 884 uses the last recorded data point as the zoom reference point . in other words , the last recorded data point is always shown as the right - most data point on the display . zoom from left 886 is selected to zoom into the data set while keeping the data point that is shown on the right side of the trend graph as the zoom reference point . zoom from right 888 is selected to zoom into the data set while keeping the data point that is shown on the left side of the trend graph as the zoom reference point . further shown in fig8 b , the third page has next menu 882 , trend setup 884 , histogram 896 and clear trend data 898 icons . next menu 882 is selected to return to the first page of icons . trend setup 884 is selected to enter the trend setup screen 1900 ( fig1 ). histogram 896 is selected to display the selected data set ( the data set shown in the trend view ) in histogram format 2000 ( fig2 ). clear trend data 898 is selected to clear the data stored in the trend memory , which is verified via a confirmation screen 2100 ( fig2 ). fig1 a - b illustrate an alarms menu 1100 in horizontal and vertical formats , respectively , having a high spo 2 alarm limit 1110 , a low spo 2 alarm limit 1120 , a high pulse rate alarm limit 1130 , and a low pulse rate alarm limit 1140 . alarm limit settings are typically checked each time the pulse oximeter is used to ensure that they are appropriate for the patient being monitored . an audible alarm and a flashing alarm status indicator 432 ( fig4 ) will occur when an alarm limit is met or exceeded . the spo 2 high alarm limit 1110 can be set anywhere between 2 % and 100 %, with a 1 % step size . in the “—” ( off ) setting , the alarm can be turned off completely . the spo 2 low alarm limit 1120 can be set anywhere between 1 % and 100 %, with a 1 % step size . the pulse rate high alarm limit 1130 can be set anywhere between 30 bpm and 240 bpm , with a 5 bpm step size . the pulse rate low alarm limit 1140 can be set anywhere between 25 bpm and 235 bpm , with a 5 bpm step size . the low alarm limits 1120 , 1140 always have to be set below the corresponding high alarm limits 1110 , 1130 . when a high alarm limit 1110 , 1130 is set below the corresponding low alarm limit 1120 , 1140 , the low alarm limit 1120 , 1140 will automatically adjust to the next setting below the newly entered high alarm limit 1110 , 1130 . as shown in fig1 a - b , the alarms menu 1100 also has alarm limit type 1150 , silence 1160 , volume 1170 and delay 1180 settings . the instrument stores three alarm limit types 1150 including adult , neo and custom limits . adult and neo limits are preset and cannot be changed by the user . table 1 outlines the default values of the preset and custom alarm limit types 1150 . the custom limits are set to the values listed in the table at the factory . once the values are changed , the new values are retained after a power cycle . the alarm menu 1100 allows the user to set an alarm silence duration 1160 . an alarm is silenced by pressing the alarm silence button 230 ( fig2 a ) on the front panel . the alarm silence duration 1160 can be virtually any amount of time . however , in a preferred embodiment , the duration 1160 is set as 30 , 60 , 90 and 120 seconds . as an indicator that the alarm system is silenced , the alarm status indicator 436 ( fig4 ) is shown as a bell with a slash through it . a timer is shown next to the bell indicating the remaining alarm silence duration . the alarm silence duration 1160 is reset to 120 seconds upon a power cycle , except for when the instrument is set to operate in the home mode . in an all mute mode , all patient alarm conditions are silenced . only system alarms will be indicated by an audible alarm . as an indicator that the system is set to all mute , the alarm status indicator 436 ( fig4 ) is shown as a flashing bell with a slash through it . in an all mute with audible reminder mode , all patient alarm conditions are silenced . only system alarms will be indicated by an audible alarm . as a reminder , a single audible alarm will occur every three minutes . also shown in fig1 a - b , the alarm menu 1100 allows the user to set the alarm volume 1170 . according to one embodiment , four levels are available , with level 1 being the softest and level 4 being the loudest . the instrument retains the alarm volume 1170 setting upon a power cycle . for home use , the alarm level to typically set to level 4 . if an alarm condition occurs while the alarm silence period is set to all mute , the only alarm indications will be visual displays and symbols related to the alarm condition . no alarm tone will sound . [ 0096 ] fig1 illustrates the display menu 1200 having display view 1210 , contrast 1220 and language 1230 items . the display view item 1210 allows selection of one of the three display views including pleth 400 ( fig4 ), pleth and signal quality 500 ( fig5 a - b ) and numeric 600 ( fig6 ), described above . the contrast item 1220 allows the user to set the display contrast . according to one embodiment , contrast ranges from 1 to 64 . the contrast can also be set by pressing and holding the backlight / contrast key 240 ( fig2 a ) on the front panel . the language item 1230 allows the user to select the display language . [ 0097 ] fig1 illustrates a general menu 1300 having averaging time 1310 , fastsat 1320 , home use 1330 , interface alarms 1340 , satshare numbers 1350 and power save 1360 items . averaging time 1310 is the signal averaging time of the instrument , which can be set to include 2 , 4 , 8 , 10 , 12 , 14 and 16 seconds . fastsat 1320 , when set to “ yes ,” activates a fast signal processing algorithm , such as described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 586 , 845 referenced above . in the 2 and 4 seconds averaging mode , the fast signal processing algorithm is automatically enabled . with fast signal processing , the averaging time is dependent on the input signal . for the 2 and 4 second settings , the averaging times may range from 2 - 4 and 4 - 6 seconds , respectively . as shown in fig1 , home use 1330 , when set to “ yes ,” places the instrument in the home mode , where it remains until the “ no ” setting is selected . a password is required to activate or deactive this mode . home use operation is described further with respect to fig1 , below . interface alarms 1340 allows audible alarms to be enabled or disabled . satshare numbers 1350 is set to “ yes ” to display saturation and pulse rate measurements during upgrade operation , as described with respect to fig1 c , above . also shown in fig1 , power save 1360 can be set to “ yes ” or “ no ,” to adjust battery - operating time of the instrument while powered by the handheld battery or optional docking station battery . selecting “ yes ” disables docking station functions such as the interface cable , serial and analog outputs . selecting “ no ” activates these docking station functions while operating on battery power . while operating in the power save mode , a power cycle of the instrument may be required to activate the docking station again after it has been disabled . [ 0100 ] fig1 illustrates a clock menu 1400 having time 1410 , time format 1420 , date 1430 and date format 1440 items . the time item 1410 sets the hour and minutes . the time format item 1420 sets the time display in 12 hour ( default ) and 24 hour format . the date item 1430 sets the day , month and year . the date format item 1440 sets the date display in mm / dd / yyyy ( default ) and dd / mm / yyyy format . [ 0101 ] fig1 illustrates the about screen 1500 . the about screen 1500 simply displays the copyright and software versions of the handheld 101 ( fig1 a ) and the docking station 103 ( fig1 b ). [ 0102 ] fig1 illustrates the output menu 1600 having serial 1610 , analog 1620 and nurse call 1630 output modes . the output menu selections are available when the handheld 101 ( fig1 a ) is interfaced to the docking station 103 ( fig1 b ). the serial item 1610 allows a user to specify various serial output modes , which , according to one embodiment , are rs - 232 based . in ascii 1 mode , for example , ascii text data is sent to the serial interface at one - second intervals . the ascii text includes date and time stamp , spo 2 pulse rate , pi , and alarm and exception values . all text is single line followed by a line feed character and a carriage return . in ascii 2 mode , ascii text data is sent to the serial interface following a query from the connecting computer . the analog items 1620 specify the docking station analog outputs . in 0 %- 100 % mode , the saturation measurement is scaled with 0 % being equal to 0 volts and 100 % equal to 1 volt . in 50 %- 100 % mode , the saturation measurement is scaled with 50 % being equal to 0 volts and 100 % equal to 1 volt . in the 0v mode , a 0 volts calibration signal is mapped onto the analog outputs . this signal is used for calibration of recording devices , where 0 volts represent a saturation of 0 % and a pulse rate of 0 bpm . in the 1v mode , a 1 volt calibration signal is mapped onto the analog outputs . this signal is also used for calibration of recording devices , where 1 volt represents a saturation of 100 % and a pulse rate of 250 bpm . in pleth mode , the pulse waveform is scaled with 1 volt being equal to 100 % full scale . in signal iq mode , 1 volt is equal to maximum signal quality . the nurse call item 1630 can specify alarms and low signal quality as generating a nurse call . [ 0104 ] fig1 illustrates a service menu 1700 having handheld battery discharge 1710 and docking station ( ds ) battery discharge 1720 items . the service menu 1700 selections are only available when the handheld 101 ( fig1 a ) is interfaced to the docking station 103 ( fig1 b ). each of these items 1710 , 1720 , when selected , causes the instrument to perform a deep discharge the respective handheld or docking station battery . the discharge cycle will take approximately 16 hours to complete for the handheld battery and approximately 30 hours to complete for the docking station battery . a message will appear in the service screen when the discharge cycle is complete . the batteries will be fully charged after completion of the cycle . [ 0105 ] fig1 illustrates a password entry display 1800 . a password is entered using the password soft key icons 1810 and pressing in a particular sequence the corresponding soft key buttons 260 ( fig2 a ) to the right or bottom of the display . in a home mode , a password is required to access the menu system and the soft key buttons and icons . when the instrument is set to operate in the home mode , the default values that the instrument reverts to after a power cycle are set according to a predetermined setting with the exception of the alarm silence setting , which is set to the pre - power down setting . the instrument can be placed into the home mode to protect unqualified users from changing the alarm settings and operation . entering a password does not automatically reset the instrument to a normal operating mode . to return to a normal operating mode , the home use parameter 1330 ( fig1 ) is set to “ no ” in the general menu 1300 ( fig1 ). [ 0106 ] fig1 illustrates a trend setup menu 1900 having % spo 2 max and min 1910 , bpm max and min 1920 , default view 1930 , trend action 1940 and trend period 1950 items . the trend setup menu 1900 allows the user to set the default trend settings and to clear the trend data or download the trend data to the serial port . the default settings are used to scale the trend graphs when the trend data icon 864 ( fig8 b ) is selected . % spo 2 max and min 1910 set the high and low scale , respectively , of the spo 2 trend graph 1030 ( fig1 ). bpm max and min 1920 set the high scale , respectively , of the pulse rate trend graph 1050 ( fig1 ). default view 1930 selects the default time scale of the trend view 1000 ( fig1 ). this setting only selects the time scale of the trend view 1000 ( fig1 ) when the trend data is initially displayed , ( i . e . when the trend data is initially accessed ). according to one embodiment , the selections include 24 hrs , 12 hrs , 8 hrs , 4 hrs , 2 hrs , 1 hr , 30 minutes , 10 minutes , 1 minute and 20 seconds . as shown in fig1 , trend action 1940 has serial dump , analog dump and print options . the serial dump option sends all the data that is stored in trend memory to the serial port and is used to communicate the stored data set to trend graphing software applications . the analog dump option sends all the data that is stored in the trend memory to the analog output and is used to print the trend information on an analog chart recorder . the print option prints the trend data that is shown in the trend view 1000 ( fig1 ). the trend data is first printed in histogram format , followed by a table of data that shows the time and date stamp of a trend record and the spo 2 and pulse rate measurement . each trend record is printed on a single line , followed by a carriage return and line feed character . also shown in fig1 , trend period 1950 determines how often a set of spo 2 and pulse rate data points is stored in trend memory . a setting of 2 , for example , sets the instrument to store one set of spo 2 and pulse rate measurements every 2 seconds , resulting in a minimum trend capacity of 72 hours . a setting of 10 , for example , sets the instrument to store one set of data points every 10 seconds , resulting in a typical trend storage capacity of 30 days . because of data compression , the actual trend capacity is dependent on the type of data that is collected . a pulse oximetry user interface has been disclosed in detail in connection with various embodiments . these embodiments are disclosed by way of examples only and are not to limit the scope of the claims that follow . one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from the disclosure herein any variations and modifications . additionally , all publications , patents , and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication , patent , or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference .
0
fig1 describes a section of an electronic device , a television decoder for example . the device comprises a printed circuit 1 on which the electronic circuits 2 are arranged . a hard disk 3 enables recording of data , particularly of lengthy audiovisual works . the circuits 2 and the disk 3 consume a lot of power and emanate heat , for example , for a television decoder dissipating 17 watts , its central processing unit releases itself a heat level of approximately 3 watts . as a result , certain zones of the decoder , marked in grey on fig1 , are warmer than others . a temperature sensor 4 located within one of these hot areas , preferably close to the circuit which produces the most heat , provides a voltage proportional to the temperature . a fan 5 provides cool air from the exterior and transfers it to the decoder cavity via an opening realized on the left side of the device . several air inlets 6 cut in the decoder box allow the outlet of the hot air , from the underside , the right side and the top . curved arrows shown on fig1 show the path of the air flows . the number , the position and the size of the air inlets are important elements of good ventilation , these parameters being well known to those skilled in the art . a device positioning detector 8 is positioned on the decoder printed circuit . four feet 9 are positioned beneath the device when it is placed on a flat surface , as well as four other feet 9 on the left side . the fan is preferentially positioned by the air inlet on the underside when the decoder is in a vertical position . in fact , the noise is mainly generated at the fan air inlets level , where there is a narrowing of the air flow . this noise being added to that generated by the fan , a maximum sound level is measured inside and not outside the decoder . moreover , in a vertical position , the sound is mitigated by the exiguous air space situated under the decoder , whereas it would be much less if the fan were positioned on the top of the decoder . care must be taken that the height of the feet 9 ensure a sufficient air intake and do not block a ventilation inlet . fig2 shows a fan control system according to a preferred embodiment . the temperature sensor 4 , the fan 5 and the positioning detector 8 are connected to a management unit 7 . the management unit can be a microcontroller dedicated to the fan control . the management unit 7 can also be a part of the decoder central processing unit . whatever its nature , the management unit 7 has at least an analog input for the reception of signals from the temperature sensor 4 and two digital inputs to receive the digital signals from the detector 8 and from the tachymetric sensor ( these latter signals called “ tachy ” are representative of the fan speed ). the management unit 7 is equipped with a control output for the control of the fan 5 . according to the measurement realized by the sensor 4 , the tachy signals and the information provided by the positioning detector 5 , the microcontroller 7 triggers or does not trigger the fan rotation and determines its set speed to create a cool air flow sufficient to maintain the inside of the decoder below a nominal temperature . in the embodiment , the fan is controlled by an analog signal which directly controls the rotation speed of the fan . measurements have demonstrated a correlation between a number of decibels and a given speed , and thus a control value applied to the fan . it implies then use of the fan only when required and at the lowest possible speed . the positioning detector 8 determines if the decoder is placed in a vertical position or in a horizontal position . according to a simple embodiment , the detector is a reed type relay which consists of a mercury drop which moves in a glass tube having two electrodes . if the tube is placed flat , an electric contact can be established between both electrodes . if the tube is in a vertical position , there is no electrical contact . as a variant , a simple low pressure push - button placed under the decoder can be used , the decoder &# 39 ; s weight is sufficient for closing the electrical contact . when the decoder is in a vertical position , the contact is open . after having detailed the different elements that compose the device and the fan control system , how they cooperate is now shown . the main steps , the object of the method , are described by the flowchart of fig3 . in step 3 . 1 , the decoder is turned on . at the beginning of the powering up , the management unit 7 analyses the signal coming from the positioning detector 8 in order to determine if the decoder is in a vertical or horizontal position ( step 3 . 2 ). if the device is in a horizontal position , the management unit turns on the fan at a minimum speed considering that in any case , it is necessary for correct operation ( step 3 . 3 ). if the device is detected as being in a vertical position , it is no doubt unnecessary to turn on the fan , as the fireplace effect ensures a minimum air flow between the lower air inlets and the upper air inlets . in step 3 . 4 , the management unit analyses the temperature provided by the temperature sensor 4 . in step 3 . 5 , the temperature measured is compared to a maximum temperature threshold value . this temperature depends on the characteristics of the components which dissipate the most heat , which are generally the central processing units . if the temperature measured is lower than the threshold value , the management program loops at step 3 . 4 , without changing the fan command . however , if the temperature measured is greater than the threshold , the management unit calculates a command value of the fan which depends at least on the temperature measured ( step 3 . 6 ). in step 3 . 7 , the command value calculated is applied to the fan , thus ensuring an efficient cooling of the components . the fact of measuring the temperature even if the decoder is in a vertical position provides an additional guarantee of correct operation . indeed , if the grids situated at the level of the fan air inlets are blocked by an object or by dust , it becomes necessary to turn on the fan even if the decoder is in vertical position . fig4 . a shows the decoder in vertical position and fig4 . b in horizontal position . in vertical position , the air flows illustrated by dotted arrows show that the air enters by the lower air inlets and the intermediate air inlets , and mostly exits by the upper air inlet , the rate is sufficient without operation of the fan . in horizontal position ( fig4 . b ), there is no “ fireplace ” effect anymore , the fan 5 sends the cool air from the exterior into the decoder cavity . the input of cool air through the different air inlets 6 cools the interior of the decoder . some tests have been carried out on a digital television decoder having a parallel - piped form of dimensions 29 . 5 centimeters in length , 18 centimeters in width and 5 centimeters in depth , containing a printed circuit whose electronic circuits dissipate 17 watts . the fan dimensions are 4 centimeters in length , 4 centimeters in width and 2 centimeters in depth . the measurements carried out on the printed circuit by the sensor and on the decoder central processing unit are the following : the measurements carried out show that the temperature of a decoder installed vertically is very close to that of a decoder installed horizontally with a fan operating at low speed . the manufacturers generally ensure the correct operation of a circuit below 100 ° c . measured on the circuit . in the present case , this temperature is not reached when the decoder is in vertical position , fan turned off . if the sensor measures a temperature greater than 54 ° c ., then whatever the position , the fan is turned on . according to an improvement , a light indicator , a led diode for example placed on the front panel of the decoder , is controlled by the management unit 7 . the indicator light indicates a temperature fault when illuminated . this fault intervenes when the device detects that the decoder is in a vertical position and the temperature measured inside the decoder exceeds the maximum temperature threshold . thanks to this indication , the user is informed that the air inlets 6 are no longer operational . thus informed , the user can check that the air inlets are not blocked by an object , or simply by accumulated dust . the indication of such a fault can also be performed via a visual message on a screen linked to the decoder , and / or by a vocal message synthesized by the decoder . according to another improvement , the components which dissipate the most heat are positioned at the bottom of the printed circuit when the decoder is in vertical position . indeed , this part of the decoder is the closest to the cool air intake which benefits most from the “ fireplace ” effect , which enables a better cooling of the circuits . in the example where the decoder length is 29 . 5 centimeters , the circuits should be placed at a maximum of 6 centimeters from the lower air inlet that is to say at least a sixth of the side length . those skilled in the art can adapt the present invention into many other specific forms without diverging from the application domain of the invention as claimed . consequently , the present embodiments must be considered as being examples but can be modified within the domain defined by the scope of the attached claims .
6
musicians have a need to be able to accurately and rapidly change the tune of each of the strings of a musical instrument , such as a guitar . an exemplary guitar 10 is shown in fig1 . the guitar 10 is an electric guitar , having a solid body 16 , a neck 12 extending from the body , and a head 14 disposed at the end of the neck . the head 14 has a plurality of tuning pegs 18 which can selectively increase or decrease the tension placed on the strings 24 . as commonly known in the art , an end of the string 24 winds around the tuning peg 18 , and the string is pulled tight across the neck 12 and body 16 by continued rotation of the tuning peg . on the front surface of neck 12 , a fingerboard 15 is attached , which has individual frets , or finger positions ( not shown ). the musician presses the strings against the fingerboard to sound individual notes . generally centered on body 16 is a bridge plate 28 which supports the multi - tuner bridge of the present invention , shown generally at 30 . exposed through the bridge plate 28 which is mounted to body 16 , is the guitar pickup 32 . as commonly known in the art , the pickups receive sounds generated by the vibrating guitar strings 24 and converts them into electrical signals which can be externally amplified . accordingly , the bridge plate 28 has an associated cavity 34 which is sized to enable the pickup 32 to fully extend through it . referring next to fig2 and 3 , it is shown that the guitar string 24 has a ball 26 secured at an end of the string . the ball 26 is commonly known in the art , and enables the string to be threaded through an aperture of a bridge and held secure in the bridge . in the present invention , the ball 26 engages a hook 78 provided at a fulcrum end of armature 60 , which will be fully described below . if this string needs to be replaced , it is simply a matter of removing the old string by undoing the string ends coiled onto the tuning pegs 18 , and threading a new string 24 into its place with the ball 26 engaging the hook 78 . as the string 24 travels across the body 16 and the bridge plate 28 , it engages a saddle , shown generally at 40 of fig2 . the saddle 40 comprises a leaf portion 42 and a shelf portion 48 . the leaf portion 42 is substantially flat and thin , and is formed from a flexible material , such as delrin ™. the leaf portion 42 further has an elongated mounting hole 44 , which is best shown in fig8 . the elongated mounting hole 44 permits the saddle 40 to be secured to bridge plate 28 in an assortment of positions . although an exemplary clamping screw 43 secures the saddle 40 to the bridge plate 28 , it is anticipated that other clamping devices utilizing bolts , clips or pins be used . the shelf 48 engages the string 24 , creating an effective end to the string . it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that vibration of the string caused by plucking or strumming by a musician will not extend beyond the effective end point of the string ; this is known as the &# 34 ; intonation &# 34 ; of the string . as the position of the saddle 40 is changed by manipulating the saddle in accordance with the elongated mounting hole 44 relative body 16 , the effective length of string 24 is changed , which varies the intonation of the string . for example , if the saddle 40 is moved forward in the direction of the head 14 , the effective length of the string 24 is reduced . it is anticipated that each of the strings 24 of the guitar 10 have a distinct saddle 40 , which can be selectively adjusted to vary the intonation of each of the strings individually . this is best shown in fig8 in which each of the individual saddles 40 are adjusted differently . the securing or clamping of saddles 40 to guitar body 16 has a significant effect on the acoustic quality of the instrument . as the string 24 is plucked or strummed , it will vibrate forming the desired note . the duration of time with which the string 24 continues to vibrate is known as the &# 34 ; sustain .&# 34 ; if the saddle 40 , which forms the effective end of the string 24 , is not secured , it will vibrate against the bridge plate 28 drawing energy away from the string and reducing its sustain . by clamping the saddle 40 to the bridge plate 28 , the energy remains in the string 24 , thus increasing the string &# 39 ; s sustain . the saddles 40 also enable the adjustment to the &# 34 ; action &# 34 ; of the strings 24 . this action is the height of the strings above the neck 12 . as shown in fig9 each of the shelves 48 have a pair of threaded holes 52 and 52 &# 39 ; extending from the string engaging surface through the bottom portion of leaf 42 . the threaded holes 52 are sized to engage a corresponding pair of set screws 46 and 46 &# 39 ;. by tightening each of the set screws 46 and 46 &# 39 ; the screws engage the exposed surface of bridge plate 28 , causing the leaf portions 42 to flex . by selectively tightening the set screws 46 and 46 &# 39 ; the musician can alter the action of each of the individual strings 24 . it is common in the art for the outermost strings to be adjusted closer to the surface of the neck 12 , while the innermost strings are adjusted with a greater space between the neck and string 24 . this form of adjusting results in a generally curved configuration of the strings 24 when observed by citing along the axis of the strings . the fingerboard 15 will generally have a curvature and the action of the strings will be adjusted to correspond with the fingerboard curvature . moreover , each of the individual strings 24 have distinct diameters , which further affects the action adjustment of the saddles 40 . referring next to fig5 through 8 , there is shown a multi - tuner armature 60 in accordance with the present invention . fig8 shows a plurality of the multi - tuner armatures 60 arranged in relation to the bridge plate 28 , each associated with an individual one of the strings 24 . each of the armatures 60 have a fulcrum end 77 , and a lever end 79 , with the fulcrum ends of the armatures secured by a mounting comb 62 . the mounting comb 62 further comprises an opening 64 for the passage of the strings 24 , and a pair of sidewalls 66 and 66 &# 39 ;. each of the armatures 60 have a forward pivot opening 72 through which a common pivot pin 74 passes . as will be further described below , the lifting of the lever end 79 of the armature 60 causes the armature to pivot against the fulcrum formed by pivot pin 74 , further increasing the tension placed upon the associated string 24 . each of the armatures 60 can be adjusted to provide three distinct tuning positions , or tensions , for each associated string 24 . to accomplish this , a plurality of lever arms 76 are provided which pivot rotationally from the lever end 79 of each of the armatures 60 . the lever arms 76 have a handle portion 106 and a nose portion 108 , which will be described below . the lever arms 76 pivot by use of axle 94 which is provided on the lever end 79 of armatures 60 . the axle 94 further has a threaded hole 102 which extends through the diameter of the axle . a first tuning screw 96 engages the threaded hole 102 and can be adjusted to a tuned position , as will be described below . a hexagonal socket 97 is provided at an end of the tuning screw 96 , which is shaped to be engaged by a hexagonal shaped wrench for adjustment of the screw position . a glide cap 98 is provided at an other end of the first tuning screw 96 , which provides a cushion for contact between the tuning screw and the bridge plate 28 . the armatures 60 further have a supporting tab 82 extending laterally from a side of an intermediate portion of the armature . the supporting tabs 82 also have a threaded portion 84 to engage a second tuning screw 86 . the second tuning screw 86 , is perpendicularly disposed with relation to the armature 60 , and has a glide cap 88 disposed at an end . with the lever arm 76 in the position shown in fig5 a first tension level is applied to the associated string 24 . the nose portion 108 is positioned to abut the surface of the bridge plate 28 in order to maintain the angular position of armature 60 relative to the bridge plate 28 . by lifting upwardly on the handle portion 106 of lever arm 76 relative armature 60 , the lever arm can be manipulated to the position shown in fig6 . in this position , both the nose portion 108 and the glide cap 98 of the first tuning screw 96 contact the bridge plate 28 . it should be apparent that by loosening the first tuning screw 96 relative the threaded hole 102 of axle 92 , the tension placed on string 24 can be adjusted . as the first tuning screw 96 is loosened outwardly relative the axle 94 , the contact point of nose portion 108 will vary and the overall direction of the armature 60 will approach that of bridge plate 28 , reducing the tension on string 24 . further rotational manipulation of the handle 106 to rotate the lever arm 76 will bring both the nose portion 108 and the glide cap 98 of tuning screw 96 out of engagement with the bridge plate 28 , to the position shown in fig7 . in this position , the second tuning screw 86 and the associated glide cap 88 directly contact the bridge plate 28 , resulting in a third tension being placed on the associated string 24 . like the first tuning screw 96 described above , the second tuning screw 86 has a hexagonal socket 87 which can engage a hexagonal shaped wrench . the tuning screw 86 can be adjusted by threading it inwardly relative the tab 82 to vary the string tension . it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that any change between the three positions described above will result in the string 24 being re - tuned from the same tensional direction . for example , when lever arm 76 is moved from the first position shown in fig5 to the second position shown in fig6 the tension of the string 24 is changed in tension decreasing direction . similarly , when lever arm 76 is further moved from the second position shown in fig6 to the third position of fig7 the tension of string 24 will first increase , due to the longer length of tuning screw 96 than nose portion 108 , then began to decrease until the third position of fig7 is reached . conversely , when the lever arm 76 is retuned from the third position of fig7 to the second position of fig6 and ultimately back to the first position of fig5 each of the new string tension positions will also be changed in a tension decreasing direction . this is a significant feature of the present invention , since it minimizes the affect of the frictional interaction between string 24 and the shelf 48 , and results in more consistent tuning of the guitar . the frictional contact between the shelf 48 and the string 24 causes a &# 34 ; backlash &# 34 ; effect , which can affect the tuning of the string 24 . by insuring that the string 24 always pulls in the same direction across shelf 48 , the string will consistently reach the same final tension each time it is retuned to the selected one of the three preset positions . referring now to fig1 , there is shown an acoustic guitar 120 , featuring a multi - tuner bridge of the present invention . the acoustic guitar 120 comprises a neck 12 similar to the neck of the electric guitar 10 described above , but instead features a hollow body 116 . the body 116 has a soundboard 122 which forms the front surface of the guitar 120 . generally centered within the soundboard 122 is a sound hole 126 . as commonly known in the art , the interior portion of the body 116 forms a resonant cavity which acts to amplify the sound produced by the vibrating strings 24 . thus , it should be apparent that vibration of the soundboard 122 is critical to the quality of the sound produced by the guitar , and that the mounting of the multi - tuner bridge of the present invention must not interfere with its vibration . thus , to incorporate the multi - tuner bridge 30 with an acoustic guitar 120 , the bridge plate 28 must be mounted to the guitar independently of the soundboard 122 . as shown in fig1 and 12 , the bridge plate 28 is secured to a bridge mounting block 128 which is provided substantially interiorly of the guitar 120 . a hole 124 must be cut through the soundboard 122 of the guitar , with the bridge plate 28 extending through the hole but not touching the soundboard 122 . it should be apparent that the soundboard 122 must be independent of the bridge plate 28 , otherwise an undesirable buzzing or muting of resonance will sound as the soundboard vibrates . the bridge mounting block is secured to a pair of support members 134 and 134 &# 39 ; by use of bolts 138 and 138 &# 39 ;, and to the bottom end 118 of the guitar body 116 . at the other end of the guitar body 116 , a neck block 132 is provided . the neck block 132 secures to the neck 12 and to the support members 134 and 134 &# 39 ; by use of bolts 136 and 136 &# 39 ;. it is anticipated that the neck block 132 be either integrally formed with an end of the neck 12 , or be independent from the neck . in fig1 , the support members 134 and 134 &# 39 ; are shown to be a pair of i - beam supports , however , it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that one or more rigid , non - compressible members of alternative materials , such as metal , wood or plastic can adequately perform the same purpose . it should be further appreciated that alternative mounting techniques , such as screws or glue , can adequately serve the purpose of the exemplary bolts 138 and 136 . to further secure the bridge mounting block 128 , a truss rod 144 is provided . the truss rod 144 has a forward connection bolt 148 , which engages a forward hole 152 in the neck block 132 , and a rearward connection bolt 154 , which engages a rearward rod hole 156 placed in the bridge mounting block 128 . a turnbuckle 146 joins the forward and rearward halves of the truss rod 144 , as commonly known in the art . turning the turnbuckle 146 results in increased tension on the guitar body 116 to counteract the increased tension of the strings 24 . it should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the internal strengthening of the guitar body 116 as described above has significant advantages . first , the problem of cabinet drop is effectively eliminated since the guitar body 116 will not be flexing under the increased string tension . second , the soundboard 122 will not be absorbing any string tension load , and can be attached to the guitar body 116 with lighter internal bracing . the reduced bracing will enable the soundboard 122 to vibrate more freely , thus improving the sound quality of the instrument . lastly , alternative string tension devices , such as tremolos , can be secured to the bridge plate 28 , providing a capability to the acoustic guitar which would not have been possible before . having thus described a preferred embodiment of a multi - tuner bridge for a stringed musical instrument , it should now be apparent to those skilled in the art that the aforestated objects and advantages for the within system have been achieved . it should also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications , adaptations , and alternative embodiments thereof may be made within the scope and spirit of the present invention . accordingly , the invention is defined by the following claims :
6
referring to fig2 the cap 20 of the present invention generally includes a sleeve member 22 defining a first end 24 and second end 26 of the cap 20 . a first flange 28 is formed integrally with and extends radially inwardly from the sleeve 22 at the first end 24 of the cap 20 , and a second flange 30 is formed integrally with the sleeve 22 and extends radially inwardly from the sleeve 22 at the second end 26 of the cap 20 . a valve body 32 is formed integrally with the first flange 28 and extends from the first end 24 toward the second end 26 of the sleeve member 22 . as may be seen in fig3 the valve body 32 includes an inlet end 34 located adjacent to the first sleeve end 24 and defined by a radially inner annular surface 33 of the flange 28 , and an outlet end 36 located intermediate the first and second ends 24 , 26 of the sleeve member 22 . the valve body 32 is formed as a tube - like member defining a fluid passage through the cap 20 . as may be seen in fig2 and 5 , the valve body 32 includes lip members 38 which extend radially from the center of the valve body 32 and which are circumferentially spaced from each other . the lip members 38 are each defined by a pair of web members 40 wherein the web members 40 of each of the lip members 38 converge from the inlet end 34 toward the outlet end 36 to meet and form a normally closed slit opening 42 at the outlet end 36 of the valve body 32 . as is best shown in fig2 the ends of the web members 40 define a substantially planar right angled cross - shaped surface at the outlet end of the valve body 32 and the slits 42 extend through the planar surface at the outlet end 36 and are configured to also form a right - angled cross at the outlet end 36 . as may be seen in fig4 and 5 , the web members 40 of adjacent lip members 38 intersect to form intersection lines 44 between the lip members 38 . each of the intersection lines 44 extends radially inwardly in a direction from the inlet end 34 toward the outlet end 36 ( see fig3 ). in addition , each of the lip members 38 is provided with an outer wall 46 connecting its respective pair of web members 40 and defining an outer circumferential extent of the valve body 32 , and at the intersection of the valve body 32 with the first flange 28 defines a circular intersection line 48 . it should be apparent that the configuration of the lip members 38 is such that the lip members 38 essentially form a configuration resembling a pair of intersecting duck bill valves such that increasing fluid pressure against the exterior of the web members 40 will cause the slit openings 42 to be firmly closed . when a needle or tube is inserted through the inlet end 34 it will contact the edges of the web members 40 defining the slit openings 42 to cause the outlet end 36 of the valve to open and allow passage of the needle or tube . it should be noted that the web members 40 are capable of providing a wide circumference opening whereby a tube having a circumference equal to the circumference of the surface 33 may be inserted without stretching , tearing or otherwise damaging the lip members 38 . in other words , the web members 40 form flexible gusset portions creased along the intersection lines 44 which may move radially outwardly in response to passage of a tube through the valve , and subsequently return to their original closed positions upon removal of the tube . the cap member is preferably formed from an elastomeric material such as medical grade silicon and , as may be seen in fig2 the sleeve 22 is formed with substantially cylindrical inner and outer walls 50 , 52 , respectively for facilitating engagement and sealing with the end of a cannula . in addition , the second flange 30 extends a lesser radial extent inwardly than the first flange 28 and includes an inner cylindrical surface 54 which is also designed to engage and form a seal with an outer wall of a cannula . referring to fig6 the cap 20 of the present invention is shown in position on an end portion of a cannula 56 . the cannula 56 includes a radially extending flange portion 58 . the cap is positioned such that the inner wall of the sleeve 22 engages and forms a seal with an outer surface of the flange 58 and the inner surface 54 of the second flange 30 engages and forms a seal with an outer wall portion 60 of the cannula 56 . as a result of the intersection line 48 being spaced from the inner sleeve wall 50 , the end of the cannula 56 may extend into engagement with an inner surface 62 of the first flange to complete the seal between the cannula 56 and the cap 20 . with the cap 20 thus in position , the valve body 32 will extend into the cannula 56 with the lip members 38 in spaced relation to the cannula 56 . the cannula 56 is preferably provided with an annular groove or indentation 64 adjacent to the lip members 38 such that a tube having a diameter substantialy equal to the interior diameter of the cannula 56 may be inserted and sufficient room will be provided for outward movement of the lip members 38 as the web members 40 move into the indentation 64 . it should also be noted that the circumference of the inner annular surface 33 is such that it will engage and form a seal with a tube inserted into the cannula 56 . thus , the cap 20 of the present invention provides two integrally formed seal portions wherein the web members 40 form an easily opened portion creating a seal when a tube is not passing through the valve , and opening to a large circumference in response to the passage of a tube through the valve . in addition , the inner surface 33 of the flange 28 forms a second seal about a tube inserted through the valve to prevent passage of fluids out of the cannula 56 when the lips 38 have been moved to an open position by the tube . in addition , as a result of using converging web members 40 configured to resemble intersecting duckbill valve members , any reverse fluid flow in a direction from the outlet end 36 toward the inlet end 34 causes an additional closing biasing force to firmly seal the slit areas 42 and prevent fluid leakage through the cap 20 when a tube is not present in the valve . further , it should be noted that additional lip members 38 may be provided while remaining within the scope of the invention . for example , five or more radially extending lips may be provided , each of the lips including a slit formed by adjoining web members . while the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims .
0
the configuration of saturometer 10 is shown in fig1 . saturometer 10 comprises analyzer 11 , sensor package 12 , and detachable probes 13a - c . the outer container of analyzer 11 is comprised of waterproof housing 31 . however , there is a small opening ( not shown ) on one side of housing 31 which is covered with a sheet of gas permeable membrane , which allows the pressure inside of analyzer 11 to always be at equilibrium with the pressure of the atmosphere . analyzer 11 is further provided with a barometric pressure gauge 32 ( fig7 ) which provides a signal representing barometric pressure for display on lcd display 15 . analyzer 11 receives signals of delta p and temperature from sensor package 12 ( discussed herein ) through cable assembly 14 for display on lcd display 15 . analyzer 11 is provided with selector switches 16a - e because lcd display 15 only displays one quantity at a time . selector switch 16e is the power on / off switch for analyzer 11 . to display a quantity , a system user depresses one of selector switches 16a - d resulting in that quantity being displayed on lcd display 15 . in the preferred embodiment , selector switches 16a - e are key pad switches , however , any comparable switch means could be substituted . for operation , sensor package 12 is attached to one of probes 13a - c . if probe 13c is to be used , sensor package 12 is fitted into holder 17 which exposes the sensors to a water flow . probe 13c has a bernoulli tube configuration and is used in a situation where there is sufficient water flow . in that instance , the sensor package and probe are lowered into the water and let rest or probe 13c is screwed onto an outflow pipe using its threads so that the water will flow through probe 13c and across sensor package 12 . probe 13b is a bernoulli tube used to create a water flow in relatively still waters . the design and construction of probe 13b will be discussed herein with reference to fig3 - 6 . if probe 13a is to be used , sensor package 12 is fitted into its rear , and probe 13a and sensor package 12 are then manually moved through water . probe 13a is a straight tube causing water flow against sensor package 12 as it is moved vertically through the water . referring to fig2 sensor package 12 will be described . sensor package 12 comprises gas permeable tubing 18 , temperature sensor 19 , and housing 20 which houses a differential pressure gauge ( not shown ). gas permeable tubing 18 is sealed at one end and wound about posts 21a - d with its opposite end terminating in contact with one side of the diaphragm of the differential pressure gauge . gas molecules enter the gas permeable tubing and exert a pressure against the diaphragm representative of the total dissolved gas pressure . the opposite side of the diaphragm of the differential pressure gauge is connected to a tube ( not shown ) which runs through cable assembly 14 and terminates in analyzer 11 , thereby exposing the diaphragm to atmospheric pressure . thus , the pressures on the opposite sides of the diaphragm create a differential signal which is delta p . that signal is communicated to analyzer 11 via cable assembly 14 . additionally , sensor package 12 measures the temperature which is also communicated to analyzer 11 via cable assembly 14 . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the gas permeable tubing is a silastic tubing ; however any comparable gas permeable tubing could be substituted . additionally in the preferred embodiment , the gas permeable tubing may be thirty inches or less and is filled with a non - permeable solid or fluid . that non - permeable solid or fluid remains inside the membrane to decrease the internal volume , thereby increasing the ratio of the surface area to the internal volume , which increases the rate and accuracy of the measurement of delta p . in the preferred embodiment , the barometric pressure gauge is not mounted inside sensor package 12 . however , the inside of sensor package 12 could be waterproofed and placed in communication with the atmosphere via a tube similar to the one connected to the back of the differential pressure gauge . that would allow the inside of sensor package 12 to be pressurized to atmospheric pressure . thus , an absolute pressure gauge could be mounted in sensor package 12 to measure the barometric pressure for communication and display by analyzer 11 . with reference to fig3 - 6 , the structure and function of probe 13b will be described . to provide accurate measurements of delta p and temperature , it is necessary to create a rapid flow of water across sensor package 12 . probe 13b and c are designed to maximize that water flow . probe 13b ( fig3 ) comprises tube 22 having on its outside holder 23 . holder 23 allows sensor package 12 to fit inside tube 22 for maximum flow as shown in fig3 . once sensor package 12 is fitted into tube 22 , cable assembly 14 is routed through vaned bell housing 24 and back to analyzer 11 . that configuration allows probe 13b to be moved vertically through the water with the water flow passing through vaned bell housing 24 across sensor package 12 and out opening 25 . vaned bell housing 24 ( fig6 ) comprises vanes 26a - c secured at one end by stem 27 and having their opposite ends mounted on ring 28 as shown in fig6 . that configuration allows the water to be efficiently channeled into probe 13b . one embodiment of probe 13b is shown in the cross - sectional drawing of fig4 . sensor package 12 fits into holder 23 which positions gas permeable tubing 18 and temperature sensor 19 in the center of hour - glass opening 29 . the hour - glass shape of probe 13b creates an increased flow of water across sensor package 12 , thereby increasing the accuracy of measurements . a second embodiment of probe 13b is shown in fig6 . in that embodiment , inside surface 35 of probe 13b is augured or screw shaped so that the water flows through the probe in a spiral pattern . the auger or screw shaped design of probe 13b makes the water flow path longer , thereby increasing the velocity and intensity of the water flow across sensor package 12 . although probes 13a - c have been described for the purposes of disclosure for use in determining the saturation of dissolved gases in water , one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that any sensor requiring a flow of liquid could be used in the probes . additionally , each of probes 13a - c could be used in any substance ( e . g . ammonia or beer ) to create a flow across a sensor package to measure the saturation of the liquid or any other desired measurement . with reference to fig7 the operation of saturometer will be described . sensor package 12 is connected to one of probes 13a - c and then lowered into the water for measurement taking . as the probe is manually moved through the water , sensor package 12 measures delta p and temperature and communicates those two signals to signal conditioning circuit 30 of analyzer 11 . barometric pressure gauge 32 provides a signal representing barometric pressure to signal conditioning circuit 30 . signal conditioning circuit 30 ensures that the differential pressure gauge , temperature sensor and barometric pressure transducer are properly calibrated . signal conditioning circuit 30 is a resistive network which sets the output of the differential pressure gauge and barometric pressure transducer to zero when a true zero pressure signal is measured . signal conditioning circuit 30 also adjusts the value of the signal sent to lcd display 15 . that signal is in millivolts and must be converted to the appropriate units before display ( e . g . mm hg ). analyzer 11 is further provided with percent saturation calculation circuit 33 . percent saturation calculation circuit 33 receives the delta p and barometric pressure signals from signal conditioning circuit 30 , adds delta p with barometric pressure , then divides by the barometric pressure , and multiplies that value times one hundred to determine the percent saturation (( dp + bp )/ bp * 100 ). for display , the user depresses one of selector switches 16a - d , and the quantity corresponding to the selected switch , either delta p , barometric pressure , temperature , or percent saturation , is displayed on liquid crystal display 15 . analyzer 11 is further provided with power supply 34 to provide power for liquid crystal display 15 through on / off switch 16e . while the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described for the purposes of this disclosure , changes in the design and arrangements of features may be made by those skilled in the art , which changes are encompasses within the spirit of this invention as defined by the appended claims .
6
while the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below , it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts , which can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts . the specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention , and do not delimit the scope of the present invention . the present invention provides improved methods and tools for completing and separately producing individual hydrocarbon zones in a single well . the methods can be performed in either vertical or horizontal wellbores . the term “ vertical wellbore ” is used herein to mean the portion of a wellbore in a producing zone , which is substantially vertical , inclined or deviated . the term “ horizontal wellbore ” is used herein to mean the portion of a wellbore in a producing zone , which is substantially horizontal . since the present invention is applicable in vertical , horizontal and inclined wellbores , the terms “ upper and lower ” and “ top and bottom ” as used herein are relative terms and are intended to apply to the respective positions within a particular wellbore while the term “ levels ” is meant to refer to respective spaced positions along the wellbore . the term “ zone ” is used herein to refer to separate parts of the well designated for treatment and / or production and includes an entire hydrocarbon formation or separate portions of the same formation . as used herein , “ down ,” “ downward ” or “ downhole ” refer to the direction in or along the wellbore from the wellhead toward the producing zone regardless of the wellbore &# 39 ; s orientation toward the surface or away from the surface . accordingly , the upper zone would be the first zone encountered by the wellbore and the lower zone would be located further along the wellbore . tubing , tubular , casing , pipe liner and conduit are interchangeable terms used herein to refer to walled fluid conductors . referring initially to fig1 , a multi zone isolation tool of the present invention is disposed within a cased wellbore that is generally designated 10 . wellbore 10 is illustrated intersecting two separate hydrocarbon bearing zones , upper zone 12 and lower zone 14 . for purposes of description , only two zones are shown but it is understood that the present invention has application to isolate any number of zones within a well . as mentioned , while wellbore 10 is illustrated as a vertical cased well with two producing zones , the present invention is applicable to horizontal and inclined wellbores with more than two producing zones and in uncased wells . a completion string disposed within wellbore 10 includes upper and lower sand screen assemblies 16 , 18 that are located proximate to zones 12 , 14 , respectively . wellbore 10 includes a casing string 20 that has been perforated at locations 22 , 24 to provide fluid flow paths into casing 20 from zones 12 , 14 , respectively . the completion string includes production tubing 26 , packers 28 , 30 and a crossover sub 32 to enable fluid flow between the interior of the completion string and annulus 34 . the completion string also includes multi zone isolation tool 36 of the present invention . as explained in greater detail below , tool 36 functions to connect lower sand screen assembly 18 and production tubing 26 via a first flow path . tool 36 also functions to selectively isolate and connect upper sand screen assembly 16 to annulus 34 via a second flow path . thus , tool 36 selectively isolates zone 12 and zone 14 and allows zones 12 , 14 to be independently produced . referring next to fig2 a - 2d , therein is depicted a more detailed illustration of an embodiment of a multi zone isolation tool of the present invention that is generally designated 100 . tool 100 includes a substantially tubular outer housing assembly 102 that is formed from a plurality of housing members that are securably and sealingly coupled together by threading , set screws or similar technique . in the illustrated embodiment , housing assembly 102 includes an upper housing member 104 , a first upper intermediate housing member 106 , a second upper intermediate housing member 108 having a housing extension 110 , a housing coupling 112 , a sleeve housing member 114 that forms a substantially annular pocket 116 with housing extension 110 , a lower intermediate housing member 118 , a housing coupling 120 and a lower housing member 122 . it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that even though a particular arrangement of housing members is depicted and described , other arrangements of housing members are possible and are considered within the scope of the present invention . disposed within housing assembly 102 is an inner tubular assembly 124 that is formed from a plurality of tubular members that are securably and sealingly coupled together by threading , set screws or similar technique . in the illustrated embodiment , tubular assembly 124 includes an upper tubular member 126 having a polished bore receptacle 128 , a first upper intermediate tubular member 130 having a radially expanded region 132 , a second upper intermediate tubular member 134 having a lower shoulder 136 , a first intermediate tubular member 138 , a second intermediate tubular member 140 , a first lower intermediate tubular member 142 having a profile 144 , a second lower intermediate tubular member 146 and a lower tubular member 148 . it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that even though a particular arrangement of tubular members is depicted and described , other arrangements of tubular members are possible and are considered within the scope of the present invention . slidably disposed within tubular assembly 124 is a mandrel assembly 150 that is formed from a plurality of mandrel members that are securably and sealingly coupled together by threading , set screws or similar technique . in the illustrated embodiment , mandrel assembly 150 includes an upper mandrel member 152 including a profile 154 and a plurality of reclosing ports 156 , an intermediate mandrel member 158 that carries one or more lugs 160 and a lower mandrel member 162 including a plurality of opening ports 164 . it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that even though a particular arrangement of mandrel members is depicted and described , other arrangements of mandrel members are possible and are considered within the scope of the present invention . disposed between tubular assembly 124 and mandrel assembly 150 is a lug support sleeve 166 and a spring 168 . together , lug support sleeve 166 , spring 168 and lugs 160 may be referred to as a lock assembly . near their lower ends , tubular assembly 124 and mandrel assembly 150 define an actuation chamber 170 that is in fluid communication with opening ports 164 of mandrel assembly 150 . together , tubular assembly 124 and mandrel assembly 150 define a central flow path 172 that extends between the upper and lower ends of tool 100 . as such , at least portions of mandrel assembly 150 may be considered as part of tubular assembly 124 in the section between tubular member 130 and tubular member 134 . as previously described with reference to fig1 , central flow path 172 is in fluid communication with lower sand screen assembly 18 and therefore lower zone 14 . together , housing assembly 102 and tubular assembly 124 define a substantially annular flow path 174 . as previously described with reference to fig1 , annular flow path 174 is in fluid communication with upper sand screen assembly 16 and therefore upper zone 12 . disposed within annular flow path 174 is a sleeve 176 that has a plurality of seals 178 disposed on the inner surface thereof . in the illustrated embodiment , sleeve 176 is threadably coupled to a collet assembly 180 . near its lower end , sleeve 176 is securably coupled to mandrel assembly 150 via a threaded connector held in position by a pin 182 that extends through one of three radially expanded sections of mandrel assembly 150 ( only one being visible in the figures ). each of the radially expanded sections extends approximately thirty degrees in the circumferential direction such that the flow of fluid through annular flow path 174 is not prevented by the radially expanded sections . also disposed within annular flow path 174 is an equalization pathway depicted as control line 184 that extends between tubular member 130 and tubular member 146 . the operation of tool 100 will now be described with reference to fig2 a - 2d and 3 a - 3 d . tool 100 is initially run into the wellbore as part of the completion string with housing assembly 102 preferably forming a portion of the tubular string that extends to the surface . the completion string is the positioned at the desired location , such as that depicted in fig1 . initially , tool 100 is in its closed position as depicted in fig2 a - 2d wherein sleeve 176 is in its lower position with seals 178 engaging an outer sealing surface of tubular member 130 such that fluid flow through annular flow path 174 is prevented . in this configuration , treatment or other operations requiring fluid flow and pressure fluctuations downhole of tool 100 are performed through central flow path 172 . even though pressure fluctuations are occurring in central flow path 172 and are communicated to actuation chamber 170 and therefore to a lower piston area of mandrel assembly 150 , operation of tool 100 is prevented . specifically , annular flow path 174 and central flow path 172 are in fluid communication with one another above tool 100 . in addition , the pressure in annular flow path 174 above sleeve 176 is communicated to an upper piston area of mandrel assembly 150 via control line 184 that serves as a pathway to equalize pressure across mandrel assembly 150 . after treatment or other operations to the lower zone or zones are complete , the lower zones may be plugged off and a tubing string may be stabbed into polished bore receptacle 128 of tubular assembly 124 . in this configuration , annular flow path 174 and central flow path 172 are no longer in fluid communication with one another above tool 100 . now , increased pressure within central flow path 172 is communicated to actuation chamber 170 via opening ports 164 . this pressure acts on the lower piston area of mandrel assembly 150 and urges mandrel assembly in the uphole direction . mandrel assembly 150 is threadably coupled to sleeve 176 and sleeve 176 is threadably coupled to collet assembly 180 . as best seen in fig2 b , collet assembly 180 selectively prevents upward movement of sleeve 176 and mandrel assembly 150 until the pressure exerted on the lower piston area of mandrel assembly 150 exceeds a predetermined value sufficient to radially inwardly retract the collet fingers of collet assembly 180 , to pass through a downwardly facing shoulder 186 of housing assembly 102 . when the predetermined value is reached and the collet fingers of collet assembly 180 are radially retracted , sleeve 176 and mandrel 150 shift in the uphole direction to the position depicted in fig3 a - 3d . as illustrated , collet assembly 180 reengages with housing assembly 102 in annular recess 188 . sleeve 176 is in its upper position partially disposed within annular pocket 116 of housing assembly 102 with seals 178 engaging an outer sealing surface of housing extension 110 . in this configuration , fluid communication between annular flow path 174 and the upper zone is allowed , enabling , for example , production from the upper zone into annular flow path 174 . importantly , in this configuration , seals 178 are protected from fluid flow or any abrasive materials therein as seals 178 are sealingly engaged with the outer sealing surface of housing extension 110 and out of the flow path . as such , seals 178 are not susceptible to damage during production from the upper zone or other fluid flow operations therethrough . also , in this configuration , downhole movement of mandrel assembly 150 is prevented as spring 168 has urged lug support sleeve 166 under lugs 160 which are now aligned with and interfere with profile 144 of tubular member 142 , as best seen in fig3 c . referring additionally to fig4 a - 4d , if it is desired to return tool 100 from the open position to the closed position , a fluid diverter 190 may be run downhole on a conveyance that is depicted as wireline 192 and positioned within tool 100 . fluid diverter 190 includes a latch assembly 194 that is operable to engage profile 154 of mandrel assembly 150 . once engaged , a discharge port 196 of fluid diverter 190 is in fluid communication with reclosing ports 156 of mandrel assembly 150 . in this configuration , fluid pressure above seals 198 of fluid diverter 190 in central flow path 172 is routed to chamber 200 , which is in fluid communication with reclosing ports 156 via discharge port 196 . the fluid pressure then acts on a lower piston area of lug support sleeve 166 which compresses spring 168 and unprops lugs 160 , as best seen in fig4 c . the fluid pressure from chamber 200 now acts on an upper piston area of mandrel assembly 150 and urges mandrel assembly 150 downhole . as best seen in fig4 b , collet assembly 180 selectively prevents downward movement of sleeve 176 and mandrel assembly 150 until the pressure exerted on the upper piston area of mandrel assembly 150 exceeds a predetermined value sufficient to radially inwardly retract the collet fingers of collet assembly 180 , to pass through an upwardly facing shoulder of annular recess 188 of housing assembly 102 . when the predetermined value is reached and the collet fingers of collet assembly 180 are radially retracted , sleeve 176 and mandrel 150 shift in the downhole direction to the position depicted in fig2 a - 2d . as illustrated , collet assembly 180 is now repositioned below downwardly facing shoulder 186 of housing assembly 102 , thereby selectively preventing upward movement of sleeve 176 and mandrel assembly 150 . sleeve 176 is now repositioned in its lower position with seals 178 engaging an outer sealing surface of tubular member 130 . in this configuration , fluid flow through annular flow path 174 is prevented and tool 100 has been returned to its closed configuration . the processes of opening and reclosing tool 100 can be repeated as required to enable independent and selective production from the upper and lower zones . while this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments , this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense . various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments as well as other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description . it is , therefore , intended that the appended claims encompass any such modifications or embodiments .
4
the invention is disclosed as being embodied preferably in a single - use 35 mm camera having a built - in electronic flash unit . because the features of such a camera are generally known , the description which follows is directed in particular only to those elements forming part of or cooperating directly with the disclosed embodiment . it is to be understood , however , that other elements may take various forms known to a person of ordinary skill in the art . referring now to the drawings , fig1 and 2 show a single - use camera 1 which comprises a plastic light - tight camera unit 3 housing a known fixed - focus taking lens 5 , a known film metering mechanism , not show , a known single - blade shutter 7 , a known frame counter 9 for visibly indicating the number of exposures remaining for picture - taking , and an electronic flash unit 11 . a cardboard outer cover or casing 13 contains the camera unit 3 and has a front opening 15 for the taking lens 5 , a top opening 17 for a manual shutter release button 19 , a rear opening for a manual film advance thumbwheel , not shown , a front opening 21 for a front viewfinder window 23 of a direct see - through viewfinder 25 , a rear opening , not shown , for a rear viewfinder window 27 , a top opening 29 for the frame counter , a front opening 31 for a flash emission window 33 , and a top opening 35 for a flash - ready light emitting diode ( led ) 37 . a known ambient light sensor 39 for operation of the electronic flash unit 11 is located in the front opening 31 above the flash emission window 33 . the ambient light sensor 39 provides a brightness measure of the ambient light to determine whether a flash or daylight exposure is in order . the flash unit 11 as shown in fig2 includes a flash circuit board 43 on which is mounted a known flash tube 45 located behind the flash emission window 33 , a known flash charger circuit 47 for storing a suitable voltage to ignite the flash tube to provide flash illumination , and an integrated control circuit ( ic ) 51 . the ic 51 is connected to the led 37 , the ambient light sensor 39 , and a normally open shutter - flash synch switch 53 which is closed every time the shutter blade 7 is pivoted clockwise in fig2 to momentarily uncover the taking lens 5 to take a picture . at the manufacturer , the camera unit 3 is loaded with a conventional 12 , 24 , or 36 exposure 35 mm film cartridge and substantially the entire length of the unexposed filmstrip is factory prewound from the cartridge onto a spool , not shown , in the camera unit . also , the frame counter 9 is set to the maximum number of exposures available on the unexposed filmstrip . after the photographer takes a picture , he or she manually rotates the thumbwheel to rewind the exposed frame into the cartridge . the rewinding movement of the filmstrip the equivalent of slightly more than one frame width rotates a metering sprocket , not shown , to decrement the frame counter 9 to its next lower numbered setting , e . g . from &# 34 ; 36 &# 34 ; to &# 34 ; 35 &# 34 ;. further details of this operation are disclosed in commonly assigned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 235 , 366 , issued aug . 10 , 1993 . when the maximum number of exposures available on the filmstrip are exposed and the filmstrip is completely rewound into the cartridge , the single - use camera 1 is given to a photofinisher who first removes the filmstrip from the camera unit 3 to develop the negatives and then forwards the camera unit to the manufacturer for recycling . the manufacturer , in turn , recycles the camera unit 3 by loading it with another roll of film and repeating the foregoing prewinding process . the ic 51 includes a known count - down counter 55 which when initialized is set to the maximum number of exposures available on a roll of film in the camera unit 3 ( similar to the frame counter 9 ). the counter 55 is adapted to be decremented by &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; when the shutter - flash synch switch 53 is closed by the shutter blade 7 to take a picture , to provide a count of the number of exposures remaining to be made on the roll of film . as shown in fig3 each time the shutter - flash synch switch 53 is closed , the ic 51 interrogates the counter 55 to determine whether its count is at least &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. if the count is at least &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; the counter 55 is decremented by &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. conversely , if the counter is &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; the flash charger circuit 47 is disabled . when the flash charger circuit 47 is disabled , the camera unit 3 cannot be effectively recycled unless authorized . according to the invention , there is provided a method of permitting authorized recycling of the camera unit 3 . this method is depicted in fig5 and comprises the following steps : ( 1 ) the maximum number of exposures available on a fresh roll of film loaded or to be loaded in the camera unit 3 is selected on a code inputting device 57 by manually sliding a pointer 59 to the selected number &# 34 ; 12 &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; 24 &# 34 ;, or &# 34 ; 36 &# 34 ;. the code inputting device 57 is shown in fig4 . ( 2 ) a code - source light emitting diode ( led ) 61 of the code inputting device 57 is positioned opposite the ambient light sensor 39 to first input a start code to the ic 51 via the ambient light sensor , to cause the ic to then output an identifier code via the flash - ready led 37 and to later accept a reset code via the ambient light sensor . the start code is a plurality of light pulses each having a different duration . ( 3 ) a phototransistor 63 of the code inputting device 57 is positioned opposite the flash - ready led 37 to permit the code inputting device to read the identifier code provided by the ic 51 . preferably , the identifier code is unique to the ic 51 to make it more difficult to decipher that code and is a plurality of light pulses each having a different duration . ( 4 ) the code inputting device 57 includes a look - up table 69 having a plurality of identifier codes ( for various ic &# 39 ; s ), one of which is the identifier code that has been read in step 3 , and a plurality of reset codes that correspond 1 : 1 to the identifier codes , and is adapted via a central processing unit ( cpu ), not shown , to select the reset code that corresponds to the identifier code that has been read in step 3 . also , the plurality of reset codes correspond 1 : 1 to various enablement codes ( provided in respective ic &# 39 ; s ), one of which is provided in the ic 51 for instructing that ic to trigger initializing the counter 55 and re - enabling the flash charger circuit 47 . ( 5 ) the code - source led 61 of the code inputting device 57 then inputs the reset code , which has been selected in step 4 , via the ambient light sensor 39 to the ic 51 . the reset code is a plurality of light pulses each having a different duration . presumably , the reset code that is inputted via the ambient light sensor 39 to the ic 51 will match the enablement code of that ic . as a result , the counter 55 will be incremented from &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; to the number of exposures selected in step 1 and the flash charger circuit 49 will be re enabled . if the reset code that is inputted to the ic 51 does not match the enablement code of that ic for some reason , a visible warning indicator 79 on the reader 57 is activated . the term &# 34 ; code &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; codes &# 34 ; as used in regard to the start code , the identifier code , the reset code , and the enablement code is intended to be given the common ordinary meaning , i . e . a system of signals or symbols for communication used to represent assigned and often secret meanings , such as in the case of the morse code and the binary and other machine languages used in digital computers . the various codes , although preferably optical , can be a number of other different types , e . g . electrical or magnetic , digital or analog . the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment . however , it will be appreciated that variations and modifications can be effected by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , instead of disabling the flash charger circuit 49 to prevent the flash function of the camera unit 3 , anyone of several other known functions or operations of the camera unit such as shutter operation or film advance operation can be disabled . in this sense , the terms &# 34 ; functions &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; operations &# 34 ; are intended to be equivalents . also , instead of counting the number of closures of the shutter - flash synch switch 53 for the purpose of disabling a function of the camera unit 3 , various other events may be used to determine when to disable a function of the camera unit . for instance , a function of the camera unit 3 can be disabled in response to removing an exposed roll of film from the camera unit , in response to removing a battery from the camera unit , or in response to opening the camera unit to remove the exposed roll of film . as suggested in commonly assigned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 021 , 811 , issued jun . 4 , 1991 , the flash circuit board 43 can include means for visibly indicating the number of times the camera unit 3 has been recycled .
2
in an embodiment , the present invention provides novel pyridone disulfide derivatives of formula ( i ), a process for their preparation and isolation of stable compounds of formula ( i ) in the ph range of 4 . 5 to 8 . 5 . the invention also includes the preparation of stereoisomeric isomers of stable pyridone disulfide derivatives . the meaning of term ‘ stable ’ used herein indicates that the compound of formula ( i ) is obtained in a stable form , crystalline or amorphous , not easily prone to degradation . in yet another embodiment , the present invention provides a process for preparation and isolation of novel pyridone disulfide derivatives of formula ( i ), comprising of the following steps . step 1 involves reaction of substituted benzimidazo - 2 - thiol or substituted imidazo - pyridine - 2 - thiol ( compound ii ) with substituted - 2 - chloromethyl - 4 - methoxy - pyridine derivative ( compound iii ) in presence of a base and solvent to give substituted methoxy - 2 - pyridinyl - methylsulfidyl benzimidazole or the corresponding imidazo - pyridine derivative ( compound iv ). the base was selected from the group comprising of sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide , calcium hydroxide , barium hydroxide etc . the solvent was selected from the group comprising of water , methanol , ethanol , isopropanol , butanol etc . and mixtures thereof . the reaction was carried out at 20 - 40 ° c . after completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc , the mixture was filtered to give the respective substituted methoxy - 2 - pyridinyl - methylsulfidyl benzimidazole derivative or imidazo - pyridine derivative ( compound iv ) having desired purity . step 2 involved regioselective dealkylation of substituted methoxy - 2 - pyridinyl - methylsulfidyl benzimidazole or imidazo - pyridine derivative ( compound iv ) in presence of a dealkylating agent and a solvent to give compound of formula ( v ). various dealkylating agents such as sodium sulfide , hydrobromic acid , aluminium chloride etc . were used . in case of sodium sulfide , the reaction was carried out in the temperature range of 80 to 110 ° c ., in presence of a solvent . the solvent was selected from the group comprising of nitriles , alcohols , polar aprotic solvents such as n - methyl pyrrolidone , dimethyl formamide , dimethyl acetamide water or mixtures thereof . after completion of the reaction based on tlc , the reaction mass was cooled and neutralized with an acid such as acetic acid . filtration of the obtained solid and drying gave the respective substituted hydroxy - 2 - pyridinyl - methylsulfidyl - benzimidazole or imidazo - pyridine derivative ( compound v ) having desired purity . alternatively , the dealkylation was also carried out by employing aqueous hydrobromic acid or using lewis acid halides such as aluminium chloride , zinc chloride , optionally in presence of decanethiol . the reaction was carried out at a temperature ranging from 50 - 110 ° c ., depending upon the type of the dealkylating reagent used . after completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc , the product was isolated by concentrating the mixture and adding water followed by addition of an organic solvent like methanol to the aqueous layer at around neutral ph to obtain the desired product of formula ( v ). step 3 comprised treatment of substituted hydroxy - 2 - pyridinyl - methylsulfidyl - benzimidazole or imidazo - pyridine derivative ( compound v ) with an oxidizing agent to give compound of formula ( vi ). this step involved treatment of compound of formula ( v ) with an oxidizing agent such as ( 10 )- camphorsulfonyl oxaziridine ( cso ) and its stereoisomers or an alkali metal hypochlorite to provide the sulfoxide derivative of formula ( vi ). the sulfide derivative ( v ) was treated with the oxidizing agent at 20 - 35 ° c . in presence of a base and organic solvent like isopropanol . the base was selected from inorganic or organic bases . the inorganic base was selected from the group comprising of alkali metal hydroxides , carbonate and bicarbonates etc . while the organic base was selected from dbu , triethyl amine , diisopropyl ethyl amine etc . the solvent was selected from the group comprising of alcohols such as methyl alcohol , ethyl alcohol , isopropyl alcohol etc . or mixtures thereof . after completion of reaction , as monitored by tlc , the reaction mass was filtered and the filtrate concentrated to get the desired compound ( vi ) which was optionally treated with organic solvents such as methanol , methyl tertiary butyl ether , toluene etc . or used as such for further reaction . when oxidation was carried out using hypochlorite , compound ( v ) was added to a mixture of sodium hydroxide , water and methanol , followed by addition of sodium hypochlorite solution and the reaction was carried out at 20 - 35 ° c . the reaction was monitored by tlc and after completion , the reaction mass was extracted with an organic solvent and the organic layer was then concentrated to give the desired compound ( vi ). alternatively , after completion of oxidation reaction , the mass was carried forward for the next reaction . the ph of the reaction mass was adjusted in range of 4 . 5 to 8 . 5 using acid and the mass was stirred at 20 - 35 ° c . optionally , an organic solvent such as methanol or ethyl acetate or solvent mixture was added during stirring and resulting solid was filtered after completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc , to give compound of formula ( i ). step 4 comprised treatment of compound ( vi ) with an acid in a solvent to obtain ph between 4 . 5 and 8 . 5 , preferably 6 . 5 to 8 , which was then stirred and filtered to obtain the desired compound ( i ). the solvent was selected from the group comprising of water and organic solvents or mixtures thereof . the organic solvent was selected from the group comprising of ethers , esters , alcohols , ketones , hydrocarbons and halogenated hydrocarbons . the ethers were selected from the group comprising of dimethyl ether , dimethoxyethane , methyl - tertiary butyl ether etc . the solvents were selected from the group comprising of ethyl acetate , acetone , methanol , toluene , xylene , dichloromethane etc . the acid employed was selected from an organic or mineral acid or a mixture thereof . the mineral acid was selected from the group comprising of hydrochloric acid , sulfuric acid and nitric acid . the organic acid was selected from the group comprising of acetic acid , citric acid , propionic acid , lactic acid etc ., but preferably acetic acid . in this step , the acid was slowly added with stirring to the mixture of compound ( vi ) and solvent ( s ) at 20 - 35 ° c ., till the desired ph was obtained . the desired ph range varied for different substrates in the class of compound ( vi ) and ranged from 4 . 5 to 8 . 5 but preferably between 6 . 5 and 8 . 0 . after completion of the reaction , the desired compound of formula ( i ) separated out from the reaction mixture , filtered and dried . optionally , the compound of formula ( i ) was subjected to purification procedures such as crystallization , solvent treatment , treatment with acid , column chromatography etc . to obtain the desired purity . the desired compounds were obtained as stable , crystalline or amorphous solids and were characterized by 1 h nmr , 13 c nmr and ms . the different compounds obtained by varying the substituent in the general formula ( i ) are provided in tables 1a and 1b . for clinical use , the compounds of the invention were utilized for pharmaceutical formulations for oral , rectal , parenteral or other modes of administration . the pharmaceutical formulation contains a compound of the invention in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . the carrier may be in the form of a solid , semisolid or liquid diluent , or a capsule . usually the amount of active compound is between 0 . 1 and 95 . 0 % by weight of the preparation . when the compound of the present invention is to be administered as a therapeutic or preventive agent for peptic ulcer , it may be orally administered as powder , granule , capsule or syrup . alternately , it may be parenterally administered in the form of suppositories , injections , external preparations or intravenous drips . the dose may vary depending on the condition , age and ulcer type of the patient . it may be administered in a dose of approximately 0 . 01 to 200 mg / kg / day , preferably 0 . 05 to 50 mg / kg / day and still preferably 0 . 1 to 10 mg / kg / day in one to several portions . it may be formulated in a conventional manner by using conventional pharmacological carriers . when a solid preparation for oral administration is to be produced , for example , the active component is mixed with filler as well as a binder , a disintegrating agent , a lubricant , a colorant and / or a corrigent , if required . the obtained mixture is then formulated into tablets , coated tablets , granules , powders or capsules in a conventional manner . examples of fillers include lactose , corn starch , white sugar , glucose , sorbitol , crystalline cellulose and silicon dioxide . examples of binder include polyvinyl alcohol , polyvinyl ether , methylcellulose , gum arabic , tragacanth , gelatin , shellac , hydroxypropyl - cellulose , hydroxypropyl starch and polyvinylpyrrolidone . example of disintegrating agent includes starch , agar , gelatin powder , crystalline cellulose , calcium carbonate , sodium hydrogen carbonate , calcium citrate , dextrin and pectin . examples of the lubricant include magnesium stearate , talc , polyethylene glycol , silica and hardened vegetable oils . as the colorant , pharmacologically acceptable ones may be employed . examples of the corrigent include cocoa powder , mentha herb , aromatic powder , mentha oil , borneol and cinnamon powder . needless to say , these tablets or granules may be coated with , for example , sugar or gelatin . when an injection is to be produced , the active component is mixed with various additives such as a ph modifier , a buffer , a stabilizer or a solubilizing agent , if required . thus a subcutaneous , intramuscular or intravenous injection is obtained . the principles , preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the present invention have been described in the foregoing examples . the invention which is intended to be protected herein , however , is not to be construed limited to the particular forms disclosed , since these are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive . variations and changes may be made by those skilled in the art , without departing from the spirit of the invention . general procedures for preparation of compound iv , compound v and compound vi are given below . the reaction of substituted benzimidazothiol derivatives or substituted imidazopyridine - thiol derivatives ( compound ii ) with substituted methoxypyridinium hydrochloride derivatives ( compound iii ) was carried out at 25 - 30 ° c ., in presence of aqueous solution of base such as sodium hydroxide and an organic solvent like methanol . the reaction was monitored by tlc and after completion of the reaction , the mixture was filtered , the solid was separated and dried to give the respective substituted methoxy - pyridinylmethylsulfidyl imidazole or imidazopyridine derivatives ( compound iv ). the solution of compound iv in n - methyl pyrrolidone was treated with sodium sulfide at 80 - 110 ° c . the reaction was continued till completion of the reaction , as monitored by tlc . the reaction mass was cooled and ph was adjusted in the range of 6 to 7 using aqueous solution of acetic acid . filtration of the obtained solid and drying gave compound v having desired purity . a stirred mixture of compound iv , acetic acid and aqueous hbr was heated to 100 - 110 ° c . till the reaction was complete , as monitored by tlc . after completion , the reaction mass was cooled and concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was diluted with water and washed with dichloromethane . the aqueous layer was neutralized by addition of sodium carbonate solution , which was followed by addition of methanol and filtered . the residue thus obtained was optionally washed with aqueous methanol and dried to give compound v . a mixture of compound iv , aluminium chloride were stirred in a solvent like chloroform and heated to 50 - 70 ° c . till the reaction was complete , as monitored by tlc . the reaction mass was cooled , quenched with water and concentrated . hydrochloric acid was added to the residue and the aqueous layer was neutralized using aqueous sodium carbonate solution . the precipitated solid was filtered , dried , and optionally purified to give compound v . ( 10 - camphorsulfonyl ) oxaziridine was gradually added to a solution of compound v and sodium hydroxide in isopropyl alcohol at 25 to 30 ° c . and stirred at same temperature . after completion of the reaction , as monitored by tlc , the reaction mass was filtered , and the filtrate was concentrated under vacuum to obtain compound vi , which was directly used for further reaction . in some cases , the residue obtained after concentration was dissolved in methanol , concentrated and further treated with toluene and dried to obtain compound vi compound v was added to a stirred mixture of aqueous sodium hydroxide and methanol , followed by gradual addition of sodium hypochlorite solution at 25 - 30 ° c . the reaction mixture was stirred at the same temperature till completion of the reaction and then extracted with an organic solvent . the organic layer was concentrated to give the desired product . alternatively , the reaction mass containing compound vi was carried forward for the next reaction , without isolating the product . a solution of compound vi dissolved in water or an organic solvent or mixtures thereof was treated with acid , which was gradually added to it at 25 - 30 ° c ., till the ph of the reaction mixture was in the range of 4 . 5 to 8 . 5 , preferably 6 . 5 to 8 . the mass was stirred till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc . the suspension thus obtained was filtered and solid was dried to get compound i , which was optionally purified using suitable methods . methanol ( 270 ml ) was added to a solution of naoh ( 41 . 5 gms ) in water ( 180 ml ), followed by addition of 5 - difluoromethoxy - 2 - mercapto - 1h - benzimidazole ( 105 . 2 gms ). a solution of 2 - chloromethyl - 3 , 4 - dimethoxy - pyridine . hydrochloride ( 100 . 3 gm in water ( 150 ml )) was gradually added to the reaction mixture and stirred at 25 - 30 ° c . till completion of the reaction . after completion , as monitored by tlc , the reaction mixture was filtered and the obtained solid was dried to give compound iv - a - 11 . 1h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl3 ): δ 8 . 27 ( d , j = 5 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 48 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 32 ( d , j = 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 99 ( dd , j = 2 . 4 , 8 . 8 hz , 1h ), 6 . 87 ( d , j = 5 . 6 hz , 1h ), 6 . 50 ( t , j = 74 . 8 hz , 1h ), 4 . 39 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 95 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 93 ( s , 3h ). the solution of compound iv - a - 11 ( 50 . 7 gms ) and sodium sulfide ( 38 . 6 gm , assay 55 %) in n - methyl pyrrolidone ( 700 ml ) were heated to 90 to 100 ° c . and stirred at the same temperature . after completion of the reaction , as monitored by tlc , the reaction mass was quenched with water and ph was adjusted to 6 . 7 using aqueous acetic acid ( 50 %). the obtained suspension was filtered and solid dried to get compound v - a - 11 . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso d 6 ): δ 7 . 66 ( br . s , 1h ), 7 . 48 ( br . s , 1h ), 7 . 30 ( br . s , 1h ), 7 . 16 ( t , j = 74 . 4 hz , 1h ), 6 . 98 ( dd , j = 2 . 0 , 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 6 . 25 ( br . s , 1h ), 4 . 54 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 76 ( s , 3h ), esi - ms : 353 . 7 ( m + 1 ). ( 1r )-(−)-( 10 - camphorsulfonyl ) oxaziridine ( 33 . 7 gm ) was gradually added to a solution of v - a - 11 ( 50 . 1 gm ), and sodium hydroxide ( 12 . 4 gm ) in isopropyl alcohol ( 350 ml ) at 25 to 30 ° c . the reaction mixture was stirred at 25 to 30 ° c . the reaction mass was filtered and the filtrate was concentrated under vacuum to obtain vi - a - 11 ( 60 . 1 gm ) and carried forward for next reaction . aqueous acetic acid ( 50 %) was gradually added to a solution of vi - a - 11 ( 190 . 5 gm ) in ethyl acetate ( 1900 ml ) and water ( 1140 ml ) at 25 to 30 ° c . till the reaction mass attained ph 7 . 3 . the mass was stirred till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc . the suspension thus obtained was filtered and solid was dried to give compound i - a - 11 . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso d 6 ): δ 13 . 35 ( br . s , 2h ), 7 . 94 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 59 ( br . s , 2h ), 7 . 40 (( s , 6h br . s , 2h ), 7 . 22 ( t , j = 74 hz , 2h ), 7 . 11 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 6 . 33 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 4 . 17 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 76 ( s , 6h ). 13 c nmr ( 100 mhz , dmso d 6 ): δ 173 . 0 , 147 . 9 , 146 . 9 , 146 . 3 , 139 . 4 , 137 . 5 , 119 . 4 , 116 . 8 , 116 . 6 , 115 . 7 , 114 . 2 , 59 . 6 , 32 . 7 . the experimental procedure that was followed was same as that described for synthesis of ( vi - a - 11 ) wherein compound ( v - a - 1 , 72 . 8 g ), sodium hydroxide ( 22 . 4 g ), isopropyl alcohol ( 500 ml ) and ( 1r )-(−)-( 10 - camphorsulfonyl ) oxaziridine ( 67 . 9 g ) were used to obtain compound ( vi - a - 1 ) which was used for further reactions . the experimental procedure that was followed was same as that described for synthesis of ( i - a - 11 ) wherein compound ( 110 . 4 g ), ethyl acetate ( 1100 ml ), water ( 660 ml ) and aqueous acetic acid ( 50 %) were used to obtain ( i - a - 1 ). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d6 ): δ 13 . 25 ( br . s , 2h , d 2 o exchangable ), 7 . 98 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 2h ), 7 . 57 ( s , 4h ), 7 . 29 - 7 . 25 ( m , 4h ), 6 . 30 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 2h ), 6 . 21 ( dd , j = 2 . 8 , 8 . 0 hz , 2h ), 4 . 06 ( s , 4h ). 13 c nmr ( 100 mhz , dmso ): δ 177 . 7 , 145 . 7 , 145 . 3 , 141 . 7 , 122 . 9 , 120 . 4 , 116 . 7 , 38 . 3 . esi - ms : 612 . 9 ( m + 1 ). ( 1r )-(−)-( 10 - camphorsulfonyl ) oxaziridine ( 167 . 5 g ) was gradually added to a mixture of ( v - a - 2 ) ( 200 . 7 g ), and sodium hydroxide ( 57 . 2 g ), in isopropyl alcohol ( 1400 ml ) under stirring at room temperature . the reaction mixture was stirred at the same temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc and filtered . the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure to provide a residue , which was dissolved in methanol , concentrated and further treated with toluene and dried to obtain ( vi - a - 2 ), which was used for further reactions . yield : 235 . 6 g aqueous acetic acid ( 50 %) was gradually added to the stirred mixture of compound ( vi - a - 2 ), ( 130 . 4 g ), in ethyl acetate ( 1300 ml ) and water ( 780 ml ) till the ph of the reaction mass was between 6 . 5 and 7 . 5 . reaction mass was stirred at room temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc . the reaction mass was filtered and the obtained solid was dried to give compound ( i - a - 2 ). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd3od ): δ 7 . 84 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 58 - 7 . 56 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 36 - 7 . 33 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 99 ( s , 4h ), 2 . 01 ( s , 6h ), 2 . 00 ( s , 6h ). 13 c nmr ( 100 mhz , dmso d 6 ): δ 177 . 3 , 146 . 0 , 141 . 6 , 137 . 5 , 124 . 2 , 122 . 9 , 122 . 3 , 115 . 5 , 36 . 7 , 13 . 3 , 11 . 4 . ( 1r )-(−)-( 10 - camphorsulfonyl ) oxaziridine ( 83 . 2 gms ) was gradually added to a mixture of ( v - a - 3 ); ( 100 . 4 g ) and sodium hydroxide ( 29 . 6 gms ) in isopropyl alcohol ( 700 ml ) under stirring at room temperature . the reaction mixture was stirred at the same temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc and filtered . the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure to provide a residue , which was dissolved in methanol , concentrated and further treated with toluene and dried to obtain ( vi - a - 3 ), which was used for further reactions . aqueous acetic acid ( 50 %) was gradually added to the stirred mixture of compound ( vi - a - 3 ); ( 120 . 3 g ), in ethyl acetate ( 1200 ml ) and water ( 720 ml ), till the ph of the reaction mass was between 6 . 5 and 7 . 5 . reaction mass was stirred at room temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc . the reaction mass was filtered and the obtained solid was dried to give compound ( i - a - 3 ). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso d 6 ): δ 13 . 15 ( br . s , 2h , d 2 o exchangable ), 7 . 94 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 56 ( br . s , 4h ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 26 ( m , 4h ), 6 . 32 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 4 . 17 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 75 ( s , 6h ). 13 c nmr ( 100 mhz , dmso d 6 ): δ 172 . 9 , 147 . 9 , 145 . 3 , 139 . 5 , 137 . 7 , 122 . 9 , 116 . 5 , 59 . 6 , 32 . 7 . the experimental procedure that was followed was same as that described for synthesis of ( vi - a - 3 ) wherein compound ( v - a - 4 , ( 150 . 6 g ), sodium hydroxide ( 41 . 9 g ) isopropyl alcohol ( 1050 ml ) and ( 1r )-(−)-( 10 - camphorsulfonyl ) oxaziridine ( 119 . 3 g ) were used to obtain compound ( vi - a - 4 ) which was used for further reactions . the experimental procedure that was followed was same as that described for synthesis of ( i - a - 3 ) wherein compound ( vi - a - 4 ), ( 200 . 3 g ), ethyl acetate ( 2000 ml ), water ( 1200 ml ) and aqueous acetic acid ( 50 %) were used to obtain ( i - a - 4 ). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d6 ): δ 13 . 05 ( br . s , 2h , d 2 o exchangable ), 7 . 89 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 6 - 7 . 2 ( br . m , 4h ), 7 . 09 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 4 . 10 ( s , 4h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 90 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 88 ( s , 6h ) 13 c nmr ( 100 mhz , dmso ): δ 177 . 2 , 145 . 4 , 141 . 6 , 137 . 4 , 133 . 4 , 133 . 0 , 131 . 4 , 124 . 1 , 122 . 2 , 118 . 8 , 111 . 4 , 36 . 7 , 21 . 3 , 13 . 3 , 11 . 4 . ( 1r )-(−)-( 10 - camphorsulfonyl ) oxaziridine ( 87 . 2 gms ) was gradually added to a mixture of ( v - a - 5 ) ( 110 . 5 gms ), and sodium hydroxide ( 30 . 3 gms ), in isopropyl alcohol ( 770 ml ) under stirring at room temperature . the reaction mixture was stirred at the same temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc and filtered . the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure to provide a residue , which was dissolved in methanol , concentrated and further treated with toluene and dried to obtain ( vi - a - 5 ), which was used for further reactions . aqueous acetic acid ( 50 %) was gradually added to the stirred mixture of compound ( vi - a - 5 ), ( 150 . 8 g ), in ethyl acetate ( 1200 ml ) and water ( 720 ml ), till the ph of the reaction mass was between 6 . 5 and 7 . 5 . reaction mass was stirred at room temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc . the reaction mass was filtered and the obtained solid was dried to give compound ( i - a - 5 ). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso d 6 ): δ 12 . 99 ( br . s , 2h ), 7 . 92 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 45 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 33 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 08 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 2h ), 6 . 32 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 4 . 16 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 75 ( s , 6h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 6h ). 13 c nmr ( 100 mhz , dmso ): δ 172 . 8 , 147 . 8 , 144 . 9 , 139 . 4 , 137 . 7 , 132 . 3 , 124 . 3 , 116 . 5 , 59 . 6 , 32 . 8 , 21 . 2 . ( 1r )-(−)-( 10 - camphorsulfonyl ) oxaziridine ( 74 . 4 g ) was gradually added to a mixture of ( v - a - 6 , 100 . 1 gms ) and sodium hydroxide ( 25 . 4 g ) in isopropyl alcohol ( 700 ml ) under stirring at room temperature . the reaction mixture was stirred at the same temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc and filtered . the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure to provide a residue , which was dissolved in methanol , concentrated and further treated with toluene and dried to obtain ( vi - a - 6 ) as pale yellow powder . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso d 6 ): δ 7 . 54 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 32 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 1h ), 6 . 98 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz 1h ), 6 . 53 ( dd , j = 2 . 4 , 8 . 8 hz 1h ), 4 . 23 - 4 . 12 ( abq , j = 12 . 8 hz , 2h ), 3 . 71 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 96 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 84 ( s , 3h ). 13 c nmr ( 100 mhz , dmso d 6 ): δ 174 . 1 , 161 . 9 , 154 . 2 , 146 . 9 , 145 . 9 , 141 . 4 , 121 . 8 , 121 . 3 , 117 . 7 , 109 . 7 , 99 . 8 , 61 . 9 , 55 . 7 , 15 . 2 , 12 . 3 . aqueous acetic acid ( 50 %) was gradually added to the stirred mixture of compound ( vi - a - 6 ; 15 . 3 gms ) in ethyl acetate ( 150 ml ) and water ( 90 ml ) till the ph of the reaction mass was between 6 . 5 and 7 . 5 . reaction mass was stirred at room temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc . the reaction mass was filtered and the obtained solid was dried to give compound ( i - a - 6 ). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso d 6 ): δ 13 . 0 ( s , 2h , d 2 o exchangable ), 7 . 88 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 47 ( br . s , 2h ), 7 . 03 ( br . s , 2h ), 6 . 88 ( dd , j = 2 . 0 , 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 4 . 09 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 79 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 90 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 88 ( s , 6h ). 13 c nmr ( 100 mhz , dmso d 6 ): δ 177 . 2 , 156 . 3 , 145 . 2 , 141 . 7 , 137 . 5 , 124 . 0 , 122 . 2 , 112 . 6 , 56 . 5 , 36 . 8 , 13 . 3 , 11 . 4 . ( 1r )-(−)-( 10 - camphorsulfonyl ) oxaziridine ( 150 . 3 g ) was gradually added to a mixture of ( v - a - 7 ) ( 200 . 2 g ), and sodium hydroxide ( 52 . 1 g ) in isopropyl alcohol ( 1400 ml ) under stirring at room temperature . the reaction mixture was stirred at the same temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc and filtered . the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure to provide a residue , which was dissolved in methanol , concentrated and further treated with toluene and dried to obtain ( vi - a - 7 ), which was used for further reaction . aqueous acetic acid ( 50 %) was gradually added to the stirred mixture of compound ( vi - a - 7 ), ( 280 . 2 g ) in ethyl acetate ( 2800 ml ) and water ( 1680 ml ) till the ph of the reaction mass was between 6 . 5 and 7 . 5 . reaction mass was stirred at room temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc . the reaction mass was filtered and the obtained solid was dried to give compound ( i - a - 7 ). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso d 6 ): δ 12 . 99 ( br . s , 2h , d 2 o exchangable ), 7 . 91 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 51 - 6 . 87 ( m , 6h ), 6 . 32 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 4 . 13 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 79 ( s , 6h ), 3 . 76 ( s , 6h ). ( 1r )-(−)-( 10 - camphorsulfonyl ) oxaziridine ( 157 . 1 gms ) was gradually added to a mixture of ( v - a - 8 ), ( 200 . 5 g ) and sodium hydroxide ( 54 . 3 g ) in isopropyl alcohol ( 1400 ml ) under stirring at room temperature . the reaction mixture was stirred at the same temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc and filtered . the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure to provide a residue , which was dissolved in methanol , concentrated and further treated with toluene and dried to obtain ( vi - a - 8 ), which was used for further reaction . aqueous acetic acid ( 50 %) was gradually added to the stirred mixture of ( vi - a - 8 ) ( 200 . 2 g ) in ethyl acetate ( 2000 ml ) and water ( 1200 ml ) till the ph of the reaction mass was between 6 . 5 and 7 . 5 . reaction mass was stirred at room temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc . the reaction mass was filtered and the obtained solid was dried to give compound ( i - a - 8 ). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso d 6 ): δ 13 . 36 ( br . s , 2h , d 2 o exchangable ), 7 . 92 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 63 - 7 . 51 ( br . m , 2h ), 7 . 45 - 7 . 33 ( br . m , 2h ), 7 . 16 - 7 . 12 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 10 ( s , 4h ), 1 . 90 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 88 ( s , 6h ). 13 c nmr ( 100 mhz , dmso d 6 ): δ 177 . 2 , 160 . 0 , 157 . 7 , 146 . 9 , 141 . 4 , 137 . 3 , 124 . 1 , 122 . 3 , 111 . 3 , 36 . 7 , 13 . 2 , 11 . 4 . ( 1r )-(−)-( 10 - camphorsulfonyl ) oxaziridine ( 52 . 5 g ) was gradually added to a mixture of ( v - a - 9 ), ( 77 . 6 g ) and sodium hydroxide ( 18 . 0 g ) in isopropyl alcohol ( 540 ml ) under stirring at room temperature . the reaction mixture was stirred at the same temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc and filtered . the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure to provide a residue , which was dissolved in methanol , concentrated and further treated with toluene and dried to obtain ( vi - a - 9 ), which was used for further reaction . aqueous acetic acid ( 50 %) was gradually added to the stirred mixture of ( vi - a - 9 ), ( 100 . 6 g ) in ethyl acetate ( 1000 ml ) and water ( 600 ml ) till the ph of the reaction mass was between 6 . 5 and 7 . 5 . reaction mass was stirred at room temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc . the reaction mass was filtered and the obtained solid was dried to give compound ( i - a - 9 ). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso d 6 ): δ 7 . 98 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 92 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 75 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 58 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 6 . 35 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 4 . 20 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 77 ( s , 6h ). 13 c nmr ( 100 mhz , dmso ): δ 172 . 9 , 147 . 9 , 147 . 8 , 139 . 3 , 137 . 4 , 124 . 8 ( q , j = 270 hz , cf 3 ), 123 . 5 ( q , j = 31 hz ), 119 . 5 , 116 . 6 , 115 . 8 , 113 . 6 , 59 . 6 , 32 . 8 . ( 1r )-(−)-( 10 - camphorsulfonyl ) oxaziridine ( 123 . 4 gms ) was gradually added to a mixture of ( v - a - 10 ), ( 182 . 3 gms ), and sodium hydroxide ( 42 . 2 gms ) in isopropyl alcohol ( 1270 ml ) under stirring at room temperature . the reaction mixture was stirred at the same temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc and filtered . the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure to provide a residue , which was dissolved in methanol , concentrated and further treated with toluene and dried to obtain ( vi - a - 10 ), which was used for further reaction . aqueous acetic acid ( 50 %) was gradually added to the stirred mixture of ( vi - a - 10 ) ( 220 . 1 g ) in ethyl acetate ( 2200 ml ) and water ( 1320 ml ) till the ph of the reaction mass was between 6 . 5 and 7 . 5 . reaction mass was stirred at room temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc . the reaction mass was filtered and the obtained solid was dried to give compound ( i - a - 10 ). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ): δ 7 . 85 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 59 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 37 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 17 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 6 . 83 ( t , j = 74 . 4 hz , 2h ), 4 . 04 ( s , 4h ), 2 . 03 ( s , 6h ), 2 . 01 ( s , 6h ). 13 c nmr ( 100 mhz , cd 3 od ): δ 180 . 5 , 149 . 5 , 147 . 8 , 144 . 5 , 139 . 2 , 138 . 6 , 126 . 6 , 125 . 2 , 120 . 7 , 118 . 1 , 118 . 0 , 115 . 6 , 107 . 6 , 38 . 4 , 13 . 7 , 12 . 1 . the experimental procedure followed was same as that described for synthesis of ( vi - a - 11 ) wherein compound ( v - b - i ; ( 120 . 5 g ), sodium hydroxide ( 34 . 6 g ), isopropyl alcohol ( 840 ml ) and ( 1r )-(−)-( 10 - camphorsulfonyl ) oxaziridine ( 99 . 8 g ) were used to obtain crude ( vi - b - 1 ) which was used for further reactions . the experimental procedure followed was same as that described for synthesis of ( i - a - 11 ) wherein compound ( vi - b - 1 ); ( 200 . 6 g ), ethyl acetate ( 2000 ml ), water ( 1200 ml ) and aqueous acetic acid ( 50 %) were used to obtain ( i - b - 1 ). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d6 ): δ 8 . 25 ( d , j = 4 . 8 hz , 2h ), 8 . 03 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 92 ( d , j = 7 . 6 hz , 2h ), 7 . 14 ( dd , j = 4 . 8 , 8 . 0 hz , 2h ), 4 . 32 ( s , 4h ), 1 . 90 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 86 ( s , 6h ) 13 c nmr ( 100 mhz , dmso ): δ 177 . 2 , 153 . 2 , 152 . 8 , 142 . 0 , 141 . 3 , 137 . 6 , 133 . 9 , 124 . 2 , 123 . 8 , 121 . 9 , 116 . 7 , 37 . 4 , 13 . 4 , 11 . 5 . the experimental procedure that was followed was same as that described for synthesis of ( vi - b - 1 ), wherein compound ( v - b - 2 ) ( 77 . 7 g ), sodium hydroxide ( 19 . 1 g ), isopropyl alcohol ( 540 ml ) and ( 1r )-(−)-( 10 - camphorsulfonyl ) oxaziridine ( 58 . 7 g ) were used to obtain compound ( vi - b - 2 ) which was used for further reactions . the experimental procedure that was followed was same as that described for synthesis of ( i - b - 1 ) wherein compound ( vi - b - 2 ), ( 140 . 3 g ), ethyl acetate ( 1400 ml ), water ( 840 ml ) and aqueous acetic acid ( 50 %) were used to obtain ( i - b - 2 ). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso - d6 ): δ 13 . 58 ( br . s , 2h . d 2 o exchangable ), 7 . 93 - 7 . 90 ( m , 4h ), 6 . 74 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 6 . 31 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 2h ), 4 . 16 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 88 ( s , 6h ), 3 . 77 ( s , 6h ). 13 c nmr ( 100 mhz , dmso ): δ 172 . 8 , 161 . 1 , 147 . 9 , 144 . 3 , 139 . 4 , 137 . 5 , 126 . 2 , 116 . 5 , 106 . 9 , 59 . 6 , 53 . 4 , 32 . 7 . ( 1r )-(−)-( 10 - camphorsulfonyl ) oxaziridine ( 88 . 4 g ) was gradually added to a mixture of ( v - b - 3 ; 80 . 2 gms ) and sodium hydroxide ( 23 . 3 gms ) in isopropyl alcohol ( 700 ml ) under stirring at room temperature . the reaction mixture was stirred at the same temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc . when the reaction was complete , the solid was filtered off and the filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure to obtain compound ( vi - b - 3 ) as a solid , which was used for further reaction . aqueous acetic acid ( 50 %) was gradually added to the stirred mixture of compound ( vi - b - 3 ; 180 . 1 gms ), dissolved in a mixture of ethyl acetate ( 1050 ml ) and water ( 1500 ml ) till the ph of reaction mass was 7 . 3 . the reaction mass was stirred at room temperature till completion of the reaction as monitored by tlc . after completion , the reaction mass was filtered and the obtained solid was stirred in hydrochloric acid , filtered , washed with water and dried to give compound ( i - b - 3 ). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso d 6 ): δ 7 . 94 - 7 . 91 ( m , 4h ), 6 . 76 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 4 . 12 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 89 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 91 ( s , 6h ), 1 . 88 ( s , 6h ). 13 c nmr ( 100 mhz , dmso d 6 ): δ 177 . 4 , 161 . 4 , 144 . 8 , 142 . 0 , 137 . 8 , 124 . 5 , 122 . 6 , 107 . 2 , 53 . 5 , 37 . 0 , 13 . 4 , 11 . 5 . spectral characterization of the aforementioned compounds was carried out as given below . the magnetic resonance spectra ( 1 h nmr and 13 c nmr ) were recorded on varian 400 - mr , while mass spectra were recorded on applied biosystems api2000 lc / ms / ms and shimadzu lc / ms 8030 . solid oral formulation ( tablets ) containing the active ingredient . a tablet containing compound ( i ) was prepared from the following ingredients : the active ingredient was mixed with lactose , and granulated with a water solution of methyl cellulose . the wet mass was forced through a sieve and the granulate was dried in an oven . after drying , the granulate was mixed with polyvinylpyrrolidone and magnesium stearate . the dry mixture was pressed into tablet cores ( 10 000 tablets ), each tablet containing 20 % by weight of the active substance in a tableting machine using 6 mm diameter punches . evaluation of the effects of compounds on the activity of the h + / k + atpase activity was quantified by measuring the formation of para - nitrophenol ( p - np ) from para - nitrophenol phosphate ( p - npp ) using an enzyme isolated from the rabbit or porcine ( pig ) fundus . the test compound , reference compound or water ( control ) are pre - incubated for 30 min at 37 ° c . with the enzyme ( 5 μg ) in a buffer containing 40 mm hepes / tris ( ph 6 . 0 ), 20 mm kcl , 5 mm mgcl 2 and 1 mm ouabain . the enzymatic reaction was then initiated by the addition of 2 mm p - npp . the absorbance was measured immediately at λ = 405 nm using a microplate reader ( envision , perkin elmer ). this measurement at t = 0 was also used to verify any compound interference with the spectrophotometric detection at the selected wavelength . thereafter , the mixture was incubated for 15 min at 37 ° c ., after which time the reaction is stopped by addition of 0 . 5 m naoh and a second measurement is made at the same wavelength ( t = 15 ). the enzyme activity is determined by subtracting the signal measured at t = 0 from that measured at t = 15 . the results are expressed as a percent inhibition of the control enzyme activity . bibliographic reference : dantzig , h ., minor , p . l . garrigus , j . l ., fukuda , d . s . and mynderse , j . s ., studies of the mechanism of action of a80915a , a semi - naphtolquinone natural product , as an inhibitor of gastric ( h +/ k +)- atpase , biochem . pharmacol . ( 1991 ), 42 : 2019 . * literature reference : c . k scott and e . sundell , inhibition of h + k + atpase activity by sch 28080 and sch 32651 , eur . j pharmacol , jun . 7 , ( 1985 ); 112 ( 2 ): 268 - 70 . ** literature reference - d . j . keeling , c fallowfield , k . j . milliner , s . k . tingley , r . j . ife , and a . h . underwood , “ studies on the mechanism of action of omeprazole ”, biochem pharmacol , aug . 15 , ( 1985 ); 34 ( 16 ): 2967 - 73 . the anti - ulcer efficacy of various test compounds ( i - a - 1 to i - a - 11 , i - b - 1 to i - b - 3 ) was assessed in indomethacin — induced gastric ulceration model in female albino wistar rats ( bhattacharya s ., banerjee d ., bauri a . k ., chattopadhyay s ., bandyopadhyay s . k . healing property of the piper betelphenol , allylpyrocatechol against indomethacin - induced stomach ulceration and mechanism of action . world j gastroenterol ., 13 ( 27 ): 3705 - 13 , 2007 ; lee a . animal models of gastroduodenal ulcer disease . bailliere &# 39 ; s best pract . res . clinic gastroenterol ., 14 ( 1 ): 75 - 96 , 2000 ). the test compounds were administered orally at various doses ( 0 . 2 , 0 . 4 , 0 . 8 and 1 . 6 mg / kg ) in comparison to omeprazole ( 10 mg / kg ) as standard comparator . experiments were conducted in overnight fasted healthy female albino wistar rats maintained at controlled environmental conditions of temperature and humidity with water given ad libitum . non - steroidal anti - inflammatory drug ( nsaid ), indomethacin ( 30 mg / kg , p . o .) was used to induce gastric ulcer ( treatment groups ) with a comparative group without indomethacin treatment ( negative group ). indomethacin was administered to treatment groups 1 hour after oral treatment with vehicle ( 1 % cmc ), various doses of test compounds ( eppis ) and omeprazole ( 10 mg / kg ). after 4 - 6 hours after indomethacin administration , the animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and their stomach was dissected out . various parameters like macroscopic ulcer index , gastric mucus content and gastric acid ph measurements were undertaken . the rat stomachs were cut opened along the greater curvature for macroscopic determination of ulcer index . all the tested compounds at higher doses ( 1 . 6 / 0 . 8 mg / kg ) produced very significant and equivalent anti - ulcerogenic effect in comparison to omeprazole ( 10 mg / kg ) in this indomethacin — induced ulcer model in rats ( table d ).
2
in a conventional mri system of the prior art , dc magnetic gradient coils produce a magnetic field gradient that is scanned across the object to be imaged . at a given time , only a single volume slice is in resonance with the rf source ( and thus excited ), and only a single line in k - space is accessed , and the image is developed sequentially . this scanned , sequential nature is what makes the imaging so slow . in a preferred embodiment of the mri system , as shown in fig4 , each element of the detector array comprises a magnetic pickup coil or antenna , which is designed to selectively detect local electromagnetic fields surrounding the pickup coil , and generally emitted close to the pickup coil . the entire area may be in resonance , so that scanning of a gradient field across this area is not necessary , and each pixel is derived from a given antenna element . the parallel processing of the data from each antenna is what makes the imaging much faster , with a total imaging time that may ultimately approach the pulse relaxation times less than 1 second . this may permit imaging of images moving or changing in time , i . e ., video imaging . it may still be necessary to apply a gradient field in the third dimension , corresponding to selecting a slice parallel to the array , into the depth of the object . in an alternate preferred embodiment of the invention shown in fig5 , the detector array may comprise a set of long narrow parallel pickup coils arrayed along a single direction . in that case , one would need a gradient field to excite a line parallel to the array direction ( and perpendicular to the coil length ) to provide spatial information perpendicular to the array direction . such a resonant line could be scanned across the object , as well as through its depth . clearly , imaging using a resonant area would proceed faster than a resonant line , which would be faster than a resonant voxel . in general , the greater parallelism requires a greater number of receiver elements . the balance between speed and system complexity would be determined by the needs of a given application . in greater detail , each coil may comprise an inductive coil with inductance l ( which may have multiple turns ), designed to detect the rf magnetic field of the signal emitted by the object . each coil may also be a resonant coil at the detection frequency , whereby a capacitor c is combined with the inductor corresponding to an lc resonator such that the resonant frequency f = 1 / 2π √( lc ) is the desired detection frequency . the inductor may comprise a superconducting inductor , which will tend to increase the quality factor q of the resonator . a higher q is generally preferable , provided the bandwidth is large enough to measure the entire rf signal ; a higher q receiver would receive less broadband noise . in a preferred embodiment , a pickup coil may comprise a first - derivative gradiometer or a second - derivative gradiometer , as disclosed , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 002 , 341 , “ superconducting quantum interference apparatus and method for high - resolution imaging of samples ”, expressly incorporated herein by reference . such an rf gradiometer coil ( which is to be distinguished from the dc gradient field coils ) comprises a compound inductor designed to cancel uniform magnetic fields ( and uniform field gradients for the second - derivative case ). in this way , a gradiometer coil is far more sensitive to signals emitted from sources very close to the coil , rather than sources further away . this permits one to directly obtain spatial resolution from each receiver coil . the spatial resolution from the coils will be used in combination with the resonant volume , area or line to provide imaging in three dimensions . note that a gradiometer signal may alternatively be obtained by subtracting signals from adjacent pickup coils further in the data processing . however , gradiometer coupling at the front end should enhance the effective dynamic range of the detectors . the data processing chain for each receiver is shown in fig1 . the rf signal from the pickup coil is coupled to a digital squid , which generates single - flux - quantum ( sfq ) digital pulses at a high data rate ( typically of order 10 ghz or greater ). the rf signal is a narrow - band signal at f = γb ( where b is the measurement magnetic field and γ = 43 mhz / t ) which may be from the khz to the mhz range . as described above , a digital squid can measure rf fields well into the mhz range , unlike a conventional analog squid with an external control loop which is limited to a few khz . since the ghz data rate from the squids is much higher than the mhz magnetic signal to be analyzed , this represents an oversampled digital signal . the higher frequency mhz range may correspond to stronger signals which may provide higher - resolution images . the required signal for imaging is actually a relaxation time of the rf pulse after excitation , typically of order 0 . 1 - 1 s . ( there are several distinct relaxation times , referred to in the literature as t 1 , t 2 and t 2 *.) one can regard the slow relaxation as a baseband signal that modulates the rf carrier . so it is useful to downconvert the rf signal and extract this baseband signal digitally , using a digital local oscillator . the resulting signal can be digitally averaged using a digital decimation filter ( effectively a binary counter ) to increase the number of bits and decrease the bandwidth . some or all of this digital processing may be carried out using superconducting rapid - single - flux - quantum ( rsfq ) electronics , which is matched to the output format of the digital squid . the digital baseband signal can then be amplified and sent out of the cryostat to interface with conventional semiconductor digital electronics at room temperature for further digital processing and image generation . while the digital baseband signals from each of the digital receivers could in principle be sent out in parallel , it may be advisable to decrease the number of data lines coming out of the cryostat . a large number of such data lines may conduct heat into the cryostat , which is undesirable . one type of data line reduction is serialization , whereby n bits are sent out sequentially at a higher data rate . in addition , the n signals from the n receivers could be digitally multiplexed . the demultiplexing and deserialization can be carried out using conventional semiconductor digital electronics at room temperature . two other techniques for digital multiplexing are illustrated in fig2 and 3 . fig2 shows an external multiplexer controller , which may provide external power to activate each of the squids in sequence . this is similar to the time - domain squid multiplexing that has been demonstrated in the prior art for arrays of analog squid amplifiers for cryogenic sensor arrays . ( see , for example , “ superconducting multiplexer for arrays of transition - edge sensors , j . chervenak et al ., applied physics letters , vol . 74 , p . 4043 , 1999 .) alternatively , one may use a fully digital multiplexer similar to that in fig1 , but one that operates at higher frequencies . ( see , for example , “ superconducting digital multiplexers for sensor arrays ”, a . kadin et al ., proceedings thermal detectors workshop , nasa , 2003 .) either of these schemes has an advantage in reducing hardware duplication , resulting in a more compact digital processor at cryogenic temperatures , while maintaining the parallel processing with accelerated imaging rate . superconducting devices must be cooled to cryogenic temperatures for proper operation . at present , the most widespread digital superconducting electronics technology is comprised of niobium ( nb ) josephson junctions , which can operate below the critical temperature below 9 k , and generally are operated below 5 k . these may be installed in a cryostat , which may be cooled either by liquid helium , or using a multi - stage cryocooler . alternatively , high - temperature superconductors such as yba 2 cu 3 o 7 ( ybco ) may be used , with a critical temperature of 90 k . such a system may operate in liquid nitrogen ( at 77 k ), or with a single - stage cryocooler at temperatures of 40 k or above . while the reliability and performance of ybco squids and digital electronics are currently inferior to that of nb , the same circuit architectures may be applied if and when these or other higher - temperature materials become practical . it is necessary to design the pickup coil assembly to lie close to the object to be imaged , without subjecting the object ( which may be a human patient ) to cold temperatures . this requires that the superconducting devices be properly packaged inside a cryostat with vacuum jacketing . further , the rf signals must pass through the cryostat walls without loss , so that metallic jackets and shields cannot be used . such a non - metallic cryostat has been demonstrated in the prior art , using components such as reinforced fiberglass . it may also be necessary to shield the digital squids and superconducting electronics from a large magnetic field that may be used as a polarizing field or a measuring field . while the pickup coils must be near the object to be imaged , and thereby close to the large magnetic field , the superconducting devices can be located inside a magnetic shield , which may be some distance away from the peak magnetic field . appropriate magnetic shield materials may include superconducting layers as well as soft ferromagnetic materials such as mu - metal . the pickup coils may be spread over a relatively large area , but the superconducting devices may be concentrated on a small number of chips on a multi - chip module located in a central , shielded assembly . note that the term “ digital squid ” in fig1 - 3 refers to any superconducting device comprised of josephson junctions that converts magnetic flux to digital pulses , e . g ., sfq digital voltage pulses . several such circuits are described in the review article on “ superconducting analog - to - digital converters ”, o . mukhanov et al ., proceedings of the ieee , vol . 92 , p . 1564 , 2004 . in another preferred embodiment , the array of coupling coils as in fig4 and 5 , and analogously , a volumetric array , may be scanned across the object to be imaged ( or the array held fixed and the object moved ). this would permit imaging of a larger object to high spatial resolution , without requiring a proportionally larger number of array elements . while this scanning would slow down the imaging process , the acceleration permitted by the array parallelism may make this practical . in yet another preferred embodiment , an additional mode of parallelism may be associated with the rf excitation signal . for example , one may apply a deliberate magnetic field gradient such that one plane is selected to have resonant frequency f 1 and another adjacent plane to have resonant frequency f 2 . if the rf excitation signal ( from one or more transmit antennas ) simultaneously comprises appropriate pulses with frequencies f 1 and f 2 , then the rf decay signal will comprise components at both frequencies . if both of these frequencies are within the bandwidth of the digital squid detector , then both signals will be detected , but can be separated by subsequent digital filtering or other types of analysis . this provides an example of frequency - domain multiplexing , with potential processing speedup proportional to the number of frequencies n selected , which are clearly not limited to two . for a two - dimensional array such as that in fig4 , this approach would permit simultaneous selection of n parallel slices in resonance . the main thrust of this technology is to provide parallel processing to enable fast imaging , at rates that may be faster than pulse rates or breathing rates , or functional mri with a single stimulus . however , the massively parallel processing may also enable other approaches to mri that are conventionally too slow . for example , while mri generally uses the proton signal ( from hydrogen in water and organic compounds ), other atomic nuclei such as isotopes of na and p also exhibit magnetic resonance , with a much weaker signal due to the lower concentration of these atoms . extensive signal averaging or other extended temporal signal processing , would be useful to obtain a high - resolution image , but the speed - up and low - noise detectors provided herein may make this feasible . as described above , mri is conventionally based on a narrow - band radio communications system , with a narrow - band transmit signal and a narrow - band receive signal , where the frequency is proportional to a value of magnetic field . the bandwidth of the receive signal is typically less than 100 khz , for a radio signal that may be typically in the range from 40 mhz to 130 mhz . for this reason , a conventional heterodyne receiver is typically used for mri , as shown in fig6 , with an antenna followed by a low - noise amplifier , an analog mixer to downconvert the signal to a lower frequency , and a receiver for the downconverted baseband signal . in modern mri receivers , a digital baseband receiver is used , with an analog - to - digital converter that operates on the baseband signal , producing a digital signal that can be used to process the image . the sampling rate of this baseband adc need not be more than about 1 mhz . in contrast , in the simplest corresponding system of an embodiment of the technology , shown in fig7 , a wideband direct digital rf receiver is used , instead of the heterodyne receiver of fig6 . in particular , a wideband superconductor adc is used , which has a sampling frequency that is in excess of 1 ghz , which may be 20 ghz or higher . for an rf signal at 100 mhz , this is extreme oversampling , which might normally be viewed as unnecessary for this application . indeed , for a single narrow - band signal , such a receiver is unnecessary and not well matched to the application . however , one can present a direct analogy with a modern multi - user communication system , which increasingly makes use of broadband receivers to simultaneously receive a wide band comprising a plurality of narrow - band signals . if an mri system is extended to multiple signals that are multiplexed in the frequency , time , and code domains , then a broadband receiver will make more efficient use of the available spectrum with a minimum of hardware . an additional consideration for mri is that scans are generally quite slow , and parallelizing the component signals in time and / or frequency will enable faster scans . it is notable that the wideband superconductor adcs as typically employed herein , are essentially digital squids , with the sensitivity and low noise that implies . the required gain for the low - noise amplifier may be substantially reduced , or in some cases the lna may be eliminated entirely , with the pickup coil within the magnetic field , and the squid shielded from the high magnetic field but in close proximity , or the squid separated from the pickup coil by , e . g ., a coaxial cable , with a low noise amplifier ( lna ) used to transmit the signal . conventional mri receivers typically use this split receiver approach . the coil and lna may be cooled , for example by a compact 70k cryocooler , to reduce their noise , and a separate 4k cryocooler provided for the low - t c superconducting circuits in the adjacent instrument room . in one embodiment , a plurality of radio frequencies are simultaneously excited , corresponding to different slices in the body being examined ( fig8 a ). a single wideband receiver can be used to receive all of these frequencies simultaneously , and they can be separated using a digitally channelizer ( fig8 b ). this parallel processing can lead to some speedup in generation of 3d images . this simultaneous multi - slice approach was described in the prior literature ( see , e . g ., j . h . weaver , “ simultaneous multislice acquisition of mr images ”, magnetic resonance in medicine , vol . 8 , pp . 275 - 284 , 1988 ), expressly incorporated herein by reference , and demonstrated for a small number of frequencies , but not implemented in practice because of the lack of an appropriate broadband receiver . see also , us 2009 / 0278538 , expressly incorporated herein by reference . in an alternative embodiment , a plurality of pickup coils or antennas may be used . these may be arrayed as surface coils along the surface of the object to be imaged , as shown in fig4 and 5 . these might comprise a 1d array of coils that can be scanned , a 2d array of coils ( fig4 ), or a 1d array of long coils ( fig5 ). in one configuration , each such pickup coil may be connected a separate receiver . while such parallel coil arrays are being implemented using conventional technology , the multiplication of analog rf receivers and processing arrays , each independently calibrated , has problems with scaling to large arrays . in one embodiment , the hardware for multiple coils is simplified by using direct digital receivers with digital signals that may be multiplexed . for example , fig1 shows an array of broadband direct digital receivers , each based on an oversampled superconducting adc ( also described as a digital squid ). the narrowband signals are digitally extracted , and digitally combined in time , frequency , or code domains using a high - speed digital multiplexer . variants of this are shown in fig2 and 3 , where the digital multiplexer is applied to the broadband digital signal earlier in the processing chain . fig2 shows a system which employs time - domain multiplexing of signals with an external controller . fig3 shows a more general multiplexer for combining digital signals . in another preferred embodiment , one may have a plurality of direct digital receivers , each of which combines the inputs from a plurality of coupling coils . for example , in fig9 , the signals from a row of coupling coils ( which are assumed to represent signals that are appropriately orthogonal in frequency , time , or code ) are combined on the same transmission line that feeds a squid adc ( oversampled superconducting adc ). but there are also multiple rows . together , these enable spatial information in 2 dimensions . these can be combined with conventional resonant excitation from a transmit signal to obtain spatial resolution in the z - direction . in principle , the superconductor mri system could apply to systems with either large magnetic fields or small magnetic fields , with frequencies from 1 mhz to 500 mhz or more . large fields provide larger signals , higher signal to noise ratio , and that is the direction that the technology is moving . but large fields are expensive and heavy , and create problems with rf heating , acoustic noise , and issues of safety and imaging artifacts . if one could obtain the same imaging speed and resolution with a 0 . 5 t system as with a 1 . 5 t system , the lower field would be preferred . the superconductor digital - squid receivers should be more sensitive than conventional receivers , particularly for relatively low frequencies , permitting operation in different regimes than traditional sensors . the embodiments presented here are not exclusive , but are used to illustrate the wide range of flexible digital processing solutions that are enabled by the use of broadband digital receivers . there has thus been shown and described detector methods and systems for magnetic resonance imaging which fulfill all the objects and advantages sought therefor . many changes , modifications , variations , combinations , subcombinations and other uses and applications of the subject invention will , however , become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this specification and the accompanying drawings which disclose the preferred embodiments thereof . all such changes , modifications , variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention , which is to be limited only by the claims which follow .
6
the disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements . it should be noted that references to “ an ” or “ one ” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment , and such references mean at least one . in general , the word “ module ,” as used herein , refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware , or to a collection of software instructions , written in a programming language , such as , for example , java , c , or assembly . one or more software instructions in the modules may be embedded in firmware , such as an eprom . it will be appreciated that modules may comprise connected logic units , such as gates and flip - flops , and may comprise programmable units , such as programmable gate arrays or processors . the modules described herein may be implemented as either software and / or hardware modules and may be stored in any type of computer - readable medium or other computer storage device . referring to fig1 , a system for processing images includes a camera device 10 . the camera device 10 includes a mode selection module 11 , a gravity sensor module 13 , a comparison module 15 , an image combing module 17 , and a viewfinder 19 . the mode selection module 11 defines a plurality of image capturing work modes of the camera device 10 , which includes different image combining modes . when the camera device 10 works in a combining mode , the camera 10 can capture several images in succession and combine them into a wide angle image such as would normally be captured using a wide - angle lens . the mode selection module 11 defines different combining modes according to the number of images the user desires to combine , such as a two image mode , a four image mode , and so on . referring to fig1 and 2 , the gravity sensor module 13 is capable of sensing an inclination angle of the camera device 10 . the gravity sensor module 13 is positioned in the camera device 10 for converting inclination angle changes to voltage signals . when the camera device 10 is deviated from the true horizontal orientation , parallel to the ground , the gravity sensor module 13 outputs a corresponding voltage signal , different from that of when the camera device 10 is properly horizontally orientated , which represents inclination angle of the camera device . the gravity sensor module 13 includes a mass block 132 and a voltage output pressure transmitter 135 supporting and attaching the mass block 132 thereon . when the pressure transmitter 135 is in a horizontal position and the mass block 132 is stationary on the pressure transmitter 135 , the pressure transmitter 135 outputs a corresponding voltage v 1 . when the pressure transmitter 135 and the mass block 132 are vertically located , the pressure transmitter 135 outputs a corresponding voltage v 2 . when the pressure transmitter 135 inclines at an angle a 1 and the mass block 132 is located on the pressure transmitter 135 , the pressure transmitter 135 outputs a corresponding voltage v . therefore , a relation between the angle a 1 and voltage v is : a 1 = arccos [ v /( v 1 − v 2 )]. inclination angle of the camera device 10 can be calculated according to output voltage of the pressure transmitter 135 . referring to fig1 , the comparison module 15 is capable of comparing an image with a view of the viewfinder 19 of the camera device 10 . the image combining module 17 is capable of combining images in the camera device 10 and overlapping the same parts of different images . fig3 is a flow chart illustrating a method for combining images in the camera device 10 . depending on the embodiment , certain steps described below may be removed , while others may be added , and the sequence of the steps may be altered . in one embodiment , the method for combining images in the camera device 10 includes the following steps : s 01 , a user sets the mode selection module 11 to choose a combining mode of taking images . then , go to step s 02 . s 02 , the viewfinder 19 of the camera device 10 finds a first view which is a first part of a wide scene as determined by the user . the camera device 10 takes a first image to record the first view . the gravity sensor module 13 senses and records a first inclination angle of the camera device 10 taking the first image . s 03 , the viewfinder 19 of the camera device 10 finds next view which is next part of the wide range scene . s 04 , the gravity sensor module 13 senses a current inclination angle of the camera device 10 and compares the current inclination angle with the first inclination angle . if the current inclination angle is not equal to the first inclination angle , go to step s 05 ; if equal , go to step s 06 . s 05 , the gravity sensor module 13 notifies users to adjust the camera device 10 until the current inclination angle is equal to the first inclination angle . s 06 , the comparison module 15 compares the previous image with the view of the viewfinder 19 of the camera device 10 to find if there is repeated part in the previous image and the view of the viewfinder 19 . if there is not , go to step s 07 ; if there is , go to s 08 . s 07 , the comparison module 15 notifies users to adjust the camera device 10 on the first angle until there is repeated part in the previous image and the view of the viewfinder 19 . s 08 , the camera device 10 takes a image to record the view of the viewfinder 19 . s 09 , the camera device 10 checks if it is the last image . for example , if the mode module 11 chooses a four image mode in step s 01 , check if it is the fourth image . if it is the last image , go to step s 10 ; if it is not , go to step s 03 . s 10 , the image combining module 17 combines images in the camera device 10 and overlaps the repeated parts of different images to generate a wide angle image . referring to fig4 , a motor 23 can be mounted in the camera device 10 and connected to the gravity sensor module 13 and the comparison module 15 . the motor 23 is capable of rotating to automatically adjust an angle and position of the camera device 10 . the gravity sensor module 13 controls the motor 23 rotating to have the camera device 10 located in a same inclination angle when take different images , or in a predetermined angle . the comparison module 15 controls the motor 23 rotating to have the view of viewfinder 19 and the previous image having repeated parts . therefore , the camera device 10 is capable of automatically capturing image when the inclination is right and repeated parts are found . it is to be understood , however , that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description , together with details of the structure and function of the embodiments , the disclosure is illustrative only , and changes may be made in detail , especially in matters of shape , size , and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed . it is also to be understood that the above description and the claims drawn to a method may include some indication in reference to certain steps . however , the indication used is only to be viewed for identification purposes and not as a suggestion as to an order for the steps .
7
referring to fig1 , the illustrated lockable switch mechanism comprises a housing 1 in which a plunger 2 is slidable and which supports a head assembly 3 supporting a rotatable cam 4 , the cam 4 being rotatable about a pin 5 . the plunger 2 comprises a metal core supporting an outer casing 6 which is slidably received in a sealing cap 7 . the plunger 2 is symmetrical about its longitudinal axis and is slidable relative to the housing 1 along that axis . the end of the plunger 2 remote from the cam 4 is received in a bore 8 . a compression spring 9 is located within the bore 8 and biases the plunger 2 in the direction indicated by arrow 10 . the bore 8 is formed in the end of a solenoid plunger 11 which is received within a solenoid housing 12 . energisation of a solenoid winding ( not shown ) in the solenoid housing 12 drives the solenoid plunger 11 to the right in fig1 . denergisation of the solenoid results in the solenoid plunger 11 being moved to the left with respect to the orientation shown fig1 by a compression spring 13 ( fig2 ) which is located between the solenoid housing 12 and a locking fork 14 which is engaged in a groove extending around the end of the solenoid plunger 11 in which the bore 8 is formed . two locking pins 15 are positioned on either side of the plunger 2 . the locking pins 15 are biased by springs 16 against the plunger 2 . the locking pins 15 and springs 16 are retained within a housing assembly made up from a frame 17 and a cover plate 18 . it will be seen that with the plunger 2 in the position shown in fig1 , the pins 15 are held at a distance from the axis of the plunger 2 such that they obstruct the passage of arms 19 supported by the locking fork 14 in the direction of the arrow 10 . fig2 shows the assembly of fig1 after the insertion of an actuator 20 into the head assembly 3 so as to cause rotation of the cam 4 . such rotation of the cam 4 enables the plunger 2 to move towards the pin 5 . as a result a profile 21 in the form of an annular shoulder on the plunger 2 is moved to the left of the locking pins 15 . the locking pins 15 are biased towards each other so as to remain in contact with the plunger 2 , thereby enabling the arms 19 of the locking fork 14 to pass the locking pins 15 . the actuator 20 and cam 4 are shaped such that insertion of the actuator into the head assembly 3 causes the cam to rotate from a datum position or the position of the cam 4 as shown in fig1 . the actuator defines projections ( not shown ) which engage in recesses defined by the cam 4 ( as shown in fig2 ) so that once the cam 4 has been rotated from the datum position , the actuator 20 cannot be withdrawn from the head assembly 3 unless the cam 4 has been rotated back to the datum position . an actuator and cam mechanism of this general type is described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 777 , 284 . fig3 and 4 show a perspective view of a portion of the assembly in the unlocked condition . in fig3 , the solenoid plunger 11 has been moved to the position it assumes when the solenoid is energised and the plunger 2 is in the position in which it is displaced by the cam 4 as far as possible towards the solenoid housing 12 . as a result the spacing between the pins 15 is such that even if the solenoid is then deenergised the arms 19 cannot move past the pins 15 . the pins 15 therefore impose no restraint on the axial displacement of the plunger 2 . in contrast , as shown in fig5 and 6 , if the cam 4 is then rotated to displace the plunger 2 so that the pins 15 can drop down the profiled shoulder 21 defined by the plunger 2 , the springs 16 urge the locking pins 15 towards each other so as to engage behind the shoulder 21 . deenergisation of the solenoid then results in the arms 19 being extended past the pins 15 , restraining the pins 15 against movement away from each other . any attempt therefore to drive the plunger 2 towards the solenoid housing 12 will be resisted as a result of the pins 15 jamming between the profile 21 and the arms 19 . fig7 shows the assembly after displacement of the plunger 2 towards the cam pin 5 . unless the solenoid is energised , the arms 19 of the locking fork 14 will engage around the pins 15 as shown in fig5 and 6 . in the configuration shown in fig7 however the solenoid has been energised , displacing the arms 19 to the right . there is then nothing to stop the locking pins 15 being moved apart against the biasing force provided by the springs 16 . thus if the actuator 20 was to be withdrawn from the head assembly 3 this would result in the displacement of the plunger 2 to the right in fig7 , such movement being permitted as the tapered surface of the shoulder 21 would push against and force apart the two locking pins 15 . referring to fig8 , this shows the assembly if an attempt is made to withdraw the actuator 21 when the assembly is in the configuration shown in fig2 , or with the pins 15 locked in position by the arms 19 . pulling on the actuator 20 causes the cam 4 to rotate in the clockwise direction in fig8 thereby applying an axial force to the plunger 2 and causing the plunger to attempt to move in the direction indicated by arrow 22 . such displacement is however resisted by the locking pins 15 which bear against the profile 21 . the arms 19 prevent the pins 15 moving apart and thus prevent further axial displacement of the plunger 2 . in contrast , if the solenoid is energised so as to displace the arms 19 to the position shown in fig7 , and the actuator 20 is pulled out of the head assembly 3 , rotation of the cam 4 is not resisted by contact between the pins 15 and the profile 21 and as a result the plunger 2 can be displaced in the direction of arrow 23 as shown in fig9 . fig1 illustrates the housing assembly for the locking pins 15 and springs 16 and fig1 shows the components of the assembly of fig1 in exploded form . pins 15 flank an opening generally associated with plunger 2 . frame 17 and cover plate 18 cooperate so as to support one or more pins 15 and springs 16 therebetween . fig1 is a sectional view through the solenoid plunger 11 showing the bore 8 and the groove extending around the end of the plunger 11 in which the bore 8 is provided , that groove being engaged by the locking fork 14 shown in fig1 and 14 . referring to fig1 and 14 , the locking fork 14 which supports the locking arms 19 has a c - shaped body defining an inwardly projecting edge 24 , that edge being received in the groove or slot formed around the end of the solenoid plunger 11 shown in fig1 . the inner faces of the fork arms 19 are tapered such that , on energisation of the solenoid , the arms 19 are released easily from engagement with the pins 15 . given the structure of the plunger and locking fork combination , it is a relatively easy matter to assemble the combination . in an alternative arrangement it would of course be possible to fabricate the plunger 11 and the locking fork 14 including the locking fork arms 19 as a single piece component . in the embodiment of fig1 to 14 , energisation of the solenoid is necessary to release the locking mechanism . preferably , the solenoid is not energised accept when it is desired to release the locking mechanism . in the event of a power failure when the mechanism is locked , it is not possible to unlock the mechanism and therefore it is not possible to release the actuator from the cam . the actuator can only be released after the supply of power is restored . in some applications , this can be a significant disadvantage . fig1 to 17 illustrate a second embodiment , in which this disadvantage is avoided by relying upon a solenoid which is energised when the switch is locked and de - energised when the switch locking mechanism is released . referring to fig1 to 17 , components of the second embodiment which are equivalent to components of the first embodiment shown in fig1 to 14 are identified by the same reference numerals . thus , in the second embodiment a plunger 2 is biased against a cam 4 by a compression spring 9 . the plunger 2 is located between a pair of locking pins 15 which are biased against the sides of the plunger 2 by springs 16 . the plunger 2 defines a shoulder 21 behind which the locking pins 15 engage when the plunger 2 is displaced towards a pin 5 about which the cam rotates . fig1 shows the locking mechanism before insertion of an actuator into the assembly so as to rotate the cam . in this configuration the locking pins 15 cannot engage behind the shoulder 21 . fig1 shows the mechanism after displacement of the plunger 2 as a result of rotation of the cam 4 . in this configuration the pins 15 are biased inwards by the springs 16 so as to engage behind the shoulder 21 . fig1 shows the locking pins 15 after displacement of a locking fork 14 so that locking arms 19 extend outside the locking pins 15 , thereby preventing the locking pins 15 from moving outwards . in the condition shown in fig1 , the plunger 2 cannot therefore be moved to the right in fig1 as such movement would be prevented by inter - engagement between the shoulder 21 and the locking pins 15 . the locking fork 14 is mounted on solenoid plunger 11 and is biased towards the cam 4 by a compression spring 13 . if the solenoid is de - energised , the spring 13 ensures that the locking arms 19 are displaced away from the locking pins 15 . the mechanism is therefore unlocked in that axial movement of the plunger 2 is not obstructed . if the solenoid is energised , the plunger 11 is driven to the right with respect to the orientation shown in fig1 such that , providing the plunger 2 is in the position shown in fig1 , the locking arms 19 can engage outside the locking pins 15 , thereby locking the mechanism . with the arrangement illustrated in fig1 and 16 , the switch will remain locked only so long as the solenoid is energised . when it is desired to unlock the mechanism , the solenoid is simply de - energised . with such an arrangement it will be appreciated that , in the event of a power failure , the mechanism is automatically unlocked . in some applications this is a significant advantage . in contrast , with the mechanism illustrated in fig1 to 14 , unlocking of the mechanism requires energisation of the solenoid and therefore in the event of a power failure it would not be possible to release the actuator 20 from the cam 4 . fig1 illustrates the structure of the locking fork 14 of the embodiment of fig1 and 16 in greater detail . it will be noted that the locking arms 19 are mounted on an l - shaped extension 25 of the locking fork 14 , the locking fork 14 defining a c - shaped body defining an inwardly projecting edge that is received in a slot formed around the end of the solenoid plunger 11 . in fig1 to 17 , various embodiments of the locking mechanism of the safety switch have been described . the locking function is also supplemented by an electrical power supply interlock . that is , when the switch plunger is locked in position by the locking mechanism , the ability of the safety switch to allow or prevent the conduction of electricity is determined by the electrical power supply interlock . for example , when the plunger is locked in position to prevent removal of the actuator from the switch ( and therefore , for example , the opening of the door or an enclosure ) the safety switch may be moved to a conducting state , such that power may be supplied to machinery located in a machine guard . conversely , when the plunger is not locked in position the actuator may be removed from the switch , causing the safety switch to move to a non - conducting state , such that power may be not supplied to machinery located in a machine guard . the electrical interlock principle described above is well known in the art . an implementation of the electrical interlock is depicted in fig1 and 19 . fig1 and 19 depict an exemplary safety switch which utilises the locking mechanism described in relation to fig1 to 17 above in conjunction with a contact block 100 . elements of the locking mechanism described in relation to fig1 to 17 and which also appear in fig1 and 19 are therefore given the same reference numerals . in fig1 and 19 , it can be seen that an end of the solenoid plunger 11 is in contact with the end of a contact plunger 110 . the contact plunger 110 is moveable in the contact block 100 , and along the same axis of movement as the solenoid plunger 11 . the contact block plunger 110 is provided with a plurality of moveable bridging contacts 120 which extend through the body of the contact block plunger 110 . the bridging contacts 120 are biased by springs 130 . the contact block plunger 110 is moveable to move the bridging contacts 120 into or out of electrical connection with fixed contacts 140 provided in the contact block 110 . the fixed contacts 140 may be connected to a power supply or machinery ( not shown ). when the contact block plunger 110 is moved to bring some or all of the bridging contacts 120 into electrical connection with the fixed contacts 140 , the safety switch is able to conduct electricity . the arrangement of the fixed contacts 140 and moveable contacts 120 may be chosen and / or configured such that the safety switch may only conduct electricity when the locking pins 15 are locked in position by the locking arms 19 , i . e . when the actuator ( not shown ) cannot be removed from the safety switch . for example , it can be seen from the figures that the contact block plunger 110 is biased against an end of the solenoid plunger 11 by a spring 150 . when the solenoid plunger 11 is moved by energising of the solenoid ( not shown , but described above ) to unlock the locking mechanism , the contact block plunger 110 is moved to bring some of the bridging contacts 120 out of electrical connection with the fixed contacts , thus preventing the safety switch from conducting electricity . although the locking and electrical interlock mechanisms described in relation to fig1 to 19 work well , existing safety switches which use such mechanisms have can be improved upon . it can be seen from fig1 and 19 that elements forming the physical and electrical interlocks are commonly arranged in a linear fashion . this means that a safety switch which incorporates these mechanisms needs to be elongate to accommodate these mechanisms . furthermore , due to the large number of co - operating elements forming the physical and electrical interlock mechanisms , the tolerances in the design and fabrication of co - operating elements needs to be small . it is difficult to consistently meet these small tolerances . if the tolerances are not met , the mechanisms may not work well , or may not work at all . for instance , referring to fig1 , if the end of the solenoid plunger 11 is , for example , 0 . 5 mm too far away from the end of the contact block plunger 110 , there may be an unacceptable delay in the making or breaking of contacts in the contact block 100 . it is possible that the gap between the end of the contact block plunger 110 and solenoid plunger 11 may prevent the moveable contacts from being moved into or out of electrical connections with the fixed contacts 140 . the present invention provides a solution to the problems of the prior art . fig2 shows a safety switch mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention . the safety switch mechanism has the features of the lockable switch mechanism described in fig1 - 17 , and also the electrical interlock features described with reference to fig1 and 19 , and therefore like features are given the same reference numerals . in contrast to the mechanisms described in relation to fig1 and 19 , however , the solenoid plunger 11 is no longer arranged to be in contact with an end of the contact block plunger 110 . instead , a linking member 200 physically connects the locking arm 19 to the contact block plunger 110 . this means that movement of the locking arm 19 directly effects movement of the contact block plunger 110 and the contacts carried by the contact block plunger 110 . the number of tolerances that have to be considered for features which co - operate is therefore reduced , since there is no relative movement between the locking arm 19 and the contact block plunger 110 . this may make the mechanism of fig2 easier to reliably construct . furthermore , by attaching the contact block plunger 110 to the locking arm 19 via a linking member 200 , the elements of the safety switch mechanism no longer have to be disposed a linear manner . it can be seen , for example , that the contact block 100 can now be placed alongside the locking mechanism , rather than in - line with it . this means that the shape of the safety switch which incorporates a mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention does not have to be as elongate as those of the prior art . an additional advantage in the flexibility of the positioning of the contact block 100 is that more room may be available in existing or new safety switch housing for movement of the solenoid plunger 11 . this means that a larger solenoid ( not shown ) could be used to move the solenoid plunger with greater speed and / or force , thereby improving the locking mechanism . the linking member 200 can be formed from any suitable material , for example plastics or metals . the linking member 200 could be integrally formed with the contact block plunger 110 , and then attached to the locking arm 19 . alternatively , the linking member 200 could be integrally formed with the locking arm 19 , and then attached to the contact block plunger 110 . alternatively , the linking member could be attached to an independent element which is attached to both the locking arm 19 and the contact block plunger 110 . the linking member may be a strip or rod of material , or maybe a more complex structure . in fig2 , it can be seen that the movement of the contact block plunger 110 is parallel to the movement of the solenoid plunger 11 . understandably , contact block plunger 110 need not be oriented in parallel association with solenoid plunger 11 . the linking member could comprise or co - operate with a pivot or the like , such that axial movement of the solenoid plunger 11 causes movement of the contact block plunger in a direction other than parallel to the solenoid plunger 11 . for example , the contact block plunger 110 may be made to move perpendicularly with respect to the movement of the solenoid plunger 11 . the spring 150 ( or other biasing member ) of the contact block 100 can be arranged to bias the contact block plunger 110 in such a way as to cause the bridging contacts 120 to be biased away from electrical connection ( e . g . contact ) with the fixed contacts 140 . in normal use , the compression spring 13 dominates the spring 150 , such that when an actuator is brought into engagement with the cam , the cam rotates and the switch plunger , locking arm 19 , linking member 200 and contact block plunger 110 all moved to the right ( in the orientation shown in fig2 ). the bridging contacts 120 are brought into contact with the fixed contacts 140 and the safety switch is able to conduct electricity . however , if the linking member 200 breaks , or becomes detached from one or both of the contact block plunger 110 and locking arm 19 , the spring 150 is no longer in any sort of contact or competition with the compression spring 13 . the spring 150 is thus now able to move the contact block plunger 110 , and push apart the bridging contacts 120 and the fixed contacts 140 , thereby preventing the safety switch from conducting electricity . that is , if the linking member breaks , deforms , or becomes detached from one or both of the locking arm 19 and the contact block plunger 110 the switch fails to a safe ( non - conducting ) state . preferably , the spring 150 is only able to push apart the bridging contacts 120 and the fixed contacts 140 when the linking member breaks , deforms , or becomes detached from one or both of the locking arm 19 and the contact block plunger 110 . the linking member need not be attached to the locking arm , but could be attached to a structure which supports the locking arm , e . g . a locking fork ( described above ). in generic terms , the linking member is attached to the second locking member . the contact block plunger 110 and / or the contact block 100 could be provided with guides and / or channels to guide the movement of the contact block plunger . in the above embodiments , the locking arm has been described as being moved coaxially with respect to the switch plunger . other orientations , such as crossing , perpendicular , or non - coaxial , are envisioned . the second locking member may move in any suitable direction to effect the locking in position of the switch plunger . for example , the second locking member may move in a direction perpendicular to the axial movement of the switch plunger . in the above embodiments , the second locking member had been described as a locking arm . it will be appreciated that other elements may also serve as the second locking member or a part of the second locking member , for example wedges , or curved segments or the like . similarly , the first locking members have thus far been described as pins . it will be appreciated that structures other than cylindrically shaped pins may serve as the first locking members . for example , the first locking members may be elliptical in cross section , or triangular . the first locking members may be wedges , or curved segments or the like . it will be appreciated that the above embodiments have been given by way of example only . various modifications may be made to these and indeed other embodiments without departing from the invention as defined by the claims that follow .
7
a wireless interactive super broadband communication network ( hereinafter a “ wisb ” network ), according to various aspects of the present invention , includes interactive communications platforms . a bandwidth in excess of 1 gigabit per second for user devices is hereafter referred to as “ super broadband ”. super broadband applies to any mix of fixed wireless access (“ fwa ”) and mobile wireless access (“ mwa ”) applications . such a wireless interactive super broadband communication network includes a distributed infrastructure typically having : ( 1 ) a plurality of platforms hereinafter called sida platforms ; ( 2 ) a plurality of platforms hereinafter called soma platforms ; and ( 3 ) a plurality of platforms hereinafter called pau platforms . a sida platform ( named after the small , interactive , directional antennas that are part of a sida platform ) includes an antenna unit and a transceiver unit . each transceiver is preferably a low cost , low power , electromagnetic transceiver . a sida platform ( also called a sida cell ) may be implemented as a cell having the antenna unit mounted on the roof of a building . each antenna unit includes a random angle beamforming antenna network ( e . g ., a phased array of antenna elements ). the antenna network ( a circuit ) may have 16 , 32 , or 64 beamformers . a soma platform ( named for a part of a neuron ) may be implemented as a regional tower mounted platform with transceivers for coordinating communication within clusters of sida platforms . a soma platform is also called a soma tower . a pau platform ( standing for the purkinjie antenna unit , purkinjie being the name for a particular neuron ) provides a longer range transceiver unit for conveying signals over large distances via troposcatter , fiber optic , and / or low earth orbit satellite systems ( leos ). a wisb network provides automated full duplex routing of messages . a wisb network provides super broadband intercommunication between subscribers . the wisb network is expandable to alleviate “ bottlenecks ” or network traffic congestion . traffic in a wisb network may be multipoint to multipoint , point to multipoint , or point to point . the wisb network may be implemented with conventional protocols for link management , multi - hop routing and multicasting , remote network management , and network security . a wisb network generally operates in multiple layers . each layer may use channels of high frequency radio communication bands , such as between 2 . 4 ghz to 30 ghz . an initial commercial embodiment of a wisb network was designed for the unlicensed 5 . 8 ghz frequency band . because each user ( e . g ., a sida platform ) can communicate on simultaneous independent channels by frequency and directional diversity , a wisb network may provide 256 mbps of bandwidth per individual user . for example , operating at 5 . 8 ghz , a wisb network may provide between 3 . 8 gbps to 12 . 8 gbps of bandwidth to particular users . the wisb network may be implemented with digital transceiver systems and operating protocols for preventing interference of signals on a single frequency and eliminating crossover signals . platforms having directional antenna beams facing each other may use them to communicate or may avoid communication by using frequency diversity . networks according to various aspects of the present invention may accommodate a large number of users ( e . g ., thirty - four times the number of users compared to conventional networks ) by facilitating a multiplicity of users on a single frequency ( frequency diversity ). each sida platform of a wisb network may include a home gateway controller . a home gateway controller may be implemented using a conventional operating system and a television screen ( or other monitor as the primary display ). the home gateway controller may operate as an alternative personal computer ; and , due to the abundance of available bandwidth , may use remote computer farms ( e . g ., personal information ( pi ) computing ) to process and store information requiring large capacity processing and storage . wisb network platform operating software enables personal computers to be hooked up to a wisb network through a software / hardware interface . a home gateway controller may have a secure video - on - demand module that operates as an alternative “ video rental store ”, making electronically accessed global film and music libraries available . a home gateway controller may incorporate a financial card swipe capability making it possible to purchase video on demand and other internet services directly from the home through secure “ wallet banking ” software , any platform ( e . g ., a sida platform ) of the present invention may be implemented with integrated circuits , processors , and miniaturized transceivers to operate within a handheld device . a wisb network may include a low earth orbit (“ leo ”) space segment that provides a communications - bridge for the terrestrial portions of the wisb network via pau platforms . a wisb network leo space segment may provide a super broadband orbital platform for commercial aviation . airplane manufacturers can implement any mix of platforms in aircraft . in such an embodiment , the aircraft communicates with a wisb network space segment , which in turn communicates with a wisb network terrestrial segment . passengers ( e . g ., users of sida platforms ) may enjoy a plethora of interactive communication services including in flight telephony , video conferencing , video on demand , music on demand , and video games . in addition , data that is normally recorded and stored on a “ black box ” ( e . g ., a flight recorder ) onboard the aircraft may be electronically transmitted to earth - based data storage facilities using wisb network components . the amount of data that can be recorded is increased and the disadvantages associated with onboard flight recorders are eliminated . security may be enhanced on aircraft via onboard high definition cameras , which would be able to transmit clear images and sound in real time via a platform to platform space - terrestrial pathway . each airplane seat could be monitored effectively through the system prior to takeoff or during flight . additionally , the comparatively large bandwidth available in a wisb network enables the utilization of face recognition software for early detection of terrorists , highjackers , or other high - risk individuals onboard . using a wisb network , early detection of unwanted individuals is possible using a high - definition camera , which may be installed at a airport terminal , gate , and / or check - in counter . such a camera may obtain and transmit digital images to a face - recognition processor in an airport security unit for analysis and comparison with facial recognition data maintained in a global database of known terrorists . due to the vast amount of data required for face recognition processing , super broadband may be desirable for transmitting the best possible details of an individual &# 39 ; s face and to produce a result equal to or better than a fingerprint of the individual . a network , according to various aspects of the present invention facilitates communication among and between four layers : a local layer , a regional layer , an inter - regional layer , and a global layer . message routing is preferably accomplished within one layer ( e . g ., the local layer ), but may also include traffic between layers . for example , network 100 of fig1 includes local layer 120 , regional layer 140 , inter - regional layer 160 , and global layer 180 . local layer 120 includes any number of sida platforms ( e . g ., 121 - 123 ) which may be fixed or mobile . each sida platform 122 may communicate via a wireless link 134 ( 135 ) with any other sida platform 121 ( 123 ) within range . each sida platform may have zero or more user devices 110 ( e . g ., output devices such as displays , input devices such as a keyboard , storage devices such as tapes and disks , processing devices such as personal computers , and combinations of the above ). each sida platform 121 - 123 may communicate via a wireless link 131 - 133 with zero or more soma platforms 142 of the regional layer . regional layer 140 includes any number of soma platforms ( e . g ., 141 - 143 ). typically , a soma platform 142 ( e . g ., a tower mounted platform ) is located centrally in a region occupied by any number of sida platforms 121 - 123 . each soma platform 142 may communicate via a wireless link 154 ( 155 ) with any other soma platform within range . each soma platform 142 controls zero or more computers or servers 146 ( e . g ., a personal information computer farm ) and controls access to other networks 148 ( e . g ., the internet ). each soma platform 142 may communicate via a wireless link 151 - 153 with zero or more pau platforms 162 of the inter - regional layer . inter - regional layer 160 includes any number of pau platforms ( e . g ., 161 - 163 ). typically , a pau platform 162 ( e . g ., a tower mounted platform ) is located within range of several soma platforms 141 - 143 . each pau platform 162 may communicate via a wireless link 174 ( 175 ) with any other pau platform within range . each soma platform 142 may communicate via a wireless link 171 - 173 with zero or more satellite platforms 181 of the global layer 180 or via troposcatter . a platform generally includes a processor , a transceiver unit having any number of transceivers ( e . g ., 6 ), and an antenna unit having a corresponding number of antenna arrays ( e . g ., 6 ). for example , platform 200 of fig2 includes processor 202 , transceiver unit 204 , and antenna unit 206 . processor 202 includes a box office controller 210 , gateway controller 212 , and user device interface 214 . user interface 214 provides ports 215 for cable connections to devices local to the platform . for example , devices may perform display ( e . g ., output ) or storage functions . display devices 216 include tv , stereo , printer , and fax machine . storage devices include dvd , vcr , and pc . transceiver unit 204 includes any number of frequency agile transceivers 232 and may include a fiber optic transceiver 234 for each trunk 236 . processor 202 directs transceivers of transceiver unit 204 via line 203 to implement frequency agility . processor 202 may direct beamforming by any antenna array ( e . g ., 242 or 244 ) via line 205 . in an alternate antenna unit , beams are preset and control by processor 202 is omitted . fig2 provides a schematic representation of a platform ( e . g ., a sida , soma , or pau platform ) according to various aspects of the present invention . the sida platform includes a processor , transceiver unit , and antenna unit . the antenna unit includes a small , full duplex , electronically interactive , directional , high gain , random angle phased array . the transceiver unit includes an rf modulator , low power supply , microwave unit , and remote on / off control switch . the antenna unit of a sida platform is preferably installed on a user &# 39 ; s rooftop or other high , unobstructed location . sida platforms may be spaced at distances ranging between a few meters up to about 5 km . a sida platform provides the communication gateway to a user &# 39 ; s home for mobile and fixed wireless communications , digital tv reception , digital 3d interactive tv , video on demand in digital format ( e . g ., dvd quality ), digital radio broadcast , and continuous high speed internet connection . a sida platform differs from soma and pau platforms by : ( 1 ) including a user device interface ( e . g ., ports ) for connecting the platform to a tv , vcr , dvd , stereo , personal computer ( pc ), fax machine , and / or a printer / scanner ; ( 2 ) including a home gateway box office controller unit ; and ( 3 ) omitting a fiber optic transceiver . a soma platform , according to various aspects of the present invention , provides longer range ( than a sida ) communication and provides coordination of sida communications . the soma platform may include a fiber optic transceiver for communication on trunk lines to other soma and / or pau platforms . soma platforms are generally located inside “ clusters ” or “ conglomerates ” of sida platforms ( i . e ., service regions ), and may have coordinating responsibility for an area of up to a 60 km radius . each soma platform may be connected to other soma platforms via fiber - optic trunk lines . a soma platform may further include a high speed media access control ( mac ) level router with a connection gateway to other networks ( e . g ., the internet and world wide web ). the processor of a wisb platform ( e . g ., a mac level routing system ) integrates a number of protocols including channel access protocol , neighbor platform link management protocol , wireless multi - hop routing and multi - cast protocol , remote network management protocol , and network security protocol . the channel access protocol governs : ( a ) scheduling of transmissions , ( b ) spectrum reuse ( frequency agility ), and ( c ) avoidance of collisions of message packets . algorithms implementing such a protocol may include the following functions : ( 1 ) independent scheduling of network management message packets , ( 2 ) negotiated scheduling between platforms for a single rf channel multiple user facility of non - interfering data transmission between pairs of platforms , and ( 3 ) frequency agility , coding , and power control . the neighbor platform link management protocol governs : ( a ) efficient platform to platform message packet delivery , ( b ) automatic adaptation to changes in platform configuration , availability ( e . g ., becoming available for communication due to movement , installation , or power applied ), and quality in real time routing decisions based on current overall local network status ( including transmitting and receiving with a platform of a different type : sida / soma , soma / pau ), ( c ) automatic synchronization algorithm for the network , and ( d ) error control coding rates between sida platforms , soma platforms , and pau platforms related to : ( 1 ) sida to sida links , ( 2 ) sida to soma links ( 3 ) soma to soma links , ( 4 ) soma to pau links , ( 5 ) pau to pau links via troposcatter ( synchronized with the pau remote network management protocol ), and ( 6 ) pau to pau links via satellite ( synchronized with the pau remote network management protocol ). the wireless multi - hop routing and multicast protocol governs : ( a ) reliability in delivery of message packets , ( b ) efficient multicast mechanisms over wireless broadcast channels , and ( c ) dynamic ad - hoc network creation ( e . g ., finding available unused communications capability along the shortest path to the destination for efficient use of the spectrum ). the remote network management protocol governs the automatic distribution and upgrades of operating software to sida , soma , pau and satellite platforms , home gateway controllers , and pi computer farms using a dynamic graphical user interface ( gui ). the network security protocol governs : ( a ) hopping patterns from sida to sida , sida to soma , soma to soma , and pau to pau via troposcatter or satellites , ( b ) automatic authentication of sida platforms upon ( 1 ) addition of a platform and ( 2 ) deletion of a platform , and ( c ) intrusion protection and packet filtering ( e . g ., by dynamic control of the rf waveform to prevent eavesdropping ). a computer farm may be attached to a soma or pau platform . the computer farm facilitates broadband computing using the home gateway controller processor of a sida platform for access to the remote pi computer farm . computers of the farm process and store information requiring heavy processing . the tv screen of a sida platform may be used as the visual media and a home gateway controller keyboard of the sida platform may be used to perform physical entries . the sida and soma platform transceivers provide the interconnecting and coordinating functions for mobile and fixed wireless communications for distribution to sida platforms anywhere in the wisb network , mobile units inside of the soma communications conglomerate , and resources on outside networks through conventional switching and routing stations . soma platforms interconnect via existing fiber - optic trunk lines during the build - out phases , until within communication range of a neighboring soma platform , at which point the fiber - optic trunk line may serve as a redundant structure , not essential for network communication . soma platforms may communicate with paus via existing fiber - optic trunk lines during the build - out phase , until within communication range of a neighboring soma platform , at which point the fiber - optic trunk line may serve as a redundant structure , not essential for network communication . the soma platforms provide the coordinating basis for digital telecommunication ( fwa and mwa ), digital tv reception , digital 3d interactive tv , digital video on demand , digital radio broadcast , and for continuous high speed internet connection , distributed through the sida platforms . a pau platform , according to various aspects of the present invention , provides longer range ( than a soma ) communication and provides conveyance of communication to soma platforms , to other paus , and to other networks . a pau platform has a range of up to 1 , 000 km using the troposphere as a mirror to bounce the signals (“ troposcatter ”) from one pau platform to the next . the pau platform communicates globally via multi - hops from pau tower to pau tower . the processor of a pau platform performs protocols analogous to those discussed above , for example , where a soma processor coordinates sida platform communication , a pau processor coordinates soma platform communication . sida and soma platform communication ranges overlap when a soma platform is centrally located amid sida platforms . for example , soma platform 302 of fig3 has six communication sectors a - f used for soma to sida communication and six communication sectors g - l used for soma to soma communication . to facilitate independent communication , frequencies selected for overlapping sectors are different . for example , a frequency used for sector g is different from any frequency used in sectors a - f of sida 306 ; and a frequency used for sector l is different from any frequency used in sectors a - f of sida 304 and soma 308 . soma to sida communication may be facilitated by operation of a soma 308 with sectors , frequencies , and range similar or identical to sida to sida communication . for clarity soma 308 is shown with sida style frequency , sector , and range allocations . soma 308 communicates with soma 302 using soma style frequency , sector , and range allocations not shown . many channels of sida to sida communication may therefore be simultaneous with soma to soma communication in one soma size sector . fig4 depicts a soma communications conglomerate 400 , wherein neighboring pairs of sida platforms are able to communicate with each other either directly or facilitated by a free channel within any given sida platform . the sida platform having a free channel may act as a so - called sida catalyst in the connection ( performing a conveying function for this communication ). as discussed above , each soma platform performs network protocols for assisting , directing , and informing about a given transmission as it occurs from an initiator ( indicated “ i ” in fig4 ) via one or more catalysts ( indicated “ b ” in fig4 ) via one or more coordinators ( indicated “ c ” in fig4 ) to a receiver ( indicated “ r ” in fig4 ). the soma platform monitors the routing and length of each communication ( i . e ., a call ). calls that are out of the wisb network are routed through a soma platform . for example , sida 402 initiates a call to sida 426 that passes through sida 404 , soma 420 , sida 422 , and sida 424 . calls may be direct as when sida 406 initiates a call to sida 408 . calls may overlap through a single sida . for example , sida 410 initiates a call to sida 416 ; and sida 412 initiates a call to sida 414 . sida 412 acts as a catalyst for the former call and as an initiator for the latter . fig4 also depicts two unattached soma communications conglomerates 400 and 401 and illustrates their interaction . if a call initiated at sida 402 is directed to sida 436 , the call is routed through a free channel in each intervening sida and soma platform : 404 , 420 , 430 , 432 , 434 , and 436 . link 490 may be a fiber optic link as discussed above in a variation , platforms 420 and 430 may be pau platforms and link 490 a troposcatter or satellite link . the wireless multi - hop routing and multicast protocol governing the network routing system at somas 420 and 430 automatically routes the call through sidas having the fewest hops ( typically the closest sidas and shortest physical distances ). the wireless multi - hop routing and multicast protocol always commands intervening sida platforms to use the shortest route to the recipient ( r ) to be taken around any given physical obstructions that may impair the line of sight ( or that may not be in compliance with the 802 . 11b restrictions when using the 5 . 8 ghz unlicensed band ). a fiber optic cable for transporting communication between soma communications conglomerates 400 and 401 is necessary only when using the unlicensed 5 . 8 ghz frequency and complying with the 802 . 11 b restrictions . if the network is built around a licensed frequency , the fiber optic link may be omitted , subject to the distance between the soma platforms and geographical constraints ( line of sight ). unattached soma communications conglomerates become attached when close neighboring sida platforms become available , as discussed above . transmissions are packetized and all packets are preferably transmitted through the shortest path through the network . packets of the same call may travel different routes through the network , but as they arrive at the recipient sida platform , the packets are assembled in the correct sequence . the channel access protocol algorithms will govern the entire transmission , and facilitate suitable quality of service at either end of the transmission cycle ( initiator and recipient ). by adding platforms to a wisb network , additional routes are created facilitating delivery of data at greater bandwidth . for example , a maximum bandwidth achieved for a single sida may be calculated for each of several modulation and antenna configurations . assuming all channels are of equal bandwidth , the maximum bandwidth for each row of table 1 is calculated by multiplying the channel bandwidth ( assumed to be 100 mhz for operation at 5 . 8 ghz ) by the modulation factor ; and multiplying the result by the beam factor . the beam factor assumes that full duplex communication is intended and two beams are therefore needed for the maximum bandwidth to be achieved . a modulation factor of 6 corresponds to quadriture amplitude modulation ( qam ) having 64 steps and a factor of 8 corresponds to qam having 256 steps . as shown , a single user consuming data from all beams simultaneously of his or her sida platform can consume up to 25 . 6 gbps half duplex and at the same time provide up to 25 . 6 gbps half duplex on other beams . the foregoing description discusses preferred embodiments of the present invention which may be changed or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims . while for the sake of clarity of description , several specific embodiments of the invention have been described , the scope of the invention is intended to be measured by the claims as set forth below .
7
the typical embodiment of a motor vehicle window 1 illustrated partially in cross section in fig1 includes a mounting flange 3 , which surrounds a window opening 2 , and a window pane 4 which is mounted in the window opening 2 and comprises a pane 5 of glass . to mount the pane of glass 5 , a plastic edge part 6 is molded onto the edge of the pane , and an adhesive application profile 7 , which is releasably connected to the edge part 6 , is bonded by an adhesive 8 to an outwardly facing fastening surface 9 of the fastening flange 3 when the window pane 4 is inserted into the window opening 2 . the fastening flange 3 , which consists of sheet metal , has an essentially z - shaped cross section with a holding arm 10 welded to the vehicle body in the plane of the window pane . in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in fig1 the edge part 6 consists of an extrudable thermoplastic elastomer , for example a polyolefin elastomer of isotactic polypropylene and ethylene - propylene - diene rubber which can be obtained under the brand name santoprene from the company advanced elastomer systems . on its side facing away from the window opening 2 , the edge part 6 is formed with a sealing lip 12 which bears against the fastening flange 3 after installation . furthermore , the edge part 6 has a peripheral receiving channel 14 which is open toward the fastening flange 3 and in which a foot part 13 of the adhesive application profile 7 which faces the window pane 4 is received . the receiving channel 14 of the edge part 6 and the foot part 13 of the adhesive application profile 7 have complementary cross sections . both the two opposite inner faces of the side walls 16 of the receiving channel 14 and the opposed longitudinal side faces of the foot part 13 have a zigzag - shaped cross section with mutually corresponding triangular projections and depressions , so that the foot part 13 and the edge part 6 engage each other in a positive - locking manner with mutual meshing in order to anchor the adhesive application profile 7 releasably in the receiving channel 14 . there are three projections and depressions on or in the side walls 16 of the receiving channel and the longitudinal sides of the foot part 13 as illustrated , but a higher or lower number of projections and depressions may be provided depending on their shape , their engagement depth and the material pairing . depending on whether the adhesive application profile 7 is mounted on the pane of glass 5 in one operation , for example by coextrusion together with the edge part 6 , or is inserted into the receiving channel 14 as a cut item after it has previously been cut to length or as a rigid molding , the profile 7 may consist of an elastic , semi - elastic or rigid , thermoplastic or cross - linkable plastic material which can be extruded or produced by injection molding , provided that it has good properties of adhesion with the adhesive 8 , which is generally a polyurethane adhesive . the edge part 6 and the adhesive application profile 7 are releasably engaged at a joint 15 so that they can be released from one another by a pushing force exerted on the window pane 4 from the inside in the direction of the arrow p in fig1 . in this case , the two side walls 16 of the receiving channel 14 bend outwardly as a result of their elasticity , possibly with simultaneous deformation of the adhesive application profile 7 if that profile is made of an elastic or semi - elastic material . a top part 17 of the adhesive application profile 7 , which faces away from the window pane 4 and is adjacent to the fastening flange 3 , has a slightly greater width than the foot part 13 . this prevents the adhesive 8 , applied as a bead of adhesive onto an adhesive application surface 20 located opposite the fastening flange 3 , from coming into contact with the edge part 6 . to enlarge the interface between the adhesive and adhesive application profile while maintaining the same width of the bead of adhesive , and to guide an outlet nozzle of an adhesive gun ( not illustrated ) in the event of manual adhesive application , the adhesive application surface 20 is curved slightly in a concave manner in the direction of the fastening flange 3 and has raised side edges . additionally , the adhesive application surface 20 may be provided with small grooves ( not illustrated ) extending in the longitudinal direction of the profile 7 . in the further embodiment illustrated in fig2 a different type of edge part 6 is mounted on the edge of the pane of glass 5 and has on its inwardly facing side a web 21 which surrounds the inner broad side face of a window pane 4 &# 39 ; and has opposed longitudinal side faces 22 which are zigzag - shaped in cross section . the web 21 is engaged in a positive - locking manner with a longitudinal channel 23 of an adhesive application profile 7 &# 39 ;. the channel 23 is open in the direction of the window pane 4 &# 39 ;, is complementary to the web 21 and has an essentially u - shaped cross section , the yoke which has a top part 17 &# 39 ; provided with an adhesive application surface 20 on the side facing the fastening flange 3 , while its two arms forming a foot part 13 &# 39 ; are meshed with the longitudinal side faces 22 of the web 21 . in this embodiment , the edge part 6 &# 39 ; may be made of a comparatively inelastic thermoplastic material , while the adhesive application profile 7 &# 39 ; is made of a preferably extrudable elastomer , so that the two arms 13 &# 39 ; bounding the longitudinal channel 23 spread apart due to a force in the direction of the arrow p when the window pane 4 &# 39 ; is released , as a result of which the web 21 moves out of the longitudinal channel 23 . in both cases , the window pane 4 or 4 &# 39 ; can be reused without reworking , while , for reuse of the mounting flange 3 , the adhesive 8 and the adhesive application profile 7 or 7 &# 39 ; are separated from the mounting surface 9 of the flange , any remaining residue of adhesive being just as suited as the mounting surface 9 itself as a base for a renewed application of adhesive . to produce the window pane 4 or 4 &# 39 ; provided with an edge part 6 or 6 &# 39 ; and an adhesive application profile 7 or 7 &# 39 ;, the edge part 6 or 6 &# 39 ; is molded onto the peripheral edge of the prepared and cleaned pane of glass 5 by extrusion or in an injection mold and , in the process , is firmly connected thereto . the application method used , i . e . extrusion or injection molding , is determined , inter alia , by the materials used for the edge part 6 or 6 &# 39 ; and the adhesive application profile 7 or 7 &# 39 ; and by the mechanical equipment present . if the edge part 6 or 6 &# 39 ; is extruded , the adhesive application profile 7 or 7 &# 39 ; may be produced by coextrusion at the same time as the edge part 6 or 6 &# 39 ;, in which case use is made of plastic materials which do not stick to each other after emerging from an extrusion nozzle , even in the free - flowing state . as an alternative , the edge part 6 or 6 &# 39 ; can first be extruded onto the edge of the pane of glass 5 and the adhesive application profile 7 or 7 &# 39 ;, in the form of a separately produced component , can subsequently be pressed into the receiving channel 14 ( fig1 ) or onto the peripheral web 21 ( fig2 ). if the edge part 6 or 6 &# 39 ; is to be produced by injection molding , the adhesive application profile 7 or 7 &# 39 ; can be placed in the injection mold , and the edge part 6 or 6 &# 39 ; can subsequently be injected , depending on the properties of elasticity desired , from an elastomer , a thermoplastic material or a cross - linking two - component mixture such as , for example , polyurethane . if desired , a release agent may be applied beforehand onto the surfaces of the adhesive application profile 7 &# 39 ; or 7 &# 39 ; which are in contact with the edge part 6 or 6 &# 39 ;, in order to prevent sticking to the edge part 6 or 6 &# 39 ; during injection molding . alternatively , the edge part 6 or 6 &# 39 ; and the adhesive application profile 7 or 7 &# 39 ; can be produced as two separate components which are subsequently brought into positive - locking engagement with one another . prior to the installation of the prepared window pane 4 or 4 &# 39 ;, the edge part 6 or 6 &# 39 ; and the profile 7 or 7 &# 39 ;, the adhesive 8 is applied as a wedgeshaped bead of adhesive onto the adhesive application surface 20 of the adhesive application profile 7 or 7 &# 39 ; which is located opposite the fastening surface 9 . the wedge - shaped application assures a uniform cross section of the bead of adhesive , in contrast to application of the adhesive into a receiving channel of the edge part , as disclosed in the german offenlegugsschrift no . 43 01 026 , since the outlet nozzle of the adhesive gun does not come into contact with the edge part 6 or 6 &# 39 ; or the adhesive application profile 7 or 7 &# 39 ;. because of the resulting absence of indentation points in the bead of adhesive , the water - tightness of the window pane 4 or 4 &# 39 ; is additionally improved , and soiling of adjacent construction elements with the adhesive 8 is prevented . if the window pane 4 or 4 &# 39 ; has been removed by pushing it out of the window opening 2 as described above , reinstallation of the window can be carried out at a workshop , for example after repainting the vehicle body in the region of the window opening , by mounting a new adhesive application profile 7 or 7 &# 39 ; with a corresponding cross section but possibly made of a different material than the original profile 7 or 7 &# 39 ;, on the edge part 6 or 6 &# 39 ;, and then inserting the window pane 4 or 4 &# 39 ; into the window opening 2 after a bead of adhesive has been applied to the adhesive application surface 20 . if the edge part 6 consists of a suitable material and has a receiving channel 14 as illustrated , for example , in fig1 it is also possible , as an alternative , for the adhesive application profile 7 to be dispensed with during reinstallation and for the adhesive 8 to be introduced directly into the receiving channel 14 as disclosed in german offenlegugsschrift no . 43 01 026 , in which case , however , an adhesive must be used which does not bond adhesively to the material of the edge part 6 . although the invention has been described here with reference to specific embodiments , many modifications and variations therein will readily occur to those skilled in the art . accordingly , all such variations and modifications are included within the intended scope of the invention .
1
embodiments of a nomadic server enable telephone communications that can be initiated using voip while within a voip access point , such as a wifi hotspot , and enable telephone communications that can be initiated using a cellular network while within a cellular area and outside of a voip access point . when a caller roams outside the range of a voip access point , the nomadic server functions to “ hold ” the current telephone communication while switching occurs from the voip access point to the cellular network . similarly , when a caller roams into the range of a voip access point while engaged in a telephone communication on the cellular network , the nomadic server functions to “ hold ” the current telephone communication while switching occurs from the cellular network to the voip access point . the nomadic server remains engaged , or active , in the telephone communication while switching from one network to another . after switching is completed , the nomadic server disengages from the telephone communication . fig1 illustrates an exemplary system of interconnected networks in which a nomadic server 80 is coupled to a cellular network , a wireless ip network , and a public switched telephone network ( pstn ) 60 . the cellular network shown in fig1 includes a mobile switching center 20 coupled to a public land mobile network 30 , and a plurality of base stations 10 coupled to the mobile switching center 20 . for clarity , the cellular network shown in fig1 is a simplified cellular network architecture . for example , the cellular network in fig1 includes only a single mobile switching center , however it is understood that the cellular network includes multiple mobile switching centers . further , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art , that the functionality of the mobile switching center could alternatively be incorporated into either the base station or any other cellular network infrastructure , or into the nomadic server . accordingly , as used herein , the term mobile switching center refers to the mobile switching center or any appropriate device within the cellular network equipment infrastructure which performs the functionality of a mobile switching center . fig1 shows four base stations 10 coupled to the mobile switching center 20 . alternatively , more or less than four base stations can be coupled to each mobile switching center . the wireless ip network shown in fig1 includes a plurality of wireless ip access points 40 coupled to the internet 50 . examples of a wireless ip access point include , but are not limited to , a wireless or wired broadband termination element , a wireless or wired modem , a wireless or wired router , and a wifi access point . in this example , the nomadic server 80 is coupled to the pstn 60 through the softswitch 70 . the softswitch 70 provides an interface for the nomadic server 80 to legacy networks , such as the pstn . a mobile communication device 90 is preferably a dual mode telephone that provides voip client functionality over a wifi network and gsm / cdma mobile telephony functionality over a cellular network . the mobile communication device 90 can also be configured to automatically switch an existing communication from a cellular network to a wireless ip network , or to switch an existing communication from an ip network to a cellular network . such a mobile communication device is described in co - pending and co - owned u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 031 , 498 , filed jan . 6 , 2005 , and entitled “ telephone with automatic switching between cellular and voip networks ”, which is hereby incorporated by reference . alternative types of mobile communication devices include , but are not limited to , laptop computers , music players / recorders , pdas , telephones , or any conventional mobile communication device capable of receiving broadband content over a wireless connection . fig2 illustrates a simplified high - level block diagram of one embodiment of the mobile communication device 90 . the mobile communication device 90 includes a wifi portion and a cellular portion . the cellular part uses either gsm or cdma , and access to a communications network is provided through the nearest base station 10 . the wifi portion uses the voip client to originate and terminate communications over the wifi network . the mobile communication device 90 is adapted to automatically switch communications between cellular and voip networks . the mobile communication device 90 includes a cellular communication module 93 coupled to a cellular antenna 91 , a wifi communication module 94 coupled to a wifi antenna 92 , an audio / video amplifier 95 , a network switch unit 96 , a timer unit 97 , a wifi signal level strength monitor 98 , a microphone 100 , a speaker 99 , and a display monitor 101 . the mobile communication device 90 is adapted to establish and maintain communication via either the cellular communication module 93 coupled to a cellular base station 10 ( fig1 ), and / or via the wifi communication module 94 coupled to a wifi access point 40 ( fig1 ). the cellular communication module 93 further includes a transceiver 102 adapted to transmit signals to and receive signals from a cellular network . the wifi communication module 94 further includes a transceiver 103 adapted to transmit signals to and receive signals from an ip network . depending on the level of the detected wifi signal emitted from a wifi access point , a call initially established via cellular communication module 93 can be switched to be handled by the wifi communication module 94 , or a call initially established via the wifi communication module 94 can be switched to be handled by the cellular communication module 93 . referring back to fig1 , the nomadic server 80 enables a seamless handoff from one wireless access point to another as the mobile telephone device 90 roams from one wifi coverage area to another wifi coverage area , or roams outside a wifi coverage area but still within a cellular network coverage area . the nomadic server 80 includes a cellular inter - working function ( ciwf ) block 82 , a wifi inter - working function ( wiwf ) block 84 , and a provisioning server 86 . the nomadic server 80 and the mobile switching center 20 are either “ tightly ” coupled or “ loosely ” coupled . when tightly coupled , the nomadic server 80 and the mobile switching center 20 are coupled together by a local area network ( lan ), or a wide area network ( wan ) or any other appropriate interface , using either a proprietary or non - proprietary interface of the mobile switching center 20 . in this manner , the nomadic server 80 is able to communicate to the mobile switching center 20 through this interface . when loosely coupled , the nomadic server 80 and the mobile switching center 20 are coupled using an integrated services digital network ( isdnc ) trunk , or by using a softswitch or any other appropriate interface . in this context , a softswitch is defined variously as a media gateway controller , call agent or gate keeper , used to control connections at the junction point between circuit and packet networks . the nomadic server 80 is coupled to one or more mobile switching centers 20 for communicating signaling and media traffic . a point of interconnection ( poi ), is formed between each mobile switching center 20 and the nomadic server 80 . within any given network , one or more nomadic servers 80 can be implemented . each mobile communication device 90 is associated with a home nomadic server , in this case the nomadic server 80 . each nomadic server can be the home nomadic server for one or more mobile communication devices . preferably , a mobile switching center is interfaced to only one nomadic server such that a home mobile switching center is interfaced to the home nomadic server . in this manner , the mobile communication device is associated with a home mobile switching center . alternatively , multiple mobile switching centers are coupled to any given nomadic server . when the mobile communication device 90 originates a call within a wifi coverage area , a wifi communication link is established with the nomadic server 80 . the call can be completed by the nomadic server 80 over the cellular network or the voip network . if the call is completed over the cellular network , then the call is routed through any mobile switching center coupled to the nomadic server 80 . if the call is completed over the voip network , then the call is routed through a softswitch 70 of a service provider , using the session initiation protocol ( sip ) or any other appropriate protocols , such as h323 . in other words , if the mobile communication device 90 is located within a wifi coverage area , then the first leg of the call is routed over a wifi communication link and the remaining portion of the call can be routed over either the cellular network , the voip network , or the pstn . in operation , a first call is established by the mobile communication device 90 by first determining if it is in a wifi coverage area . such a determination is preferably made by measuring a signal strength or other criteria of the nearest wifi access point 40 , and if the signal strength or other criteria is above a predetermined threshold , then a wifi communication link is established . if wifi access is not available , then the mobile communication device 90 establishes a cellular communication link with the nearest base station 10 . when the mobile communication device 90 first establishes a wifi communication link , the mobile communication device 90 establishes a communication link with the provisioning server 86 over the wifi communication link . the wifi communication link includes the wifi access point 40 , and the internet 50 . the provisioning server 86 provides the mobile communication device 90 with configuration information including an identification of its home nomadic server , which in this case is the nomadic server 80 . the mobile communication device 90 preferably uses xml over ssl for communicating with the provisioning server 86 over the internet 50 . the mobile communication device 90 also registers with the nomadic server 80 . in some embodiments , a sip register method or any other appropriate protocol , such as h323 , with authentication is used between the mobile communication device 90 and the nomadic server 80 . the nomadic server 80 also maintains configuration information of the mobile switching center 20 . the nomadic server 80 updates the mobile switching center 20 with a current location of the mobile communication device 90 . the current location refers to the wifi access point associated with the wifi coverage area in which the mobile communication device 90 is currently located . the nomadic server 80 updates the mobile switching center 20 with the location of the mobile communication device 90 at a specified periodicity . in this manner , the mobile switching center 20 maintains a current location of the mobile communication device 90 . using this location information , calls received over the cellular network for the mobile communication device 90 are directed from the mobile switching center 20 over the wifi communication link via the nomadic server 80 . as long as the mobile communication device 90 maintains a wifi communication link with the wireless access point 40 , irrespective of the cellular network coverage , the mobile communication device 90 registers with its home nomadic server , the nomadic server 80 in this case . the nomadic server 80 in turn updates the current location of the mobile communication device 90 in the mobile switching center 20 . when a signal strength or other criteria of the wifi communication link weakens below a predetermined threshold , the mobile communication device 90 notifies the nomadic server 80 . in response , the nomadic server 80 stops sending location updates to the mobile switching center 20 . additionally , the mobile communication device 90 stops sending sip registrations to the nomadic server 80 , and the mobile communication device 90 initiates registration with the nearest mobile switching center . in this manner , subsequent calls originating from or terminating at the mobile communication device 90 are handled by the mobile switching center . the nearest mobile switching center can be the home mobile switching center of the mobile communication device 90 or another mobile switching center , referred to as a visitor mobile switching center , within the cellular network . while the first call is still established over the wifi communication link , the mobile communication device 90 sets up a second call to the same end destination as the first call currently setup over the wifi communication link , thereby establishing a cellular communication link . if the cellular communication link is established via the home mobile switching center , then the second call is routed to the nomadic server 80 via the poi between the home mobile switching center and the nomadic server 80 . in response , the nomadic server 80 determines if the first call over the wifi communication link is still in progress . if so , access is switched from the wifi communication link to the cellular communication link . if , however , the cellular communication link is established over a visitor mobile switching center , then the visitor mobile switching center forwards the second call to a visitor nomadic server coupled to the visitor mobile switching center . the visitor nomadic server can not determine the status of the first call over the wifi communication link , so the visitor nomadic server switches the second call to the end destination . concurrently , the home nomadic server , which previously received the notification from the mobile communication device 90 about losing the wifi communication link , waits for a connection request from the home mobile switching center for the second call to be established . however , the home nomadic server will not receive such a connection request since the second call is being processed by the visitor nomadic server . as such , the home nomadic server drops the first call on the wifi communication link , and the second call is maintained by the mobile communication device 90 over the cellular communication link . once a cellular communication link is established between the mobile communication device 90 and the nearest mobile switching center , the mobile communication device 90 does not attempt to establish another wifi communication link upon re - entering a wifi coverage area . the mobile communication device 90 attempts access to a wifi communication link when the mobile communication device 90 is back in an idle state . as the mobile communication device roams from a first coverage area to a second coverage area , the transition steps vary depending on the type of the second coverage area and on the original call setup configuration . roaming from the first coverage area to the second coverage area can generally be accomplished according to one of five different scenarios , each scenario including associated transition steps . a first scenario includes the mobile communication device roaming from a first wifi coverage area to a second wifi coverage area . the first wifi coverage area is associated with a first wifi access point , and the second wifi coverage area is associated with a second wifi access point . each wifi access point includes an ip address . when the mobile communication device is within the first wifi coverage area , the mobile communication device registers with its home nomadic server over the first wifi access point . the home nomadic server updates the location of the mobile communication device with the home mobile switching center of the mobile communication device . for incoming calls directed to the mobile communication device , the home mobile switching center routes the calls to the home nomadic server based on the most recent location information . when the mobile communication device roams into the second wifi coverage area , the mobile communication device detects the transition . the mobile communication device acquires the ip address from the second wifi access point and sends the ip address change to the provisioning server of the home nomadic server . the mobile communication device also sends a sip register message with the new ip address to the home nomadic server . in response , the home nomadic server redirects any incoming calls to the ip address of the second wifi access point . the location of the mobile communication device maintained by the home mobile switching center is still valid . a second scenario includes the mobile communication device 90 initiating a call within a first wifi coverage area , setting up the call over a voip network , and roaming from the first wifi coverage area to a cellular coverage area supported by the home mobile switching center of the mobile communication device 90 . in this scenario , the mobile communication device 90 roams from the first wifi coverage area to a non - wifi coverage area . when a first call is initiated and setup , a wifi communication link is established between the mobile communication device and a first wireless access point associated with the first wifi coverage area . when the mobile communication device is within the first wifi coverage area , the mobile communication device registers with its home nomadic server via the first wifi access point . the first call is routed from the first wireless access point through a voip network , such as the internet . the mobile communication device monitors a signal strength or other criteria of the wifi communication link . when the signal strength or other criteria drops below a predetermined threshold , the mobile communication device registers with the nearest mobile switching center , which in this second scenario is the home mobile switching center of the mobile communication device . the mobile communication device also sends a call setup request to the home mobile switching center for a second call with the same end destination as the first call . the second call is setup by the home mobile switching center , and the second call is routed to the ciwf block within the home nomadic server . the ciwf block determines from the wiwf block if the first call is in progress . if the first call is in progress , then the ciwf block sends an affirmative answer message to the home mobile switching center . the home mobile switching center in turn sends the affirmative answer message to the mobile communication device . in response to receiving the affirmative answer message , the mobile communication device stops media streaming over the wifi communication link and powers down the wifi part . the ciwf block then changes the registration of the mobile communication device in the wiwf block with an ip address of the ciwf block . the ciwf block sends a re - invite message to the wiwf block signifying a media switchover to the ip address of the ciwf block from the ip address of the first wireless access point . media streaming associated with the first call is then redirected to the ciwf block , where the media is then switched over to the home mobile switching center . media associated with the first call is now associated with the second call , where the media is now streamed from the voip network to the wiwf block to the ciwf block to the home mobile switching center to the mobile communication device . the transition according to the second scenario is now complete . if the second call is subsequently disconnected by the mobile communication device , then the corresponding call breakdown process is supervised by the ciwf block . if the second call is subsequently disconnected by the end destination device , then the corresponding call breakdown process is supervised by both the wiwf block and the ciwf block . a third scenario includes the mobile communication device initiating a call within a first wifi coverage area , setting up a back end of the call over a cellular network , and roaming from the first wifi coverage area to a cellular coverage area supported by the home mobile switching center of the mobile communication device . in this scenario , the mobile communication device roams from the first wifi coverage area to a non - wifi coverage area . when a first call is initiated and setup , a wifi communication link is established between the mobile communication device and a first wireless access point associated with the first wifi coverage area . when the mobile communication device is within the first wifi coverage area , the mobile communication device registers with its home nomadic server via the first wifi access point . the first call is routed from the wireless access point 40 through a cellular network , such as the mobile switching center and either the plmn or the pstn . the mobile communication device monitors a signal strength or other criteria of the wifi communication link . when the signal strength or other criteria drops below a predetermined threshold , the mobile communication device registers with the nearest mobile switching center , which in this third scenario is the home mobile switching center of the mobile communication device . the mobile communication device also sends a call setup request to the home mobile switching center for a second call with the same end destination as the first call . the second call is setup by the home mobile switching center , and the second call is routed to the ciwf block within the home nomadic server . the ciwf block determines from the wiwf block if the first call is in progress . if the first call is in progress , then the ciwf block sends an affirmative answer message to the home mobile switching center . the home mobile switching center in turn sends the affirmative answer message to the mobile communication device . in response to receiving the affirmative answer message , the mobile communication device stops media streaming over the wifi communication link and powers down its wifi part . the ciwf block then changes the registration of the mobile communication device in the wiwf block with an ip address of the ciwf block . the ciwf block sends a re - invite message to the wiwf block signifying a media switchover to the ip address of the ciwf block from the ip address of the first wireless access point . media streaming associated with the first call is then redirected to the ciwf block , where the media is then switched over to the home mobile switching center . the media stream associated with the first call is now associated with the second call , where the media stream is now directed from the cellular network to the ciwf block to the home mobile switching center to the mobile communication device . the transition according to the third scenario is now complete . if the second call is subsequently disconnected by the mobile communication device , then the corresponding call breakdown process is supervised by the ciwf block and the home mobile switching center . if the second call is subsequently disconnected by the end destination device , then the corresponding call breakdown process is supervised by the ciwf block . a fourth scenario includes the mobile communication device initiating a call within a first wifi coverage area that resides outside a cellular coverage area supported by the home mobile switching center of the mobile communication device , setting up a back end of the call over a voip network , and roaming from the first wifi coverage area to a cellular coverage area supported by a visitor mobile switching center . in this scenario , the mobile communication device roams from the first wifi coverage area to a non - wifi coverage area . when a first call is initiated and setup , a wifi communication link is established between the mobile communication device and a first wireless access point associated with the first wifi coverage area . when the mobile communication device is within the first wifi coverage area , the mobile communication device registers with its home nomadic server via the first wifi access point . in this manner , the wiwf block in the home nomadic server monitors the location of the mobile communication device . the first call is routed from the mobile communication device to the first wireless access point via the wifi communication link to the wiwf block of the visitor nomadic server associated with the visitor mobile switching center to the voip network the mobile communication device monitors a signal strength or other criteria of the wifi communication link . when the signal strength or other criteria drops below a predetermined threshold , the mobile communication device registers with the nearest mobile switching center , which in this fourth scenario is the visitor mobile switching center . the mobile communication device notifies the wiwf block in its home nomadic server that the signal strength or other criteria is below the predetermined threshold . the mobile communication device also sends a call setup request to the visitor mobile switching center for a second call with the same end destination as the first call . the visitor mobile switching center forwards the call setup request to the ciwf block within the visitor nomadic server . within the visitor nomadic server , the ciwf block determines from the wiwf block if the first call is in progress . since the mobile communication device has been registering itself with its home nomadic server , and not with the visitor nomadic server , the wiwf block within the visitor nomadic server does not have a record of the first call being in progress . in response , the visitor nomadic server sets up the second call over the cellular network . concurrently , the home nomadic server tears down the first call over the voip network . a fifth scenario includes the mobile communication device initiating a call within a first wifi coverage area that resides outside a cellular coverage area supported by the home mobile switching center of the mobile communication device , setting up a back end of the call over a cellular network , and roaming from the first wifi coverage area to a cellular coverage area supported by a visitor mobile switching center . in this scenario , the mobile communication device roams from the first wifi coverage area to a non - wifi coverage area . when a first call is initiated and setup , a wifi communication link is established between the mobile communication device and a first wireless access point associated with the first wifi access point . the first call is routed from the mobile communication device to the first wireless access point via the wifi communication link to the ciwf block of the visitor nomadic server to the visitor mobile switching center to the cellular network . the mobile communication device monitors a signal strength or other criteria of the wifi communication link . when the signal strength or other criteria drops below a predetermined threshold , the mobile communication device registers with the nearest mobile switching center , which in this fifth scenario is the visitor mobile switching center . when the mobile communication device is within the first wifi coverage area , the mobile communication device registers with its home nomadic server via the first wifi access point . in this manner , the wiwf block in the home nomadic server monitors the location of the mobile communication device . the mobile communication device notifies the wiwf block in its home nomadic server that the signal strength or other criteria is below the predetermined threshold . the mobile communication device also sends a call setup request to the visitor mobile switching center for a second call with the same end destination as the first call . the visitor mobile switching center forwards the call setup request to the ciwf block within the visitor nomadic server . within the visitor nomadic server , the ciwf block determines from the wiwf block if the first call is in progress . since the mobile communication device has been registering itself with its home nomadic server , and not with the visitor nomadic server , the wiwf block within the visitor nomadic server does not have a record of the first call being in progress . in response , the visitor nomadic server sets up the second call over the cellular network . concurrently , the home nomadic server tears down the first call over the cellular network and the first wifi communication link . it is understood that the five scenarios described above are not exhaustive or inclusive of all scenarios in which the mobile communication device can roam from a first coverage area to a second coverage area with the support of the nomadic server . it is understood that other scenarios are also contemplated . in some embodiments , the nomadic server 80 also communicates to other nomadic services over the internet to route and complete calls using voip . this server - to - server communication can be used for all calls , even for cellular to cellular calls . in such a situation , the cellular telephone communication is transmitted from the initiating cellular telephone to the appropriate base station . from this base station , the communication is routed to the appropriate nomadic server 80 , which in some embodiments is the nomadic server 80 that is the closest to the receiving base station 10 . this initiating nomadic server 80 then transmits the communication over the internet , to the nomadic server 80 that is closest to the appropriate base station 10 corresponding to the location of the receiver &# 39 ; s cellular telephone . this receiving nomadic server 80 then transmits the communication to this receiving base station 10 , which transmits the communication to the receiver &# 39 ; s cellular telephone . in this manner , the only portions of the transmission that are communicated over the cellular telephone network , are the initial leg , from the initiating cellular telephone to the appropriate base station , and the final leg , from the appropriate base station to the receiver &# 39 ; s cellular telephone . the remaining , intermediate , portions of the transmission are communicated between the appropriate nomadic servers over the internet , which allows the call to be completed more efficiently than if the call was transmitted completely over the cellular network in the traditional manner . as will be apparent to those skilled in the art , communications are directed in both directions in this manner in order to complete the call between the initiator and the receiver , with the initial and final portions of the transmission routed over the cellular network and the remaining intermediate portions of the transmission routed between nomadic servers 80 , over the internet 50 . the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments incorporating details to facilitate the understanding of the principles of construction and operation of the invention . as such , references herein to specific embodiments and details thereof are not intended to limit the scope of the claims appended hereto . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications can be made to the embodiments chosen for illustration without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .
7
referring to fig1 and 2 of the drawings , there is illustrated a combustion products detector , generally designated by the numeral 20 , which includes a housing 21 having a circular base 22 provided with a peripheral upstanding flange 23 having attachment means 24 at spaced - apart points therealong . the housing 21 also includes a cover 25 which is generally cup - shaped and is provided with a peripheral flange 26 adapted to fit over the base flange 23 and provided with attachment portions for cooperation with the attachment means 24 on the base 22 . the cover 25 includes an end wall portion perforated with circular slots or grooves to form a grille 27 for permitting ambient air and combustion products to enter the housing 21 . preferably , the housing 21 is formed of plastic , and the attachment means therefor are adapted so that the cover 25 may be press or snap - fitted together with the base 22 for ease of assembly , yet providing a means whereby the cover is not easily removable . suitable mounting means ( not shown ) are provided for mounting the combustion products detector 20 on a support surface such as a ceiling , wall or the like . mounted within the housing 21 on the base 22 is a printed circuit board 30 which may be formed of plastic or other suitable electrically insulating material , and is held in place by a plurality of hold - down fingers 31 which are preferably integral with the base 22 . mounted on the circuit board 30 are all of the electronic components of the combustion products detector 20 , most of which form no part of the present invention and are , therefore , not shown in the drawings . referring now also to fig3 through 7 of the drawings , there is mounted on the printed circuit board 30 an ionization assembly , generally designated by the numeral 40 which includes a metal , generally cup - shaped housing 41 which is preferably of one - piece construction . the housing 41 includes a generally cylindrical side wall 42 hexagonal in transverse cross section and closed at one end thereof by a hexagonal end wall 43 , the side wall 42 being provided with a multiplicity of equidistantly spaced - apart elongated access slots 44 therein , arranged in two vertically spaced - apart circumferential groups . integral with the side wall 42 and extending laterally outwardly therefrom is an attachment finger 45 adapted to be secured to the printed circuit board 30 by a suitable fastener 46 such as a threaded fastener . the fastener 46 cooperates with a nut 47 , secured by tabs 48 to the printed circuit board 30 and connected as by soldering to the associated circuitry . the housing 41 cooperates with the printed circuit board 30 to define therebetween an ionization chamber , generally designated by the numeral 50 ( see fig4 and 5 ), the housing 41 forming an outer electrode for the ionization chamber 50 . the housing 41 may be two inches or less in height and about two inches in width and occupies only a small portion of the volume within the housing 21 , as can best be seen in fig2 . it will be appreciated that the slots 44 permit ambient air and airborne combustion products to enter and leave the ionization chamber 50 . disposed in the ionization chamber 50 is a reference assembly , generally designated by the numeral 60 ( see fig5 ), which includes a cylindrical insulator 61 disposed in a complementary circular opening in the circuit board 30 and provided with a plurality of circumferential grooves 62 in the outer surface thereof . the bottom of the insulator 61 is closed by a circular bottom cover 65 which is formed of metal and is provided at the outer edge thereof with an integral upstanding cylindrical flange 64 which is disposed in surrounding relationship with the outer surface of the insulator 61 and projects upwardly a slight distance above the circuit board 30 . the flange 64 is provided with a laterally inwardly extending circumferential rib 66 ( see fig6 ) which is adapted to be received in one of the grooves 62 in the insulator 61 with a snap fit to facilitate attachment of the bottom cover 65 to the insulator 61 . the flange 64 is also provided at its upper edge with spaced - apart radially outwardly extending attachment legs 67 ( see fig6 ), each provided with a downwardly extending foot 68 adapted to be received in a complementary opening in the circuit board 30 and provided with a laterally outwardly projecting prong 69 at the distal end thereof adapted to engage the underside of the circuit board 30 for attachment of the radiation source assembly 60 to the circuit board 30 . the insulator 61 is also provided with a circular top cover 70 having at the periphery thereof an integral depending cylindrical side wall 71 . the side wall 71 is provided with detents 72 adapted to be snap - fitted into an associated one of the grooves 62 in the insulator 61 to facilitate attachment thereto . the side wall 71 may also be provided at the lower edge thereof with a laterally outwardly extending connecting tab 73 ( see fig4 ) to facilitate electrical connection of the top cover 70 to associated circuitry . integral with the side wall 71 and projecting upwardly therefrom are spaced - apart attachment fingers 74 . the top cover 70 forms an inner electrode for the ionization assembly 40 and cooperates with the insulator 61 and the bottom cover 65 to define a reference chamber 75 . the top cover 70 is provided with a circular aperture 77 centrally thereof for receiving therein an associated source holder , generally designated by the numeral 80 ( see fig7 ). the source holder 80 includes a cylindrical carrier body 81 which is snugly received in the aperture 77 and is provided at the lower end thereof with a radially outwardly extending peripheral flange 82 which engages the inner surface of the top cover 70 . the carrier body 81 has a circular hole 83 extending centrally therethrough , an annular shoulder or shelf 84 being formed approximately midway between the upper and lower ends of the hole 83 for supporting thereon a circular body 85 of radioactive material , typically an alpha particle emitter of a type well known in the art . in assembly , the carrier body 81 is inserted upwardly through the aperture 77 in the top cover 70 until the peripheral flange 82 engages the underside of the top cover 70 . the upper end of the carrier body 81 is then deformed by a suitable die to form an upper annular flange 86 which overlaps the upper surface of the top cover 70 firmly to attach the source holder 80 thereto . the reference assembly 60 is disposed eccentrically with respect to the ionization chamber 50 in the preferred embodiment , to facilitate the mounting of electrical components within the ionization chamber 50 . but it will be understood that the reference assembly 60 could be arranged coaxially with the ionization chamber 50 . referring now in particular to fig4 and 5 of the drawings , the ionization assembly 40 also includes a cylindrical control screen 90 which is formed of a wire mesh or the like and is arranged with the ends thereof overlapping and secured together . the control screen 90 is provided with an elongated flat , generally rectangular mounting strap 92 , which extends across the bottom of the control screen 90 generally along a chord thereof , the mounting strap 92 being provided at each end thereof with a plurality of upstanding attachment fingers 93 which are fixedly secured to the outer surface of the control screen 90 . the mounting strap 92 has punched therefrom adjacent to the opposite ends thereof pairs of mounting tabs 94 . in use , the mounting strap 92 overlies the top cover 70 of the reference assembly 60 and extends generally diametrically thereacross , with the attachment fingers 74 being respectively received between corresponding pairs of the mounting tabs 94 to be resiliently gripped thereby for attachment of the control screen 90 to the reference assembly 60 . the control screen 90 includes a plurality of horizontal ribs 96 and vertical ribs 97 which intersect to define therebetween rectangular holes or openings 95 . screens with different shaped holes could be used . the mounting strap 92 is provided with a circular aperture 98 therethrough adapted to be disposed in registry with the source holder 80 to permit radiation to pass through the mounting strap 92 into the ionization chamber 50 . the control screen 90 is preferably arranged coaxially with the ionization chamber 50 which means that , in the preferred embodiment , it will be eccentric with respect to the reference assembly 60 . the control screen 90 and mounting strap 92 are formed of metal and are electrically connected to the top cover 70 of the reference assembly 60 . the control screen 90 preferably has a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of the top cover 70 and is adapted to just fit within the ionization chamber 50 without contacting the housing 41 . more specifically , the control screen 90 is preferably spaced about two millimeters from the housing 41 at its closest approach thereto . as can be seen in fig5 the height of the control screen 90 is such that when mounted in place , it extends about half way to the top of the ionization chamber 50 and is disposed immediately opposite the lower row of slots 44 in the housing 41 . referring now also to fig8 and 9 of the drawings , the operation of the ionization assembly 40 will now be explained . it will be understood that the associated source of electric power is connected in the circuit across the electrodes formed by the housing 41 and the bottom cover 65 , these electrodes being at opposite polarities as indicated and the potential therebetween establishing an electric field 100 in the ionization chamber 50 . the field 100 is best illustrated by the field lines in fig8 the closeness of the field lines being proportional to the intensity of the electric field . it can be seen that the electric field 100 includes a relatively low - intensity region 101 centrally of the ionization chamber 50 between the end wall 43 of the housing 41 and the top cover 70 , and a relatively high - intensity region 102 between the control screen 90 and the side wall 42 of the housing 41 . the body 85 of the radioactive material emits a cloud 103 of alpha particles , the general shape of which cloud is illustrated in fig8 and is determined by the recessing of the body 85 of radioactive material within the carrier body 81 of the source holder 80 . it will be noted that the cloud 103 of radioactive particles extends only a slight distance above the top of the control screen 90 . within this cloud 103 the radioactive particles contact air molecules and form electrically - charged carriers in the form of positive and negative ions , represented by the plus and minus signs in fig8 . because both positive and negative ions exist within the cloud 103 , this area forms a bipolar region of the ionization chamber 50 . however , because of the electric field 100 within the ionization chamber 50 , the positive ions are attracted to the negative electrode formed by the top cover 70 and the negative ions are attracted to the positive electrode formed by the housing 41 , thus resulting in a unipolar region 104 outside the range of the radioactive particles in which ions of substantially only one polarity are present . it is this movement of ions to the electrodes which creates the ion current within the ionization chamber 50 . in normal operation , when combustion products enter the ionization chamber 50 , ions become attached to the smoke particles , thereby reducing the ion current and when this current has dropped to a predetermined level , an alarm will be sounded . this ion current can also be reduced by recombination of positive and negative ions in the bipolar region of the cloud 103 . it is known that provision of a unipolar region 104 within the ionization chamber 50 improves the sensitivity of the device to combustion products . thus , it would be desirable to enhance the unipolar effects . it has been a problem in prior ionization - type smoke detectors that the airflow through the ionization chamber , indicated by the arrows 105 in fig5 tends to blow ions from the ionization chamber so that they are no longer available for contribution to the ion current . in general , the higher the velocity of the airstream passing through ionization chamber , the greater the number of ions which are blown therefrom . in prior smoke detectors with bipolar ionization chambers , false alarming has occurred at air velocities in the range of about 400 feet per minute . it is an object of the present invention to significantly reduce the number of ions blown out of the ionization chamber 50 , and thereby reduce the sensitivity of the combustion products detector 20 to air velocity , without impairing its sensitivity to smoke . in this regard , it has been found that the use of the control screen 90 in the ionization chamber 50 , particularly where the ionization chamber 50 has a significant unipolar region , has markedly improved the performance of the combustion products detector 20 . referring to fig9 of the drawings , curve 106 is a plot of the voltage of the center electrode ( top plate 70 ) against the velocity of clear air flowing through the ionization chamber 50 when the control screen 90 of the present invention is not used . initially , there is a slight increase in the voltage , with a corresponding increase in chamber current , as the air velocity increases to about 100 feet per minute . as the air velocity increases beyond about 100 feet per minute , the center electrode voltage drops off , and the current of the ionization chamber 50 drops toward the alarm level , reaching that level at an air velocity of approximately 700 feet per minute . curve 107 is a plot of the voltage of the center electrode ( top plate 70 and control screen 90 ) against clear air velocity when the control screen 90 of the present invention is used . it will be noted that the presence of the control screen 90 changes the configuration and impedance of the ionization chamber 50 , resulting in a lowering of the initial operating voltage of the ionization chamber 50 in still air and a corresponding lowering of the alarm level of the ionization chamber 50 . again , as air velocity increases the voltage of the center electrode initially moves away from the alarm level up to an air velocity of about 400 feet per minute . as the air velocity increases beyond that point , the center electrode voltage drops off , with a corresponding drop off in the current of the ionization chamber 50 , toward the alarm level . however , in this case it can be seen that the alarm level has not been reached even at an air velocity of 2 , 000 feet per minute . thus , the conrol screen 90 renders the ionization chamber 50 virtually insensitive to air velocity for all practical purposes . it is an important feature of the present invention that it achieves this significant improvement in immunity to air velocity effects while maintaining the sensitivity of the device to airborne combustion products . thus , the ionization assembly 40 has a sensitivity of 1 . 1 % obscuration per foot when exposed to the products of burning - type combustion , and a sensitivity of 4 . 5 % obscuration per foot when exposed to the products of smoldering - type combustion . as presently understood , the mechanism by which the control screen 90 achieves these results involves the operation of two phenomena . it is believed that the control screen 90 , which is disposed in the path of the airflow through the ionization chamber 50 , serves to decrease the velocity of the air within the ionization chamber 50 . furthermore , it is believed that the high - intensity region 102 of the electric field 100 formed between the control screen 90 and the side wall 42 of the housing 41 serves as an electrostatic barrier to the escape of ions from the ionization chamber 50 in the airstream . effectively , the control screen 90 removes the high - intensity region 102 of the electric field 100 to a narrow band close to the housing side wall 42 which is largely beyond the region where ions are generated by alpha particles from the body 85 of radioactive material . thus , the current flowing to the housing side wall 42 is decreased , and more negative ions flow to the housing top wall 43 . this flow increases the ion density in the low field region 101 of the ionization chamber 50 , and thereby increases the magnitude of the unipolar effects due to this ion density . it is a significant aspect of the present invention that the use of the control screen 90 effects a high field at the outer boundary of the ionization chamber 50 without sacrificing entry of combustion products or neutral particles . while , in the preferred embodiment , the control screen 90 is spaced from the housing side wall 42 by about two millimeters , it will be appreciated that in general , it is desired that this spacing be as small as is permissible by the construction tolerances of the materials involved without risking contact between the control screen 90 and the housing 41 . a voltage of approximately 12 volts is applied across the electrodes formed by the housing 41 and the bottom cover 65 , resulting in an electric field strength of approximately 30 volts per centimeter in the high - intensity region 102 of the electric field 100 , whereas the strength of the field in the low - intensity region 101 is approximately 1 . 5 volts per centimeter . this results in an ion velocity imparted by the electric field 100 of approximately 3 feet per minute in the low - intensity region 101 and approximately 60 feet per minute in the high - intensity region 102 . thus , this velocity caused by the electric field in the high - intensity region 102 effectively prevents ions from being blown out of that region except at very high air velocities . it will be appreciated that the present invention achieves insensitivity to air velocity while maintaining a substantially open ionization chamber 50 , i . e ., without impairing the access of ambient air to the ionization chamber 50 . as a result of this relatively open construction , the present invention is able to maintain a high sensitivity to airborne combustion products . in general , it may be expected that the higher the screen , the greater the reduction it would achieve in air velocity within the ionization chamber 50 . however , it will also tend to provide a greater restriction on entry of combustion products into the ionization chamber 50 . accordingly , the preferred embodiment has a control screen height which is selected as a compromise to achieve adequate insensitivity to velocity without adversely affecting the sensitivity to combustion products . specifically , the height of the control screen 90 is preferably in the range of from about 0 . 6 inch to about 1 inch . from the foregoing , it can be seen that there has been provided an improved ionization chamber for a combustion products detector which achieves virtual insensitivity to airflow velocity through the ionization chamber without significantly impairing the sensitivity of the ionization chamber to airborne products of either burning or smoldering - type combustion .
6
the present invention relates to a process for the reduction of fluorescence in secondary fibers by using ozone . bleaching of the pulp fibers by commercial means is also surprisingly improved by this process . generally , the present invention is based in part upon the discovery that sequences which split the total ozone charge into two or more stages are more efficient than single ozone applications . between the two ozone stages , washing or bleaching can be applied . thus , if z = ozone and w = washing , a sequence of z w z has been found to be better than z or z w when the total ozone consumption is the same . the fibers which can be treated in accordance with the present invention can be any fiber known which can be used , e . g ., slurried , for making sheet material which fibers contain a fluorescent dye . generally , the fiber pulp will be obtained through a paper recycling process wherein used or waste paper is recycled . paper which is fluorescent - whitened , which paper is generally prepared by the internal addition and / or coating of a fluorescent dye , is prevalent in the paper industry . the process of the present invention has particular application in the defluorescence of such paper . the ozone used in the process of the present invention can be readily obtained commercially , or it can be produced on site . ozone is generally produced by electrical discharge from pure oxygen or from purified air . there are many advantageous ozone generation systems which use oxygen as the feeding gas . such systems are highly efficient , of relatively small size and flexible enough to produce ozone according to variable demands . accordingly , the ozone gas used in connection with the practice of the present invention can be easily supplied on site according to mill requirements and plant configurations , if so desired . once the ozone is produced , the ozone can be utilized in gaseous form , e . g ., a mixture of ozone and oxygen , air or other carrier gas , or as a concentrated solution of ozone . when the ozone is used in gaseous form , the ozone gas ( or mixture of ozone and oxygen ) is generally injected into a reactor which contains the pulp to be treated . the reactor can be any suitable container having an inlet and outlet for the ozone and an inlet and outlet for the pulp , preferably with mixing means . for example , a rotary glass reactor wherein mixing is achieved by rotation can be used . the gas injection can go on during a precalculated reaction time such as in a batch process . otherwise , the contacting of the ozone with the pulp can be on a continuous basis with the pulp and ozone constantly being passed through the reactor . in such a continuous process , it must be assured that sufficient contact of the ozone with the pulp is achieved . the ozone gas can be injected under pressure or at almost atmospheric conditions , depending on the type of technology used . for example , at medium consistency ( 10 - 15 % solids , 85 - 90 % water ), the ozone is preferably injected at 6 - 12 bars . at high consistency ( 30 - 40 % solids , 60 - 70 % water ), ozone can be injected at 1 - 2 bars . when a solution of ozone is used , a similar reactor or contactor can be used with appropriate equipment to permit the entry and exit of liquid instead of gas . the duration of the contact will vary depending on the result desired to be achieved , as well as other factors which are all well known to the skilled artisan . for example , the contact time of the ozone stage is dependent on factors such as concentration of ozone in oxygen or air , sample size , charge applied , and consistency . the retention time at medium or high consistency is generally from 1 - 15 minutes . for the purposes of the present invention , the total contact time will generally comprise from 1 to 30 minutes , and more preferably from 1 to 15 minutes . it is preferred that each of the ozone contact stages are of equal duration , although it is not necessary to split the ozone application in half . for example , the amount of ozone used in the first contact can be from 90 to 10 weight % of the total ozone used , with from 10 to 90 weight % ozone being used in the second ozone contact . in a specific embodiment , at least 50 % by weight ozone is used in the first ozone contact step , and then the pulp is washed . the remaining amount of ozone is then used in the second ozone contact step , or a measurement of fluorescence is done to determine if more or less than the remaining amount of ozone is necessary to optimize the result . the total amount of ozone used is generally in the range of from 0 . 2 to 2 . 0 wt % based on the weight of the dry pulp . more preferably , the total amount of ozone used for the defluorescence treatment is in the range of from about 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 wt %, based upon the weight of the dry pulp . the total amount of ozone to be used is preferably divided equally among the two or more stages of ozone treatment that takes place . an intermediate step of washing or bleaching , or actually any treatment with an aqueous solution , can be employed between the stages of ozone contact . such an intermediate step removes undesirable byproducts of oxidation , thereby making the second ozone application more effective by leaving a larger portion of the ozone available to react with the fluorescent dyes . the bleaching step can be run in accordance with any of the conventionally known processes for bleaching pulp . generally , the conventional bleaching chemicals such as sodium hydroxide , silicates and dtpa are added together , optionally with water , in a container to adjust consistency . hydrogen peroxide or some other conventional bleaching chemical can then be added as the last chemical to the bleaching liquor . the pulp to be treated is generally contained in a suitable contained area , such as a conventional bleaching tower . the bleaching liquor is then added to the pulp , with mixing of the pulp in contact with the bleaching liquor then taking place . in a specific embodiment , the bleaching stage can be also followed with a washing stage prior to the second ozone application . thus , a sequence such as z x w z is contemplated , where z is an ozone treatment , x is a bleaching stage and w is a water or aqueous solution stage . in general , any conventional bleaching conditions can be used . as an example of such conditions , the hydrogen peroxide charge is generally in the range of from about 0 . 3 to 5 wt %, based on the weight of oven dried pulp . if sodium hydroxide is used , the charge is generally in the range from about 0 . 3 to 3 . 0 wt % based upon the weight of the oven dried pulp . if silicates are used , the charge is in the range of from about 2 . 0 to 3 . 0 wt % based upon the weight of the oven dried pulp . if dtpa is used , the charge is generally in the range of from about 0 . 2 to 0 . 3 wt % based upon the weight of the oven dried pulp . the temperature of the mixture of pulp and bleaching liquor is generally maintained in the range of from about 60 ° to 70 ° c ., with the bleaching reaction time ranging from about 60 to 180 minutes . in a preferred embodiment , fluorescent dye containing paper is recycled by first pulping ( fibrillating ) and deinking the paper . the resulting pulp can then be treated with sufficient ozone in two or more separate treatments to reduce the fluorescent dye content of the pulp . the pulp can then be used to produce paper products with very low fluorescence index or non - fluorescent paper products . one example is food board . as the process of the present invention permits one to reduce the fluorescence in a most effective and efficient manner , the process makes the commercial use of recycled fibers in food board more attractive and possible . the present process has also been found to provide improved brightness , as an added benefit . the use of ozone also has the benefit of disinfecting and deodorizing the recycled paper , thereby permitting one to obtain a clean , reclaimed paper . the invention will be illustrated in greater detail by the following specific examples . it is understood that these examples are given by way of illustration and are not meant to limit the disclosure of the claims to follow . all percentages in the examples , and elsewhere in the specification , are by weight ( of oven dried pulp ) unless otherwise specified . the following example demonstrates comparatively how the process of the present invention provides improved fluorescence , as well as brightness , as compared to the use of a single stage ozone treatment . several pulp samples were used for this experiment . all of the furnishes were composed of post consumer waste paper with low ( less than 5 %) mechanical pulp content and high initial fluorescence index . ozone treatments were carried out at ambient temperature and high consistency . water was extracted from the pulp in order to reach 37 - 43 % consistency . the pulp was then fluffed in a laboratory fluffer and placed in a rotary evaporator to which ozone gas was injected . ozone gas was produced in a 7 g / hr ozone generator . the concentration of ozone produced and the quantity of ozone not consumed by the reaction were measured by iodometric titration . pulp was removed from the ozone reactor with distilled water . the pulp was washed with filtered tap water and thickened to medium consistency . next , the sample was diluted to low consistency with distilled water and mixed . finally , the pulp was brought to high consistency by centrifugation and fluffed . handsheets were produced according to tappi procedures . filtered tap water was used . iso brightness and fluorescence index were measured using an elrepho spectrophotometer . the fluorescence routine allows the brightness of a sample to be measured both with and without the optical brighteners in the sample being excited . first a normal brightness reading is taken while the sample is being illuminated with full spectrum light including ultraviolet energy . if optical brighteners were present in the sheet , they would be excited by the ultraviolet energy and this component of fluorescence will add to the intrinsic brightness of the sheet . after this measurement was taken , the ultraviolet cutoff filters were inserted into the light beams . since the ultraviolet light was excluded from this reading , the fluorescent brighteners were not excited . the difference between these two readings was referred to as the &# 34 ; fluorescent component of brightness &# 34 ; or simply &# 34 ; fluorescence &# 34 ;. if the sample contained no optical brighteners , the fluorescence should be very close to zero . the results of the experimental runs are set forth in table 1 below : table 1______________________________________ fluorescence index iso brightnesssequence pulp a pulp b pulp c pulp a pulp b pulp c______________________________________original 2 . 78 2 . 99 1 . 92 85 . 9 78 . 9 70 . 7z 0 . 31 0 . 61 0 . 85 87 . 5 84 . 6 78 . 7z w z 0 . 17 0 . 41 0 . 54 88 . 1 86 . 0 81 . 6______________________________________ note : total ozone consumption for both z and z w z = 1 . 0 % fig1 of the drawing graphically depicts the results of measured fluorescence and iso brightness for the single ozone application and the split zone charge in two stages in accordance with the present invention . fig2 graphically depicts similar results for pulp b , while fig3 graphically depicts the results for pulp c . example 1 was repeated except that the washing stage was replaced by a bleaching stage followed by dewatering ( to high consistency ) and consequent removal of undesirable byproducts of the reaction . runs using both hydrogen peroxide ( p ) and hypochlorite ( h ) as the bleaching chemical were made . the results are shown below in table 2 . table 2______________________________________sequence fluorescence iso brightness______________________________________original 1 . 03 61 . 5z p 0 . 85 74 . 2z p z 0 . 59 77 . 0z h 0 . 85 78 . 5z h z 0 . 70 80 . 0______________________________________ notes : total ozone consumption for both z and z × z = 0 . 6 % charge of hydrogen peroxide ( p ) = 0 . 3 % charge of sodium hypochlorite ( h ) = 0 . 5 % from the foregoing , it can be seen that the split addition of the present invention provides a superior result . in other words , when x = any bleaching chemical , z x z was found to be better than z x for the same total ozone consumption . the procedure of example 2 was again followed , with the split addition being compared to several sequences using different bleaching chemicals . runs using hydrogen peroxide ( p ), hypochlorite ( h ), sodium hydrosulfite ( y ) and formamidine sulphinic acid ( fas ) were made . the results are shown in table 3 below . the results are graphically depicted in fig4 - 7 of the drawings . table 3______________________________________ iso total % o . sub . 3 fluorescence bright - con - sequence index ness sumption______________________________________original 2 . 26 73 . 5 -- z p 0 . 86 85 . 5 1 . 00z p z * 0 . 56 85 . 9 1 . 01z y 0 . 79 84 . 1 1 . 00z y z * 0 . 34 85 . 2 1 . 02z fas 0 . 72 83 . 2 1 . 00z fas z * 0 . 34 85 . 3 1 . 03z h 0 . 53 84 . 9 1 . 00z h z * 0 . 32 85 . 7 1 . 02______________________________________ notes : all values shown are before reversion . brightness and fluorescence index were measured with technidyne &# 39 ; s technibrite micro tblc spectrophotometer . * = split addition notice that total ozone charge is the same in all cases . while the invention has been described with preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that variations and modifications may be resorted to as will be apparent to those skilled in the art . such variations and modifications are to be considered within the purview and the scope of the claims appended hereto .
3
please refer to fig2 , which shows an embodiment of the present invention by a schematic circuit diagram . the present invention employs a buck converter 30 to replace the linear voltage converter 10 in the prior art . the buck converter 30 has better power utilization efficiency and is less likely to cause heat dissipation issue . in addition , the buck converter 30 is operated under temperature compensation control so that the circuit temperature is even better controlled . more specifically , the power system of the present invention includes two power supply paths . the first power supply path is connected between an external power source and an output voltage node vout which supplies an output to a load 2 , the first power supply path being controlled by the buck converter 30 . the second power supply path is connected between the output voltage node vout and a battery batt . the buck converter 30 is controlled by a temperature compensation control circuit 40 , wherein the temperature compensation control circuit 40 includes a temperature sensor circuit 41 and an output voltage upper and lower limit setting circuit 42 . the temperature sensor circuit 41 senses the circuit temperature . when the circuit temperature is too high , the output voltage vout is adjusted to reduce the circuit temperature . the output voltage upper and lower limit setting circuit 42 sets an upper limit vh and a lower limit vl of the output voltage vout . referring to fig3 , the function achieved by the temperature sensor circuit 41 and the output voltage upper and lower limit setting circuit 42 is thus . when a sensed temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature t , the output voltage is allowed to reach the upper limit vh , such that the load 2 and the battery batt can obtain a maximum level of power . when the sensed temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature , the maximum level of the output voltage vout decreases gradually to reduce the circuit temperature . yet , when the sensed temperature is much higher than the predetermined temperature t , the output voltage vout is still not lower than the lower limit vl , such that the load 2 can obtain the basic power that it requires . in addition , in this embodiment , an additional over current protection circuit 50 may be optionally provided . the over current protection circuit 50 is used for controlling current through the first power supply path , such that the current does not exceed a predetermined safety range . fig4 shows a specific embodiment of the temperature compensation control circuit 40 . the temperature sensor circuit 41 includes an operational amplifier 411 and a transistor 412 , wherein the operational amplifier 411 has an output controlling a gate of the transistor 412 . the operational amplifier 411 compares a signal representing a sensed temperature with a signal representing a predetermined temperature t , and controls the conduction of the transistor 412 to determine a current i 1 according to the comparison result . the output voltage upper and lower limit setting circuit 42 includes a current source 12 , a resistor r 1 and a comparator 421 , wherein the product of the current i 2 and the resistance r 1 is equal to the upper limit vh of the output voltage . when the sensed temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature t , the operational amplifier 411 controls the transistor 412 and turns it off ; hence , i 1 is zero . therefore , the voltage at the node v 1 is equal to i 2 × r 1 ( i . e ., vh is equal to i 2 × r 1 ). when the sensed temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature t , the conduction of the transistor 412 increases in accordance with the increase of the temperature difference . in this case , the voltage at the node v 1 is equal to ( i 2 − i 1 )× r 1 . the comparator 421 selects a highest one from its three positive inputs , i . e ., the battery voltage vbatt , the lower limit vl , and the node voltage v 1 , and compares it with the output voltage vout . when the comparison result shows that the negative input ( output voltage vout ) is lower , a high level signal pon is generated . when the over current protection circuit 50 is provided and the temperature compensation control circuit 40 is embodied by the one shown in fig4 , the circuit can supply power to the load in the following way , for example : first , when an over current protection is not triggered , and when the sensed temperature is much lower than the predetermined temperature t , the output voltage vout can be set to the upper limit vh . when the sensed temperature exceeds but is still close to the predetermined temperature t , the maximum level of the output voltage vout decreases , such that the voltage difference between the output voltage vout and the battery batt decreases . hence , power dissipation by the power transistor p 1 decreases , so that the circuit temperature decreases and eventually balances at the predetermined temperature t . when the sensed temperature is far higher than the predetermined temperature t , if the battery voltage vbatt is higher than the lower limit vl , the maximum level of the output voltage vout is vbatt , such that the voltage difference of the output voltage vout and the battery voltage vbatt is zero ; hence , the power dissipation by the power transistor p 1 is zero . yet , if the battery voltage vbatt is lower than the lower limit vl , the output voltage vout is maintained at the lower limit vl , such that the load 2 can obtain basic power that it requires . second , when the total current flowing to the load 2 and for charging the battery batt is too large that the over current protection circuit 42 is triggered , because the product of the input current and input voltage of the buck converter 30 is almost equal to the product of its output current and output voltage , when the input current is limited and the output current increases , the output voltage vout naturally decreases , such that the power transistor p 1 enters its saturation region , and the current charging the battery batt decreases accordingly . if the current required by the load 2 is more than the over current protection setting , the circuit will stop charging the battery batt ; instead , the external power source and the battery batt will both supply current to the load 2 . when the over current protection circuit 50 is not provided , the output signal pon of the temperature compensation control circuit 40 can solely determine the switching time of a power switch in the buck converter 30 . if the over current protection circuit 50 is provided , as an example , the circuit may be embodied as shown in fig5 . the buck converter 30 includes upper and lower gate power switches 301 and 302 , and an inductor 303 . by operation of the upper and lower gate power switches 301 and 302 , an input voltage vin at the left side is converted to an output voltage vout at the right side . each of the upper and lower gate power switches 301 and 302 can be a pmos transistor or an nmos transistor . depending on the type of the transistor , the gate control signal thereof may need to be inverted . a logic circuit 304 performs a logic operation on the output signal pon from the temperature compensation control circuit 40 and the output signal oc from the over current protection circuit 50 ; the result is used to drive the power switch 301 via a driver gate 305 . assuming that the upper gate power switch 301 is a pmos transistor , when the output signal oc is low , indicating that the over current status does not occur , the signal pon determines the on - time of the power switch 301 ( since the power switch 301 is a pmos transistor , the logic circuit 304 outputs the signal pon in inverted form ). when the output signal oc is high , indicating that the over current status occurs , the logic circuit 304 outputs a high level signal , and the power switch 301 is turned off . the over current protection circuit 50 can be embodied in many forms . fig6 shows one example thereof , wherein a voltage difference across the resistor r 2 is used to indicate a current flowing through the resistor r 2 . by comparing the voltage difference with a predetermined reference voltage vref , it can be determined whether an over current status has occurred . fig7 shows another example of the over current protection circuit 50 , wherein it senses a current flowing through the first power supply path , and causes the current to flow through a resistor r 3 . similarly , whether an over current status has occurred can be determined by comparing the voltage across the resistor r 3 with the reference voltage vref . the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof . it should be understood that the description is for illustrative purpose , not for limiting the scope of the present invention . those skilled in this art can readily conceive variations and modifications within the spirit of the present invention . for example , the power switch 302 can be replaced by a diode . as another example , an additional circuit device which does not substantially affect the primary function of the circuit can be interposed between two devices shown to be in direct connection in the embodiments of the present invention . as yet another example , in the embodiment shown in fig4 , it is not necessarily required to compare all signals in one comparator 421 ; instead , the signals can be compared two by two , and the results are consolidated by logic operation , or the like . in view of the foregoing , the spirit of the present invention should cover all such and other modifications and variations , which should be interpreted to fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents .
7
fig1 illustrates an eem 10 , exemplary of an embodiment of the present invention . eem 10 includes an objective lens 26 , a drift chamber 28 , a dynamic projector lens 12 , and an electron detector 34 . an optional deflector / stigmator unit 32 also forms part of eem 10 . eem 10 may be used to image an object 16 or a portion thereof using pulsed electrons emitted from object 16 . beam 38 may be a beam of electromagnetic waves , such as uv light or x - rays , or charged particles , such as electrons . a radiation source ( not shown ) may form part of eem 10 to excite object 16 to emit electrons by generating radiation beam 38 . drift chamber 28 may have an axial length between 20 and 100 cm . an example detector 34 may include a multi - channel - plate ( mcp ) and a digital sampling oscilloscope to image object 16 . lens 12 is positioned at a distance from object 16 to focus electrons emitted from object 16 in a target plane 18 along an optical axis 20 to form an image 22 of object 16 . an electrode 14 controls the electrical potential at lens 12 , and thereby the electric field along optical axis 20 between drift chamber 28 and lens 12 . the voltage on electrode 14 may be supplied by a signal generator and thus varied in time and synchronized with an input signal . electrode 14 may take various shapes and be placed at various locations along optical axis 20 . in eem 10 , exemplary projector lens 12 is a weak focusing electrostatic lens and electrode 14 is incorporated in projector lens 12 : electrode 14 of projector lens 12 is biased by a signal generator for controlling the electrical potential at lens 12 . electrical potential at lens 12 can also be varied in various other manners known to a person skilled in the art . viewed another way , the potential at electrode 14 varies the focal length of lens 12 , and allows the focal length of lens 12 to vary in time so as to compensate for the spread in kinetic energies of the emitted electrons focused by lens 12 . electrode 14 varies potential at lens 12 , and thereby the field along axis 20 , compensating for the chromatic aberration effect in manners exemplary of the present invention , as described herein . specifically , the kinetic energy of an emitted electron arriving at lens 12 depends on both its initial kinetic energy at object 16 and the electrical potential at lens 12 at the time of arrival . electrons within a pulse of electrons emitted from object 16 will arrive at lens 12 at different times if they have different initial kinetic energies . that is , the electrons will be spatially separated as a result of their travel along optical axis 20 . thus , when the potential at lens 12 varies as emitted electrons arrive , the kinetic energies of the emitted electrons passing lens 12 are modulated by the variance of the potential and will vary depending on their arrival time at lens 12 . with a beam of pulsed electrons emitted from object 16 , the potential at lens 12 can be controlled to vary in time to reduce the kinetic energy dispersion of electrons passing through lens 12 . as the energy dispersion in the electrons at the lens is reduced , chromatic aberration can be reduced . again , viewed another way , the focal length of lens 12 varies in dependence on the potential at electrode 14 . change in focal length of lens 12 with time cause electrons with different arrival energies to be focused in the same plane . the potential change required at lens 12 can be estimated as follows . assuming an infinitely short pulse width , and denoting the spread in initial kinetic energy as δe i , the spread in arrival time at projector lens 12 as δt , the required change in potential , δv ( t ), within time δt for eliminating any energy spread at lens 12 is , in theory , beside the spread in initial kinetic energy , there are two additional factors that affect the spread in arrival time at lens 12 : the speeds at which the pulsed electrons travel and the traveling distance between object 16 and lens 12 clearly lower speeds and longer distance will result in a larger spread in arrival time . in order to sufficiently spatially separate electrons of different initial energies in a pulse of emitted electrons , the pulsed electrons are allowed to travel a sufficient distance before they reach lens 12 . drift chamber 28 may therefore be provided . drift chamber 28 electrically shields pulsed electrons passing through it from external electrical and magnetic fields . drift chamber 28 may be biased to a low potential so that pulsed electrons entering it will have low kinetic energies and travel at low speeds within it . further , the kinetic energies of the pulsed electrons may be kept low before they reach lens 12 so that they travel at low speeds . optionally , projector lens 12 of eem 10 may be replaced with a magnetic projector lens 12 ′ as in eem 10 ′ depicted in fig2 . in the case of a magnetic lens , an electrically biased grid , acting as an electrode 14 , may be placed between the pole - pieces of the magnetic lens to vary the potential at lens 12 ′. an additional objective lens 26 ( fig1 and 2 ) forms part of eem 10 and 10 ′ and is designed to work with a time of flight spectrometer , but may be designed to also work with other types of imaging energy filters , such as a wien filter or an omega filter . the optical magnification of objective lens 26 may be as high as 500 to 10 , 000 . objective lens 26 may have a focal length ranging from 20 to 200 μm . objective lens 26 may use mixed electric and magnetic fields to extract and guide electrons emitted from object 16 . an exemplary embodiment of objective lens 26 is more particularly illustrated in fig3 . as illustrated , objective lens 26 may have a tapered tip 40 which has a small opening 42 . the diameter of opening 42 of tapered tip 40 may be made small so that both axial magnetic and electric fields fall off sharply at opening 42 . for example , diameters between 50 to 200 μm may be used . a smaller opening 42 results in smaller chromatic and spherical on - axis aberration coefficients . magnetic fields are generated by electromagnet 44 placed below object 16 . electromagnet 44 comprises an iron casing 46 enclosing a coil 48 . casing 46 has a central opening 50 in its top plate for producing magnetic fields in the area around opening 42 of objective lens 26 . object 16 may also be placed in opening 42 of the top plate . of course , other types of objective lenses , such as those used in conventional eems may also be used . for example , objective lens 26 may be replaced with an electrostatic objective lens . in operation , a radiation source radiates object 16 placed close to objective lens 26 with radiation beam 38 , as illustrated in fig1 and 2 . to generate pulsed emission electrons , radiation beam 38 may be pulsed . pulses of electrons that have short width and are well separated are preferable because of easy separation of the electrons . calculations show that beams with pulse width around one nanosecond for overall transit time of over 100 ns , will produce good results . in general , the width of the pulse at the specimen should be limited to be a small fraction of the total transit time . of course , as can be appreciated , practical pulse width and repetition time are limited by many factors including the time resolution of various elements and control components of the microscope and efficiency considerations . for example , a pulse width of about 10 ns may be appropriate for longer overall transit times . alternatively , radiation beam 38 may be continuous or have a wide pulse width , in which case , object 16 may be driven by nanosecond - wide low voltage pulses at a desired repetition rate which effectively block emission of electrons . pulsed electrons emitted from object 16 may include secondary electrons , photoelectrons or other types of electrons , depending on the characteristics of radiation beam 38 and object 16 . object 16 may be received in proximity to optional objective lens 26 . lens 26 may be electrically biased relative to object 16 . pulsed electrons emitted from object 16 are thus extracted and accelerated by objective lens 26 towards detector 34 . a low potential difference between object 16 and object lens 26 may be advantageous to keep the kinetic energies of the pulsed electrons low . thus , for example , object 16 may be biased to a voltage ranging from − 100 to − 20 volts , while the electrodes of objective lens 26 are grounded . where the potential difference between object 16 and objective lens 26 is low , it may be advantageous to use an objective lens 26 as illustrated in fig3 . to operate such an objective lens 26 , an electrical current is run through coil 48 to energize electromagnet 44 and thus generate the desired magnetic fields in objective lens 26 . the magnetic flux flows around within iron casing 46 and through opening 50 to tapered tip 40 . advantageously , the magnetic fields help collimate the emitted electrons , reducing the dependence of their subsequent transit times less on their initial angle of emission . conveniently , a mixed field objective lens may give significantly lower on - axis chromatic and spherical aberrations in the final image than a purely electrostatic or purely magnetic field objective lens . after exiting objective lens 26 , pulsed electrons that are not blocked by deflector / stigmator unit 32 enter drift chamber 28 . drift chamber 28 may also be electrically biased with reference to object 16 so that there is a low potential difference between drift chamber 28 and object 16 , which can be , for example between 10 and 100 v . since the potential difference between object 16 and drift chamber 28 is low , pulsed electrons entering drift chamber 28 will have low kinetic energies . consequently , pulsed electrons travel at low speeds within drift chamber 28 . because the pulses are well separated from each other and electrons having different kinetic energies travel at different speeds , a pulse of pulsed electrons drifting in drift chamber 28 gradually become spatially separated along optical axis 20 . faster electrons will exit drift chamber 28 earlier and slower electrons will exit later . workable time separation for a single pulse can vary from several to tens of nanoseconds in a typical configuration . after exiting drift chamber 28 , pulsed electrons will gain or lose kinetic energy depending on the electric field along optical axis 20 , as influenced by the electrical potential difference between drift chamber 28 and projector lens 12 ( or 12 ′). if drift chamber 28 has a higher potential than that at lens 12 ( or 12 ′), pulsed electrons will lose kinetic energy . if drift chamber 28 has a lower potential , pulsed electrons will gain kinetic energy . the larger the difference , the larger the change in kinetic energy . in any event , electrons eventually arrive at projector lens 12 ( or 12 ′). electrode 14 modulates potential at lens 12 ( or 12 ′) by several volts within a few nanoseconds using existing technology . as the voltage changes over time , the arriving pulsed electrons will gain or lose energy differently depending on when they reach projector lens 12 or 12 ′, effectively varying the focal length of projector lens 12 . for example , if the potential at lens 12 ( or 12 ′) is higher than at drift chamber 28 and increases over time , those pulsed electrons reaching projector lens 12 ( or 12 ′) earlier will gain less kinetic energies than those reaching there later . as those that arrive earlier have higher initial kinetic energies , the spread in kinetic energy is reduced . thus , it is possible to modulate the voltage on the electrodes of lens 12 , to compensate for the spread in kinetic energies of the pulsed electrons at projector lens 12 so that the effect of chromatic aberration in the formed image of object 16 can be reduced . for example , the signal generator of electrode 14 can be synchronized with the radiation pulse 38 . each radiation pulse 38 triggers a cycle of voltage change on electrode 14 . in each cycle , the voltage may be varied to minimize the energy spread in the electrons of a pulse traveling through projector lens 12 as will be appreciated , drift chamber 28 may not be necessary if pulsed electrons travel through sufficiently long distance , e . g . in a number of optical components ( not all shown ), before reaching projective lens 12 so that there is a sufficient separation in arrival time at projective lens 12 . to illustrate , the results of an example calculation is described below for the following conditions : the initial energies of the pulsed electrons are from 0 to 5 ev , object 16 is biased to − 100 v , objective lens 26 and projective lens 12 are grounded , drift chamber 28 is biased to − 75 v , the distance between object 16 and projective lens 12 is 12 cm . calculations show that the spread in electron arrival time at lens 12 is approximately 6 . 28 ns . recalling equation ( 2 ), the potential at projector lens 12 , or , the voltage on the electrodes of lens 12 ( or 12 ′), need to increase by 5 v within 6 . 28 ns in order to minimize energy spread at projector lens 12 ( or 12 ′). many available fast signal generators can be used for generating this kind of voltage change . since the arrival time at lens 12 ( or 12 ′) is not linearly dependent on kinetic energy ( rather it is linearly dependent on velocity ) and since the kinetic energy of an emitted electron varies during its flight to lens 12 ( or 12 ′), the required change in potential at lens 12 ( or 12 ′) for obtaining minimum spread in kinetic energy is not linear with time , as shown in fig3 , where the dotted line shows the linear change in time and the solid lines shows the required change in time . the focused pulsed electrons leaving projector lens 12 are detected by detector 34 for forming an image of object 16 . detector 34 may have a relatively fast response time , e . g ., in the sub - nanosecond range , so that the arrival time of pulsed electrons can be recorded accurately . coarse focusing can be achieved by moving detector 34 along optical axis 20 . fine focusing can be achieved through varying the magnitude of electrical potential at projector lens 12 . conveniently , as electrons in the emitted beam have been accelerated differently before reaching lens 12 ( or 12 ′) depending on their initial kinetic energies , the kinetic energies of electrons reaching lens 12 are more uniform , resulting in reduced chromatic aberration . calculations show that eem 10 can have image resolution in the nanometer range , more than an order of magnitude improvement over the image resolution attainable by conventional peem systems . by dynamically varying the potential on electrode 14 , the energy spread at lens 12 or 12 ′ is significantly reduced , this means that electrons with differing initial energies are focussed on to approximately the same image plane , significantly reducing the effect of chromatic aberration of the whole system . advantageously , the degree of contrast as compared to conventional x - ray absorption can be enhanced using eem 10 , since the entire spectrum of the photoelectron signal ( from zero to several hundred electron - volts ) can be directly monitored . in conventional peem systems , only the first few electron volts of the photoelectron energy spectrum is usually used to form the image . as should now be appreciated , it is possible to minimize the spread in kinetic energy in different ways . particularly , the potential at lens 12 or 12 ′ may be controlled in different ways . for example , an electrically biased tube or plate , remote from lens 12 ( or 12 ′) and along the path of the pulsed electrons , either at , or upstream or downstream from , lens 12 ( or 12 ′) may also be used to dynamically vary the focal strength of lens 12 ( or 12 ′), thus keeping the focal plane constant at the image plane . similarly , in some situations it may be possible to dynamically modulate the potential at the final projector lens by changing a voltage on detector 34 . conveniently , modulating the potential of an electrode at or close to lens 12 can be advantageous for reasons such as compactness and ease of use . in alternative embodiments , the bias voltage on drift chamber 28 can also be varied in order to examine a particular part of the emission spectrum in more detail . for instance , to examine the energy spectrum at around 200 ev , the drift chamber voltage can be biased to around 200 volts lower than that of the object 16 . this means that all electrons having initial energies below 200 ev would be filtered ( not entering drift chamber 28 ), while those having energies just above 200 ev will travel slowly through drift chamber 28 and have substantial spread in transit time . therefore , their energy spectra can be analysed in more detail by a time of flight spectrometer . in addition , eem 10 can be used to energy filter emitted photoelectrons from object 16 by selectively detecting them in time at the image plane . the detection system can operate by capturing information within a small time window that can be preset to any point in the detection cycle . since in the time of flight spectrometer , the detection time directly corresponds to the initial energy of the electrons , time - windowing therefore effectively energy filters the captured image . as can be understood , eems 10 or 10 ′ may have alternative and additional components for proper or desired operation , which are readily appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art . for instance , alternative objective or projector lenses may be used . one or more projector lenses may also be added between objective lens 26 and drift chamber 28 , between drift chamber 28 and projector lens 12 , or downstream of projector lens 26 . further , where multiple lenses are used , the potentials at more than one lens may be dynamically controlled to reduce the overall chromatic aberration effect . certain components of eem 10 or 10 ′ may also be removed . for instance , in an imaging apparatus similar to eem 10 or 10 ′ detector 34 may be removed and the focused emitted electrons may be bombarded on to a target so as to engrave an image of object 16 on the target . other features , benefits and advantages of the present invention not expressly mentioned above can be understood from this description and the accompanying drawings by those skilled in the art . although only a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described above , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible . the invention , rather , is intended to encompass all such modification within its scope , as defined by the claims .
7
although described with particular reference to a device that monitors an electrical meter , the state response and detection device ( sradd ) and method of the disclosed embodiment can be implemented in any system in which remote error diagnosis is desirable . fig1 illustrates an exemplary electrical meter in which the system according to the present invention is implemented . those with skill in the electrical arts will recognize that the disclosed embodiments have relevance to a wide variety of devices and situations in addition to those described below . in addition , the sradd of the present invention can be implemented in software , hardware , or a combination of software and hardware . the hardware portion can be implemented using specialized logic ; the software portion can be stored in a memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system such as a microprocessor . in the context of this document , a “ memory ” or “ recording medium ” can be any means that contains , stores , communicates , propagates , or transports the program and / or data for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system , apparatus or device . memory and recording medium can be , but are not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared of semiconductor system , apparatus or device . memory an recording medium also includes , but is not limited to , for example the following : a portable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), and a portable compact disk read - only memory or another suitable medium upon which a program and / or data may be stored . [ 0014 ] fig1 is a block diagram of a system 100 that includes an electrical meter 101 and an exemplary sradd 103 . sradd 103 can either be incorporated into or affixed to the electrical meter 101 . it should be noted that sradd 103 can be added to an existing meter and isolated from high voltage ( meters typically operate at a much higher voltage than phone systems ) by use of a relay or an induction type of device . sradd 103 doesn &# 39 ; t have to be directly attached to the meter . although since the meter is typically the transition point for service company responsibility , sradd 103 should be as close as possible to the meter if not attached . electrical meter 101 is typically attached to a home , business or other structure ( not shown ) and meters the electrical usage of the structure . electrical meters and their usage should be familiar to those with skill in the electrical arts . sradd 103 is coupled to a standard telephone system , or plain old telephone system ( pots ) 105 , via a telephone line 107 . in alternative embodiments of the invention , the sradd 103 is coupled to the internet via a network connection or communicatively coupled to a control center ( not shown ) via any other type of connection , e . g . a dedicated line or wireless connection . the precise mechanics of the communication between the sradd 103 and a control center or other user who employs sradd 103 to monitor the electrical meter 101 is not critical to the spirit of the invention . in addition , electrical meter 101 is only an example of the type of service or device that can be attached to sradd 103 to provide remote trouble detection and diagnostic capabilities . sradd 103 can also be employed to monitor and diagnose other types of devices such as , but not limited to , a water meter , a gas line , a network connection , a cable television box , an appliance , and a chemical level such as in a swimming pool . among other things , the claimed subject matter is applicable for monitoring any device or measurement that can be expressed by means of a boolean good / bad indicator . [ 0017 ] fig2 is block diagram of sradd 103 of fig1 in more detail . sradd 103 includes a communication , or pots , interface 203 for transmitting and receiving tones via pots 105 and connection 107 ( fig1 ). pots interface 203 monitors connection 107 and in effect looks like an extension phone attached to connection 107 . when connection 107 is an open line ( i . e . there is a call in progress ), any signal tones received on the open line are transmitted from pots interface 203 to a tone detection unit 205 . when a customer calls to report a service outage , a specific tone or tones are sent by service personnel or , in the alternative , from an automated monitoring system to signal sradd 103 that the transmitting service personnel or monitoring system requests a status check of electrical meter 101 . if tone detection unit 205 determines the received tones match a predetermined sequence of tones , then a signal is transmitted to a logic unit 209 indicating a tone pattern match has occurred . connection 107 can be a dedicated or non - dedicated connection . in the case of a non - dedicated connection , logic in pots interface 203 determines whether or not a received signal corresponds to an attempt to connect to sradd 103 . a voltage detection unit 201 is coupled to electrical meter 101 ( fig1 ) and measures a voltage level at an appropriate point in electrical meter 101 . in this example , the voltage level detected by voltage detection unit 201 corresponds to whether or not electrical meter 101 is receiving power from a connected power line ( not shown ). for example , if power is interrupted between a utility company and electrical meter 101 , then the voltage level is zero ( 0 ) volts . conversely , if service is restored and electric meter 101 is receiving power , the power level is one hundred ten ( 110 ) volts . as mentioned above , electrical meter &# 39 ; s 101 actual voltage is lowered by a relay or induction device ( not shown ) so that sradd 103 and voltage detection unit 201 process a low voltage signal , typically + 5 volts . voltage detection unit 201 transmits the voltage level information to logic unit 209 . in an alternative embodiment , multiple voltage levels are detected , monitored and reported . logic unit 209 , after receiving tone information from tone detection unit 205 and voltage level information from voltage detection unit 201 , determines an appropriate response to send the service personnel or automated system that initiated the inquiry . logic unit 209 signals a tone generation unit 207 , which transmits one or more tones , corresponding to the detected state of electrical meter 101 , to the service personnel or automated system via pots interface 203 , communication link 107 and pots 105 . as mentioned above , pots 105 and communication link 107 may be another type of communication link such as , but not limited to , a network connection or a system of wireless transmitters and receivers . a battery 211 provides power for sradd 103 and its components and is available to supply a reference voltage to voltage detection unit 201 , if necessary . in an alternative embodiment , logic unit 209 initiates a signal to tone generation unit 207 and call to service personnel through pots interface 203 whenever voltage detection unit 201 detects that a power interruption has occurred . in other words , sradd 103 can be configured to signal a problem on its own initiative rather than waiting for a query from service personnel or automated system . [ 0022 ] fig3 is a flow chart 300 showing an embodiment of the caimed subject matter from the perspective of the users of the system 100 ( fig1 ). processing begins in a “ begin call ” step 401 in which sradd 103 is attached to connection 107 ( fig1 and 2 ). process 300 then proceeds to a “ call service ” step 303 in which a consumer calls a service company to report a service outage and request service . at this point , sradd 103 detects that connection 107 is “ off - hook ” ( i . e . a user is making a call ). processing executed by sradd 103 is explained in conjunction with fig4 and 5 below . once the user has established a connection to service personnel via connection 107 , control then proceeds to a “ state needed ?” step 305 in which the service personnel determines whether or not to request the status or state of the customer &# 39 ; s meter 101 via sradd 103 . if the service personnel does not need the status or state , then control proceeds to a “ service call ” step 311 in which the service personnel performs the necessary actions to address the customer &# 39 ; s problems . if in step 305 the service personnel determines that information relating to the state or status of the customer &# 39 ; s meter 101 would help diagnose and address the customer &# 39 ; s problem , then control proceeds to a “ transmit tones ” step 307 in which the service personnel transmits , via connection 107 , one or more , predetermined tones . as explained below in conjunction with fig3 sradd 103 receives the tones and begins processing the request for information . it should be noted that the term “ tones ” is meant to imply touch tones commonly associated with telephone networks . although the description employs touch tones as an example , those with skill in the telephony and computing arts should recognize that there are many ways for signals to be transmitted via a connection , regardless of whether the connection is a network connection , telephone line or any other type of medium . the signaling examples described herein are not meant to limit the particular signaling techniques employed to touch tones . once the service personnel has transmitted tones in ste 307 , control proceeds to an “ await response ” step 309 in which the service personnel gives sradd 103 time to perform a status check and reply with one or more tones corresponding to the state of electrical meter 101 . once the service personnel has received a reply , control proceeds to service call step 311 in which the service personnel performs the necessary actions to address the customer &# 39 ; s problems , based upon the information transmitted from sradd 103 . from step 311 , control then proceeds to a “ complete call ” step 313 in which the service call is complete . [ 0026 ] fig4 is a flow chart 400 illustrating the processing of sradd 103 of fig1 and 2 . processing begins in a “ begin processing ” step 401 in which the sradd 103 is first initialized or powered on . at this point , the electrical meter 101 can be queried as to its operating state by a remote user via the connection 107 and pots 105 ( fig1 and 2 ). control then proceeds to a “ receive tones ” step 403 in which tone detection device 205 ( fig2 ) detects any signal tones arriving through pots interface 203 . as mentioned above , in the case of a non - dedicated connection 107 , pots interface 203 is responsible for determining the existence of a connection request and , if so , establishing that connection . once a series of tones are received , control proceeds to a “ pattern match ?” step 405 in which the tone detection device 205 determines whether the receive tones match a predetermined pattern , indicating that a remote query request has been received by the sradd 103 . if in step 405 tone detection unit 205 determines a match has occurred , then control proceeds to a “ check voltage ” step 407 in which logic unit 209 requests a voltage reading from voltage detection unit 201 . in an alternative embodiment , voltage detection unit continuously monitors the relevant voltage of the electrical meter 101 and makes the information available to logic unit 209 . in that case , logic unit 209 simply reads a voltage level from voltage detection unit 201 rather than requesting and then reading a voltage level . control then proceeds to a “ generate response ” step 409 in which control unit 209 signals tone generation unit 207 to generate a response signal corresponding to the voltage state read in step 407 . it should be noted that the generated response can also include information in addition to a voltage level , including , but not limited to , a service address and / or information on corresponding to the particular meter 101 . if in step 405 tone detection unit 205 determines the predetermined tone pattern has not been matched , then control returns to receive tones step 403 and sradd 103 and tone detection unit 205 continues to monitor pots interface 203 as explained above . it should be noted that there is no “ end ” or “ completion ” block in process 400 because , once initiated , it is contemplated that the monitoring and notification functions of sradd 103 are ongoing , i . e . the functions continue until sradd 103 is powered off or disconnected . [ 0029 ] fig5 is a flow chart 500 showing the processing involved with signaling the state of the sradd of fig1 and 2 in a situation in which sradd 103 detects an outage and attempts to automatically report the outage to the power company . process 500 corresponds to transmit response step 411 , explained above in conjunction with fig4 . processing begins in an “ initiate report ” step 501 and immediately proceeds to an “ attempt report ” step 503 in which a connection is attempted through pots interface 203 ( fig2 ). control then proceeds to a “ report successful ?” step 505 in which sradd 103 determines whether or not the attempted contact was successful . of course in the case of a service personnel initiating a query over a pots line and system 105 and 107 , a report would likely be successful because the connection is already established . however , in the case of a wireless connection or if the report is initiated by sradd 103 , it is more likely that an attempt to transmit a report or make a connection could be unsuccessful . if in step 505 sradd 103 determines the report is successful , then control proceeds to a “ complete report ” step 513 in which process 500 is complete . if in step 505 sradd 103 determines the report was unsuccessful , then control proceeds to a “ determine wait interval ” step 507 . the determination of a specific wait interval may depend upon several factors . for example , the wait interval may depend upon the number of contact attempts that sradd 103 has made . the wait interval may be set to a fixed amount of time regardless of the number of attempts or a “ back - off ” scheme in which the wait interval increases each time an additional unsuccessful attempt has been made . control then proceeds to a “ wait ” step 509 in which sradd 103 waits the amount of time determined in step 507 . following the wait imposed in step 509 , control proceeds to an “ outage continuing ?” step 511 in which sradd 103 , in the case of a service outage initiating the report attempt , determines whether or not the conditions that initiated the service outage persist . if not , control proceeds to complete report step 513 where process 500 is complete . if the outage persists in step 511 , then control proceeds to attempt report step 503 and processing continues as described above . in an alternative embodiment , control proceeds from step 511 to step 503 even though the outage has not persisted . in that case , sradd 103 signals that an outage has occurred but is now over . one advantage of employing multiple attempts to signal an outage is that often , in the case of an electrical outage , multiple structures are involved and phone lines into a service facility such as an electric company may by clogged by too many calls . by spreading the multiple calls over time , the electric company can process all the calls , determine the scope of the outage from the locations of the individual calls and , in some cases , even determine potential causes of the outage . in the event service resumptions are also reported as explained above , the electric company can also determine whether or not a attempted repair has been successful . while the invention has been shown and described with reference to particular embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , including but not limited to additional , less or modified elements and / or additional , less or modified steps performed in the same or a different order .
7
fig9 illustrates exemplary steps for utilizing a posteriori measurements to adjust a projection imaging tool . each step is discussed in detail below . first , a process of reference ( por ) for manufacturing a chip is provided . in abbreviated and truncated form , fig6 is one example . of greatest relevance to the present invention are the specific machine settings utilized . table 2 shows an example of the relevant information extracted from the por . knowledge of machine setting indentifiers is required for running the in - situ metrology tests . in table 2 , the photographic layer is the name of the lithographic layer in process . the machine model is the machine model ( not specific identity ) used . the xpotype ( exposure type ) is the static / dynamic for stepper / scanner models . the laid ( lens aberration identifier ) is the keyword typed into or selected on the machine in the recipe or at exposure time that sets the lens manipulators or adjusters to a specific state . the sid ( source identifier ) similar to laid but specifies the source configuration utilized . the xid ( exit pupil identifier ) similar to laid but specifies the exit pupil numerical aperture utilized . the trid ( track identifier ) similar to laid but specifies the photoresist coat / develop recipe utilized . the field size / layout is the description of the exposure field size and pitch on wafer ; the last entry describes layout ; can also contain scanner direction and scan speed . the f nom is the nominal machine focus in nanometers . the e is the nominal exposure dose in mj / cm 2 . for each lithographic layer of the process deemed as critical ( low c pk ) we run some or all of the in - situ metrology tests outlined and referenced in table 3 . as an example , table 2 defines the lens manipulator settings ( laid ) required for the gate definition layer of process 80065 . machine model ( not serial number or specific machine id ( maid )) s2071 is qualified for that layer and the user would set or type in “ abb1 ” on the machine console at exposure time or have it specified within the job deck for this process and layer on all machines of model s2071 . to measure the lens aberrations , we would run each machine of model s2071 at laid =“ abb1 ” but with sid , xid , trjd and field size / layout as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 978 , 085 , supra ; the exposure portions of the process being detailed in fig1 a of that reference . measuring the box - in - box patterns , we could then reconstruct the higher order ( focus and above ) lens aberrations . the resulting zernike coefficients provide the basis for the next step . at this point we assess the current state of adjustment of our machines and correct them . the preferred method for assessing the current state of machine adjustment is a direct machine emulation that utilizes a database containing the history and current machine state ( see , a . smith et al ., “ method of emulation of lithographic projection tools ”, u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 111 , 302 , filed apr . 20 , 2005 ). since we are concerned with corrections to slowly varying (& gt ; 1 day ) machine characteristics in the emulator , we turn off rapid (& lt ; 1 day ) machine variations and look at individual or machine - to - machine process capability . based on these results , we then determine which machines require adjustment and by what amount . continuing the gate layer / lens aberration example above , using the nominal focus and exposure dose , we calculate the gate linewidth as a function of focus and exposure at a collection of field points representative of the exposure field size . including random focus errors at each field point gives us the focus process variation . from this information we can determine whether the machine requires adjustment and by what amount . having decided how much we need to adjust each machine , there are a number of ways to implement the adjustment , some being : 1 ) adjust all machines at once , 2 ) gradually adjust machines into compliance , and 3 ) a combination of 1 ) and 2 ), immediately adjust machines outside the general distribution and gradually adjust the balance . this provides the simplest and shortest schedule for machine improvement . minimizing yield loss to wip fabricated on an out of adjustment machine precludes this strategy in all cases . we are thinking particularly of transverse , layer - to - layer misalignments that can be temporarily exacerbated by relatively large adjustments to critical machines . however , once the method of the present invention is adopted on the factory floor , large adjustments of critical machines should be exceptional and their ( and all other ) machine adjustments can be done at once . it is typically only on the introduction of this method to the factory floor that we generally cannot adjust all machines at once . on introduction of this method , to minimize the transient yield loss to wip , the adjustments should be phased in over a number of steps and time . first , each setting of each machine is scored according to its deviation from the target value , q tar , relative to upper ( usl ) and lower ( lsl ) specification limits according to : s = 4 | q max − q tar |/( usl − lsl ) equation 1 q max = maximum deviation of quantity over machine printing field , s = score , the use of maximum is justified since we are looking at deterministic , explainable causes , not random ones . n adj = ceiling ⁡ ( max ⁡ ( s ) machine , process , layers ) equation ⁢ ⁢ 2 where the maximum is taken over all machines , process and layers and ceiling is the next integer above the fractional part e . g ., ceiling ( 3 . 1 )= ceiling ( 3 . 9 )= 4 . the first adjustment is then made to machine settings with scores , s , falling within the range δ ⁢ ⁢ t = 6 * t fab n layer equation ⁢ ⁢ 4 t fab = average start to finish chip manufacturing time . n layer = number of lithographic layers ( photoresist deposition and definition steps ). after elapsed time δt , machine settings with scores within the range : are adjusted . this process of selective machine adjustment and waiting then continues to completion after a total of n adj cycles . mixed adjustment is a combination of phased in and immediate adjustment . new machines or existing machines that have been offline (≧ δt time period ) will be immediately adjusted to the factory standard . phase - in adjustment will be applied to the balance . note , that in a well controlled factory , the phase - in adjustment will typically require only a single step ( n adj = 1 ) and in that case , is equivalent to immediate adjustment . in a continuously run factory , product will be emerging as we follow the above steps . so , lithographic layers are defined in photoresist and developed . in this variation , an in - situ interferometer of the type described in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 978 , 085 and 5 , 828 , 455 , supra and u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 623 , 364 , supra may be used to measure the projection lens aberrations . exemplary steps for running the in - situ interferometer are outlined in fig1 of the present application . after getting the zernike coefficients , the machine lens manipulators could be adjusted according to european patent application no . ep 1 231 516 a2 , supra . in this variation , an in - situ source metrology instrument of the type described in reference u . s . pat . no . 6 , 741 , 338 , supra and u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 828 , 579 , supra may be used to measure the effective source radiant intensity , or effective source . fig1 of the present application shows exemplary steps for performing this operation . in this variation , an in - situ exit pupil transmission mapper of the type described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 105 , 799 , supra may be used to measure the transmission as a function of transverse ray direction cosine t ( nx , ny ). from this , quantities such as the overall numerical aperture , na as a function of field position can be assessed . fig1 of the present application lays out exemplary steps for measuring the exit pupil transmission map . in this variation , a special reticle as described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 252 , 021 , supra and wafer with predisposed alignment marks may be used to determine the scanning synchronization error in x , y and yaw . fig1 of the present application illustrates exemplary steps used to determine the scanning synchronization error . 5 th variation of main embodiment , in - situ dynamic lens distortion ( dynamic a2 , a3 ) in this variation , the substantially similar reticle and wafer of the fourth variation are used to determine the contribution of lens distortion in a dynamically scanned field to overall overlay error . an exemplary technique for determining lens distortion is described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 252 , 020 . fig1 of the present application illustrates exemplary steps for determining lens distortion . 6 th variation , in - situ measurement of static lens distortion ( static a2 , a3 ) in this variation , a substantially similar reticle and wafer of the fourth variation may be used to determine the static lens distortion or tilt zernike coefficients a2 and a3 . an exemplary technique for determining this is described in reference u . s . pat . no . 6 , 573 , 986 b2 . fig1 of the present application illustrates exemplary steps for determining the static lens distortion . 7 th variation , in - situ measurement of static lens field curvature in this variation , a focusing fiducial reticle may be used to determine the static lens field curvature . u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 844 , 939 , supra describes an exemplary technique for performing this . the result is the static lens field curvature or focus zernike ( a4 ) as a function of field position . by using the method of u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 844 , 939 , supra , the final result is independent of wafer height variations . fig1 of the present application illustrates exemplary steps for determining the static lens field curvature . 8 th variation , in - situ measurement of dynamic lens field curvature in this variation , a focusing fiducial reticle is provided and may be used to determine dynamic lens field curvature . u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 833 , 557 , supra illustrates an exemplary technique for determining lens field curvature . the result is the dynamic lens field curvature focus zernike ( a4 ) as a function of cross scan ( x ) direction field position . using this technique , results independent of wafer height are obtained . fig1 of the present application illustrates exemplary steps for determining the dynamic lens field curvature . 9 th variation , in - situ measurement of dynamic z and roll synchronization error in this variation , a focusing fiducial reticle is provided and dynamic z and roll synchronization error is determined . u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 833 , 781 , supra illustrates an exemplary technique for making these measurements . the result is the dynamic height ( z ) and roll error as a function of the scan position ( y ). fig1 of the present application illustrates exemplary steps for determining dynamic z and roll synchronization error . 10 th variation , in - situ measurement of wafer stage grid and yaw errors in this variation , a reticle is provided and exposed on a wafer to determine wafer stage grid and yaw errors illustrates an exemplary technique for making these measurements . u . s . pat . no . 6 , 734 , 971 , supra . the result is the wafer stage grid and yaw stepping error . fig1 of the present application illustrates exemplary steps for determining these errors . fig2 is a schematic diagram of an example of a projection imaging tool or machine ( ma ) that can be used in the manufacturing of semiconductor integrated circuits . as shown in fig2 , the ma includes a light source s , a reticle stage rs , imaging objective imo , wafer stage ws , and a controller c . the light source can include an illumination source s 1 that outputs illumination light il and an illumination conditioning s 2 that conditions the light il . the imo includes an upper imaging objective imo 1 , a lower imaging objective imo 2 , and an aperture stop as . the controller c can be configured to receive measurements of degradation in lithography processing of the projection imaging tool . the controller can then adjust the operation of the projection imaging tool in response to the received measurements . for example , the controller can adjust the operation of the reticle stage rs , the illumination source s , the wafer stage ws , or other operations of the projection imaging tool . the adjusted imaging tool may then be used to expose a substrate , for example , a substrate that is positioned by the wafer stage ws at the output of the imaging objective imo for a semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing process . the present invention has been described above in terms of a presently preferred embodiment so that an understanding of the present invention can be conveyed . there are , however , many configurations for semiconductor manufacturing not specifically described herein but with which the present invention is applicable . the present invention should therefore not be seen as limited to the particular embodiments described herein , but rather , it should be understood that the present invention has wide applicability with respect to semiconductor manufacturing generally . all modifications , variations , or equivalent arrangements and implementations that are within the scope of the attached claims should therefore be considered within the scope of the invention .
6
the slice lip 10 of the present invention is substantially symmetrical about its longitudinal centerline as indicated by the centerline 12 in fig1 . the slice lip 10 is formed with a bottom surface 14 that is substantially planar . the slice edges 16 and 18 , which extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the slice lip 10 , are formed at the junction of the bottom surface 14 with the side surfaces 20 and 22 respectively . it will be noted that the side surfaces 20 and 22 are substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface 14 . a central longitudinally extending well 24 is formed along the longitudinal centerline 12 of the slice lip 10 , is symmetrical on opposite sides of this centerline 12 and has a substantially arcuate bottom 26 extending up into a pair of side walls 28 and 30 which in turn are formed into crowns 32 and 34 that are curved downward and mate with upper side walls 36 and 38 that extend to the angular connecting walls 40 and 42 that connect the side walls 20 and 22 to the upper walls 36 and 38 , respectively . the slice lip 10 is mounted on the headbox , generally indicated at 44 , in fig2 in any suitable manner . in the arrangement illustrated , the slice lip 10 is mounted on the slice frame lip 46 with the bottom surface 14 of the slice lip 10 in face - to - face relationship with a planar surface 48 on the slice frame lip 46 . a suitable stud 50 projects upwardly from the face 48 and functions to clamp the slice lip 10 in position , as will be described hereinbelow . a suitable spring generally indicated at 52 as shown most clearly in fig2 and 3 is composed of a main body section 54 having a front lip 56 that is received within the passage or slot 24 in the slice lip 10 and with a trailing leaf spring element 58 that bears against a stop 60 formed on the slice frame lip 46 . in the arrangement illustrated , the main body section 54 spring member 52 is connected to side flanges 62 and 64 formed one at each of the opposite sides of the spring member 52 . to mount the slice lip 10 in position , the lip 56 , as above indicated , is received within the passage 24 the leaf element 58 bears against the boss 60 and the nut 66 is tightened onto the stud 50 to force the element 58 against the boss 60 and the lip 56 to press the surface 14 against the upper surface 48 of the slice frame lip 46 whereby the lip 10 is resulting held in position . the stud 50 fits within a slot 68 in the body 54 of the spring 52 to permit movement of the spring and thus of the area of the slice to which it is connected , i . e ., to permit the surface 14 to slide along the surface 48 by movement of the spring member 52 relative to the surface 48 thereby the slice lip can be locally adjusted relative to the frame lip 46 . this movement of the slice lip is obtained by means of a member 70 connected to the rear of the side members 62 and 64 , which in turn is connected via a bar or rod member 72 to a servo mechanism 74 which may be adjusted by means of a micrometer handwheel 76 to move the spring member 52 and thus the slice member 10 backward and forward , i . e ., up and down along the surface 48 of the slice frame lip 46 thereby to adjust the position of the edge , say edge 16 , of the slice lip 10 relative to the apron lip 78 of the headbox 44 . it will be noted that there are a plurality of spring members 52 spaced transversely across the machine ( two are shown in fig3 ) generally they will be spaced approximately six inches apart and each will be provided with its own discrete adjusting mechanism comprising the bar member 72 , servo mechanism 74 etc . as indicated , the slice lip 10 will be mounted as shown in fig2 and 3 and adjusted relative to the apron lip 78 to obtain the desired local flow by individually moving the spring members 52 spaced transversely of the headbox toward and away from lip 78 . when the edge , say edge 16 , becomes worn , it is merely necessary to release the slice lip 10 , turn it end for end so that the edge 18 now becomes the edge adjacent the apron lip 78 and then reposition this edge 18 to accurately control the flow of stock issuing from the headbox 44 . having described the invention modifications will be evident to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims .
3
while a detailed treatment of error detection and correction techniques may be found in hamming , &# 34 ; error detecting and error correcting codes &# 34 ; bell system technical journal , volume 29 , 1950 , pages 147 - 160 , the following discussion is believed necessary in order to provide an understanding of the present invention . standard coding theory notation will be used ; i . e ., k represents the number of data bits in a code word , r represents the number of check bits in the code word , and n represents the total number of bits in a code word ( n = k + r ). according to hamming , a single error correcting ( distance 3 ) code must satisfy : while a single error correcting with double error detection ( distance 4 ) code must satisfy : the minimum number of check bits for up to 247 data bits is given in table 1 for distance 3 and distance 4 codes . table 1______________________________________data bits r check bitsk distance 3 distance 4______________________________________1 2 32 - 4 3 4 5 - 11 4 512 - 26 5 627 - 57 6 7 58 - 120 7 8121 - 247 8 9______________________________________ seventy - two bits of data therefore require 8 check bits or a code word having a total of 80 bits . the value of the check bits needed for single error correction may be derived by constructing a hamming parity matrix ( h - matrix ) which consists of n columns and r rows . each column is associated with one bit of the code word . the entries of the h - matrix correspond to coefficients of the code word bits and are limited to a value of 0 or 1 . each row then defines an equation which is the module - 2 summation of the row coefficients times the associated code word bit . the resulting column vector formed by this summation is denoted as the syndrome . if all bits of the code word are correct , then the syndrome should be zero . if a single bit of the code word is in error , then the syndrome will be equal to the column of coefficients in the h - matrix corresponding to the erroneous bit . similarly , the r row equations may be used to define the value of the r check bits on generation of the code word . according to hamming , the rules for constructing the values of the h - matrix for single error correction are very simply two : ( 1 ) there are to be no all zero columns ; and ( 2 ) every column must be distinct . the ordering of the columns ( or equivalently the assignment of code word bits to columns ) is completely arbitrary and therefore a wide variety of matrix assignments are possible . for double error detection as well as single error correction ( i . e . a distance of 4 code ) a third condition is placed on the construction of the h - matrix . this , according to hamming , is that one row of the h - matrix be all ones . that is , one check bit is to represent an overall parity check . others since that time have shown that this rule of hammings can be replaced by the following rule : ( 3 ) each column of the h - matrix must contain an odd number of 1 &# 39 ; s for a distance 4 code . the most obvious advantage of the odd column rule over hamming &# 39 ; s all 1 &# 39 ; s rule is that it eliminates the need for a parity tree needing all n - bits of a code word . using the above three rules , an h - matrix for sec - ded can be defined . the problem which remains is how to choose one of the many possible h - matrix arrangements which will produce the most efficient hardware implementation . a sector matrix ( s - matrix ) is defined as consisting of m columns and r rows . again , r is defined as the number of check bits while n is defined as the nearest integer equal to or greater than the ratio of n / r . for n = 80 ( k = 72 data bits + r = 8 check bits ) the size of the s - matrix is m = 10 column by 8 rows . the same size matrix would be necessary for an n of 79 , 78 , 77 , 76 , 75 , 74 or 73 . columns of 1 &# 39 ; s and 0 &# 39 ; s are assigned to the s - matrix observing the followings rules : ( 1 ) each column of the s - matrix must contain an odd number of 1 &# 39 ; s ; and ( 2 ) each column of the s - matrix must be chosen such that the row values of the column can be rotated from 1 to r - 1 positions with no duplication of any of the resulting column patterns or any other column pattern . these rules are the same as for an sec - ded h - matrix as given above with an additional constraint placed on the uniqueness of the columns . that is , not only must each column be unique , but also every possible rotation of the column must be unique . for example , a column of one and only one &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; could be rotated from 1 to r - 1 positions where each rotation would produce a different column pattern . however , two such columns would not be acceptable . for example , a column of 00100 and another column of 10000 would not be acceptable even though different since a two position rotation of 10000 duplicates the 00100 column . neither would a column with an odd number of 1 &# 39 ; s and no 0 &# 39 ; s be acceptable since any rotation of such a column duplicates itself . for an eight row s - matrix , permissable column patterns are those shown in table 2 for any of their rotations . it should be noted that an eight row s - matrix cannot have more than sixteen columns . table 2______________________________________1 of 8 3 of 8 5 of 8 7 of 8______________________________________1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 10 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 10 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 10 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 10 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1______________________________________ intuitively , it would appear that given r rows and x number of 1 &# 39 ; s per column , then the integer portion of the expression ( r - l )!/ x ! ( r - x )! denotes the number of acceptable columns having x1 &# 39 ; s . the expression r !/ x ! ( r - x )! denotes the number of combinations of x1 &# 39 ; s in r bits which , if divided by r , yields the expression ( r - 1 )!/ x ! ( r - x )!. the choice of which of the possible column patterns are used for the matrix is arbitrary except for one , the check bit . the s - matrix must contain a column with a single 1 which is to be reserved for the check bit . this rule allows the same parts to be symmetrically used for generation of the check bits as well as checking the code word . after an s - matrix has been chosen , an h - matrix may be formed by a horizontal concatonation of the s - matrix with each of the r - 1 vertical rotations of the s - matrix . the ordering of the concatonation is arbitrary just as is the ordering of the columns in the s - matrix . for example , given the s - matrix consisting of 8 - rows , r ( 1 : 8 ), of 10 bits each , then the h - matrix might look like : ## str1 ## the significance of the s - matrix approach to deriving the h - matrix is that 1 common lsi circuit can now be defined from the s - matrix . each s - part is then particularized by rotating the assignment of parity syndrome bits to the s - part pins . this will become more apparent in the discussion of the s - part below . it should be noted that the resulting h - matrix may contain more columns than needed . for example , it was previously stated that the same s - matrix would be used for an n = 80 , 79 , 78 , 77 , 76 , 75 , 74 or 73 . thus , for an n of 73 , the above h - matrix has seven extra columns . the extra columns can be assigned to the null operator ( i . e . the constant &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;) rather than to a data or check bit . in general , any smaller code word can be assigned to a larger h - matrix by nulling the extra columns . it also should be noted that in certain instances it will not be possible to find enough columns which will satisfy the rules for generating the s - matrix . this occurs whenever there is insufficient redundancy to cover those column codes which are rejected because upon rotation they duplicate themselves . for example , 11 data bits require 5 check bits for an sec - ded code word . the total number of bits is sixteen and therefore n / r = 16 / 5 = 31 / 5 which means that the number of s - matrix columns must be m = 4 . however , there are only three classes of column patterns of 5 bits which satisfy the rules set forth earlier . these are the following or any of their rotations : ______________________________________1 of 5 3 of 5______________________________________1 1 10 1 10 1 00 0 10 0 0______________________________________ another column which satisfies all the criteria except that it duplicates itself on rotation is the all 1 &# 39 ; s column 11111 . however , it can be observed that a three column s - matrix rotated five times will be only one short of the required number of code bits needed ; i . e . it could be satisfied by one usage of an all 1 &# 39 ; s column . therefore , the solution to the problem is to allow the addition of those columns to the s - matrix which satisfy all the criteria except that of duplicating itself on rotation . when this restricted s - matrix is rotated to form the h - matrix , the resultant h - matrix will have a number of duplicate columns because of the non - conforming s - matrix column . only one of these can be assigned to a data bit . the others must be given a null assignment . therefore , the 5 × 4 s - matrix with the restricted column might be ## str2 ## and the resulting h - matrix : ## str3 ## fig1 is a functional diagram of a large scale integrated s - part . the arrangement includes a set of parity trees 2 for generating the parity of each row defined by the s - matrix . each parity generator 2 has as inputs the m - code bits ( uncorrected ). the parity generators perform an exclusive or function of those code bits marked by a 1 in each row of the s - matrix . an r - input parity tree 4 combines a different numbered row , one from each of the s - parts , to form a syndrome bit of the h - matrix on a check operation or 1 check bit on a generate operation . the parity tree or syndrome generator 4 has coupled to its inputs the outputs of the row power generators 2 . a set of r to 1 decoders 6 receive the r - syndrome bits ( rotated ), and check the h - matrix syndrome code appropriate to each column of the s - matrix . the syndrome inputs must be rotated according to the rotation of the s - matrix used to form the corresponding sector of the h - matrix . finally , a set of switches 8 select a compliment or true value of each data bit depending upon whether the corresponding column code is or is not detected . the switches 8 have inputs coupled to decoders 6 and the m uncorrected code bits and produce at their output m corrected code bits . further , or function 10 has inputs coupled to the outputs of the m - decoders 6 for generating an indication of correction . it should be noted that fig1 is given as an example of the form which an lsi s - part might take . a number of variations and additons to this will be discussed below . in order to minimize the parity trees for generating the s - matrix row parities , the columns for the s - matrix should be selected on the basis of the minimum number of 1 &# 39 ; s per row . that is , all the triple 1 &# 39 ; s columns should be exhausted before using columns with a higher number of 1 &# 39 ; s . then the selection should be made from the available five 1 &# 39 ; s columns , and so on . one such arrangement for an 8 by 10 s - matrix is ______________________________________c b . sub . 0 b . sub . 1 b . sub . 2 b . sub . 3 b . sub . 4 b . sub . 5 b . sub . 6 b . sub . 7 b . sub . 8______________________________________ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1s = 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 ( 3 ) 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1______________________________________ this is just one of many possible arrangements which has 32 &# 34 ; 1s &# 34 ; which is the minimum possible for this matrix . the next step is to rotate the columns to obtain a minimum number of 1 &# 39 ; s per row . this should be 32 / 8 = 4 . columns b 0 , b 7 , b 1 b 8 are complementary and need not be rotated . the problem is then reduced to rotating columns b 2 through b 6 and the check bit column c so that no more than two 1 &# 39 ; s appear in any one of the remaining rows . a minimum parity row 10 × 8 s matrix might be ______________________________________b . sub . 0 b . sub . 7 b . sub . 1 b . sub . 8 b . sub . 2 b . sub . 3 b . sub . 4 b . sub . 5 b . sub . 6 c______________________________________1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 p1 = b . sub . 0 ⊕ b . sub . 1 ⊕ b . sub . 2 ⊕ b . sub . 51 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 p2 = b . sub . 0 ⊕ b . sub . 1 ⊕ b . sub . 2 ⊕ c1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 p3 = b . sub . 0 ⊕ b . sub . 3 ⊕ b . sub . 6 ⊕ b . sub . 80 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 p4 = b . sub . 1 ⊕ b . sub . 3 ⊕ b . sub . 4 ⊕ b . sub . 7 ( 4 ) 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 p5 = b . sub . 2 ⊕ b . sub . 5 ⊕ b . sub . 7 ⊕ b . sub . 80 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 p6 = b . sub . 4 ⊕ b . sub . 6 ⊕ b . sub . 7 ⊕ b . sub . 80 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 p7 = b . sub . 4 ⊕ b . sub . 5 ⊕ b . sub . 7 ⊕ b . sub . 80 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 p8 = b . sub . 3 ⊕ b . sub . 6 ⊕ b . sub . 7 ⊕ b . sub . 8byte parity = p1 ⊕ p6 ⊕ b3______________________________________ an alternative to the minimum parity row s - matrix is to minimize the number of rows for which parity has to be generated . that is , it is readily apparent that a row of all 0s can be obtained by rotating the last two columns . one advantage of this is that it eliminates one of the row parity trees , and perhaps more importantly it eliminates a row parity pin on the lsi package . the second advantage of having an all 0 row is that it could be eliminated for a seven row s - matrix with , of course , the elimination of some columns that would no longer be unique . this would permit the lsi part to be used for smaller word sizes requiring only seven check bits instead of eight , for example , on 32 or 36 bit data words . the zero row 10 × 8 s - matrix may be constructed by first constructing a 7 row s - matrix . this s - matrix may then be made into a minimum parity row s - matrix by rotating columns . an all 0 row and two additional columns are added to the 8 × 7 s - matrix to get the desired 10 × 8 s - matrix giving an s - matrix shown below . ## str4 ## the syndrome bits for an 8 check bit code word ( up to 72 data bits ) are given by the &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; matrix (( 1 ) above ) and are : where pij represents the ith row parity of the jth s - part . the above defines the wiring between the s - part row parity outputs and the syndrome parity generators . for a 7 check bit code word ( up to 49 data bits ) the syndromes are : where inputs b 7 and b 8 to the s - part must be set equal to zero . here the same s - part is used as for the 8 check bit implementation with the only difference being in the wiring between the s - part and syndrome parity generators . if there is no error in the data or check bits , the syndrome s will have a value of zero . if a single code word bit is in error , the syndrome or any of its rotations will match one of the columns of the s - matrix . if we define the vector x [ j ] as the syndrome inputs of the jth , s - part the relation between x [ j ] and the h - matrix syndrome , s is again derived from the h - matrix ( 1 ) as : the above defines the wiring between the syndrome parity networks and the inputs to the correction decode circuit in the s - part . the &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; vector inputs are then decoded according to the s - matrix columns . for example , the s - matrix ( 7 ) indicates that the data input , b 0 , is to be complemented if input x1 [ j ], x2 [ j ] and x3 [ j ] are 1 &# 39 ; s and the remaining x [ j ] inputs are zero . the correction circuitry is just an exclusive or of the data bit with the output of the corresponding decode circuit . if an external indication of which bit was corrected is desired , this can be done with an exclusive or of the code word input and output from the s - part . alternatively , the outputs of the decode circuits might be brought out of the s - part instead of the corrected data and the correction performed by exclusive or gates external to the s - parts . the chip can also be designed such that either alternative can be used . such an arrangement is shown in fig2 . the correction exclusive or gate 12 is preceded with an and gate 14 in the data path . the other input of and gate 14 is a common control line 16 which would be &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; if the output is to be the corrected data or a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; if the output is to be the correction decode output . the output of and gate 14 is coupled to exclusive or circuit 12 . the second input to exclusive or circuit 12 originates in the decode circuitry . still another alternative would be to code the 10 correction decode lines into a 4 line bit - position code with a fifth line to denote the sector of the code word to which this correction applies . this would eliminate five pins on the s - part , but would require that decode as well as correction circuitry be available externally to the s - part . whenever exactly two bits of the code word are in error , the syndrome will contain an even number of 1 &# 39 ; s . also , any multiple of two bits in error will also produce a syndrome with an even number of 1 &# 39 ; s or a syndrome of all 0 &# 39 ; s . this is a property of always having an odd number of 1 &# 39 ; s in the h - matrix . therefore , an even number of errors will never cause a miscorrection and all double errors will be detected . an odd number of errors greater than 1 may cause a miscorrection ; i . e . produce the same syndrome as a single error . however , for the 80 × 8 h - matrix only 80 out of the 120 possible odd 1 &# 39 ; s combinations of 8 bits are used for correction , therefore , some multiple odd errors will be detected . by oring all the syndrome bits there is produced an output of 1 if any error , correctable or not , is detected . referring to fig3 each s - part 18 has the syndrome bits applied thereto and also has an output denoting whether a correctable error has been detected on any of the code bits entering the s - part . these are anded in and gate 20 with the output of the syndrome or gate 22 to produce an output denoting a detected , non - corrected multiple bit error . alternatively , an even 1 &# 39 ; s detector could be built into the s - part , and a multiple odd error detection ignored since the probability of occurrence is very rare and most multiple odd errors when they do occur result in a miscorrection anyhow . in many applications it is desired to generate a byte parity . using the s - matrix ( 7 ), byte parity is given by the exclusive or of the row 1 and row 6 parity outputs . if an error is detected in that byte , the byte parity is inverted . this can be done by an exclusive or circuit internal or external to the s - part . alternatively , the parity might be brought out instead of the corrected check bit . the chip can also be designed to allow the option of bringing either the check bit or byte parity bit out of the s - part . fig4 is a block diagram illustrating the inputs to and outputs from the error detection and correction ( edac ) apparatus according to the present invention . each edac apparatus processes one byte of data shown in fig4 as i0 through i8 and has one check bit input ic and one byte parity bit bp . five intermediate sector matrix parity outputs ( p0 - p5 ) from each edac apparatus are connected to sector matrix parity inputs q0 - q5 of other edac apparatus , as shown in table 3 . the intermediate sector matrix parity outputs from each of eight edac chips is shown in table 4 . ______________________________________chip chip chip chip chip chip chip chip0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7______________________________________ -- q5 -- p55 -- p56 -- p57 -- p50 -- p51 -- p52 -- p53 -- p54 -- q4 -- p46 -- p47 -- p40 -- p41 -- p42 -- p43 -- p44 -- p45 -- q3 -- p37 -- p30 -- p31 -- p32 -- p33 -- p34 -- p35 -- p36 -- q1 -- p11 -- p12 -- p13 -- p14 -- p15 -- p16 -- p17 -- p10 -- q0 -- p02 -- p03 -- p04 -- p05 -- p06 -- p07 -- p00 -- p01______________________________________ ______________________________________chip chip chip chip chip chip chip chip0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7______________________________________ -- p50 -- p51 -- p52 -- p53 -- p54 -- p55 -- p56 -- p57 -- p40 -- p41 -- p42 -- p43 -- p44 -- p45 -- p46 -- p47 -- p30 -- p31 -- p32 -- p33 -- p34 -- p35 -- p36 -- p37 -- p10 -- p11 -- p12 -- p13 -- p14 -- p15 -- p16 -- p17 -- p00 -- p01 -- p02 -- p03 -- p04 -- p05 -- p06 -- p07______________________________________ ______________________________________checkbit r . sub . 0 r . sub . 1 r . sub . 2 r . sub . 3 r . sub . 4 r . sub . 5 r . sub . 6 r . sub . 7 r . sub . 8______________________________________ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 s = 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0______________________________________ the r8 input above can be forced to zero for an 8 - bit byte . p for the h - matrix ; ______________________________________byte byte byte byte byte byte byte byte0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7______________________________________p10 p01 0 0 p54 p45 p36 p27 = s7p00 0 0 p53 p44 p35 p26 p17 = s60 0 p52 p43 p34 p25 p16 p07 = s50 p51 p42 p33 p24 p15 p06 0 = s4p50 p41 p32 p23 p14 p05 0 0 = s3p40 p31 p22 p13 p04 0 0 p57 = s2p30 p21 p12 p03 0 0 p56 p47 = s1p20 p11 p02 0 0 p55 p46 p37 = s0______________________________________ each of the edac parts will then produce the value of one syndrome bit s shown in fig4 . seven of the eight syndrome outputs are connected to each of the edac syndrome input terminals ( j0 - j7 ) in fig4 as shown in table 5 . table 5______________________________________chip chip chip chip chip chip chip chip 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7______________________________________ - j7 - s5 - s6 - s7 - s0 - s1 - s2 - s3 - s4 - j6 - s4 - s5 - s6 - s7 - s0 - s1 - s2 - s3 - j5 - s3 - s4 - s5 - s6 - s7 - s0 - s1 - s2 - j4 - s2 - s3 - s4 - s5 - s6 - s7 - s0 - s1 - j3 - s1 - s2 - s3 - s4 - s5 - s6 - s7 - s0 - j1 - s7 - s0 - s1 - s2 - s3 - s4 - s5 - s6 - j0 - s6 - s7 - s0 - s1 - s2 - s3 - s4 - s5______________________________________ all of the inputs and outputs in fig4 are implemented to accommodate 9 bit bytes . for 8 bit bytes , anyone of the nine data bit inputs can be permanently wired to a logical 0 value and the corresponding output ignored . also shown in fig4 are the various power supply inputs vcc1 , vcc2 and grounds . also a single bit error signal sbe is generated . fig5 is a more - detailed block diagram of the invention edac apparatus . the data bits i0 - i8 are applied to inputs of a ten bit register 24 . the check bit and the correct signal are applied to inputs of nand gate 26 having an output which is likewise coupled to an input of register 24 . outputs rc and r0 - r8 are applied to byte syndrome generator 28 which produce at its outputs the matrix parity outputs p0 , p1 , p3 , p4 and p5 . these matrix parity outputs are applied to other byte edac chips . p2 on the other hand is applied to word syndrome generator 30 as is shown in fig5 . likewise applied to inputs of word syndrome generator 30 are the s - matrix parities from other byte edac chips . these are shown in fig5 as q0 , q1 , q3 , q4 and q5 . the word syndrome bit produced by generator 30 is applied to syndrome decode unit 32 along with the word syndrome bits from other edac chips i . e . j0 , j1 , j3 , j4 and j5 . the output of nand gate 34 having j6 and j7 applied to its inputs is applied also to syndrome decode unit 32 . these outputs of syndrome decode unit 32 , that is e0 - e8 , and the byte error signal are applied to logic unit 36 along with the uncorrected byte parity from byte syndrome generator 28 and the r0 - r8 outputs from register 24 . the outputs of logic unit 36 comprise the corrected data byte plus a corrected byte parity . the implementation is optimized and will be described for use in an error detection and correction of binary words consisting of eight data bytes plus eight modified hamming code bits where a byte may be either 8 or 9 bits . however , the edac part can also be used for other word lengths . while the application to be described is primarily for error detection and correction of information stored in computer mainframe memories , it may also be used to increase reliability of control stores , scratchpads , caches , datapads and peripheral equipment . the implementation provides for check bit generation or double error syndrome generation in approximately 20 nanoseconds and single bit error correction in about 40 nanoseconds . eight edac parts of the type shown in fig5 can be innerconnected to ( 1 ) correct any single bit error within 72 - 64 data bits ; ( 2 ) generate a unique one of eight codes to denote which one of the eight data bytes or associated check bits contains an error during single error correction ; ( 3 ) generate a signal for each byte denoting whether the output byte has an odd or even parity value and ( 4 ) generate an eight bit syndrome which denotes a double or any even number of bits in error in the complete 72 - 80 bit word ( data plus check bits ) by any non - zero even parity value of the syndrome . the same or duplicate of the eight innerconnected edac parts can also perform the encoding process ; i . e . ( 1 ) generate the modified hamming code check bits required for the error detection and correction process ; and ( 2 ) test byte parity on each of the eight bytes doing check bit generation . fig6 is a logic diagram illustrating the contents of register 24 ( fig5 ). the bits of the data byte i0 - i8 are each applied to an input of flip - flops 38 , 40 , 42 , 44 , 46 , 48 , 50 , 52 and 54 respectively . a clock signal is likewise applied to each of these flip - flops and each generate a clocked data output r0 - r8 . an additional flip - flop 56 has the output of nand gate 26 applied thereto along with the clock signal for producing the rc signal . the logic contained in byte syndrome generator 28 ( fig5 ) and word syndrome generator 30 ( fig5 ) is more clearly shown in fig7 . or gate 58 has first and second inputs for receiving signals r4 and r5 , and has an output which is coupled to one input of or gates 74 and 82 . or gate 60 has first and second inputs coupled to r6 and r7 and an output which is applied to a second input of or gate 74 and a first input of or gate 76 . the first and second inputs of or gate 62 are applied to r4 and r8 , and its output is applied to a first input of or gate 78 . applied to the first and second inputs of or gate 64 are the signals r1 and r3 , and its output is applied to a second input of or gate 76 and a first input of or gate 80 . or gate 66 has a first input coupled to r3 and a second input coupled r0 , and its output is coupled to a second input of or gate 80 . the output of or gate 66 is likewise coupled to a first input of or gate 84 . or gate 68 has inputs coupled to r3 and r8 and has an output which is coupled to a second input of or gate 84 and a first input of or gate 86 . or gate 70 has applied to its inputs r7 and r1 , and its output is coupled to an input of or gates 78 and 86 . rc and r5 are coupled to the inputs of or gate 72 having an output which is coupled to the input of or gate 92 . the sector matrix parity output p0 and p1 are the outputs of or gates 74 and 76 respectively likewise , the output of or gate 84 produces the sector matrix parity signal p3 . the outputs of or gates 78 and 80 are applied to inputs of or gate 88 which produces at its output the second matrix parity signal p5 . or gate 90 has applied to its inputs , the outputs of or gates 80 and 82 and produces at its output the sector matrix parity signal p4 . the output of or gate 86 is applied to a second input of or gate 92 which produces at its output the sector matrix parity signal p2 . finally , or gate 94 has a first input coupled to r5 and a second input coupled to the output of or gate 88 ( i . e . p5 ), and produces at its output the uncorrected byte parity bit pb . q2 and q3 are applied to inputs of or gate 96 , q1 and q0 to inputs of or gate 98 , and q4 and q5 to inputs of or gate 102 . as stated previously , q0 , q1 , q3 , q4 and q5 are sector matrix parities from other byte edac chips . the outputs of or gates 96 and 98 are applied to inputs of or gate 100 having an output which is supplied to a first input of and gate 104 and an input of or gate 106 . the output of or gate 102 forms the second input of and gate 104 and or gate 106 . the output of and gate 104 forms the syndrome bit to be used internally , and the output of or gate 106 forms the syndrome bit to be used on other edac chips . fig8 illustrates the syndrome decode unit and logic unit 36 of fig5 in more detail . nor gate 182 has applied to its inputs syndrome outputs j6 and j7 and produces at its output an enable signal en . inverter 128 has j0 applied thereto and forms at its output x0 . inverter 130 has j1 applied to its input and forms at its output x1 . inverter 132 has applied to its input s from and gate 104 ( fig7 ) and forms at its output x2 . likewise , x3 , x4 and x5 are produced by inverters 134 , 136 and 138 respectively from j3 , j4 and j5 respectively . a plurality of seven input and gates 108 , 110 , 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 , 120 , 122 and 124 produce signals e0 - e8 respectively . a seven input nand gate 126 produces the signal ec . each of these and gates has the enable signal generated by nor gate 182 applied to one of its inputs . the remaining six inputs to each of these and gates are coupled to the syndrome outputs as shown in fig8 and table 6 . table 6__________________________________________________________________________and and and and and and and and and and108 110 112 114 116 118 120 122 124 126__________________________________________________________________________ -- x0 -- x0 -- x0 -- x0 x0 x0 x0 x0 -- x0 -- x0 -- x1 -- x1 x1 x1 -- x1 -- x1 x1 x1 -- x1 -- x1 -- x2 x2 -- x2 x2 -- x2 x2 -- x2 x2 x2 x2x3 -- x3 -- x3 x3 -- x3 -- x3 x3 -- x3 x3 -- x3x4 x4 x4 x4 x4 x4 x4 x4 -- x4 -- x4x5 x5 x5 x5 x5 -- x5 x5 x5 x5 -- x5__________________________________________________________________________ each of the outputs e0 - e8 are applied to inputs of nor gate 176 and are likewise each inverted by inverters 140 , 142 , 144 , 146 , 148 , 150 , 152 , 154 and 156 . the output of nor gate 176 is an error signal and is applied to nand gate 178 and or gate 180 . the signal ec is applied to the second input of nand gate 178 to produce an ec + error signal . the signal pb is applied to the second input of or gate 180 to produce the corrected byte parity signal . the corrected data byte out is produced as follows . and gate 158 as applied to its inputs r0 and e0 to produce o0 . and gate 160 has r1 and e1 applied to its inputs to produce o1 . o2 is likewise produced in and gate 162 by the application of r2 and e2 , and o3 is produced by and gate 164 having r3 and e3 applied thereto . the remaining bits o4 , o5 , o6 , o7 and o8 are similarly formed by and gates 166 , 168 , 170 , 172 and 174 .
7
before explaining the present invention in detail , it should be noted that the invention is not limited in its application or use to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and description . the illustrative embodiments of the invention may be implemented or incorporated in other embodiments , variations and modifications , and may be practiced or carried out in various ways . further , unless otherwise indicated , the terms and expressions employed herein have been chosen for the purpose of describing the illustrative embodiments of the present invention for the convenience of the reader and are not for the purpose of limiting the invention . further , it is understood that any one or more of the following - described embodiments , expressions of embodiments , examples , etc . can be combined with any one or more of the other following - described embodiments , expressions of embodiments , examples , etc . the system illustration of fig1 depicts a first expression of the system architecture of the invention . the diagram illustrates the relationship between system controller 1 , infusion delivery means 2 and a fluid source 50 , as well as other subsystems of note , each of which is described in more detail later . infusion delivery means 2 delivers infusion fluid from fluid source 50 to patient 3 based upon control signals issued by system controller 1 . infusion fluids administered to patient 3 may include but are not limited to chemical agents , analgesics , anesthetics , blood , plasma , antibiotics , crystalloids , saline , and colloids . system controller 1 receives information related to the patient &# 39 ; s health by way patient sensors 4 . patient sensors 4 may comprise one or a plurality of patient sensors including , but not limited to devices that monitor pulse oximetry , blood pressure , capnography , electrocardiogram ( ecg ), electroencephalogram ( eeg ), respiration rate , temperature , patient responsiveness , concentration of respired gases in the blood stream , and perceptive pain assement . pulse oximetry sensors ( such as the voyager manufactured by dolphin medical ) are provided for trans - illumination of a blood - perfused portion of the body to measure light extinction during trans - illumination as is known in the art . the sensor is typically mounted on either a fingertip or earlobe and conforms to the contours of the patient &# 39 ; s body . blood pressure monitors and blood pressure cuffs ( advantage mini from suntech medical instruments ) are comprised of an inflatable fabric cuff that when inflated constricts blood flow through a patient &# 39 ; s arm . the cuff measures the periphery blood vessels pressure and the cuff then provides a patient &# 39 ; s systolic , diastolic , and mean arterial blood pressure . an alternative embodiment involves a blood pressure cuff mounted on the patient &# 39 ; s wrist . a lifewise ™ wrist - cuff blood pressure monitor could easily be adapted to monitor a patient &# 39 ; s blood pressure readings and send a corresponding signal to system controller 1 . capnography modules such as the co 2 waveform analyzer from cardiopulmonary technologies used in conjunction with a standard oral - nasal cannula as are well known in the art , allow for collection of respired gases from a patient and an analysis of respiratory carbon dioxide concentration . an oral - nasal cannula is preferably positioned adjacent to the nose and mouth of a patient to receive the patient &# 39 ; s respired breath . excessive percentage of co 2 found in a patient &# 39 ; s respired breath might indicate an adverse reaction to infused fluids as is well understood by those skilled in the medical arts . the capnography module in combination with the oral - nasal cannula may also be used to monitor a patient &# 39 ; s respiration rate by measuring the time between peak values as recorded by a pressure transducer or other means . electrocardiogram ( ecg ) modules may consist of an m12a front - end ( fe ) module ; differential converter circuit and receiver chip ( 11005 - 012 - 50 rev a1 from mortara ). electrodes attached to the patient emit and receive electrical pulses to diagnose heart rate and vascular disorders . ecg modules are used to measure the rate and regularity of heartbeats , the size and position of the chambers , the presence of any damage to the heart , and the effects of drugs . electroencephalogram ( eeg ) modules are comprised of a plurality of electrodes fixed to a patient &# 39 ; s head to detect electrical activity of the brain . this electrical activity can indicate information such as brain activity levels and neural disorders . furthermore , an eeg device may be used to measure a patient &# 39 ; s respiratory rate by a technique known as transthoracic impedance ( tti ). in tti , eeg electrodes are attached to a patient &# 39 ; s trunk . electrical signals are sent from the electrodes and the time required for the signals to return to the electrodes is measured . the difference in time can be indicative of the oxygen content of the patient &# 39 ; s body , particularly the lungs . consequently , respiration rate may be determined by taking a plurality of eeg measurements over a period of time . a patient responsiveness device , similar to the device disclosed in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 791 , 959 to katz and nesbitt , may be used in conjunction with the above - mentioned sensors . this device comprises a query initiate device and a query response device . the patient response system operates by obtaining a patient &# 39 ; s attention with the query initiate device and commanding the patient to activate the query response device . the query initiate device may be any type of stimulus such as a speaker via an earpiece , which provides an auditory command to a patient to activate the query response device . the query response device may be a hand piece that can take the form of for example , a toggle or rocker switch or a depressible button or other movable member hand held or otherwise accessible to the patient so that the member can be moved or depressed by the patient upon the patient &# 39 ; s receiving the auditory or other instruction to respond . alternatively , a vibrating hand mechanism may be incorporated into the hand piece that cues the patient to activate the query response device . in one embodiment , the query initiate device is a cylindrical handheld device containing a small 12vdc bi - directional motor enabling the handheld device to vibrate the patient &# 39 ; s hand to solicit a response ( fig5 ) system controller 1 may serve to monitor the time delay between a signal generated by the query initiate device and a patient &# 39 ; s response as recorded by query response device . an excessive time delay from the query to the response may indicate that a patient is experiencing an adverse reaction to the infused fluid , particularly if the infused fluid is a sedative and the patient is becoming over sedated . the time may be compared to a predetermined threshold value and if found to be outside an appropriate time range , system controller 1 will command infusion delivery means 2 to adjust the fluid flow rate through iv line 14 to a more acceptable range . in a second expression of the invention , a breath analyzer 33 is incorporated as part of the invention to detect the concentration of an infused fluid , for example , propofol , in a patient &# 39 ; s blood stream as described in us20050022811 to kiesele et al . as shown in fig2 , breathing gas sensor 33 is fluidly connected to a patient &# 39 ; s airway and electrically connected to system controller 1 . breathing gas sensor 33 may be a co2 , o2 volume flow or temperature sensor to measure characteristics of a patient &# 39 ; s respiratory gases . propofol sensor 34 located downstream of breathing gas sensor 33 also receives exhaled patient gases . propofol sensor 34 is further fluidly connected to a downstream pump 35 . propofol sensor 34 may be an electrochemical gas sensor , saw ( surface acoustic wave ) sensor , ion mobility sensor , a gas chromatography , mass spectrometer , or a combination of a gas chromatograph and an ion mobility or mass spectrometer . system controller 1 is connected with propofol sensor 34 and pump 35 , so that system controller 1 actuates pump 35 for a sampling breathing gas depending on the signal of breathing gas sensor 33 . propofol sensor 34 sends a measured signal for concentration of propofol to system controller 1 . in an alternate embodiment of the second expression , breathing gas sensor 33 receives respiration parameters from system controller 1 and actuates pump 35 such that propofol sensor 34 measures ( for example ) the end tidal propofol concentration in the respiratory flow breathed out . the mode of operation in the measuring system is such that depending on the measured signal of breathing gas sensor 33 , which is especially a co2 sensor , pump 35 is actuated by system controller 1 , so that samples reproducible in respect to the propofol content , especially of alveolar air , are delivered for the propofol measurement from the respiratory flow . in still another alternate embodiment of the second expression , system controller 1 monitors a patient &# 39 ; s respired gases in the event a patient sensor 4 , such as for example , a responsiveness monitor , indicates a patient is sedated or when a patient &# 39 ; s blood oxygen saturation falls below a vital sign threshold value 5 ( fig7 ). the concentration of propofol as measured by propofol sensor 34 will be used as a baseline value . subsequent measurements that indicate the propofol concentration is greater than the baseline value will prompt system controller 1 to reduce the flow of infused fluids ( in this example , propofol ) to the patient 3 . a third expression of the invention includes means for assessing arousal , pain and stress during fluid infusion . as described in us2004 / 0015091 to greenwald and dahan , ecg electrodes and a photo - plethysmography ( ppg ) device may be used concurrently to generate a pulse transit time ( ptt ) value that may be interpreted to evaluate the patient &# 39 ; s consciousness as well as stress and pain levels . as shown in fig3 , system controller 1 continuously monitors ecg and ppg waveforms , both monitors are represented by item 4 . for each cardiac cycle , fiducial points are identified to indicate the pulse onset time ( as measured by ecg ) and pulse arrival time ( as measured by ppg ). the onset and arrival times for each cardiac cycle are paired , and the time difference or pulse transit time ( ptt ) is the interval estimate for that beat . system controller 1 monitors trends in ptt values for a rapid decrease or increase . a rapid decrease will result in system controller 1 prompting infusion delivery means 2 to provide supplemental infusion fluid to patient 3 , while a rapid increase in ptt will result in system controller 1 prompting infusion delivery means 2 to reduce the flow of infusion fluid to patient 3 . an alternate embodiment of the third expression incorporates an entropy module , such as for example , the s / 5 entropy module developed by datex - ohmeda division , instrumentation corp . as described in us20030055355 , the entropy module monitors the change in entropy of an eeg signal . interpretation of an entropy level can give a clinician an indication of the depth of anesthesia of a patient . a high level of signal entropy indicates a patient is fully awake and alert , conversely , as the entropy level approaches zero , a patient is entering a deep level of anesthesia . an entropy module may be incorporated into system controller 1 or may be electronically connected to system controller 1 . in either case , system controller 1 will evaluate the trend in entropy level and will prompt infusion delivery means 2 to alter the flow of infusion fluid to patient 3 accordingly . a combination of the above devices may be used to provide a more sound evaluation of the patient &# 39 ; s condition . in one expression , patient sensors 4 comprise a pulse oximetry sensor that measures the percentage of oxygen found in a patient &# 39 ; s bloodstream and a non - invasive blood pressure sensor for measuring a patient &# 39 ; s systolic and diastolic blood pressure . it is understood in the art that measuring a patient &# 39 ; s blood oxygen saturation and blood pressure provides an indication of the relative health of a patient . blood pressure and blood oxygen saturation levels are of particular importance in assessing the effects of sedative drugs upon a patient . various patient sensor 4 combinations are shown to illustrate the modularity of the current device . as an example , fig1 depicts the current invention with a lone pulse oximeter sensor , while fig4 depicts the current invention with a both a pulse oximeter sensor 4 and blood pressure device 4 . other combinations of sensors can be used such as a blood pressure cuff 4 and a patient responsiveness monitor 4 as shown in fig5 . now referring to fig1 , a fourth expression of the invention includes detectors in iv line 14 for detecting the presence or absence of infusion fluid in iv line 14 . a fluid detection sensor 31 a continuously monitors iv line 14 for the presence of infusion fluid while infusion delivery means 2 is active . upon sensing an absence of fluid in iv line 14 , a signal is sent to system controller 1 which in turn halts further delivery of infusion fluid and alerts the attending clinician by way of status indicator 6 . the fluid detection sensor 31 a may be any of a number of different types of sensors including but not limited to optical sensors , ultrasonic sensors , proximity sensors , or electromagnetic sensors . an air - in - line sensor 31 b monitors iv line 14 for the presence of air bubbles , which may present a danger if air bubbles reach the patient &# 39 ; s bloodstream . the air - in - line sensor 31 b may be any number of different sensor types including optical and ultrasonic sensors . the sensor periodically sends a signal to system controller 1 describing the air content of iv line 14 . this command indicates the amount of air detected in the line over a particular time period . alternatively , the air - in - line sensor 31 b may register an air bubble greater that a predetermined maximum volume . upon receiving a signal from the air - in - line sensor 31 b , system controller 1 will compare the signal with a predetermined threshold value . system controller 1 may maintain , increase , decrease , or halt the flow of fluid similar in a manner similar to that described above relating to sensors 4 . the current invention may also include means to detect an occlusion or blockage in iv line 14 . occlusions pose a risk to the patient in that if the blockage is removed , a sudden bolus of infusion fluid may reach the patient . if the blockage is not removed and pressure continues to increase , iv line 14 or a blood vessel may rupture . to circumvent this situation , an occlusion sensor 31 c , which may be a strain gauge , piezoelectric , or other type of pressure transducer continuously monitors the pressure of iv line 14 . the occlusion sensor 31 c sends an output signal to system controller 1 regarding the pressure of iv tube 14 . system controller 1 will compare the value of the occlusion sensor 31 c with a predetermined pressure threshold . system controller 1 will in turn send an appropriate command to infusion delivery means 2 to reduce or cease the fluid flow . the occlusion senor 31 c , air - in - line sensor 31 b , and fluid detection sensor 31 a all serve to monitor the functionality of infusion delivery means 2 . these three sensors will collectively be referred to herein as functionality detectors 31 , and are schematically depicted in fig1 . now referring to fig6 , a fifth expression of the invention includes the capability to deliver two or more infusion fluids 50 and 52 to a patient simultaneously . in a first embodiment , the alternative infusion fluid ( s ) will be supplied to patient 3 by way of alternate infusion delivery means 10 . infusion delivery means 2 delivers a first infusion fluid from fluid source 50 to patient 3 while alternate infusion delivery means 10 supplies a second infusion fluid from fluid source 52 . alternate infusion delivery means 10 like infusion delivery means 2 may be a gravity feed device or a fluid pump as described later . all functionality associated with infusion delivery means 2 may be duplicated with such devices as an alternate occlusion detector , alternate free - flow detector , and alternate air - in - line detectors , referred to collectively as alternate functionality detectors 30 . all outputs of alternate functionality detectors 30 are transmitted to system controller 1 which evaluates sensors 4 , functionality detectors 31 , and alternate functionality detectors 30 to regulate the rate of fluid infusion . as shown in fig3 , a clinician may establish an initial infusion profile by programming system controller 1 by way of user interface 7 ( fig1 ). an infusion profile may include the type of fluid to be infused , initial bolus of fluid , maintenance rate , total amount of fluid to be infused , average rate of infusion , and total infusion time . in a second embodiment , a clinician may choose an infusion profile from a stored group of infusion profiles . in addition to setting an infusion profile , a clinician may enter information about the patient by way of user interface 7 and a suggested infusion profile will be calculated based upon patient information and a pre - programmed pharmacological model . after calculation of the suggested infusion profile , the clinician will have the opportunity to reject or allow the infusion profile by indicating so on user interface 7 . the technique of infusing fluids into a patient to achieve a desired effect - site concentration is known as target controlled infusion ( tci ) and is well understood in the sedation and anesthesia arts . an alternative infusion delivery algorithm that may be employed in the current invention is found in u . s . application ser . no . 10 / 886 , 255 filed jul . 7 , 2004 , which discloses a drug delivery algorithm for use in an automated infusion delivery device . an alternative to a pre - programmed infusion profile is a patient controlled fluid delivery device . patient controlled analgesia , and patient controlled sedation are well known in the infusion delivery arts and are easily incorporated into the current invention . after entering an infusion profile , a clinician may enter patient threshold values into system controller 1 . patient threshold values 5 ( fig7 ) are numeric values representing patient vital signs and are electronically stored in system controller 1 . a lower and upper patient threshold value 5 may be set for each physiological parameter measured by patient sensors 4 . for instance , an upper threshold value of 135 / 90 mm hg may be set for a blood pressure sensor while the lower threshold value may be 90 / 50 mm hg . furthermore , functionality threshold values 8 may be entered into system controller 1 . functionality threshold values 8 , similar to patient threshold values 5 , provide an upper and lower limit for functionality detectors 31 and alternate functionality detectors 30 . in an alternate embodiment , system controller 1 may automatically generate threshold values 5 , 8 . these values are based upon pre - programmed algorithms contained in system controller 1 . a clinician may prompt system controller 1 to generate threshold values 5 and 8 , then the clinician may approve , reject , or modify the generated threshold values 5 , 8 . upon establishing the initial flow profile and threshold values 5 and 8 , system controller 1 will prompt infusion delivery means 2 and alternate infusion delivery means 10 to begin delivering infusion fluid to patient 3 . as infusion fluid is being delivered , patient sensors 4 , functionality sensors 31 , and alternate functionality sensors 30 monitor their respective fields . data from sensors 4 , 30 , and 31 are transmitted to system controller 1 for further analysis . data received from sensors 4 are compared against vital sign threshold values 5 . similarly , data received from functionality sensors 30 and 31 , are compared against functionality threshold values 8 . system controller 1 will issue commands to infusion delivery means 2 and 10 to maintain or alter the infusion fluid delivery profile based upon comparisons between sensors 4 , 30 and 31 with threshold values 5 and 8 . these command are an attempt to affect the vital signs of patient 3 and the operating parameters of the infusion delivery means 2 and 10 . infusion delivery means 2 and 10 are devices that physically induce or prohibit the flow of infusion fluid through iv line 14 into patient 3 . the commands issued by system controller 1 to infusion delivery means 2 and 10 may be to increase , maintain , decrease , or cease the current flow of infusion fluid into patient 3 . system controller 1 is a typical electronic controller that is well understood in the art . system controller 1 has the capability to receive multiple input signals from an external source such as sensors 4 and to analyze these signals with a microprocessor . output signals are issued based upon a predetermined software response to particular input signals . the software included in system controller 1 has predefined threshold limits of patient parameters . an input signal above an upper threshold limit will induce system controller 1 to produce an output signal commanding infusion delivery means 2 and 10 to increase the flow of infusion fluid to patient 3 . likewise , an input signal below a lower threshold limit will induce system controller 1 to produce an output signal commanding infusion delivery means 2 and 10 to decrease or cease the flow of infusion to patient . an input signal that is neither below the lower threshold limit nor above the upper threshold limit will induce system controller 1 to maintain the current flow of infusion fluid into patient 3 . examples of medical controllers that are sold today , which could easily be adapted for use in the current invention include ; the cancion crs therapy from orqis medical , the avant ® 2120 sold by nonin medical , and the vital signs monitor 300 series from welch allyn . system controller 1 allows a clinician to establish a threshold hierarchy 9 whereby the actions of system controller 1 in response to sensors 4 , 30 , and 31 are governed in a particular manner . for example , if more than one sensor is in use , a clinician may program system controller 1 to alter infusion delivery means 2 only if all the sensors 4 report patient parameters outside a threshold value . alternatively , particular patient or system parameters may be given a higher priority than others , where only a subset of sensors 4 , 30 , and 31 report a patient or system parameter outside of a threshold value is sufficient alter infusion delivery means 2 . furthermore , system controller 1 may be programmed in a multitude of other ways depending upon clinician preference , which will be obvious to those skilled in the art . now referring to fig8 , system controller 1 may further include a user interface 7 ( fig1 ) to allow a clinician to adjust settings and parameters associated with system controller 1 . user interface 7 ( fig1 ) also includes means to display operating parameters to the clinician indicating the status of system controller 1 , patient 3 and infusion delivery means 2 . in a preferred embodiment , user interface 7 is an lcd touchscreen 26 . lcd touchscreen 26 has both the ability to display patient and system operating parameters and at the same time allow a clinician to provide input into system controller 1 . status indicator 6 is a module electrically connected to system controller 1 that alerts an attending physician of a change in a multitude of operating parameters measured by the current invention . in the event the patient &# 39 ; s physiological parameters reach a dangerous level , status indicator 6 will alert an attending clinician to the patient &# 39 ; s condition and any corrective action already taken by system controller 1 . in certain circumstances , status indicator 6 will alert a clinician to a patient condition requiring clinician intervention . in a first embodiment , status indicator 6 is a light bar 32 comprised of a plurality of led lights as shown in fig8 . light bar 32 may produce a first color to indicate a change in patient condition ; a second color to indicate an action by system controller 1 , and a third color to indicate that clinician intervention is required . additional colors may be used to indicate further changes and operating conditions . a second embodiment comprises an audio output device 25 , such as a speaker or earphone , which produces a unique sound for situations such as a change in patient condition , an action taken by system controller 1 , a request for clinician intervention and other system actions . the unique sound may be a pre - recorded voice apprising the clinician of the patient &# 39 ; s status , and suggesting a course of action . in a third embodiment , text messages are displayed to the user by way of lcd touchscreen 26 , providing detailed information regarding patient &# 39 ; s 3 condition and the current actions of system controller 1 by way of lcd touchscreen 26 . it should be noted that two or more of the embodiments mentioned above might be combined to provide multiple indicia of patient and system conditions . as an example , status indicator may flash a light , emit a sound and display a text message to alert a clinician to a change in patient status . furthermore , the severity of a change may dictate what means status indicator 7 uses to alert a clinician . a loud audio alert , and several flashing lights may signify life - threatening events , while a soft chirp from audio output device 25 may represent a minor change in patient condition . in a first embodiment , infusion delivery means 2 is a gravity feed mechanism which utilizes a variable pressure clamp 20 to contact iv line 14 and physically reduce the cross sectional area of iv line 14 as shown in fig9 a - c . variable pressure clamp 20 consists of two opposably mounted rigid bodies whereby variable body 21 is capable of lateral motion with respect to fixed body 22 as shown in fig9 . movement of variable body 21 is made possible by bi - directional motor 24 . bi - directional motor 24 receives operating commands from system controller 1 in the form of voltage signals . fig9 - a depicts variable pressure clamp 20 in a first closed flow position where iv line 14 has an original cross sectional area of approximately zero . fig9 - b depicts variable pressure clamp 20 in a second intermediate position . bi - directional motor 24 has increased the distance between variable body 21 and fixed body 22 whereby the cross sectional area of iv line 14 is increased by a predictable amount . finally fig9 - c depicts variable pressure clamp 20 in a third free flow position . in this position , bi - directional motor 24 has moved variable body 21 even farther away from fixed body 22 , whereby iv line 14 is completely unobstructed allowing unimpeded flow through iv line 14 . although only three fluid flow positions are shown , bi - directional motor is capable of finely tuning the distance between variable body 21 and fixed body 22 to produce many different fluid flow rates . furthermore , bi - directional motor may move variable body 21 closer to fixed body 22 to decrease the flow rate of infusion fluid as directed by the clinician and system controller 1 . in an alternate embodiment , bi - directional motor 24 may be replaced by a manual engagement knob , which would allow a clinician to manually adjust the amount of engagement between variable body 21 and iv line 14 . in a first embodiment , variable pressure clamp 20 contains biasing springs 23 which have a spring constant sufficiently high to ensure variable body 21 is biased toward a default closed flow position as shown in fig9 - a . biasing springs 23 are included to serve two purposes , the first being a means to prevent inadvertent fluid flow through iv line 14 , the second being a means to compensate for the variances in manufacturing tolerances . infusion fluid allowed to flow freely to the patient 3 , may present a health hazard . biasing variable pressure clamp 20 to the default fluid flow rate to zero mitigates the possibility of experiencing a free flow condition . defaulting the initial fluid flow to zero will calibrate the fluid flow rate as the bi - directional motor 24 retracts variable body 21 by a known distance . similarly , biasing springs 23 will compensate for small variances in tolerances that may lead to a fluid flow rate out of calibration . in a first embodiment system controller 1 issues commands to bi - directional motor 24 to adjust the position of variable body 21 but does not rely on a sensor to detect the rate of fluid flow through iv line 14 . without biasing springs 23 , there is no insurance that variable body 21 is positioned close enough to fixed body 22 to ensure that fluid flow through iv line 14 is zero in the default position . this may lead to fluid being supplied to the patient inadvertently and unexpectedly , which may put the patient at risk . furthermore , the fluid flow rate through iv line 14 will not be known as the variable body 21 retracts from fixed body 22 . in a second embodiment , fluid flow meter 27 ( fig9 - a ) may be introduced into the iv line 14 downstream of variable pressure clamp 20 to monitor the volumetric flow rate , mass flow rate , flow velocity or other flow characteristics through the line and allow system controller 1 to adjust the distance between variable body 21 and fixed body 22 accordingly . either an inline flow meter or an insertion flow meter may be used as is well known in the art . the output of fluid flow meter 27 is sent to system controller 1 which will adjust infusion delivery means 2 to ensure the preferred fluid flow rate is being supplied to the patient 3 . in a third embodiment , infusion delivery means 2 is a peristaltic type pump . a peristaltic pump utilizes a row of peristaltic fingers that sequentially compress and uncompress iv line 14 to create a wavelike motion to induce fluid flow through iv line 14 . the speed of peristaltic motion is governed by voltage signals delivered to infusion delivery means 2 by system controller 1 . in the current invention line 14 is removably attached to fluid reservoir at one end and removably attached to patient 3 at the opposite end . ideally , iv tubing 14 is a segment of tubing specifically adapted for use with a peristaltic pump that may endure a series of deforming impacts and still maintain the original fluid flow properties and flexibility of a line that has not been subject to deforming impacts . alternatively many alternative pumps may be used in place of a peristaltic pump , including but not limited to , bellows , diaphragm , piston , syringe , roller , lobe , and oscillating pumps . now referring to fig1 , the current invention may be adapted to interface with wireless printer 38 . in a first embodiment , system controller 1 transmits relevant data to wireless printer 38 by way of an integrated wireless transmitter 39 . wireless transmitter 39 may incorporate either an ieee 802 . 11 or bluetooth type technology . similarly , wireless printer 38 receives data transmitted from system controller 1 with a wireless receiver 40 . wireless receiver 40 may be either electrically connected or fully integrated with wireless printer 38 . in the event where multiple wireless printers are found in a single location , a clinician may select which printer system controller 1 communicates with . options include , printing to the printer with the strongest wireless signal strength or printing to a designated printer . another implementation of the current invention includes system controller 1 wirelessly communicating with central server system 100 as seen in fig1 . central server system 100 is a typical computer server such as an ibm cluster 1350 xseries 346 or a hp integrity rx8620 - 32 server , which receives information regarding a patient &# 39 ; s condition and operating parameters of system controller 1 . central server system 100 resides is a second room location and is capable of receiving and processing data from multiple system controllers located throughout a health care facility . server user interface 101 allows a clinician or operator to monitor the various system controllers reporting to central server system 100 and to operate the system controllers remotely . this allows a single clinician to monitor multiple system controllers reducing the number of skilled personnel needed to effectively monitor a patient care center . now referring to fig1 , an external display 105 may be used in conjunction with system controller 1 . external display 105 may be a lcd or cathode ray display device , such as for example , the mfgd 5621hd display form barco . in a first embodiment , external display 105 communicates with system controller 1 by way of wireless or infrared technology . system controller 1 utilizes wireless transmitter 39 to transmit data to external display 105 . data to be transmitted may include , information pertaining to the health of patient 3 , information pertaining to the operation of the device as described by functionality detectors 30 and 31 . furthermore , the output of status indicator 6 may be duplicated by external display 105 . the interface between external display 105 and system controller 1 allows for a periodic verification of connection . in a first embodiment , external display sends a signal to system controller 1 indicating either an error is present in external display 105 or that no error is present in external display 105 . an error may include conditions where external display 105 is not functioning properly . upon receiving an error signal , system controller 1 will take appropriate action , which may include reducing the flow of infusion fluid to patient 3 and / or alerting a clinician of the change in status . a clinician may specify what action is to be taken by entering threshold values 5 ( fig7 ) into system controller 1 by way of user interface 7 . additional signals to be sent from external display 105 including an identifier unique to external display 105 whereby system controller 1 will recognize the identifier and associate all data from a particular identifier with a particular external monitor 105 . while aspects , embodiments and examples , etc . thereof , it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or limit the spirit and scope of the appended claims to such detail . numerous other variations , changes , and substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention . for instance , system controller and components thereof of the invention have application in robotic assisted surgery taking into account the obvious modifications of such systems and components to be compatible with such a robotic system . it will be understood that the foregoing description is provided by way of example , and that other modifications may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims .
0
referring to the drawings in general , and more particularly to fig1 , shown therein is a top view of a disc drive 100 constructed in accordance with the present invention . the disc drive 100 includes a basedeck 102 that has several fastener receptacles 104 , the basedeck 102 supporting various disc drive components , and a top cover 106 ( shown in part ), with several mounting apertures ( not separately shown ), secured to the basedeck 102 by top cover fasteners 108 . the installed top cover 106 together with the basedeck 102 provides a sealed internal environment for the disc drive 100 . numerous details of and variations for the construction of the disc drive 100 are not included in the following description as such are well known to those skilled in the art and are believed to be unnecessary for the purpose of describing the present invention . mounted to the basedeck 102 is a ramp load snubber assembly 110 secured to the basedeck 102 by a fastener 112 , and a spindle motor 114 with a top cover attachment aperture 116 . the spindle motor 114 supports several discs 118 for rotation at a constant high speed , the discs 118 mounted on a spindle motor hub 120 that are secured by a clampring 122 with clampring fasteners 124 . in addition to providing support for the stacked discs 118 , the spindle motor hub 120 also provides a timing mark 126 used during the assembly process to reference the angular location of a source of rotational imbalance . adjacent the discs 118 is an actuator assembly 128 ( also referred to as an “ e - block ” or a head stack assembly ( hsa )) which pivots about a bearing assembly 130 in a rotary fashion . the bearing assembly supports a beveled pick and place member 132 that serves as a tooling grip during assembly operations . the hsa 128 includes actuator arms 134 ( only one shown ) that support load arms 136 . each load arm 136 in turn supports read / write heads 138 , with each of the read / write heads 138 corresponding to a surface of one of the discs 118 . as mentioned , each of the discs 118 has a data recording surface divided into concentric circular data tracks 140 ( only one shown ), and the read / write heads 138 are positionably located over data tracks to read data from , or write data to , the tracks . the hsa 128 is controllably positioned by a voice coil motor assembly ( vcm ) 142 , comprising an actuator coil 144 immersed in the magnetic field generated by a magnet assembly 146 . a magnetically permeable flux path is provided by a steel plate 148 ( also called a top pole piece ) mounted above the actuator coil 144 to complete the magnetic circuit of the vcm 142 . when controlled dc current is passed through the actuator coil 144 , an electromagnetic field is setup , which interacts with the magnetic circuit of the vcm 142 to cause the actuator coil 144 to move relative to the magnet assembly 146 in accordance with the well - known lorentz relationship . as the actuator coil 144 moves , the hsa 128 pivots about the bearing assembly 130 , causing the heads 138 to move over the surfaces of the discs 118 thereby allowing the heads 138 to interact with the data tracks 140 of the discs 118 . when the disc drive 100 is turned off , the vcm 142 parks the hsa 128 on the ramp load snubber assembly 110 to avoid shock induced contact between the read / write heads 138 and the discs 118 . to provide the requisite electrical conduction paths between the read / write heads 138 and disc drive read / write circuitry ( not shown ), read / write head wires ( not shown ) are affixed to a read / write flex circuit 150 . next the read / write flex 150 is routed from the load arms 136 along the actuator arms 134 and into a flex circuit containment channel 152 and on to a flex connector body 154 . the flex connector body 154 supports the flex circuit 150 during passage of the read / write flex circuit 150 through the basedeck 102 and into electrical communication a disc drive printed circuit board assembly ( pcba ) ( not shown ) mounted to the underside of the basedeck 102 . the flex circuit containment channel 152 also supports read / write signal circuitry 156 used to condition read / write signals passed between the read / write circuitry ( not shown ) and the read / write heads 138 . the disc drive pc ba provides the disc drive read / write circuitry , which controls the operation of the heads 138 , as well as other interface and control circuitry for the disc drive 100 . to maintain the sealed internal environment for the disc drive 100 , a seal gasket 158 is molded on to the top cover 106 . top cover 106 has a multitude of gasket attachment apertures 160 through , which gasket material flows during the gasket molding process . a continuum of symmetrically formed gasket material is disposed on both the top and bottom surfaces of the top cover 106 and injected through the apertures 160 . during the cure process , the gasket material injected into the gasket attachment apertures 160 bonds the portion of the seal gasket adjacent the top surface of the top cover 106 to the portion of the seal gasket adjacent the bottom portion of the top cover 106 , thereby sealing the gasket attachment apertures 160 and forming the seal gasket 158 . a gasket material found to be useful for this application is “ fluorel ” by the 3m company , and more specifically , 3m “ fluorel ”, fe - 5621q . the disc drive 100 has two primary assemblies , the pcba ( not shown ) and a head disc assembly ( hda ) 162 attached to the pcba . the hda 162 typically contains the mechanically active assemblies and components of the disc drive 100 . typically included within the hda 162 are the hsa 128 , the vcm 142 and a disc stack 164 sustained within the sealed environment created when the top cover 106 supporting the seal gasket 158 is secured to the basedeck 102 by fasteners 108 . the disc stack 164 is formed by stacking discs 118 , interleaved with spacer rings ( not shown ), on the spindle hub 120 of the spindle motor 114 and securing the stack with the clampring 122 and fasteners 124 . during operation of the disc drive 100 , spinning discs 118 generate airflow consistent with the direction of rotation of the spinning discs 118 . to reduce chances of a catastrophic failure of the disc drive 100 caused by particulate contamination internal to the hda 162 , an air filter 166 is provided internal to the hda 162 to trap airborne particulate either present following assembly or generated during operation of the disc drive 100 . fig2 shows a basedeck assembly 168 to include the basedeck 102 , the disc pack assembly 168 , the air filter 166 , a bottom pole piece 170 supporting a rare earth magnet 172 and a head stack assembly post 174 supporting a removably attached tolerance ring 176 . the bottom pole piece 170 , with the rare earth magnet 172 , together with the top pole pieces 148 , supporting a second rare earth magnet ( not shown ), form the magnet assembly 146 and the actuator coil 144 collectively form the vcm 142 . the basedeck assembly 168 together with an installed hsa 128 , magnet assembly 146 and top cover 106 combined to form the hda 162 of fig1 . fig3 shows the flex connector body 154 with the attached flex circuit 150 supporting a machine - readable head stack assembly serial number 178 . in a preferred embodiment machine - readable head stack assembly serial number 178 is a barcode but could also be characters capable of being optically recognized using optical character recognition software ( ocr ) or other comparable coding methodologies . the serial number 178 represents the physical characteristics for a particular hsa 128 that includes information such as the number and type of read / write heads 138 the hsa 128 contains , the type of bearing assembly 130 or the type of actuator coil 144 supported by the hsa 128 . fig4 shows the disc drive 100 with a machine - readable head disc assembly serial number 180 . also shown by fig4 is the mechanical interface between the bearing assembly 130 of the hsa 128 and the tolerance ring 176 removably attached to the head stack assembly post 172 . the bearing assembly 130 includes the beveled pick and place member 132 , and an inner race 182 separated by a bearing 184 from an outer race 186 . during installation of the hsa 128 into the basedeck assembly 168 the inner race 182 of the bearing assembly 130 forcefully engages the tolerance ring 176 as the hsa 128 is pressed onto the tolerance ring 176 through application of a compressive load on the hsa 128 . fig5 shows a tooling hole 188 provided in the actuator arms 134 to supporting the load arms 136 . typically , the load arms 136 are affixed to the actuator arms 134 through a process referred to as swaging . the swaging process normally involves alignment of the load arms 136 with the actuator arms 134 and passage of a swage tool through the tooling hole 188 . a tooling hole 190 is provided to facilitate alignment and containment of an actuator body 192 during assembly of the hsa 128 , including the swaging process . actuator coil support arms 194 support the actuator coil 144 of the hsa 128 and serve as reference surfaces , along with tooling hole 190 , for alignment of the hsa 128 in preparation for installation of the hsa 128 into head disc assembly 162 . additionally , fig5 shows actuator coil leads 196 electrically communicating with the read / write flex circuit 150 , the actuator coil leads 196 conduct current from the read / write flex circuit 150 to the actuator coil 144 , facilitating operation of the vcm 142 . to initiate the process of installing the hsa 128 onto the tolerance ring 176 , an operator completes a series of inspection and preparation steps . the operator first checks the flex connections ( not separately shown ) and the bearing assembly 130 to assure the hsa 128 is intact . next the operator manually removes a shipping constraint ( not shown ), used to protect the hsa 128 during shipment , and adjusts the head stack assembly installation comb 198 to complete the preparation and inspection steps . fig6 shows the relationship between the various members and components of the hsa 128 . the majority of mass of the hsa 128 is concentrated around the axis of rotation of the bearing assembly 130 and is made up by the actuator body 192 and the bearing assembly 130 . the actuator body 192 supports the actuator coil support arms 194 , the actuator arms 134 and bearing assembly 130 . the beveled pick and place member 132 is supported by the bearing assembly 130 and protrudes about the top plain of the actuator body 192 . the beveled pick and place member 132 provides a grip for handling the hsa 128 during installation of the hsa 128 into the basedeck assembly 168 of the hda 162 of the disc drive 100 . fig7 shows a head stack assembly installation system 200 with a frame 202 supporting a head stack assembly installation tool 204 and a computer 206 . for a preferred embodiment , the computer 206 is shown adjacent the head stack assembly installation tool 204 and supported by the frame 202 . however , the head stack assembly installation tool 204 and the computer 206 need not be proximately located , one to the other . electronic communication between the head stack assembly installation tool 204 and the computer 206 is sufficient to operate the head stack assembly installation tool 204 during installation of the hsa 128 into the hda 162 . the computer 206 is a host for an installation software program ( not shown ) that has installation software program steps . the computer 206 is used to calculate position and force data from position and force parameter measurements gathered by the head stack assembly installation tool 204 during the process of installing the actuator assembly 128 into the basedeck assembly 168 of the hda 162 . the installation software program directs and controls process steps executed by the head stack assembly installation tool 204 , based on the position and force data calculated by the computer 206 from the position and force parameter measurements gathered by the head stack assembly installation tool 204 . the head stack installation tool 204 has a main plate 208 that provides a nesting position 210 , an installation position 212 and a robotic assembly 214 . the nesting position 210 provides a tooling pin 216 that communicates with the tooling hole 190 of the hsa 128 ; a connector nest 218 , which cradles and aligns the flex connector body 154 of the hsa 128 with the actuator body 192 for installation of the hsa 128 into the hda 162 ; and head stack assembly alignment pins 220 that interface with the actuator coil support arms 194 to maintain the hsa 128 in a predetermined position prior to installation of the hsa 128 into the basedeck assembly 168 . the installation position 212 aligns the basedeck assembly 168 of the hda 162 for installation of the hsa 128 into the basedeck assembly 168 . adjacent the installation position 212 is a lift and locate assembly 222 that lifts the basedeck assembly 168 from a conveyor ( not shown ) and locates the basedeck assembly 168 within the installation position 212 . additionally , the main plate 208 supports a head stack assembly scanner head 224 adjacent the nesting position 210 to read the machine readable head stack assembly serial number 178 ; a head disc assembly scanner head 226 adjacent the installation position 212 to read the machine readable head disc assembly serial number 180 ; a head stack assembly present sensor 228 adjacent the head stack assembly alignment pins 220 to detect the presence of hsa 128 in the nesting position 210 ; and a head disc assembly present sensor 230 adjacent the installation position 212 to detect the presence of the basedeck assembly 168 within the installation position 212 . the robotic assembly 214 has an end effector assembly 232 supported by a vertical slide assembly 234 , which in turn is supported by a horizontal slide assembly 236 that is directly supported by the main plate 208 . the position of the vertical slide assembly 234 during the operation of the head stack assembly installation system 200 is reported to the computer 206 by a vertical slide digital sensor 238 located adjacent the vertical slide 234 . the position of the horizontal slide assembly 236 , during the operation of the head stack assembly installation system 200 , is reported to the computer 206 by a horizontal slide digital sensor 240 positioned adjacent the horizontal slide 236 . the end effector assembly 232 uses the beveled pick and place member 132 of the hsa 128 to grip the hsa 128 for installation onto the tolerance ring 176 . the end effector assembly 232 also has a pair of opposing positionable flex connector grippers 242 configured to communicate with the flex connector body 154 . a pair of opposing positionable flex connector grippers 242 maintain alignment of the flex connector body 154 in relation to the actuator body 192 while the robotic assembly 214 is pressing the hsa 128 onto the tolerance ring 176 during the process of installing the hsa 128 into the basedeck assembly 168 of the hda 162 . a pneumatic cylinder housing 244 supports the pair of opposing positionable flex connector grippers 242 as well as supporting a pneumatic cylinder ( not shown ) used to operate the pair of opposing positionable flex connector grippers 242 . as shown in fig7 , a communication interface electronics assembly 246 is mounted internal to the computer to 206 . however , like the computer 206 itself , the communication interface electronics assembly 246 need not be proximately located to the computer 206 , but rather , electronic communication between the communication interface electronics assembly 246 and the computer 206 is sufficient to operate the head stack assembly installation tool 204 during installation of the hsa 128 into the hda 162 . the communication interface electronics assembly 246 cooperates with a measurement assembly 247 that includes a radial displacement potentiometer 248 , a linear variable differential transformer 250 ( lvdt ), and a load cell 252 . the radial displacement potentiometer 248 is supported by the end effector assembly 232 and electronically communicates with the communication interface electronics assembly 246 during the process of installing the hsa 128 into the basedeck assembly 168 . the radial displacement potentiometer 248 measures position parameters of the gripping action of the end effector assembly 232 during installation process , and reports the measurements to the computer 206 through the communications interface electronics assembly 246 . the lvdt 250 is supported by the vertical slide assembly 234 and electronically communicates with the communication interface electronics assembly 246 during the installation process . the lvdt 250 measures parameters of vertical distance traveled by the vertical slide 234 relative to the head stack assembly post 174 and reports the measured parameters to the computer 206 . the load cell 252 is supported by the end effector assembly 232 and electronically communicates with the communication interface electronics assembly 246 during the hsa 128 to hda 162 installation process . the load cell 252 measures parameters of mechanical resistance between the tolerance ring 176 and hsa 128 , while the hsa 128 is being pressed onto the tolerance ring 176 to install the hsa 128 into the hda 162 . fig8 shows a gripper 254 of the end effector 232 . included in the gripper 254 is a radially disposed positionable gripper sections 258 linked to operate in unison and attached to a gripper housing 260 . each gripper section 258 supports a gripper finger 262 that is shaped to conform to the slope of the external surface of the beveled pick and place member 132 . each of the radially disposed positionable gripper sections 258 is coupled to the potentiometer 248 by a potentiometer coupling arm 264 . a push pad ( also referred to as a “ centering post ”) 266 is attached to the gripper housing 260 and circumvented by the radially disposed positionable gripper sections 258 . the radially disposed positionable gripper sections 258 move toward the push pad 266 contacting beveled pick and place member 132 to align the hsa 128 to the end effector assembly 232 . alignment of the hsa 128 to the end effector assembly 232 includes alignment of the top inner race 182 to the push pad 266 . during the installation process the gripper fingers 262 remain in contact with the beveled pick and place member 132 until contact is established between the hsa 128 and the head stack assembly post 174 . upon measurement of initial contact between the hsa 128 and the hda 162 , and reporting of that measured contact to the computer 206 by the load cell 252 , the radially disposed positionable gripper sections 258 disengage contact with the beveled pick and place member 132 . the push pad 266 remains in contact with the inner race of the bearing assembly 130 to transfer the compressive load delivered by the end effector assembly 232 to the hsa 128 during the process of pressing the hsa 128 onto the tolerance ring 176 of the hda 162 . retracting the radially disposed positionable gripper sections 958 front contact with the beveled pick and place member 132 during the process of pressing the hsa 128 into position reduces the chances of the bearing 184 being damaged during installation process . fig9 shows the interaction between the gripper fingers 262 , the push pad 266 and the beveled pick and place member 132 . the gripper fingers 262 provide a slope surface 268 that conforms to the slope of the outer surface of the beveled pick and place member 132 while the push pad 266 provides a shouldered outer diameter 270 that is inserted into the inner race of the pick and place member 132 . when activated to engage the hsa 128 , the radially disposed positionable gripper sections 258 contact the outer surface of the bevel pick and place member 132 and align the hsa 128 to the end effector assembly 232 by positioning the inner surface of the pick and place member 132 into contact with the outer diameter 270 of the push pad 266 . fig1 shows a central processing unit 272 ( cpu ) electronically communicating with recordable media 274 . the recordable media 274 holds an installation software program ( not separately shown ) that has installation software program steps to carry out the assembly herein described . the term electronically communicating or in electronic communication does not necessarily mean that the two devices engaging in the communication are physically connected . the term includes devices that are physically connected and devices that are electronically connected via networking links such as infrared communication , radio - frequency communication or through the internet via satellite communication . for example , the recordable media 274 may located in one country , for example the united states , and the cpu 272 could be located in a different country , for example ireland . the two devices , the cpu 272 and the recordable media 274 , are each elements of the head stack assembly installation system 200 , dependent on each other for the functioning of the head stack assembly installation system 200 , but neither is in direct physical contact with the other . they are however , linked , one to the other , electronically as portions of the head stack assembly installation station 200 . fig . also shows the central processing unit 272 in electronic communication with a volatile memory 276 ( also referred to herewithin as random access memory or ram ), a head stack assembly serial number data base 278 and a head disc assembly serial number data base 280 . the central processing unit 272 electronically communicates with the recordable media 274 to upload the installation software program into the ram 276 prior to execution of the installation process . during the installation process the installation software operates out of the ram 276 . in addition to containing an active version of the installation software program the ram 276 also temporarily stores information communicated to the computer 206 from the communication interface electronics assembly 246 . the stored information includes a head stack present signal ( not shown ), detected by the head stack digital sensor 228 , a head disc present signal ( not shown ), detected by the head disc assembly present digital sensor 230 , a value ( not shown ) representing the head stack assembly serial number 178 , provided by the head stack assembly scanner head 224 and a value ( not shown ) presenting the head disc assembly serial number 180 , provided by the head disc assembly scanner head 226 . during operation of the head stack assembly installation system 200 additional data regarding position and force parameters encountered by the hsa 128 during the installation process as well as position data for the radially disposed positionable gripper sections 258 , the vertical slide assembly 234 and the horizontal slide assembly 236 are gathered and written to the ram 276 on a real - time basis . the position of the horizontal slide assembly 236 is monitored and reported to the communication interface electronics 246 by the linear horizontal slide digital sensor 240 , the position of the vertical slide assembly 234 is monitored and reported to the communication interface electronics 246 by the linear vertical slide digital sensor 238 , while position data for the gripper sections 258 is continually monitored by the radial displacement potentiometer 248 . the position and force parameter measurements encountered by the hsa 128 while being pressed onto the tolerance ring 176 are made and supplied to the ram 267 by the linear variable differential transformer 250 and the load cell 252 respectively . two additional elements of the head stack installation system 200 are shown by fig1 . in electronic communication with the cpu 272 are the hsa serial number data base 278 and the hda serial number data base 280 , the hsa serial number data base 278 containing the physical characteristics of each hsa 128 available for installation into each hda 164 , while the hda serial number data base 280 contains the physical characteristics of each hda 164 available for receipt of the hsa 128 . prior to joining each available hsa 128 with each available hda 164 , the installation software program instructs the cpu 272 to read the serial number 178 of the hsa 128 from ram 276 , query the hsa serial number data base 278 and retrieve the physical characteristics information contained within the hsa serial number data base 278 for the hsa 128 serial number read from the ram 276 . the installation software program then instructs the cpu 272 to read the serial number 180 from ram 276 , query the hda serial number data base 280 and retrieve the physical characteristics information contained within the hda serial number data base 280 for the hda 164 serial number read from the ram 276 . the software installation program then instructs the cpu 272 to compare the physical characteristics of the hda 164 and the hsa 128 to one another , to ensure compatibility prior to proceeding with the installation of the hsa 128 into the hda 164 . fig1 shows a main process decision flow 300 utilized by the installation software program to grip the hsa 128 in preparation for installation of the hsa 128 into the hda 164 of the disc drive 100 . once a start step 302 , of the installation software program steps is initialized , three decision steps follow . the first decision step , hda in position 304 , verify the presence of the hda 164 within the installation position 212 of the main plate 208 . the second decision step , hsa positioned in the nest 306 , verifies the presence of hsa 128 in the nesting position 212 of the main plate 208 and the third decision step , hsa serial number entered 308 , verifies the presence of the serial number 178 within the ram 276 . the main process decision flow 300 shows the installation software program instructs the robotic assembly 214 to grip the hsa 128 and proceed to predefined process steps install hsa decision flow 320 ( of fig1 ), provided responses of the three decision steps are affirmative along with an affirmative response from a decision step hsa and hda compatible 310 . in addition to the specifically identified decision steps , the main process decision flow 300 shows the decision loops entered into by the installation software program if a non affirmative response is encountered from one of the specifically identified decision steps . the software installation program remains in the decision loop until the installation software program , from that decision loop , receives an affirmative response . fig1 shows the install hsa decision flow 320 of the installation software program utilized by the installation software program to engage the tolerance ring 176 with the hsa 128 . a start step 322 is the first installation software program step of the install hsa decision flow 320 . there are two primary decision steps involved in the install hsa decision flow 320 . the first , a hsa engaged post 324 , initiates step 326 upon successful engagement of the head stack assembly post 174 with the hsa 128 . installation software program step 326 directs the actions of ; releasing the radially disposed positionable gripper sections 258 from contact with the beveled pick and place member 132 , applying a compressive load on the hsa 128 with the robotic assembly 214 , and collecting force and distance parameters from the load cell 252 and the lvdt 250 respectively . upon successful completion of the second decision step , slide stopped moving 328 , the installation software program initiates step 330 , an action of raising the vertical slide 234 to discontinue application of the compressive load on the hsa 128 and to proceed to an analyze force and position data — decision flow 340 ( of fig1 ), another predefined sequence of process steps of the installation software program . the install hsa decision flow 320 shows the decision loops entered into by the installation software program should a non affirmative response be a result of one of the decision steps . the software installation program remains in a decision loop until the installation software program receives , from either of the decision steps 324 or 328 , an affirmative response . however , should the software installation program receive an affirmative response from a slide not moving 332 decision step , the installation software program directs the robotic assembly 214 to return the hsa 128 to the nest position 210 and displays a message on a display 334 for the operator to resolve the conflict and restart the process at main decision flow 300 . fig1 shows the analyze force and position data — decision flow 340 of the installation software program utilized by the installation software program to measure and analyze forces and positions encountered by the hsa 128 while engaging the tolerance ring 176 , as the robotic assembly presses the hsa 128 into the basedeck assembly 168 . a start step 342 is the first installation software program step of the analyze force and position data — decision flow 340 . the software installation program incorporates a force to distance ratio equation 344 to monitor installation of the hsa 128 onto the tolerance ring . during the installation process , process parameter measurements representing force and distance are gathered by the head stack installation tool 204 ( of fig7 ) and electronically communicated to the computer 206 ( of fig7 ). the computer 206 manipulates the measurements by converting the measurements into values and substituting those values into equation 344 . the resulting calculated value , a slope , is compared to predetermined value dynamic slope v of decision step 348 . turning to fig1 , the predetermined value v is empirically derived for forces typically encountered by the hsa 128 while being pressed onto the tolerance ring 176 at specific increments of distance encountered by the hsa 128 while traveled along the tolerance ring 176 and found to have a maximum value of 600 , 358 . the software also monitors mechanical resistance encounter during the process at time intervals of about every 50 milliseconds over the distance traveled by the hsa 128 while traveled along the tolerance ring 176 . empirically gathered mechanical resistance data yielded a mechanical resistance as a function of position ( f ( p )) curve 360 . the mechanical resistance as a function of position curve 360 was arrived at through normal curve fitting techniques , relating the mechanical resistance encountered by the hsa 128 while being pressed onto the tolerance ring 176 to a point representing the distance covered by the head stack assembly at the point in time the mechanical resistance was encountered . a tolerance of about plus and minus 5 % of the mechanical resistance encountered by the hsa 128 in any region of the tolerance ring 176 was elected and applied to the force curve resulting in a family of values representing dynamic force thresholds 362 against which actual measured process data can be dynamically compared . forces encountered that fall outside the dynamic , either insufficient or excessive , trigger the head stack assembly installation station to abort the process . returning to fig1 , the equation ( f = f ( p ) +/− x ) and slop & lt ; v of 348 is interpreted to mean ; should the force ( f ) measured as encountered by the hsa 128 at a position ( p ) while being pressed onto the tolerance ring 176 fall outside the empirically derived force as a function of position ( f ( p )) curve , plus or minus ( x ), about 5 % of the force empirically found to be encountered at position ( p ) along the tolerance ring 176 during the mating process , the process will be aborted . and , should the force ( f ) measured as encountered by the hsa 128 at a position ( p ) while being pressed onto the tolerance ring 176 fall within the empirically derived mechanical resistance as a function of position ( f ( p )) curve 360 ( of fig1 ), plus or minus ( x ), about 5 % of the mechanical resistance empirically found to be encountered at position ( p ) along the tolerance ring 176 during the mating process , but the slop exceeds a predetermined value , empirically found to be about 600 the process will be aborted . or , if the resultant calculated value falls outside the predetermined value v , the installation software program instructs the head stack installation tool 204 to abort the process , return the hsa 128 to the nest position 210 ( of fig7 ), and display a message on the display 334 reporting the status of the process and instructing the operator to remove the hsa 128 from the nest position 112 , place the next hsa 128 into the nest position 112 and restart the process at process step 300 . however , typically the software installation program remains in decision loops until the installation software program receives , from either of the installation software program steps 346 or 348 , an affirmative response . upon receipt of an affirmative response from either installation software program steps 346 or 348 , the installation software program proceeds to evaluate a course of action to be followed by the head stack installation tool 204 , based on decision steps represented by installation software program steps 350 , 352 , 354 and 356 . in each of the four installation software program steps 350 , 352 , 354 and 356 the installation software program checks process end points for specific values of force or distance encountered by the hsa 128 during the installation process . if the process end point values for the amount of force encountered by the hsa 128 is less than 11 . 34 kilograms , but greater than 0 . 363 kilograms , and the distance traveled by the hsa 128 after encountering the head stack assembly post 174 ( of fig4 ) is greater than z minus 0 . 0254 centimeters , but less than z plus 0 . 0254 centimeters ( where z is typically between 1 . 203 centimeters and 3 . 094 centimeters ), the head stack installation tool 204 has successfully installed the hsa 128 into the hda 162 ( of fig1 ). if the process end point values for the amount of force encountered by the hsa 128 or the distance traveled by the hsa 128 after encountering the head stack assembly post 174 falls outside those parameters , the installation software program instructs the head stack installation tool 204 to abort the installation process attempt , directs the robotic assembly 214 to return the hsa 128 to the nest position 210 and displays a message on a display 334 for the operator to resolve the conflict and restart the process at main decision flow 300 . the present invention provides a head stack assembly installation system ( such as 200 ) with a head stack installation tool ( such as 204 ) electronically communicating with a computer ( such as 206 ) that has an active installation software program directing and controlling process steps enacted by head stack installation tool to install a head stack assembly ( such as 128 ) into a head disc assembly of a disc drive ( such as 100 ). the head stack installation tool provides a nesting position ( such as 210 ) for aligning in staging head stack assembly prior to installation into the head disc assembly , an installation position ( such as 212 ) for locating in securing the head disc assembly while awaiting installation of the head stack assembly , a robotic assembly ( such as 214 ) the robotic assembly includes an end effector assembly ( such as 232 ) supported by a vertical slide assembly ( such as 234 ), which is in turn supported by a horizontal slide assembly ( such as 236 ) that attaches to a main plate ( such as 208 ). a measurement assembly made up of a communications interface electronics assembly ( such as 246 ) electronically communicating with a radial displacement potentiometer ( such as 248 ), a linear variable differential transformer ( such as 250 ), and a load cell ( such as 252 ). the robotic assembly picks and places the head stack assembly into the head disc and the measurement assembly collects and communicates process position and force parameters to the computer for use by the computer in calculating distance and force data . the active installation software program directs and controls enactment of process steps followed by the head stack installation tool by directing the computer to execute installation software program steps based on the position and force data calculated by the computer . it is clear that the present invention is well adapted to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those inherent therein . while a presently preferred embodiment of the invention has been described for purposes of the disclosure , it will be understood that numerous changes can be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art . such changes are encompassed within the spirit of the invention disclosed and as defined in the appended claims .
8
in the following detailed description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of some embodiments of the invention . however , it will be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known methods , procedures , components , units and / or circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the discussion . the terms “ field - programmable gate array ” ( fpga ) or fpga unit as used herein includes , for example , a semiconductor device containing programmable logic components ( e . g ., logic blocks , logic gates , memory blocks , or the like ) and programmable interconnects . the term “ fpga unit ” as used herein includes , for example , a single fpga , a pair of two interconnected fpgas , a set of multiple interconnected fpgas , or the like . in some embodiments , the terms “ fpga ” or “ fpga unit ” may optionally include non - fpga components , for example , a logic device , a programmable logic device , a connectivity device , or the like . although portions of the discussion herein relate , for demonstrative purposes , to a rigid board having fpgas or to fpga units , embodiments of the invention are not limited in this regard and may be used , for example , in conjunction with other logic devices , programmbale logic devices , phy devices ( for example , ethernet phy devices , display or imaging devices ), non - programmable logic devices , dedicated logic devices , connectivity devices , or a combination thereof . although portions of the discussion herein relate , for demonstrative purposes , to a rigid board having two fpgas or two fpga units , embodiments of the invention are not limited in this regard and may be used , for example , in conjunction with rigid boards having a single fpga or a single fpga unit , rigid boards having three fpgas or fpga units , or four ( or other numbers of ) fpgas or fpga units . in some embodiments , two or more of the fpgas ( or fpga units ) located on a common rigid board may be interconnected using one or more connections or wires ( or groups of connections or wires ), may share one or more connections or wires ( or groups of connections or wires ), or the like . in some embodiments , various rigid boards or “ trays ” may include different numbers of fpgas and / or other programmable logic devices . fig1 schematically illustrates a fpga tray 100 in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments of the invention . in some embodiments , tray 100 may include two fpga units , for example , unit 115 and unit 116 . fpga units 115 - 116 may be soldered together or otherwise connected onto a single platform or rigid board 113 , or may be included in a single housing . in some embodiments , fpga units 115 - 116 may include electronics , electronic units and / or logical units , for example , memory blocks , chips , processors , resistors , circuits , logic blocks , logic gates , or the like . fpga units 115 - 116 may be interconnected using one or more connections 140 . wire ensembles ( or other suitable flexible connectivity members ) 120 and 130 may connect between fpga units 115 and 116 , and connectors 121 - 126 and 131 - 136 . in some embodiments , for example , wire ensemble 120 may be associated with unit 115 , and may be located on a side of rigid board 113 ; wire ensemble 130 may be associated with unit 116 , and may be located on an opposite side of rigid board 113 . in other embodiments , for example , a first portion of wire ensemble 120 may be associated with components of fpga unit 115 , whereas a second portion of wire ensemble may be associated with components of fpga unit 116 . similarly , a first portion of wire ensemble 130 may be associated with components of fpga unit 115 , whereas a second portion of wire ensemble 130 may be associated with components of fpga unit 116 . wire ensembles 120 and 130 include multiple wires , cables , links , conductive materials , or the like . in some embodiments , for example , wire ensembles 120 and 130 may include approximately 720 wires , approximately , 710 wires , approximately 700 wires , approximately 730 wires , approximately 740 wires , between 710 and 730 wires , between 700 and 740 wires , or the like . additionally , wire ensembles 120 and 130 may be flexible , as to allow decks or panels 112 and 114 , respectively , to form multiple angles with rigid board 113 or to form a three dimensional structure including rigid board 113 and panels 112 and 114 , e . g ., a u shaped structure . in some embodiments , for example , panels 112 and 114 may form an angle of approximately 90 degrees with rigid board 113 . in other embodiments , other suitable angles may be formed . although portions of the discussion herein relate , for demonstrative purposes , to wire ensembles 120 and 130 having approximately 720 wires , embodiments of the invention may utilize other number of wires , for example , approximately 250 wires , approximately 1 , 000 wires ( e . g ., utilizing three fpgas per rigid board ), approximately 2 , 000 wires ( e . g ., utilizing three fpgas per rigid board having substantially all connections on one side ), hundreds or thousands or wires , or the like . wire ensemble 120 transfers data from fpga units 115 - 116 to connectors 121 - 126 , and vice - versa . for example , a first portion of wires of wire ensemble 120 may be associated with a first component of unit 116 and connected to a first connector , for example , connector 121 ; a second portion of wires of wire ensemble 120 , possibly associated with a second component of fpga unit 116 , or a component of fpga unit 115 , may be connected to a second connector , for example , connector 123 . similarly , a first portion of wires of wire ensemble 130 may be associated with a first component of fpga unit 115 and connected to a first connector , for example , connector 132 ; a second portion of wires of wire ensemble 130 , possibly associated with a second component of fpga unit 115 , or a component of fpga unit 116 , may be connected to a second connector , for example , connector 123 . connectors 121 - 126 and / or 131 - 136 may include an inner wiring mechanism , transforming multiple wires of wire ensembles 120 and / or 130 associated therewith to a single connection . for example , connector 121 may be associated with multiple wires of wire ensemble 120 , and when externally connected to another connector using a bridge , as described herein , the bridge is implemented as a single wire or a single wire unit . although portions of the discussion herein relate , for demonstrative purposes , to flexible wire ensembles 120 and 130 , embodiments of the invention are not limited in this regard and may be used , for example , in conjunction with non - flexible wire ensembles 120 or 130 , e . g ., allowing the panel 112 to be rigidly or semi - rigidly connected to rigid board 113 , and / or allowing the panel 114 to be rigidly or semi - rigidly connected to rigid board 113 , optionally at a right angle of 90 degrees or other suitable ( e . g ., constant ) angles . fig2 schematically illustrates three interconnected trays 210 , 220 and 230 , in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments of the invention . each one of trays 210 , 220 and 230 may be similar to tray 100 of fig1 . some embodiments may allow interconnecting multiple trays , including , for example , physically remote trays . for example , a first connector 212 associated with tray 210 is connected to a connector 231 associated with tray 230 , using a bridge 215 . a second connector 211 associated with tray 210 is connected to connector 221 associated with tray 220 , using bridge 225 . similarly , trays 220 and 230 are connected using bridges 245 and 255 . bridge 255 interconnects connectors 228 and 238 associated with trays 220 and 230 , respectively . bridge 245 interconnects connectors 226 and 232 associated with trays 220 and 230 , respectively . a bridge 265 connects connectors 222 and 223 , both located on tray 220 , thereby connecting externally multiple components of tray 220 . trays 210 , 220 , 230 and / or additional trays may be located one on top of another , besides one another , physically remote one from the other , oriented sideways relative to one another , in a diagonal structure , in a three - dimensional structure , embedded or housed in a common housing or rack or backplane , or in multiple housings or racks or backplanes , or a combination thereof , or the like . multiple other connections between two connectors may be applied using additional bridges , for example , allowing direct physical and / or logical connectivity ( and optionally utilizing indirect physical connectivity ) between substantially every pair of connectors , associated with random components of random trays . bridges 215 , 225 , 245 , 255 , and / or 265 may transfer data or information including high frequency signals , and may be flexible . fig3 schematically illustrates a rigid board with electronic components and side connectors , in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments of the invention . in some embodiments , multiple systems , such as ic or system on chip ( soc ) or asic verification or prototyping , combine a significant number of logic and electronic components with a significant number of unpredictable high - speed connection lines to interconnect multiple parts of the logic and electronic components . accordingly , in some embodiments , a system may include multiple rigid boards to house the multiple logic and electronic components . some embodiments may include a significant number of logic and electronic components , as well as high flexibility for huge and unpredictable i / os density with high - speed performance . in some embodiments , a rigid board including the electronic components and multiple i / o connectors may be located on multiple axes . for example , a rigid board 300 housing electrical components and side connectors 301 - 304 form an angle of approximately 90 degrees . in other embodiments , other angles may be formed , for example , approximately 83 degrees , approximately 104 degrees , approximately 35 degrees , approximately 56 degrees , approximately 120 degrees , approximately 127 degrees , or the like . fig4 schematically illustrates multiple rigid boards , in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments of the invention . in some embodiments , connectors may be placed generally along sides of the rigid board , for example , to increase the number of possible i / os associated with a rigid board . for example , rigid board 410 has connections in two sides , connectors 411 and 412 on a first side , and connectors 413 and 414 on a second , generally opposite side . similarly , rigid board 420 has connections in two sides , connectors 421 and 422 on a first side , and connectors 423 and 424 on a second , generally opposite side . for example , rigid boards 410 and 420 , and possibly similar rigid boards may be located next to one another . architecture of the rigid boards allows a three - dimensional electronics location , and multiple rigid boards are possibly externally connected . additionally , this architecture may allow full air flow that may be needed in order to cool the electronics . fig5 schematically illustrates a rigid board with electronics and a flex - rigid printed circuit board ( pcb ), in accordance with some embodiments of the invention . in some embodiments , a first area including electronic components and a second area including connectors may be physically separated , for example , for routing purposes . for example , rigid board 500 may include electronic components and logic components , and may be connected to rigid connectors 511 and 512 , via flexible connections 501 and 502 , respectively . flexible connections 501 and 502 may include multiple inner wires , for example , approximately 118 or 120 wires , approximately 110 wires , approximately 130 wires , between 110 and 130 wires , or other suitable number of wires ( for example , groups of approximately 10 wires , 120 wires , 180 wires , 240 wires , 300 wires , hundreds or thousands of wires , or the like ), coated with a uniform coat . this may allow , for example , forming an angle between the rigid board and the connectors , as described herein . additionally , some embodiments may allow adding electronics in multiple portions , for example , in connectors 511 and 512 , as well as in connectors included in electronics of rigid board 500 . fig6 schematically illustrates a three dimensional architecture of a system , in accordance with some embodiments of the invention . connectivity between rigid boards may be flexible and fast . for example , system 600 may include ten rigid boards 601 - 610 , located in the vicinity of one another , housed in a rack 630 . in some embodiments , assembly of the rigid boards in a three - dimensional array results in a location of multiple connectors on every side , facing a single direction , thereby suitable to be comfortably connected . external bridges , for example , bridges 611 - 614 , may externally connect connectors of different rigid boards , one with the other . fig7 schematically illustrates a three dimensional architecture of a system , in accordance with some embodiments of the invention . in some embodiments , a generally complete connection may be achieved , by connecting several segments , such that substantially every segment connects a part of the system . an overall system flexibility and connectivity , together with maximum speed performance , may be obtained using multiple connections between similar or dissimilar segments in multiple locations . system 700 may include ten rigid boards 701 - 710 , located in a vicinity of one another , and housed in a rack 730 . for example , generally every rigid board has two connectors on each of the three panels in every side . a connector represents connectivity to a specific component on the rigid board . for example , connectors 716 and 717 connect signals to specific components in rigid boards 706 and 707 , respectively . bridge 721 connects between two internal elements in rigid board 705 , via an external connection . bridge 722 connects between a component included in rigid board 706 , and a component included in rigid board 707 . bridge 723 yields a bus connection , namely , a connection between physically remote rigid boards . fig8 schematically illustrates a system of rigid boards , housed in multiple racks , in accordance with some embodiments of the invention . in some embodiments , rigid boards and frames , or racks , may be connected side by side . in some embodiments , for example , the architecture shown in fig8 , may allow a simple connection between a first element in a first rigid board included in a first rack , and a second element in a second rigid board , included in a second rack , for example , when the rigid boards and / or racks are located side by side . for example , system 800 may include a first set of rigid boards belonging to a first rack 810 , and a second set of rigid boards belonging to a second rack 820 . for example , rigid board 821 of rack 820 may be connected to a first rigid board , 811 , of rack 810 , using an inter - rack connection bridge 831 . similarly , rigid board 821 of rack 820 may be additionally connected to a second rigid board 812 of rack 810 , using an inter - rack connection bridge 832 . fig9 schematically illustrates a multi - rack system 100 having a first rack 910 and a second rack 920 , the first rack 910 located on top of the second rack 920 , in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments of the invention . as described herein , a three - dimensional architecture may allow connecting of two connectors , included in two separate racks , externally . for example , a connector 915 of rigid board 911 of rack 910 , and a connector 925 of rigid board 921 of rack 920 , may be connected using a connection bridge 931 . additional connections are shown . fig1 schematically illustrates a set of identification pins , in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments of the invention . in some embodiments , for example , a connection unit yields a connection between a connector on one rigid board with an additional connector on the same rigid board or on a different rigid board . in some embodiments , for example , a connector has a dedicated pin for identification purposes . a connection between two connectors connects corresponding identification pins . a dedicated identification pin of a connector is connected to a pull - up on the rigid board to which the connector is associated . connectivity identification may include connecting a logical value , for example , a “ 0 ”, to a specific dedicated pin . the identification may include , for example , scanning dedicated pins associated with other connectors and listing connectors , that have pin input of logical “ 0 ”, as connected to the specific dedicated pin . the identification may include repeating the procedure with other dedicated pins , one by one , to have all connection lists . for example , connectors 1002 - 1004 and 1006 are connected together . when assigning a “ 0 ” value to connector 1002 , connectors 1002 , 1003 , 1004 and 1006 will read a “ 0 ” value and all the other slots will read a “ 1 ” value . thereby , a connection between connectors 1002 - 1004 and 1006 may be detected . similarly , when assigning a “ 0 ” value to connector 1001 , connectors 1002 , 1003 , 1004 and 1006 show an associated “ 1 ” value , thereby showing that they are not connected to connector 1001 . in other embodiments , for example , a similar identification method may be used , without dedicated pins for identification . in the identification , one or more nominal pins may be used in double function . for example , during the system identification test , the nominal pin is used as a connectivity identifier , whereas during operation of a system , the nominal pin is used as a regular pin . in other embodiments , for example , identification pins may provide identification and / or setup protocols allowing to add various types of logic . this may provide a solution to complex hardware problems for building , ic / soc / asic development equipment , for example , verification systems , emulators and prototyping environment . some embodiments may include a significant amount of connections , allowed by having as many levels of connectors as required , in every side of the rigid board , connected as described herein . in some embodiments , in which a system is utilized , for example , for design verification of ic / soc / asic , the system may allow to include a considerable amount of electronic components as well as a considerable amount of flexible connectors . some embodiments of the invention may allow a cooling of the system , maintainability , upgradeability and / or other features . in some embodiments , in which electronic components on the rigid boards ( for example , fpgas ) are required to be connected , a fast on - board connection between the fpgas may be utilized , regardless of the location thereof , for example , including in a case in which connected fpgas are embedded on multiple rigid boards included in multiple racks . in some embodiments , a direct connection between generally every pair or group of fpgas or other logic devices may be utilized . fig1 schematically illustrates a block diagram of a fpga tray , in accordance with some embodiments of the invention . in some embodiments , a fpga tray 1100 may include two fpga units 1101 ( fpga 1 ) and 1102 ( fpga 2 ), soldered together , or otherwise embedded , on a rigid board 1103 , connected using a connection 1150 . connection 1150 may include , for example , one or more wires , two wires , one or more dozens of wires , one or more hundreds of wires , one or more thousands of wires , approximately 260 wires or the like . in some embodiments , optionally , connection 1150 may not be included in the fpga tray 1100 , or may include substantially no wires , such that fpga units 1101 and 1102 are not inter - connected . fpga tray 1100 may include a front panel 1110 and a back panel 1120 . in some embodiments , front panel 1110 and back panel 1120 , may include connectors 1111 - 1116 and 1121 - 1126 , respectively . in fig1 , the letter “ j ” in a label of a connector represents the word “ jack ”, or socket , or the like . the letter “ f ” in a label of a connector represents the word “ front ”, indicating that the labeled connector is located in front panel 1110 . the letter “ b ” in a label of a connector represents the word “ back ”, indicating that the labeled connector is located in back panel 1120 . the digit “ 1 ” in a label of a connector , indicates that the labeled connector is associated with unit 1101 . the digit “ 2 ” in a label of a connector , indicates that the labeled connector is associated with unit 1102 . the letter “ d ” in a label of a connector represents the term double data rate ( ddr ), indicating that the labeled connector is associated with a memory of units 1101 or 1102 . the letter “ t ” in a label of a connector represents the word “ transmitter ”, indicating that the labeled connector is associated with a transmission of data from units 1101 or 1102 . the letter “ r ” in a label of a connector represents the word “ receiver ”, indicating that the labeled connector is associated with a receiving of data to units 1101 or 1102 . in some embodiments , unit 1101 may be connected to connectors 1111 - 1116 , using external connections 1121 - 1126 , respectively . a connection from connections 1121 - 1126 may include , for example , approximately 118 wires , or approximately 120 wires , or the like . similarly , unit 1102 may be connected to connectors 1131 - 1136 , using external connections 1141 - 1146 , respectively . a connection from connections 1141 - 1126 may include , for example , approximately 118 wires , or approximately 120 wires , or the like . some embodiments , for example , may allow interconnecting efficiently and rapidly a system including multiple fpga trays ( e . g ., 3 trays , 10 trays , 30 trays , 50 trays , 100 trays , or the like ), thereby including approximately 100 million equivalent asic gates , or more . in some embodiments , a system may be designed to operate at system clock speeds of up to 300 megahertz or other suitable clock speeds or clock frequencies in accordance with available technology . in some embodiments , a rapid locating of bugs in a system may be allowed . some embodiments may utilize a scalable capacity within each system , varying from 5 million to 30 million equivalent asic gates . some embodiments may utilize significant connection flexibility , for example , 974 user inputs / outputs ( i / os ) per fpga , of which 708 i / os may be directly connected to substantially any other fpga . in some embodiments , a system may utilize up to 14 , 160 high - speed user i / os to connect the system to hardware of a user or other systems . in some embodiments , a system may include 4 , 720 ddr i / os of 250 megahertz , and / or 2 , 320 lvds rx channels of 1 gigahertz , and / or 2 , 320 lvds tx channels of 1 gigahertz , and / or 14 , 160 single - ended speed i / os . some embodiments may utilize high - speed connectivity , for example , of 300 megahertz for single ended lines , or of 250 megahertz for ddr i / os , or of one gigahertz for low voltage differential signal ( lvds ) channels . some embodiments may utilize an open infrastructure for user add - on logic and future technology . some embodiments may utilize up to 1 , 280 megabytes of ddr ii memories . some embodiments may utilize multi - volt i / os , allowing selections of different protocols and i / o voltages , for example , voltages of 1 . 5 volts , or 1 . 8 volts , or 2 . 5 volts and / or 3 . 3 volts . some embodiments may include a modular rack containing 10 slots ( into which a fpga tray may be inserted , and out of which the fpga tray may be removed ) for a scalable fpga platform , as well as a set of bridges or connections , for i / o connections . in some embodiments , lvds rx and lvds tx i / os may be utilized as dual - purpose i / os . additionally , lvds rx and lvds tx i / os may be used as single ended bidirectional signals . some embodiments may include a 64 megabyte ddr ii dram block for a fpga . some embodiments may include a multi - port controller , allowing a ddr ii dram block to be accessed via multiple first - in - first - outs ( fifos ), thereby allowing rapid ensuring , as well as wide and flexible data steaming . this enables fast pattern injection from a network host , as well as a significant depth of signal tracing . in some embodiments , a size of a system including , for example , 10 fpga trays , may be approximately 61 centimeters of length , approximately 30 centimeters of width and approximately 55 centimeters of height . a system may include a slide - in - slide - out mechanism , for example , one or rails or wheels , allowing to slide - in and / or to slide - out an individual fpga tray , e . g ., into or out of a rack or a backplane of a system . other suitable insertion or storage mechanisms may be used , for example , to allow fpga trays to be inserted or placed , e . g ., one on top of another , side by side , or the like . although portions of the description herein relate , for demonstrative purpose , to “ first ” and “ second ” fpgas or programmable logic devices , embodiments of the invention may be used in conjunction with more than two fpgas or programmable logic devices , and a “ second ” fpga or programmable logic device may include “ another ” fpga or programmable logic device . in some embodiments , a fpga tray may include a single fpga unit , and may not necessarily include two or more fpga units . while certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein , many modifications , substitutions , changes , and equivalents may 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 .
7
referring now to fig1 there is shown an embodiment of the subject invention as applied in a magnetic printing system wherein latent magnetic images are produced on a magnetic medium such as an endless belt of magnetic tape and the latent magnetic images are developed with toner particles which are then transferred to a record medium such as paper . in a printer application the latent images would be descriptive of , for example , alpha and numeric information available from a keyboard or from a communication line . in order to provide a permanent record , it is desirable that the toner developed images transferred to the record medium are permanently fused to that record medium . in this connection shown in fig1 a pair of rollers 1 and 2 are provided . the two rollers driven by an external source such as a motor , not shown , cooperate with one another to form a nip therebetween through which a substrate such as paper , supporting toner material , is moved . as shown in fig1 roller 1 is heated by a resistance heater 3 such as a quartz lamp . in the embodiment shown , the heater derives electrical energy from source 4 under the control of a controller 5 which shall be described in greater detail shortly . the surface temperature of roller 1 must be maintained within a very narrow range of the order of 20 ° f . typically centered at 330 ° f . to render the toner particles adhesive enough to cling to the paper but not hot enough to melt them to a liquid which would leave a residue clinging to the roller and affecting subsequent paper passing between the rollers . to achieve this , therefore , the electrical energy supplied to resistance heater 3 has to be controlled very closely . in order to achieve this degree of control , it is necessary to measure or monitor the temperature of the surface of roller 1 very accurately . in order to monitor the surface temperature of roller 1 , applicant inserts a ferromagnetic material as a band 6 completely surrounding the roller . chemical composition of the material is selected to have a curie temperature range which corresponds to range of temperature to be maintained . referring to fig2 there is shown a characteristic curve for curie point material operating in the embodiment of the present invention . in fig2 the magnetic relative permeability which is a dimensionless number is plotted as the ordinate and the temperature of the material is plotted as the abscissa . as shown , the permeability of the material is in the order of 1000 for all temperatures starting from room temperature 70 ° f . up to some point near a control point where the permeability of the material drops rapidly through a range which includes the temperature control range . as previously mentioned in a particular embodiment , this temperature control range was of the order of 20 ° f . centered on 330 ° f . while the invention has been described in connection with a particular temperature control range in mind , it is obvious that this range can be changed depending on the application desired . fig2 therefore , illustrates that it is desired to control the temperature of the heating element for roller 1 within the narrow temperature range of 20 ° f . to achieve this , applicant makes use of an alternating magnetic field bridge having the curie material included in one arm of said bridge . as shown in fig1 the magnetic bridge is energized by an oscillator driver 8 which in a particular application provided 3 kilocycle signals to the bridge . the output of the bridge representative of the permeability of the material as it changes with temperature and hence the representative of the surface temperature of roller 1 constitutes an input signal to controller 5 for controlling the amount of electrical energy being supplied by source 4 to the heater 3 to maintain the temperature of the surface of the roller within the desired limits . referring to fig3 there is shown in greater detail the nature of the magnetic bridge with the roller 1 shown in cross section . roller 1 comprises an aluminum cylindrical core coated with a thin , elastomeric , non - stick coating . bridge 7 in a particular embodiment comprises an e core of ferromagnetic material in which the reference winding energizes one arm of the bridge from signals applied from oscillator 10 via amplifier 11 . the opposite arm of the bridge is energized from the source 10 through a variable gain inverting amplifier 13 . inverting amplifier 13 is such that the windings 9 and 12 are energized with 3 kilohertz signals which are 180 ° out of phase . the gain of the variable gain amplifier 13 is adjusted such that the bridge passes through null at the center of the temperature or permeability control range . one of the arms of the bridge includes the roller 1 without the ferrite material , that is containing in a particular embodiment only aluminum which exhibits an essentially constant permeability with temperature change and the other arm includes the portion of the roller 1 carrying the ferrite material 6 embedded in a surface which has a permeability which varies with the temperature of the surface of the roller . the magnetic fields established between the arms of the bridge and the fuser roller are illustrated for one particular instant by the arrows . since the ferromagnetic material was selected to have its steepest permeability changes in the range of the temperature control range , the bridge produces signals on its output leads 14 which essentially represents the temperature of the roller in the desired control range . the signals developed on the output leads 14 are of 3 kilohertz value and having a phase which varies with respect to the phase of the signals from source 10 available on leads 15 in accordance with the change in permeability of the ferrite material 6 and hence of the temperature of the surface of the roller 1 . controller 5 in fig1 responds to the relative phase of the signals available on 14 from the bridge and 15 from the reference source 10 to control the electrical energy available from source 4 to the heater 3 . the controller to be described shortly performs several complex functions necessary to maintain the surface temperature of the roller within the prescribed temperature range while at the same time minimizing the adverse impact on the power source 4 as a result of the characteristics of the heater element 3 . for example , in a particular embodiment the heater element was a quartz lamp which had a maximum power output of 2000 watts when provided with power from 120 volts 60 cycle source . with this power output , the lamp can raise the surface temperature of the fuser roller 1 to a level which will soften the toner and cause proper adhesion of the toner to the record medium or paper . it should be noted that in a high speed printer application a considerable amount of heat energy has to be supplied to the fuser roller since the heat energy is being carried away rapidly by the paper moving therethrough . in a particular application where the paper moved at about 16 inches per second , a high power quartz lamp was required and this lamp had to be operated near its maximum limit . when such a high power lamp is initially energized , a current surge develops , typically six times normal heating current due to the large positive temperature coefficient of resistance of the lamp filament . in a usual application this amount of surge current would open the fuses or require an oversized power source . to minimize this surge current , it is necessary to allow the filament to warm up slowly by applying widely spaced individual cycles of the current thereto . also since the typical lamp current is near the source limit , a current detector is included to delete cycles to limit the full power current as it approaches an acceptable maximum . random switching this large amount of power in an application such as involving a printer connected to normal ac service would produce high frequency noise or dc components in the power line circuit which would exceed acceptable limits . to overcome these problems , applicant provides an arrangement to control the applied power as integral cycles rather than applying fractional parts of line frequency . power is therefore controlled in full integral cycle increments . this involves switching at the zero crossings of the line voltage . in order to avoid multiple cycle surges during the cycle switching , the arrangement to be described distributes the power cycles evenly in time over a predetermined control period in which a substantial portion of integral full cycles of alternating current from said source occur , as the proportion of cycles blocked to cycles passed is varied in accordance with the energy requirements of the fuser roller 1 . referring to fig4 a phase comparator 16 responds to the difference in phase between the signals available on leads 14 and 15 to produce an output signal on lead 17 indicative of the difference in phase between the applied input signals . in a particular embodiment the signals on 14 and 15 were 3 kilohertz sine waves . these 3 kilohertz input signals are first prepared by amplification and limiting to produce square waves which are combined in an exclusive or gate as digital pulses . when these processed pulses are in the same state , the output of comparator 16 is at a logic 0 state and if they are not in the same state , then they produce a second state output signal which is at a logic 1 . this circuit is a well known circuit and for further details reference should be made to the rca solid state handbook entitled &# 34 ; cos / mos integrated circuits &# 34 ; dated 1977 wherein an exclusive or network operating as a phase comparator is described on page 612 . the output of comparator 16 is level 1 or level 0 signals for various amounts of time depending upon the relative phases of the signals available on leads 14 and 15 . the purpose of circuit 18 is to convert the variable duty cycle pulse train available on 17 to a dc signal by low pass filtering . the dc signal , therefore , on lead 19 is indicative of the temperature of the surface of the fuser roller 1 . the function of block 20 is to convert the analog signal on 19 to a digital signal in form of a binary code representing the quantized value of the dc signal available on 19 . essentially , circuit 20 senses five discrete dc levels and produces a binary code on lead 21 . the a to d converter 20 is a common circuit and will not be described in detail . reference can be made to texas instruments &# 39 ; integrated circuit tl489 . reference can be made now to fig5 wherein the output of the a to d converter in the form of a five bit code is shown . the converter has six possible output states which span the range of analog signals available on 19 . the 0 state represents the upper limit of the temperature control range shown in fig2 and the state 5 represents the lower limit of the temperature control range . the proportion selector 22 functions to delete the desired integral number of power cycles being supplied from the power source 4 to the resistance heater 3 through a current detector 23 and solid state relay 24 to the resistance heater 3 . as previously mentioned , the function of the selector 22 is to control solid state relay 24 so that it only supplies full or integral cycles of power and that the cycles passed are uniformly distributed in time . referring to fig6 the further details of the selector 22 are shown . essentially , this involves a four bit counter 25 which counts the clock pulses available from source 26 and develops a binary number representative of the sequential counting from 1 to 16 constituting the sample or predetermined control period on the leads 27 applied to gates 28 . the inputs to leads 27 are representative of the counted line cycles . the particular line cycles selected for passage to heater 3 are communicated to lead 29 in accordance with the states of the signals available on lead 30 from the a to d converter 20 . referring to fig5 again therefore , it is seen that for the 0 state no integral or full cycles of the 16 counted cycles is passed to the output lead 31 . for the first state only the first cycle is passed . for the second state only the first and ninth cycles are passed and so forth . for the fourth state alternate cycles are passed and for the fifth state the power is passed continuously for all cycles . flip - flop 32 assures that only one on - off decision can be made per cycle . flip - flop 32 is a standard d type flip - flop . this decision is conveyed by a signal developed on lead 31 for coupling to 24 . these variations in duty cycle represents the various amounts of average power to be delivered from source 4 to the resistance heater 3 to maintain the temperature of the roller 1 within the desired range under varying load conditions . referring to fig7 the manner in which the solid state relay 24 responds to the control signal available on lead 31 to gate the desired integral cycles from the power source 4 to the resistance heater 3 . this is shown for the condition of a / d state 4 appearing on leads 30 . thus , applicant has described an arrangement for either applying or deleting integral full cycles of power from the source to control the heating of the roller while uniformly distributing the power line cycles over a predetermined control period so that they produce the previously mentioned advantages . it is desirable to monitor the average line current from source 4 to the resistance heater 3 and to delete cycles to reduce excessive current consumption during full power , or state 5 , caused by high line voltage conditions or by an unusually low resistance of the heater 3 which would otherwise cause the heater circuit to draw excessive current and open the fuse . the over current detector 23 operates to cause the proportion selector 22 to delete alternate cycles ( state 4 of fig5 ) to reduce the current consumption during the period these undesirable conditions exist . in a particular application the current detector 23 comprises a current sensor , ie transformer 32 as shown in fig8 which responds to the current flowing in the ac line from 4 to 3 . current produced by sensor 32 is rectified in full wave detector 33 and filtered in 34 to produce a signal corresponding to the average magnitude of lamp current . when this signal at the output of the low pass filter is above a predetermined level indicating excessive current , a level detector 35 responds to produce a signal over lead 36 to the or gate 37 of the proportion selector 22 to change the state 5 signals appearing on leads 30 to a state 4 . this state 4 represents the application of alternate integral cycles of power from source e4 to the resistance heater . this condition is continued until the average current from the low pass filter 34 falls below the predetermined level which indicates that the adverse conditions have passed . the solid state relay 24 is a common device available usually as a triac switching element with an internal triggering circuit to accomplish switching at the zero crossing points of the applied voltage following changes in the control signal . while the invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawings , it is understood that further modification may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention , which is defined by the claims appended hereto .
6
the vehicle chosen to illustrate the invention , generally designated 20 , is a personnel car or portal bus . it runs on railway - type tracks 18 to transport men into and about underground mines . one of the major current applications is in coal mines . the vehicle has a frame or body 22 mounted on a pair of axle assemblies 24 by suspension means which is the subject of the present invention . the frame illustrated is conventional and will not be described in detail . briefly , however , it includes personnel compartments 26 at both ends and a central operator &# 39 ; s compartment 28 . the particular vehicle shown is a low unit having an overall height of about 26 inches so men riding in it must take semi - reclining positions to clear the roof and roof - supporting structures . a trolley 30 supplies electrical power from the usual trolley wire ( not shown ) running along the tracks . the term &# 34 ; longitudinal &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; transverse &# 34 ; and their adverbial forms used in this description and in the claims will refer to horizontal directions which are generally parallel to the direction of movement of the vehicle and generally transverse thereto , respectively . for example , each of the two axle compartments 32 , 32 in the frame is defined by a pair of &# 34 ; transverse &# 34 ;, vertical wall plates 34 and 36 . and they are &# 34 ; longitudinally &# 34 ; spaced , meaning they are spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle . the top edge of plate 36 is below the top of the frame , allowing room for the upper portion of an inclined contoured , back - rest plate 38 in the adjacent personnel compartment 26 . a top plate 40 closes each compartment 32 . the operator &# 39 ; s compartment 28 is shown without any of the usual tramming , braking , and other controls because they comprise no part of the present invention . it will be understood that because the vehicle is reversible , either end will be the &# 34 ; front &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; rear &# 34 ; depending on the direction of travel . because the operator &# 39 ; s compartment is midway between the ends of the machine , he can readily see either way and control movement in either direction . referring now to the axle assembly 24 , this comprises a generally cylindrical cross - section axle housing 42 with opposite hubs 44 and 46 rotatably journaling an axle 48 having flanged railway - type wheels 50 at the ends . an electrical motor 52 is removably mounted on a circular flange 54 supported on a gear box 56 which is fastened as by welding solidly to the axle housing 42 . when electrically energized through in the trolley 30 by the controls in the operator &# 39 ; s compartment , the motor 52 rotates the axle 48 in one direction or the other at a selected speed . there is a conventional gear train transmission ( not shown ) between the motor and axle . suspension means whereby the axle assembly 24 is pivotally mounted relative to the frame about separate transverse and longitudinal axes respectively is the subject of the present invention . this will now be described . fastened as by welding to one side of the axle housing 42 are two vertical , longitudinal lugs 58 , 58 having aligned pivot holes 60 , 60 with appropriate anti - friction bushings 62 , 62 , therein . companion pairs of vertical , longitudinal lugs 64 , 64 , with pivot holes 66 , 66 are fastened as by welding to the side of rectangular mounting bracket 68 . each pair of lugs 64 , 64 are pivotally connected to a corresponding one of the lugs 58 by a pivot pin 70 . the pivot pins 70 are aligned along a transverse axis x -- x . a first cylindrical trunnion 72 is attached as by welding to the mounting bracket 68 . this is rockably journaled within a first trunnion mount 74 which is affixed as by welding 75 into an opening in vertical wall plate 34 . the first trunnion 72 provides a rockable mount about the longitudinal axis y -- y ( fig2 and 5 ). as best shown in fig5 and 7 , a bushing 76 ( preferably brass ) is interposed between the first trunnion 72 and the first trunnion mount 74 . for assembly purposes , the trunnion mount 74 and bushing 76 are each made in two pieces as shown in fig7 . only the upper half of the trunnion mount 74 is welded ( at 75 ) to the plate 34 , the bottom half being fastened to it by bolts 78 . the trunnion 72 has an external groove 72 a . the trunnion mount and bushing are shaped correspondingly to the trunnion 72 to provide shoulders limiting endwise movement of the axle assembly along longitudinal axis y -- y . specifically , shoulder 80 in the trunnion 72 engages shoulder 81 in the bushing , limiting movement of the axle assembly to the left as shown in fig5 ; and engagement of the mounting bracket 68 with the wall plate 34 limits movement in the other direction . at the opposite side of the axle housing 42 , there is a longitudinal arm 82 with a second trunnion 84 at its end . this is rockably journaled within a bore 86 in a slide block 88 , preferably made of bearing material such as brass . the slide block 88 , while providing the second trunnion connection on the opposite side of the axle housing , also aligned with the first trunnion connection , also enables that opposite side to tilt up and down about transverse axis x -- x by reason of vertical guide means here illustrated as a pair of transversely spaced vertical guides 90 , 90 welded to gussets 92 which in turn are welded to the wall plate 36 . the guides 90 prevent transverse horizontal movement of the opposite side of the axle housing but enable it to move freely up and down to accommodate undulations in the tracks as will be described . also extending from the opposite side of the axle housing ( to the left in fig5 ) is a horizontal base plate 94 affixed as by welding to the bottom thereof . as shown in the plan view of fig2 this plate is cut away at the center to clear the vertical guide elements 90 and 92 and has two transversely spaced end sections 94a which serve as a base for supporting vertical compression springs 96 on spring pads 98 . the tops of the springs bear against the undersides of angle members 100 affixed as by welding to the wall 36 . spring retainer plugs 102 , held by bolts 104 fit inside the upper ends of the springs and keep them in place . by the structure above described , the load of the vehicle frame will be applied to each axle assembly 24 , first , through the pivot pins 70 which permit no relative up and down movement and , second , through the springs 96 which permit some cushioning , relative vertical movement . in operation , as the personnel car moves along tracks 18 , the axle assembly 24 will rock sidewise about the longitudinal axis y -- y , between the first and second trunnions 72 and 84 respectively . this cushions the body against shock and twisting caused by the kind of undulations in which the track levels change individually , for example where there is a sudden rise or sag in one track but not the other . rocking of the axle assembly about axis y -- y absorbs shock where the track surface levels undulate but their average remains the same . as a practical matter , this is seldom the case , because level changes affect both tracks differently , so a raise in one seldom if ever precisely cancels out an identical drop in the other . in other words , the average level changes constantly . for absorbing this kind of shock , the tilt about the transverse axis x -- x is most effective . a sudden lift , where both ends of the axle assembly abruptly rise at the same time , causes upward movement of the slide block 88 between its guides , at a rate determined by the strength of the springs 96 , and cushions the impact transmitted to the frame and to the personnel inside . this construction has resulted in a substantially improved ride for people obligated to go into and about underground mines . an alternate form of transverse pivotal connection is shown in fig6 . here , bracket means comprising lugs 106 , 106 are welded to the wall 34 . a trunnion 108 , comparable to 84 , is rockably journaled within swivel block 110 about a longitudinal axis y &# 39 ;-- y &# 39 ;. the swivel block is pivoted for up and down tilting movement about transverse axis x &# 39 ;-- x &# 39 ; by pivot bolts 112 which are fastened to the lugs 106 and have inner end portions pivotally engaging the swivel block . while one preferred embodiment of the improved shock absorbing vehicle suspension has been shown and described , and one alternate construction for the transverse pivotal connection has been shown and described , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other specific constructions and arrangements are possible within the scope and spirit of the invention as covered by the following claims .
1
fig1 shows an exploded view of the isometric view of the gimbaled mounting device 10 . a mounting ring 12 is provided to secure a shower actuator to the mounting device . the mounting ring &# 39 ; s inside diameter is preferably equal to or slightly less than the outside diameter of the shower actuator so that the actuator is securely held within the mounting ring 12 . a mounting ring having a larger diameter could be utilized , although this is not preferred . the mounting ring 12 is itself comprised of at least one upper crescent member 14 , and one lower crescent member 16 . it is preferable that each of the crescent members has an arcuate length of less than ½ the total circumference of the mounting ring 12 . arcuate lengths of less than ½ of mounting ring &# 39 ; s circumference are preferred in order to facilitate attaching the mounting ring 12 to the shower actuator without damage to the crescent members or the shower actuator . an arcuate length of greater than ½ of the mounting ring &# 39 ; s circumference would result in a crescent member of greater than 180 °. such a member would either have to be slid onto the shower actuator , or would have to be deformed in order to be placed in a concentric relationship to the shower actuator . deforming a crescent member could result in loss of performance characteristics in the assembled device . the upper crescent member 14 and the lower crescent member 16 are provided with a plurality of screws 18 , 20 to secure the upper crescent member 14 to the lower crescent member 16 . one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that other attachment mechanisms could be utilized , such as clamps , clasps , insert retaining joints ( such as a dovetail type insert ), or any other suitable mechanism . regardless of the type of securing mechanism that is used , it would be preferable that such would not encroach to the interior of the mounting ring 12 , which would result in an insecure bracketing of the shower actuator due to the securing mechanism forming pressure points on the actuator . if the attachment screws were to extend beyond the outer diameter , they would most likely interfere with the rotational freedom of the mounting ring 12 within the outer pivot ring ( described supra ). therefore , the screws 18 , 20 of the present invention are a plurality of tangential securing screws . the tangential securing screws are accessed through a recess 22 , 24 in one of the crescent members 14 , 16 , and are received by corresponding holes 26 , 28 in the adjacent crescent member . a pair of gudgeons 30 , 32 is mounted to the outer surface of the mounting ring 12 . in order to ensure proper rotation of the mounting ring 12 , the gudgeons 30 , 32 must be mounted at opposing sides of the mounting ring 12 , 180 ° apart from each other . the gudgeons 30 , 32 of the present embodiment extend as cylindrical phalanges from the surface of the mounting ring 12 . each gudgeon 30 , 32 form an axial receiver hole 34 , 36 for the pivot screws 38 , 40 that will secure the mounting ring 12 to the outer pivot ring 42 . preferably , the height of each gudgeon 30 , 32 should be substantially equal to where rr id is the inner diameter of the outer pivot ring 42 , and mr od is the outer diameter of the mounting ring 12 . this prevents any translational shifting of the mounting ring 12 within the outer pivot ring 42 . the top surface of each gudgeon 30 , 32 should substantially abut the inner surface of the outer pivot ring 42 . each gudgeon 30 , 32 is provided with an axial receiving hole 24 , 36 for retaining a pivot screw 38 , 40 . the pivot screw 38 , 40 is inserted through corresponding bearing bosses 44 , 46 on the outer pivot ring 42 , and is then secured within the corresponding axial receiving hole 34 , 36 . in this manner , the mounting ring 12 is rotatably secured within the outer pivot ring 42 , on an axis defined by the pivot screws 38 , 40 . it is recognized that the surface where the gudgeons 30 , 32 will contact the outer pivot ring 42 ( or the optional pivot bushings 48 , 50 ) can be slightly domed , so as to form a hemispherical contact . a hemispherical contact lessens the amount of friction between the gudgeons 30 , 32 and the outer pivot ring 42 , as well as decreases the surface contact area . this allows the mounting ring 12 to more easily rotate within the outer pivot ring 42 . concentric with the mounting ring 12 is the outer pivot ring 42 . the outer pivot ring 42 has an inside diameter that is substantially equal to , or just slightly larger than , the outer diameter of the mounting ring 12 , plus the height of the gudgeons 30 , 32 . because the outer pivot ring 42 does not clamp onto any member in a way similar to the mounting ring 12 , the outer pivot ring 42 is preferably one continuous ring . one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the outer pivot ring 42 could also be broken into arcuate segments , similar to the mounting ring 12 , however , such an arrangement is not preferred . the outer pivot ring 42 is provided with two bearing bosses 44 , 46 that are aligned with the pivot screws 38 , 40 of the gudgeons 30 , 32 . each bearing boss 44 , 46 is preferably lined with a pivot bushing 48 , 50 . the pivot bushings 48 , 50 are preferably shaped so that they cover both the area inside the bearing bosses 44 , 46 , as well as the areas proximate the bearing bosses that are contacted by the gudgeons 30 , 32 . the pivot bushings 48 , 50 are made of a ( nylon / teflon ) or other reduced friction material that facilitate the easy rotation of the mounting ring 12 within the outer pivot ring 42 . as stated infra , each pivot screw 38 , 40 is inserted through each bearing boss 44 , 46 on the outer pivot ring 42 , and is then secured within the receiving hole 34 , 36 of the mounting ring 12 . in this manner , the mounting ring 12 is rotatably secured within the outer pivot ring 42 , on an axis defined by the pivot screws 38 , 40 . integral with the outer pivot ring 42 are two trunnions 52 , 54 . the trunnions 52 , 54 lie on a diameter of the outer pivot ring 42 , and are rotated 90 ° from the bearing bosses 44 , 46 . the trunnions 52 , 54 form a second rotational axis about which the outer pivot ring 42 can rotate relative to the mounting base 64 . each trunnion 52 , 54 is rotatably secured within a pivot bracket 56 , 58 . each pivot bracket is secured to a mounting base 64 with a plurality of mounting screws 60 , 62 . this allows for easy rotational movement of the outer pivot ring 42 about the trunnion defined axis , without corresponding translational movement . the mounting base can then be attached to any structure that provides a stable environment for aligning the centerline of the shower actuator with the shower piping . because the mounting bracket allows for angular adjustment of a retained shower actuator , the invented mounting mechanism does not need to be as precisely aligned , as do previous mounting schemes . the mounting base can be roughly aligned with the shower piping , and angular adjustments are then effectuated by the mounting bracket itself . preferably , the mounting bracket allows for angular adjustments of at least 5 ° in any angular direction . because of the 90 ° offset in the rotational axes of the mounting bracket , the bracket allows total freedom of movement , allowing the actuator shaft connector to follow the travel of the shower connector in any direction required to the installed shower centerline . this freedom of movement allows for faster installation , minimal alignment , and reduces stress and wear on the actuator shaft . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to illustrative and preformed embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which should be limited only by the scope of the appended claims .
5
in fig1 , the omni - directional air vehicle , depicted generally by the number 10 , comprises a pod 11 with pod supports 12 , and a connected turbofan system 16 having a turbo - electric , counter - rotating ducted fan 20 provided with two counter - rotating propellers 21 and 22 , peripherally driven by counter - rotating , permanent magnet , electric motors 23 and 24 , integrated in a ducted shroud 25 , supported by struts 26 connected to a projecting arm 27 of a spherical articulation mechanism 28 seated in the main body 30 of the pod 11 of the vehicle 10 . the spherical articulatory mechanism 28 changes the angular position of the projecting arm 27 to the angle “ a ” as limited by stop 13 at the top of main body 30 . in the main body 30 , is located a combination thermal electric engine and gas turbine 31 , of the type described in the referenced u . s . pat . no . 6 , 282 , 897 . the combination thermal electric engine and gas turbine 31 is provided with air intake ports 32 and exhaust ports 33 and in out put generator 16 supplies the electric power through an electronic control module 34 to the counter - rotating electric motors 23 and 24 through electric circuit line 34 a . the ability to change the relative angular position ( a ) between the turboelectric counter - rotating ducted fan 20 and the main body 30 allows the vehicle to perform all flying missions from all positions in all directions , including ground and air , from on - board control systems , wherein the vehicle has a universal mobility . the ultra high efficiency of the engines and gas turbines , as described in the referenced u . s . patent , provides the absolute best performance for military applications , such as unmanned aerial vehicles ( uav ) and commercial applications for better cargo and personnel transports than actual helicopters or business airplanes . in fig2 there is depicted a configuration of the same omni - directional vehicle used as a personal transportation system ( pts ) which is designed to accommodate a person or multiple persons . manual control of the spherical articulation mechanism is accomplished by control arm 28 a . fig3 depicts a special configuration of the omni - directional air vehicle 10 with the ability to fly horizontally at high speed facilitated by the addition of a cruciform 14 having wings 35 which have directional guides 36 that are active only in horizontal high speed operation . fig4 a and 4b depict the omni - directional air vehicle 10 with a discoid shape vehicle body 40 attached to a round fixed wing 41 connected with the dome 42 and at least two electric ducted fans 20 a ( push ) and 20 b ( pull ) with counter - rotating propellers 21 and 22 , each fan being attached with a projecting arm 27 . once the vehicle is converted to horizontal flight , both turbo - electric , counter - rotating ducted fans 20 a and 20 b are horizontally arranged in the same push - pull actions per the direction of flight . the omni - directional air vehicle flight capability is improved by the round discoid wing 41 which uses less energy and has less drag at high speed in the horizontal mode . additionally , the round discoid wing 41 can be used on gliding flight . fig5 a and 5b depict the omni - directional air vehicle 10 having an elongated fuselage 50 attached to an adjustable elongated wing 51 able to be rotary arranged always perpendicular to the direction of flight . the same turbo - electric , counter - rotating ducted fans 20 a and 20 b with counter - rotating propellers 21 and 22 in a push - pull arrangement form the omni - directional air vehicle propulsion system . fig6 a and 6b depict the omni - directional air vehicle 10 having an adjustable ( rotary ) platform body 60 associated with platform wing 61 articulated by pivot dome 63 and the shaft 62 . the axial position x - x will always be perpendicular with the axial y - y of the body 60 per flight direction . the same turbo - electric , counter - rotating ducted fans 20 a , 20 b and 20 c with counter - rotating propellers 21 and 22 will cooperate in a combined push - pull action for the omni - directional air vehicle direction of flight . the omni - directional air vehicle is designed to accommodate a person or multiple persons . while , in the foregoing , embodiments of the present invention have been set forth in considerable detail for the purposes of making a complete disclosure of the invention , it may be apparent to those of skill in the art that numerous changes may be made in such detail without departing from the spirit and principles of the invention .
1
the contents of u . s . pat . no . 7 , 208 , 089 , entitled “ biomimetic membranes ”, is expressly incorporated herein by reference . the international patent application , pct / us08 / 74163 , entitled “ biomimetic polymer membrane that prevents ion leakage ”, is expressly incorporated herein by reference . the international patent application , pct / us08 / 74165 , entitled “ making functional protein - incorporated polymersomes ”, is expressly incorporated herein by reference . the u . s . provisional application 61 / 055 , 207 , entitled “ protein self - producing artificial cell , is expressly incorporated herein by reference . the present invention is directed to a vesicle - thread conjugate ( 1 ) as illustrated in fig1 that may be formed into a biomimetic membrane or thin film ( 8 ). in a preferred embodiment , the thin film ( 8 ) is formed by weaving the vesicle - thread conjugates ( 1 ) into a fabric . in an alternate embodiment , the thin film ( 8 ) is formed by depositing vesicle - thread conjugates ( 1 ) into a “ paper - making ” arrangements wherein the conjugates adhere to one another . fig1 shows a vesicle or polymersome ( 2 ) with proteins ( 7 ) of any kind embedded in the vesicle membrane . the vesicle ( 1 ) may comprise an aba triblock copolymer ( 3 ) with crosslinking functional groups ( 4 ) linking them to a thread ( 5 ). also shown is a thin film , or membrane , ( 8 ), being formed by a plural of such vesicle - thread conjugates ( 1 ). the conjugate is formed by providing a functionalized vesicle surface and a functionalized thread surface as shown in fig2 . the vesicle is preferably a lipidized polymer or a tri - block copolymer as described in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 208 , 089 . fig3 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention where the vesicle surface is functionalized to produce an amine - ended petoz - pdms - petoz vesicle , see joon - sik park , et al . macromolecules 2004 , 37 , 6786 - 6792 , the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference . the vesicle surface may be functionalized using other known techniques . fig4 shows a methacylate - ended petoz - pdms - petoz vesicle and a nhs - ended petoz - pdms - petoz vesicle . the selected functionality may vary depending on the type of thread used in the vesicle - thread conjugate . furthermore , the type of polymer and functionalization may depend upon the type of protein incorporated into the vesicle . the thread may be selected from a variety of available materials including , but not limited to , cellulose material , carboxymethyl cellulose ( cmc ), aminoethylcellulose ( ae - cellulose ) and nylon - based material . the preferred cellulose material is hydrophilic and insoluble to water and most organic solvents . as shown in fig5 , the multiple hydroxyl groups on the cellulose material form hydrogen bonds with oxygen molecules on another chain , holding the chains firmly together side - by - side and forming microfibrils with high tensile strength . crystalline cellulose will become amorphous in water under the pressure of 25 mpa . the hydroxyl groups of cellulose can be partially or fully reacted with various reagents to afford derivatives with useful properties . cellulose esters and cellulose ethers are the most important commercial materials , e . g . cellulose acetate , ethylcellulose , methyl - cellulose , hydroxypropyl cellulose , carboxymethyl cellulose , hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose , and hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose , to name a few . as shown in fig6 , another thread material may be a commercial available carboxymethyl cellulose ( cmc ). cmc is a cellulose derivative with carboxymethyl groups (— ch 2 — cooh ) bound to come of the hydroxyl groups . the polar ( organic acid ) carboxyl groups render the cellulose soluble and chemically reactive . partially carboxymethylated cellulose at low degree of substitution ( ds = 0 . 2 ) retains its fibrous character while many of its properties differ from those of the original fiber . the average chain length and degree of substitution are of great importance ; the more - hydrophobic lower substituted cmcs are thixotropic but more - extended higher substituted cmcs are pseudoplastic . at low ph , cmc may form cross - links through lactonization between carboxylic acid and free hydroxyl groups . fig8 shows a thread formed from aminoethyl cellulose ( ae - cellulose ). ae - cellulose may be made by reacting cellulose with 2 - aminoethyl - sulfuric acid in the presence of sodium hydroxide . ae - cellulose is commercial available from whatman and has previously been used for chromatography columns and filters . fig7 illustrates the conjugation of a preferred vesicle with a preferred thread . in this embodiment , a carboxymethyl cellulose ( cmc ) thread is reacted with an amine - functionalized vesicle in the presence of dicyclohexyl carbodiimide ( dcci ). alternatively , ae - cellulose will react with halides such as trichloromethylpurine or benzenesulfonyl chloride . it will also react with proteins and organic acids in the presence of carbodiimides such as dicyclohexylcarbodiimide . in a preferred form of the invention , the vesicle - thread conjugate is woven into a fabric to produce a biomimetic membrane used to provide a biosolar - powered material and fabric which consists of a thin fabric incorporating a biocompatible polymer membrane embedded with two energy converting proteins , bacteriorhodopsin and cytochrome oxydase , that will convert optical energy to electrical energy and deliver this energy to an external load . a tremendous weight savings results from the use of thin ( less than 1 μm ) polymeric membranes as well as the lack of a need to carry fuel with the power source . thus , a system can be developed that can be integrated into clothing and the surfaces of most materials , providing an effectively weightless ( less than 1 kg / m 2 ) source of energy with an efficiency equal to or greater than that achievable with solar cells . the biosolar power material thus forms a hybrid organic / inorganic power source that obtains its energy from light . in one form of the invention , bacteriorhodopsin and cytochrome oxidase are integrated into a vesicle that is further conjugated with a thread . the vesicle - thread conjugate is woven into a fabric that is in contact with microfabricated electrodes . the operation of the proposed device can be best understood after bacteriorhodopsin , cytochrome oxidase , and their integration into lipid and polymer membranes are understood . all three have been extensively studied and have a wide body of literature concerning their synthesis and function . for further details related to the energy - converting proteins and their incorporation into lipid and polymer membranes , see u . s . pat . no . 7 , 208 , 089 . because the diffusion of ions on membrane surfaces is large and can be made larger by the suitable choice of vesicles , the vesicle surface itself is all that is required for the successful functioning of the biosolar cell ( pitard et al ., 1996 ). vesicles , such as lipidized polymers or any one of many bio - compatible polymer matrices , contain the proteins and serve as proton barriers . these polymer matrices are very general , preferably requiring only that ( a ) they form vesicles which separate the top and bottom halves of the proteins when using transmembrane proteins , ( b ) they form an environment sufficiently similar to the natural lipid membrane so that the proteins can be easily inserted into the vesicle with the proper orientation , and ( c ) the local chemical environment of the vesicle experienced by the protein does not cause the protein to unfold or deform in such a way as to comprise the protein &# 39 ; s natural function . vesicles which satisfy - these conditions include , but are not limited to , lipidized polymers and tri - block copolymers having general properties of hydrophilic outer blocks and hydrophobic inner blocks . the protein - incorporated polymeric vesicles are preferably those described in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 208 , 089 and international patent application pct / us08 / 74163 . br and cox are oriented and combined in the surface of the vesicles , and the membrane formed from the vesicle - thread conjugate is overlaid with electrodes . there are many strategies employable to increase the proximity of the electrodes to the proteins , such as those provided in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 208 , 089 . an electrode grid may be placed directly on top of the lipid in the form of a thin wire mesh connected externally for electrical measurement . after removing the liquid above the top surface , a thin transparent layer of aluminum or nickel may be sprayed directly on the membrane to form the counter electrode . alternatively , the electrodes may be electrochemically deposited onto the lipid surface by rastering the array of tips . this deposition would result in millions of nanoscale wires on the top surface of the membrane . the above steps are repeated and combined , resulting in oriented cox and br contained in a lipid membrane . there are two possible scenarios for the orientation of br and cox : parallel and anti - parallel dipole orientation . if the dipoles are parallel , the alignment can be achieved for both , simultaneously , through the application of a single field . if they are anti - parallel , the large aggregate dipole moment of pm is utilized . the proper orientation will be achieved by the initial orientation of the cox in a high field followed by the orientation of pm in a field sufficiently small to avoid the perturbation of the cox , but large enough to sufficiently manipulate the pm fragments . the use of polymer membranes in forming the vesicle is desirable for the following reasons : they have a longer lifetime than lipid membranes , they are more rugged , and they have more easily tailored properties , such as electron and ion conductivity and permeability . the interiors of these membranes must be hydrophobic and elastic so that the natural protein environment can be simulated as close as possible . a wide variety of biocompatible polymers exist having a wide range of properties such as optical absorbance , polarity , electrical and ionic conductivity among others . polymers enhancing the properties of the solar cells of the present invention must be compatible with the proteins and electrodes . impermeability to protons is also important . the ability to dope the surface of the polymer may be significant , as it can play a major role in the proton conductivity and transmembrane conductance . the lifetime of the polymer as well as its effects of the lifetimes of the proteins contained within it are also relevant , and are factors in its selection . the choice of a polymer with a short lifetime but high performance may be useful in special applications . the foregoing methods for the production of highly efficient and productive solar power sources made with biological components demonstrate the integration of energy converting biological proteins with an external device , and point the way toward a manufacturing pathway capable of large - scale production of biosolar cells capable of powering a wide variety of devices . in another aspect of the invention , through the use of the aquaporin family of proteins incorporated into tri - block co - polymer membranes , stable films are produced which will only pass water , thus facilitating water purification , desalinization , and molecular concentration through dialysis . the aquaporins exclude the passage of all contaminants , including bacteria , viruses , minerals , proteins , dna , salts , detergents , dissolved gases , and even protons from an aqueous solution , but aquaporin molecules are able to transport water because of their structure . further details related to the aquaporin family of proteins are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 208 , 089 . water moves through the membrane in a particular direction because of hydraulic or osmotic pressure . water purification / desalination can be achieved with a two - chambered device having chambers separated by a rigid protein incorporated polymer membrane at its center that is filled with aquaporins . this membrane itself is impermeable to water and separates contaminated water in a first chamber from purified water in a second chamber . only pure water is able to flow between the two chambers . thus , when sea water or other contaminated water on one side of the membrane is placed under an appropriate pressure , pure water naturally flows into the other chamber . accordingly , purified water can be obtained from undrinkable sources or , if the source of water contained chemicals of interest , the water can be selectively removed , leaving a high concentration of the wanted chemical in the input chamber . importantly , however , the aquaporins are also suited to this invention for reasons other than their exclusive selectivity for water . many members of this protein family , such as aquaporinz ( aqpz ) are extremely rugged and can withstand the harsh conditions of contaminated source water without losing function . aqpz resists denaturing or unraveling from exposure to acids , voltages , detergents , and heat . therefore , the device can be used to purify source water contaminated with materials that might foul or destroy another membrane , and it can be used in areas that experience consistently high temperatures . aqpz is also mutable . since this protein is specifically expressed in host bacteria according to a genetic sequence that influences its final shape and function , a technician can easily change its genetic code in order to change the protein &# 39 ; s characteristics . therefore the protein can be engineered to fulfill a desired application that may be different from the protein &# 39 ; s original function . for example , by simply changing a particular amino acid residue near the center of the water channel to cysteine , the aquaporins produced would bind any free mercury in the solution and cease transporting water due to the blockage . thus , these mutant proteins used in a membrane device could detect mercury contamination in a water sample by simply ceasing flow when the concentration of the toxic substance rises too high . the preferred form of the invention has the form of a conventional filter disk because it is most easily assayed for functionality that way . to fabricate such a disk , a 5 nm thick monolayer of synthetic triblock copolymer and protein is deposited on the surface of a 25 mm commercial ultrafiltration disk using a langmuir - blodgett trough . the monolayer on the disk is then exposed to 254 nm uv light to cross - link the polymer and increase its durability . lastly , a 220 nm pore size pvdf membrane is epoxy glued to the disk surface to ensure safe handling and prevent leakage at the edges . the device is assayed by fitting it in a chamber that forces pressurized source water across the membrane . the device is considered functional when only pure water comes through the other side of the membrane and contaminating solutes remain concentrated in the originating chamber . the contaminated solution must be pressurized in order to overcome the natural tendency of pure water to flow into the chamber which has the higher number of dissolved particles . it is the purpose of the aquaporin z membrane to reverse osmosis and separate the pure water from contaminating solutes . this tendency , or osmotic pressure , of the system can be expressed in pounds per square inch ( psi ). for example , the osmotic pressure of seawater is roughly 360 psi . there are several methods that can be used to allow the device to tolerate these types of pressures . some varieties of polymer are naturally more durable than others , and can be cross - linked with uv light to provide extra rigidity . another method is to add a high concentration of a non - toxic and easily removable solute to the freshwater chamber to encourage regular osmosis across the membrane while reverse osmosis is also occurring due to chamber pressurization . lastly , the pressure required for reverse osmosis can be reduced by using multiple aqpz devices in a cascade of sealed , connected chambers containing successively smaller concentrations of contaminants . the resulting pressure required to purify water in each pair of chambers is a fraction of the total pressure necessary for reverse osmosis . therefore , each membrane only has to withstand a small pressure and has a greater chance of remaining intact . so , if the difference in concentration between each pair of chambers was only 10 % instead of 100 %, just 10 % of the high pressure mentioned above would be needed to purify the source water at each junction . pure water would be continuously produced in the final chamber with constant pressure and flow . the aquaporin reverse osmosis membrane can purify water possessing several different types of contamination in only a single step . traditional high purity systems require several components that can include a water softener , carbon filters , ion exchangers , uv or chemical sterilization , and a two pass reverse osmosis filter set to be used in conjunction before water ( that is not as clean as aquaporin - purified water ) can be produced . this elaborate set up cannot remove dissolved gases or substances smaller than 150 daltons from the source water like the aquaporin membrane can . furthermore , all these components require maintenance . uv bulbs require replacement and energy . ion exchangers need to be chemically regenerated when they are full . softeners require salt . carbon and reverse osmosis cartridges must be replaced when they become fouled . finally , a single step device would require much less space and weigh far less than a typical purification system , and this advantage enables the aquaporin water purification devices of the present invention to be portable . aquaporin membranes are also faster than conventional systems . a conventional high speed r . o . unit can make about 28 . 4 liters ( 7 . 5 gallons ) of clean water every minute . current research shows the movement of water molecules across an aqpz saturated lipid membrane ( 0 . 0177 mm . sup . 2 ) at the rate of 54 μmoles / sec . ( pohl , p ., saparov , s . m ., borgnia , m . j ., and agre , p ., ( 2001 ), proceedings of the national academy of sciences 98 , p . 9624 9629 ) thus , a theoretical aquaporin z reverse osmosis membrane with a surface area of 1 . 0 square meter could filter up to 3295 liters of pure water every minute . that rate is over 116 times faster than a normal purifier . lastly , new protein - based membranes are also very inexpensive to produce . the heart of the process , aqpz , is easily harvested in milligram quantities from an engineered e . coli bacterial strain . on average , 2 . 5 mg of pure protein can be obtained from each liter of culture that is producing it . 10 mg of protein can be produced from about 5 dollars of growth media . that is enough protein for several full size devices . also , the polymer in which the aqpz is imbedded can be produced in the same laboratory for just pennies worth of chemicals for each device . the aquaporin z reverse osmosis membrane is a novel , efficient , and inexpensive means of water purification . thus , there has been disclosed methods and apparatus utilizing biological components to achieve the highly efficient production of completely pure water from fouled , salty , or otherwise contaminated water . the invention demonstrates the integration of water transporting biological proteins with an external device , and points the way toward a manufacturing pathway capable of large - scale production of water purification devices . although the present invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments , it will be understood that numerous variations and modifications of the methods and devices disclosed herein may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention , as set out in the following claims .
8
as shown in fig1 , 3 , 6 , and 7 , the retractor 23 of the present invention comprises generally a cross bar or rack 22 and a first arm 24 ( 24 a , 24 b ) and second arm 26 . the cross bar 22 has in the preferred embodiment teeth on two opposing surfaces 25 and 27 for reasons that will be explained below . the critical element of the present invention is that the cross bar 22 is curved so that the arms 24 ( 24 a , 24 b ) and 26 are not parallel to each other when the arms are opened or spread apart , but are angled outward away from each other as shown in fig1 . when the arms are closed and adjacent to each other by medial position over the hinch 59 at the proximal part of the arm 24 which is stabilized by spring pin 60 at medial position , they are substantially parallel to each other thereby facilitating the insertion of the blades in an open sternum . one and possibly , both arms may be moved along bar 22 . preferably , the moving means comprises a pinion 28 driven by handle 30 . this arrangement allows the present invention to be installed and to force the cut portions of the sternum apart . the arms have disposed thereon blades 32 and 33 which are common to prior art chest separators and which are adopted to secure the sternum after it is cut . the present invention includes the use of blades which are longer than those depict as well as multiple blades on a single arm , and angled arm blades , all of which is well known in the art , and after a short distance opening the fixed arm will be moved to straight ( neutral ) position and held in place by pin spring 60 and continued to the desired opening . in the configuration shown in fig1 , the bar 22 would be disposed closer to the head of a patient than the abdomen , so that 39 of the blade 32 and end 40 of blade 33 are further apart than ends 41 and 42 . accordingly , in use , the invented retractor positively forces the sternum into a specific angled position dictated by the curvature of the bar 22 and the distance between the arms . in this way the chest opening can be small at area adjacent the short ribs and larger at the area adjacent the longer ribs . thus , while the retractor of fig2 , discussed below , is disposed with the bar near the abdomen , the retractor in the configuration of fig1 would be used so that the bar is disposed near the head of the patient . it will be appreciated in this connection that the reversible nature of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is not a requirement of the invention but is the preferred embodiment for purpose of obtaining multiple uses for a single device . the positioning of the bar can be chosen to provide the best view for the surgeon in a manner which is well known in the art . in the fig2 use of the retractor at the start the fixed arm will be at the lateral position to have the blades together for initial positioning and after the short distance of opening it will be moved to straight ( neutral ) position and held by pin and spring for the rest of opening to the desired opening position . in fig3 hinch of the arm and spring pin mechanism 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 and 60 are shown . referring to fig2 , 4 , and 5 , the retractor 10 of the present invention comprises generally a cross bar or rack 12 , and a first arm 14 ( 14 a , 14 b ) and pin spring 60 and second arm 16 . the cross bar 12 has in the preferred embodiment teeth on two opposing surfaces 15 and 17 for reasons that will be explained below . the critical element of the present invention is that the cross bar 12 is curved so that the arms 14 ( 14 a , 14 b ) and 16 are not parallel to each other when the arms opened or spread apart , but are angled either outward away from each other as shown in fig1 or inward toward each other as shown in fig2 as described above . when the arms are closed and adjacent to each other , by lateral position of the arm over the hinch 59 or medial position of the arm over the hinch 59 so that they are substantially parallel to each other thereby facilitating the insertion of the blades in an open sternum and after a short distance opening the arm will be moved to straight ( neutral ) position along the arm and held in place with spring pin 60 and opened for the desired position . one and possibly both arms may be moved along bar 12 . preferably , the moving means comprises a pinion 18 driven by handle 20 . this arrangement allows the present invention to be installed and to force the cut portions of the sternum apart . the arms have disposed thereon blades 19 and 21 , which are common to prior art chest separators and which are adapted to secure the sternum after it is cut . the present invention includes the use of blades which are longer than those depict as well as multiple blades on a single arm , all of which is well known in the art . as is further shown in fig1 , 3 , 6 and 7 , the bar 22 comprises teeth on sides 25 and 27 and arms 24 ( 24 a , 24 b ) and 26 have blades 32 and 33 respectively . arms 26 has pinion 28 and crank 30 , and as shown , has locking pin 31 which screws into hole 51 to secure the arm in the desire position . arm 24 ( 24 a , 24 b ) has locking pin 29 which secures it in place as well by screwing into hole 50 and impinging on the bar 22 . pinion 28 comprises individual teeth 44 adapted to mate with the teeth on bar 22 so that the arm 26 can be cranked open to spread open the chest . the locking pin 29 provides the arm 24 ( 24 a , 24 b ) with a means for disconnecting said arm 24 ( 24 a , 24 b ) from said bar 22 so that the arms can be reversed if desired to the configuration of fig1 , to extend in the direction of the curve of the bar if it is desired to locate the bar above the surgical area rather than below it . similarly , arm 26 can be removed from bar 22 so that it can be reversed in the configuration of fig1 . bar 22 is provided with a flattened area 43 onto which arm 24 ( 24 a , 24 b ) may be secured . arms 24 ( 24 a , 24 b ) and 26 have slots 49 and 46 , respectively , in which the bar 22 may be disposed in use . in the preferred embodiment , the bar is approximately 8 inches long , for adult sternal retractors and has a curvature of 40 degrees . the curvature of the bar may be regular , that is , with a single radius of curvature or it may have multiple radii of curvature along its length to provide variation in the angle of the blades with respect to each other . the curvature of the bar can be of any desired radius , the preferred curvature providing an opening of 8 inches at the bottom of the sternum and an opening of 4 inches at the top of the sternum . the blades can be short , long , multiple or slightly angled to provide the desired secure opening of the sternum . it will be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art that a number of modifications and changes can be made to the subject invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention , which is defined by the claims appended hereto and all equivalents thereof .
0
in the following detailed description , reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . in this regard , directional terminology , such as “ top ,” “ bottom ,” “ front ,” “ back ,” “ leading ,” “ trailing ,” etc ., is used with reference to the orientation of the figure ( s ) being described . because components of embodiments of the present invention can be positioned in a number of different orientations , the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting . it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . the following detailed description , therefore , is not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims . fig1 illustrates one embodiment of an inkjet printing system 10 according to embodiments of the present invention . inkjet printing system 10 includes an inkjet printhead assembly 12 , an ink supply assembly 14 , a carriage assembly 16 , a print media transport assembly 18 , a service station assembly 20 , and an electronic controller 22 . inkjet printhead assembly 12 includes one or more printheads which eject drops of ink through a plurality of nozzles or orifices 13 and toward an embodiment of media , such as print medium 19 , so as to print onto print medium 19 . print medium 19 is any type of suitable sheet material , such as paper , card stock , transparencies , mylar , cloth , and the like . typically , orifices 13 are arranged in one or more columns or arrays such that properly sequenced ejection of ink from orifices 13 causes characters , symbols , and / or other graphics or images to be printed upon print medium 19 as inkjet printhead assembly 12 and print medium 19 are moved relative to each other . ink supply assembly 14 supplies ink to inkjet printhead assembly 12 and includes a reservoir 15 for storing ink . as such , ink flows from reservoir 15 to inkjet printhead assembly 12 . in one embodiment , inkjet printhead assembly 12 and ink supply assembly 14 are housed together in an inkjet cartridge or pen . in another embodiment , ink supply assembly 14 is separate from inkjet printhead assembly 12 and supplies ink to inkjet printhead assembly 12 through an interface connection , such as a supply tube . in either embodiment , reservoir 15 of ink supply assembly 14 may be removed , replaced , and / or refilled . carriage assembly 16 positions inkjet printhead assembly 12 relative to print media transport assembly 18 and print media transport assembly 18 positions print medium 19 relative to inkjet printhead assembly 12 . thus , a print zone 17 is defined adjacent to orifices 13 in an area between inkjet printhead assembly 12 and print medium 19 . in one embodiment , inkjet printhead assembly 12 is a scanning type printhead assembly such that carriage assembly 16 moves inkjet printhead assembly 12 relative to print media transport assembly 18 and print medium 19 during printing on print medium 19 . in another embodiment , inkjet printhead assembly 12 is a non - scanning type printhead assembly such that carriage assembly 16 fixes inkjet printhead assembly 12 at a prescribed position relative to print media transport assembly 18 during printing on print medium 19 as print media transport assembly 18 advances print medium 19 past the prescribed position . to maintain a functionality of inkjet printhead assembly 12 and , more specifically , orifices 13 of inkjet printhead assembly 12 , service station assembly 20 provides for spitting , wiping , capping , and / or priming of inkjet print assembly 12 . in one embodiment , service station assembly 20 includes a rubber blade or wiper which is periodically passed over inkjet printhead assembly 12 to wipe and clean orifices 13 of excess ink . in one embodiment , service station assembly 20 includes a cap which covers inkjet printhead assembly 12 to protect orifices 13 from drying out during periods of non - use . in one embodiment , service station assembly 20 includes a spittoon into which inkjet printhead assembly 12 ejects ink to insure that reservoir 15 maintains an appropriate level of pressure and fluidity and that orifices 13 do not clog or weep . electronic controller 22 communicates with inkjet printhead assembly 12 , carriage assembly 16 , print media transport assembly 18 , and service station assembly 20 . electronic controller 22 receives data 23 from a host system , such as a computer , and includes memory for temporarily storing data 23 . typically , data 23 is sent to inkjet printing system 10 along an electronic , infrared , optical or other information transfer path . data 23 represents , for example , a document and / or file to be printed . as such , data 23 forms a print job for inkjet printing system 10 and includes one or more print job commands and / or command parameters . in one embodiment , electronic controller 22 provides control of inkjet printhead assembly 12 including timing control for ejection of ink drops from orifices 13 . as such , electronic controller 22 defines a pattern of ejected ink drops which form characters , symbols , and / or other graphics or images on print medium 19 . timing control and , therefore , the pattern of ejected ink drops , is determined by the print job commands and / or command parameters . fig2 and 3 illustrate a portion of an inkjet printhead assembly 120 , as one embodiment of inkjet printhead assembly 12 , and a portion of a service station assembly 220 , as one embodiment of service station assembly 20 . in one embodiment , inkjet printhead assembly 120 is an inkjet print cartridge or pen , and includes a printhead 130 and one or more reservoirs or compartments 140 for storing and supplying ink ( or fluid ) to printhead 130 . in one embodiment , compartments 140 include a first ink compartment 141 for storing and supplying a first color ink to printhead 130 , and a second ink compartment 142 for storing and supplying a second color ink to printhead 130 . in one exemplary embodiment , ink compartment 141 stores and supplies black ink to printhead 130 , and ink compartment 142 stores and supplies a color ink other than black ink , for example , yellow ink , to printhead 130 . in one embodiment , printhead 130 has a face 132 and includes a plurality of nozzles or orifices 134 formed in face 132 . in one embodiment , nozzles or orifices 134 are arranged in one or more columns 150 of orifices 134 . in one exemplary embodiment , printhead 130 includes a first column 151 of orifices 134 , and a second column 152 of orifices 134 . in one embodiment , first column 151 of orifices 134 communicates with first ink compartment 141 so as to eject a first color ink from printhead 130 , and second column 152 of orifices 134 communicates with second ink compartment 142 so as to eject a second color ink from printhead 130 . in one embodiment , service station assembly 220 provides a system for capping and priming of printhead 130 . as such , service station assembly 220 helps to prevent ink from drying in nozzles or orifices 134 when printhead 130 is not in use , and assists in removing air bubbles trapped in nozzles or orifices 134 and clearing out soft viscous plugs of ink which may form in nozzles or orifices 134 when printhead 130 is not in use . in one embodiment , service station assembly 220 includes a cap 230 , a porous material 240 , and a vacuum 250 . in one embodiment , cap 230 includes a base 232 and a perimeter wall 234 extending from base 232 . in one embodiment , cap 230 mates with printhead 130 such that perimeter wall 234 surrounds printhead 130 and forms a seal with face 132 of printhead 130 . in one embodiment , base 232 of cap 230 includes a vacuum port 236 . in one embodiment , vacuum port 236 communicates with vacuum 250 via a vacuum tube 252 . in one embodiment , one end of vacuum tube 252 is communicated with vacuum port 236 and an opposite end of vacuum tube 252 is communicated with vacuum 250 such that vacuum pressure generated by vacuum 250 is communicated with cap 230 . as such , vacuum pressure of vacuum 250 is applied to printhead 130 through vacuum tube 252 and cap 230 when printhead 130 mates with cap 230 . in one embodiment , as described below , vacuum pressure within cap 230 draws ink ( or fluid ) from printhead 130 for servicing of printhead 130 when printhead 130 mates with cap 230 . in one embodiment , as illustrated in fig2 , porous material 240 is provided in cap 230 . in one embodiment , porous material 240 , absorbs ink ( or fluid ) from printhead 130 and forms a filter for ink ( or fluid ) from printhead 130 . in one embodiment , porous material 240 is formed of an open - cell plastic . in one exemplary embodiment , porous material 240 has a pore volume of approximately 25 percent . in one exemplary embodiment , porous material 240 is a polyethylene foam or other functionally similar material . as illustrated in the embodiment of fig2 , porous material 240 has a first side 241 and a second side 242 . second side 242 of porous material 240 is opposite first side 241 and , in one embodiment , oriented substantially parallel with first side 241 . in one embodiment , porous material 240 is positioned in base 232 of cap 230 such that second side 242 of porous material 240 faces and / or contacts base 232 . as such , first side 241 of porous material 240 faces or is oriented toward face 132 of printhead 130 when printhead 130 mates with cap 230 . in one embodiment , as illustrated in fig2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 , first side 241 of porous material 240 has a stepped or raised profile , and second side 242 of porous material 240 includes a recessed area . the stepped or raised profile of first side 241 of porous material 240 reduces a distance between porous material 240 and face 132 of printhead 130 when printhead 130 mates with cap 230 , and the recessed area of second side 242 of porous material 240 provides an area or areas of reduced thickness of porous material 240 . by providing an area or areas of reduced thickness of porous material 240 , the recessed area of second side 242 provides an area or areas of reduced resistance and , therefore , increased pressure from vacuum 250 . as such , the recessed area of second side 242 provides a distributed pressure profile which varies throughout porous material 240 and , therefore , cap 230 . in one embodiment , the recessed area of second side 242 of porous material 240 is formed by a recess 244 in porous material 240 . in one embodiment , recess 244 communicates with vacuum port 236 of cap 230 when porous material 240 is positioned in base 232 of cap 230 . by forming recess 244 in porous material 240 , recess 244 provides an area or areas of reduced thickness of porous material 240 and , therefore , reduced resistance to vacuum pressure generated by vacuum 250 . thus , recess 244 provides an area or areas for increased application of pressure to porous material 240 and , therefore , cap 230 from vacuum 250 . accordingly , the area or areas of increased application of pressure to porous material 240 may be applied to printhead 130 when printhead 130 mates with cap 230 . in one embodiment , recess 244 is a t - shaped recess 260 . as such , t - shaped recess 260 includes a base portion 261 and a cross portion 262 oriented substantially perpendicularly to base portion 261 . in one embodiment , t - shaped recess 260 has a substantially uniform depth , and extends less than a full length of porous material 240 . in one embodiment , t - shaped recess 260 is oriented such that base portion 261 is oriented substantially parallel with columns 150 of orifices 134 , and cross portion 262 is oriented substantially perpendicular to columns 150 of orifices 134 . in one embodiment , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 , ink compartment 141 storing and supplying black ink to printhead 130 communicates with a first end of printhead 130 , and ink compartment 142 storing and supplying color ink other than black ink to printhead 130 communicates with a second end of printhead 130 opposite the first end . in one embodiment , flow of ink from ink compartment 141 to printhead 130 is illustrated by line 143 . in one exemplary embodiment , ink within ink compartment 141 is a black pigment - based ink , and ink within ink compartment 142 is a yellow dye - based ink . under certain conditions , pigment of the ink within ink compartment 141 may settle within ink compartment 141 ( as illustrated by 144 in fig2 ) thereby producing a higher pigment concentration ink at the first end of printhead 130 ( as illustrated by 145 in fig2 ). as such , the higher pigment concentration ink , when mixed with the dye - based ink from ink compartment 142 , may from sludge at the first end of printhead 130 ( as illustrated by 135 in fig3 ) and within cap 230 adjacent the first end of printhead 130 . in one embodiment , as illustrated in fig3 , cross portion 262 of t - shaped recess 260 is provided at an end of porous material 240 adjacent or corresponding to the first end of printhead 130 . as such , t - shaped recess 260 provides an area of reduced resistance and increased application of pressure from vacuum 250 at the first end of printhead 130 . accordingly , t - shaped recess 260 provides for increased application of pressure to the first end of printhead 130 and , therefore , ink compartment 141 when printhead 130 mates with cap 230 . thus , t - shaped recess 260 improves flow of the more viscous sludge and higher pigment concentration ink which may be develop at the first end of printhead 130 . by providing recess 244 in porous material 240 of the shape and configuration illustrated and described herein , recess 244 helps to improve and regulate ink ( or fluid ) flow from printhead 130 while priming , and aids in balancing and distributing pressure within cap 230 and porous material 240 while priming . as such , recess 244 helps to achieve a predetermined flow pressure within cap 230 and porous material 240 to help reduce sludge formation on printhead 130 and within cap 230 . although illustrated and described as being a t - shaped recess , it is within the scope of the present invention for recess 244 in porous material 240 to be of other shapes and / or configurations . although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein , it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and / or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention . this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein . therefore , it is intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof .
1
the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views , there is shown in fig1 a scroll compressor which incorporates a compensation system in accordance with the present disclosure which is designated generally by reference numeral 10 . compressor 10 comprises a generally cylindrical hermetic shell 12 having welded at the upper end thereof a cap 14 and at the lower end thereof a base 16 having a plurality of mounting feet ( not shown ) integrally formed therewith . cap 14 is provided with a refrigerant discharge fitting 18 which may have the usual discharge valve therein ( not shown ). other major elements affixed to the shell include a transversely extending partition 22 which is welded about its periphery at the same point that cap 14 is welded to shell 12 , a main bearing housing 24 which is suitably secured to shell 12 and a lower bearing housing 26 also having a plurality of radially outwardly extending legs each of which is also suitably secured to shell 12 . a motor stator 28 which is generally square in cross - section but with the corners rounded off is press fitted into shell 12 . the flats between the rounded corners on the stator provide passageways between the stator and shell , which facilitate the return flow of lubricant from the top of the shell to the bottom . a drive shaft or crankshaft 30 having an eccentric crank pin 32 at the upper end thereof is rotatably journaled in a bearing 34 in main bearing housing 24 and a second bearing 36 in lower bearing housing 26 . crankshaft 30 has at the lower end a relatively large diameter concentric bore 38 which communicates with a radially outwardly inclined smaller diameter bore 40 extending upwardly therefrom to the top of crankshaft 30 . disposed within bore 38 is a stirrer 42 . the lower portion of the interior shell 12 defines an oil sump 44 which is filled with lubricating oil to a level slightly below the lower end of a rotor 46 but above the lower end of stator end - turns of windings 48 , and bore 38 acts as a pump to pump lubricating fluid up the crankshaft 30 and into bore 40 and ultimately to all of the various portions of the compressor which require lubrication . crankshaft 30 is rotatively driven by an electric motor including stator 28 , windings 48 passing therethrough and rotor 46 press fitted on the crankshaft 30 and having upper and lower counterweights 50 and 52 , respectively . the upper surface of main bearing housing 24 is provided with a flat thrust bearing surface 54 on which is disposed an orbiting scroll member 56 having the usual spiral vane or wrap 58 extending upward from an end plate 60 . projecting downwardly from the lower surface of end plate 60 of orbiting scroll member 56 is a cylindrical hub having a journal bearing 62 therein and in which is rotatively disposed a drive bushing 64 having an inner bore 66 in which crank pin 32 is drivingly disposed . crank pin 32 has a flat on one surface which drivingly engages a flat surface ( not shown ) formed in a portion of bore 66 to provide a radially compliant driving arrangement , such as shown in assignee &# 39 ; s u . s . pat . no . 4 , 877 , 382 , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference . an oldham coupling 68 is also provided positioned between orbiting scroll member 56 and main bearing housing 24 and keyed to orbiting scroll member 56 and a non - orbiting scroll member 70 to prevent rotational movement of orbiting scroll member 56 . oldham coupling 68 is preferably of the type disclosed in assignee &# 39 ; s co - pending u . s . pat . no . 5 , 320 , 506 , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference . non - orbiting scroll member 70 is also provided having a wrap 72 extending downwardly from an end plate 74 which is positioned in meshing engagement with wrap 58 of orbiting scroll member 56 . non - orbiting scroll member 70 has a centrally disposed discharge passage 76 which communicates with an upwardly open recess 78 which in turn is in fluid communication with a discharge muffler chamber 80 defined by cap 14 and partition 22 . an annular recess 82 is also formed in non - orbiting scroll member 70 within which is disposed a seal assembly 84 . recesses 78 and 82 and seal assembly 84 cooperate to define axial pressure biasing chambers which receive pressurized fluid being compressed by wraps 58 and 72 so as to exert an axial biasing force on non - orbiting scroll member 70 to thereby urge the tips of respective wraps 58 , 72 into sealing engagement with the opposed end plate surfaces of end plates 74 and 60 , respectively . seal assembly 84 is preferably of the type described in greater detail in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 156 , 539 , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference . non - orbiting scroll member 70 is designed to be mounted to main bearing housing 24 in a suitable manner such as disclosed in the aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 4 , 877 , 382 or u . s . pat . no . 5 , 102 , 316 , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference . referring now to fig2 and 3 , a prior art set of scroll members without the temperature compensation in accordance with the present disclosure is illustrated . fig2 illustrates an orbiting scroll member 56 ′ and a non - orbiting scroll member 70 ′ at a normal environmental temperature . the surface of end plate 60 ′ of the orbiting scroll member 56 ′ extending between scroll wrap 58 ′ is formed as a generally planar surface . similarly , the surface of end plate 74 ′ of the non - orbiting scroll member 70 ′ extending between scroll wrap 72 ′ is also formed as a generally planar surface . in this manner , when orbiting scroll member 56 ′ and non - orbiting scroll member 70 ′ are assembled , the flank surfaces of scroll wraps 58 ′ and 72 ′ engage each other , the tips of scroll wrap 58 ′ engage end plate 74 ′ and the tips of scroll wrap 72 ′ engage end plate 60 ′ to provide for the sealing of the compression pockets . fig3 illustrates the thermal expansion effects due to normal operating temperature on prior art orbiting scroll member 56 ′ and non - orbiting scroll member 70 ′ without the compensating effect of the temperature compensation system of the present disclosure . the higher temperature of the radially inner portion of wraps 58 ′ and 72 ′ cause the radially inner portion of wraps 58 ′ and 72 ′ to grow to a larger extent than the radially outer portion of the wraps causing the tip of wraps 58 ′ and 72 ′ to each form somewhat of a convex shape while the mating surface of end plates 60 ′ and 74 ′ maintain a general planar configuration . the engagement between the scroll wraps 58 ′ and 72 ′ and the respective scroll tips and end plates 74 ′ and 60 ′ will result in a leak path at the radially outer portion between the tips of wraps 58 ′ and 72 ′ and end plates 74 ′ and 60 ′, respectively . referring now to fig1 , 4 and 5 , the temperature compensation system in accordance with the present disclosure comprises an annular ring 88 attached to non - orbiting scroll member 70 . non - orbiting scroll member 70 defines an annular flange 90 projecting upwardly from end plate 74 of non - orbiting scroll member 70 . annular flange 90 defines an annular groove 92 within which is located annular ring 88 . annular ring 88 is press fit within annular groove 92 or secured within annular groove 92 by other means known in the art . the reaction to temperature change or the coefficient of thermal expansion for the material of annular ring 88 is greater than the reaction to temperature change or the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material of non - orbiting scroll member 70 . annular ring 88 may be manufactured from standard wrought materials , composite materials , shaped memory alloys , phase changing alloys or any other material known in the art that will provide the desired results . fig4 and 5 schematically illustrates the operating principles for the temperature compensation system shown in fig1 . fig4 illustrates orbiting scroll member 56 and non - orbiting scroll member 70 at a normal environmental or room temperature . the surface of end plate 60 extending between scroll wrap 58 is formed as a generally planar surface . similarly , the surface of end plate 74 extending between scroll wrap 72 is also formed as a generally planar surface . in this manner , when orbiting scroll member 56 and non - orbiting scroll member 70 are assembled at room temperature , the flank surfaces of scroll wraps 58 and 72 engage each other , the tip of scroll wrap 58 engages end plate 74 and the tip of scroll wrap 72 engages end plate 60 to provide for the sealing of the compression pockets . fig5 illustrates the thermal expansion effects due to normal operating temperature on orbiting scroll member 56 and non - orbiting scroll member 70 with the compensation effect of annular ring 88 . it has been observed that end plate 60 remains generally planar and provides continued proper engagement with generally flat thrust bearing surface 54 of main bearing housing 24 . the incorporation of annular ring 88 does not affect the thermal growth resulting in the convex shape of wraps 58 . the effect of the incorporation of annular ring 88 is only on non - orbiting scroll member 70 . as the temperature of non - orbiting scroll member 70 increases , the temperature of annular ring 88 also increases . this causes thermal expansion of annular ring 88 in an amount which is greater than the thermal expansion of annular flange 90 due to the differences in the coefficients of thermal expansion of their materials . this difference in thermal expansion will produce a load on annular flange 90 which will cause end plate 74 to form a concave surface which will reduce or eliminate the convex shape for the tips of wrap 72 . with the proper selection of materials such as copper based materials or ferrous based materials with austenitic structure which have a coefficient of thermal expansion higher than that of scroll members made of grey iron to choose from typical wrought materials , and the proper dimensioning of the components , the concave shape of end plate 74 can be made to better match the convex shape of the tips of wraps 58 of orbiting scroll member 56 while simultaneously causing the tips of wraps 72 of non - orbiting scroll member 70 to become generally planar . in this manner , the proper sealing between the tips of wraps 58 and 72 and the surfaces of end plates 74 and 60 respectively will be maintained at normal operating temperature as well as during the transition between normal environmental temperatures and normal operating temperatures . referring now to fig6 a and 6b , a compensation system in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated . fig4 and 5 illustrate annular ring 88 attached to non - orbiting scroll member 70 . fig6 illustrates an annular ring 188 attached to an orbiting scroll member 156 . orbiting scroll member 156 includes the usual spiral valve or wrap 158 extending upward from an end plate 160 . projecting downwardly from the lower surface of end plate 160 of orbiting scroll member 156 is a cylindrical hub for accommodating journal bearing 62 and drive bushing 64 . a non - orbiting scroll member 170 is designed to mate with orbiting scroll member 156 . non - orbiting scroll member 170 is provided with a wrap 172 extending downwardly from an end plate 174 which is positioned in meshing engagement with scroll wrap 158 of orbiting scroll member 156 . non - orbiting scroll member 170 has a centrally disposed discharge passage 176 which communicates with an upwardly open recess 178 which is designed to be in fluid communication with discharge muffler chamber 80 . orbiting scroll member 156 defines an annular flange 190 projecting downwardly from the lower surface of end plate 160 of orbiting scroll member 156 . annular flange 190 defines an annular groove 192 within which is located annular ring 188 . annular ring 188 is press fit within annular groove 192 or secured within annular groove 192 by other means known in the art . the reaction to temperature change or the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material of annular ring 188 is greater than the reaction to temperature change or the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material orbiting scroll member 156 . fig6 a schematically illustrates the operating principles for this embodiment of the temperature compensation system . at normal environmental or room temperature , the surface of end plate 160 extending between scroll wrap 158 is formed as a generally planar surface similar to that illustrated in fig4 for scroll wrap 58 and end plate 60 . similarly , the surface of end plate 174 extending between scroll wrap 172 is also formed as a generally planar surface similar to that illustrated in fig4 for scroll wrap 72 and end plate 74 . in this manner , when orbiting scroll member 156 and non - orbiting scroll member 170 are assembled at room temperature , the flank surfaces of scroll wraps 158 and 172 engage each other , the tip of scroll wrap 158 engages end plate 174 and the tip of scroll wrap 172 engages end plate 160 to provide for the sealing of the compression pockets . fig6 a illustrates the thermal expansion effects due to normal operating temperature on orbiting scroll member 156 and non - orbiting scroll member 170 with the compensation effect of annular ring 188 . it has been observed that end plate 174 remains generally planar . the incorporation of annular ring 188 does not affect the thermal growth resulting in the convex shape of wraps 172 . the effect of the incorporation of annular ring 188 is only on orbiting scroll member 156 . as the temperature of orbiting scroll member 156 increases , the temperature of annular ring 188 also increases . this causes thermal expansion of annular ring 188 in an amount which is greater than the thermal expansion of annular flange 190 due to the differences in the coefficients of thermal expansion of their materials . this difference in thermal expansion will produce a load on annular flange 190 which will cause end plate 160 to form a concave surface which will eliminate the convex shape for the tips of wrap 158 . with the proper selection of materials and the proper dimensioning of the components , the concave shape of end plate 160 can be made to better match the convex shape of the tips of wraps 172 of non - orbiting scroll member 120 while simultaneously causing the tips of wraps 158 of orbiting scroll member 156 to become generally planar . in this manner , the proper sealing between the tips of wraps 158 and 172 and the surfaces of end plates 174 and 160 respectively will be maintained at normal operating temperature as well as during the transition between normal environmental temperatures and normal operating temperatures . the temperature compensation system illustrated in fig6 a can be used in scroll compressor 10 which utilizes axial movable non - orbiting scroll member 70 . because annular ring 188 is disposed in base plate 160 of orbiting scroll member 156 and the fact that the back surface of base plate 160 is a thrust bearing surface in scroll compressor 10 , this compensation system may be more appropriate for a compressor 110 illustrated in fig6 b . scroll compressor 110 fixes the position of non - orbiting scroll member 170 and orbiting scroll member 156 is provided with axial movement as is well known in the art . scroll compressor 110 having axial compliant orbiting scroll member 156 is more tolerant of a convex shaped back surface than scroll compressor 10 . fig7 and 8 schematically illustrate the operating principles of a temperature compensation system in accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure . the temperature compensation system in fig7 and 8 comprises an annular ring 288 attached to a non - orbiting scroll member 270 . an orbiting scroll member 256 includes the usual spiral vane or wrap 258 extending upward from an end plate 260 . projecting downwardly from the lower surface of end plate 260 of orbiting scroll member 256 is a cylindrical hub for accommodating journal bearing 62 and drive bushing 64 . orbiting scroll member 256 is a direct replacement for orbiting scroll member 56 . non - orbiting scroll member 270 is a direct replacement for non - orbiting scroll member 70 and non - orbiting scroll member 270 is designed to mate with orbiting scroll member 256 . non - orbiting scroll member 270 is provided with a wrap 272 extending downwardly from an end plate 274 and wrap 272 is positioned in meshing engagement with scroll wrap 258 of orbiting scroll member 256 . non - orbiting scroll member 270 has a centrally disposed discharge passage 276 which communicates with an upwardly open recess 278 which is designed to be in fluid communication with discharge muffler chamber 80 . an annular recess 282 is also formed in non - orbiting scroll member 270 to accept seal assembly 84 . non - orbiting scroll member 270 defines an annular portion 290 over which annular ring 288 is located . annular ring 288 is press fit over annular portion 290 or secured to annular portion 290 by other means known in the art . the reaction to temperature change or the coefficient of thermal expansion for the material of annular ring 288 is less than the reaction to temperature change or the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material of non - orbiting scroll member 270 . annular ring 288 may be manufactured from standard wrought materials , composite materials , shaped memory alloys , phase change alloys or any other material known in the art that can provide the desired results . fig7 and 8 schematically illustrate the operating principles for the temperature compensation system similar to that shown in fig1 . fig7 illustrates orbiting scroll member 256 and non - orbiting scroll member 270 at a normal environmental or room temperature . the surface of end plate 260 extending between scroll wrap 258 is formed as a generally planar surface . similarly , the surface of end plate 274 extending between scroll wrap 272 is also formed as generally planar surface . in this manner , when orbiting scroll member 256 and non - orbiting scroll member 270 are assembled at room temperature , the flank surfaces of scroll wraps 258 and 272 engage each other , the tip of scroll wrap 258 engages end plate 274 and the tip of scroll wrap 272 engages end plate 260 to provide for the sealing of the compression pockets . fig8 illustrates the thermal expansion effects due to the normal operating temperature of orbiting scroll member 256 and non - orbiting scroll member 270 with the compensation effect of annular ring 288 . it has been observed that end plate 260 remains generally planar and provides continued proper engagement with generally flat thrust bearing surface 54 of main bearing housing 24 . the incorporation of annular ring 288 does not affect the thermal growth resulting in the convex shape of wraps 258 . the effect of the incorporation of annular ring 288 is only on non - orbiting scroll member 270 . as the temperature of non - orbiting scroll member 270 increases , the temperature of annular ring 288 also increases . this causes thermal expansion of annular ring 288 in an amount which is less than the thermal expansion of annular portion 290 due to the differences in the coefficients of thermal expansion of their materials . this difference in thermal expansion will produce a load on annular portion 290 which will cause end plate 274 to form a concave surface which will reduce or eliminate the convex shape for the tips of wrap 272 . with the proper selection of materials , such as high nickel alloys or filament wound carbon fiber based composite materials which have a coefficient of thermal expansion lower than that of scroll members made of grey iron to choose from typical engineered materials , and the proper dimensioning of the components , the concave shape of end plate 274 can be made to better match the convex shape of the tip of wrap 258 of orbiting scroll member 256 while simultaneously causing the tip of wrap 272 of non - orbiting scroll member 270 to become generally planar . in this manner , the proper sealing between the tips of wraps 258 and 272 and the surfaces of end plates 274 and 260 , respectively , will be maintained at normal operating temperature as well as during the transition between normal environmental temperatures and normal operating temperatures . fig9 - 11 schematically illustrate the operating principles of a temperature compensation system in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure . the temperature compensation system in fig9 - 11 comprises a plurality of thermal actuators 388 attached to a non - orbiting scroll member 370 . an orbiting scroll member 356 includes the usual spiral vane or wrap 358 extending upward from an end plate 360 . projecting downwardly from the lower surface of end plate 360 of orbiting scroll member 356 is a cylindrical hub for accommodating journal bearing 62 and drive bushing 64 . orbiting scroll member 356 is a direct replacement for orbiting scroll member 56 . non - orbiting scroll member 370 is a direct replacement for non - orbiting scroll member 70 and non - orbiting scroll member 370 is designed to mate with orbiting scroll member 356 . non - orbiting scroll member 370 is provided with a wrap 372 extending downwardly from an end plate 374 and wrap 372 is positioned in meshing engagement with scroll wrap 358 of orbiting scroll member 356 . non - orbiting scroll member 370 has a centrally disposed discharge passage 376 which communicates with an upwardly open recess 378 which is designed to be in fluid communication with discharge muffler chamber 80 . an annular recess 382 is also formed in non - orbiting scroll member 370 to accept seal assembly 84 . non - orbiting scroll member 370 defines an annular flange 390 projecting upwardly from end plate 374 of non - orbiting scroll member 370 . annular flange 390 defines an annular groove 392 . non - orbiting scroll member 370 further defines a plurality of bores 394 within each of which is disposed a respective thermal actuator 388 . annular flange 390 defines a plurality of bores 396 each of which is aligned with a respective bore 394 . a fastener 398 is assembled into each bore 396 to provide cold temperature adjustment to a respective thermal actuator . as illustrated in fig1 , the present disclosure includes four bores 394 , four thermal actuators 388 , four bores 396 and four fasteners 398 . it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to four thermal actuators but the present disclosure can have fewer or more thermal actuators 388 as determined by the specific design and development requirements . referring to fig1 and 13 , thermal actuator 388 is illustrated in greater detail . thermal actuator 388 comprises a cup 402 , a thermal expansion material 404 , a diaphragm 406 , a plug 408 , a guide 410 and a piston 412 . thermal expansion material 404 is disposed within cup 402 and diaphragm 406 seals and retains thermal expansion material 404 within cup 402 . plug 408 and piston 412 are assembled within guide 410 and guide 410 is secured to cup 402 to complete the assembly of thermal actuator 388 . guide 410 is secured to cup 402 by welding , by the use of a retainer ( not shown ), by a threaded connection or by any other means known in the art . fig1 illustrates thermal actuator 388 in its cold or non - actuated condition . thermal expansion material 404 is disposed within cup 402 in a solid state and piston 412 is in its retracted position . fig1 illustrates thermal actuator 388 in its heated or actuated condition . thermal expansion material 404 reacts to heat by changing into a liquid material and expanding to push diaphragm 406 upward as illustrated in fig1 . diaphragm 406 pushes plug 408 upward which in turn pushes piston 412 into its extended position as illustrated in fig1 . when thermal expansion material 404 cools , it returns to its solid condition as illustrated in fig1 . fig9 and 10 schematically illustrate the operating principles for the temperature compensation system for this embodiment . fig9 illustrates orbiting scroll member 356 and non - orbiting scroll member 370 at a normal environmental or room temperature . the surface of end plate 360 extending between scroll wrap 358 is formed as a generally planar surface . similarly , the surface of end plate 274 extending between scroll wrap 272 is also formed as a generally planar surface . in this manner when orbiting scroll member 356 and non - orbiting scroll member 370 are assembled at room temperature , the flank surfaces of scroll wraps 358 and 372 engage each other , the tip of scroll wrap 358 engages end plate 374 and the tip of scroll wrap 372 engages end plate 360 to provide for the sealing of the compression pockets . fig1 illustrates the thermal expansion effects due to the normal operating temperature of orbiting scroll member 356 and non - orbiting scroll member 370 with the compensation effect of thermal actuators 388 . it has been observed that end plate 360 remains generally planar and provides continued proper engagement with flat thrust bearing surface 54 of main bearing housing 24 . the incorporation of thermal actuators 388 does not affect the thermal growth resulting in the convex shape of wraps 358 . the effect of the incorporation of thermal actuators 388 is only on non - orbiting scroll member 370 . as the temperature of non - orbiting scroll member 370 increases , the temperature of thermal actuators 388 also increases . this causes the melting and expansion of thermal expansion material 440 in thermal actuators . this expansion of thermal expansion material 440 pushes pistons 412 outward , as detailed above , to apply a force to the upper end of annular flange 390 and the force applied to annular flange 390 by thermal actuators 388 will cause end plate 374 to form a concave surface which will reduce or eliminate the convex shape for the tips of wrap 372 . with the proper selection of the number and type of thermal actuators 388 , the concave shape of end plate 374 can be made to much better match the convex shape of the tip of wrap 358 of orbiting scroll member 356 while simultaneously causing the tip of wrap 372 of non - orbiting scroll member 370 to become generally planar to match end plate 360 of orbiting scroll member 356 . in this manner , the proper sealing between the tips of wraps 358 and 372 and the surfaces of end plates 374 and 360 , respectively , will be maintained at normal operating temperatures as well as during the transition between normal environmental temperatures and normal operating temperatures . fasteners 398 are adjustable to provide for the room temperature position of fasteners 398 with respect to thermal actuators 388 to insure equal loads around the circumference of annular flange 390 . while the above detailed description describes the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure , it should be understood that the present disclosure is susceptible to modification , variation and alteration without deviating from the scope and fair meaning of the subjoined claims .
5
in the description of the figures which follows , the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar elements . fig1 shows a schematic illustration of components of an update device 100 for a vehicle based on an exemplary embodiment of the invention . by way of example , the update device 100 is installed in the vehicle and is used not only for updating a digital map but also for regenerating digital maps or map regions which were not stored to date . the update device 100 has a communication unit 102 with an antenna 108 . this communication unit 102 can be used by the update device to communicate with other vehicles and possibly with a server in a traffic control center . in addition , the update device 100 has an update unit 103 with a processor , said update unit controlling the device 100 and performing the update or regeneration for the digital map . the update unit 103 is connected to an input unit 115 . the input unit 115 can be used to make various adjustments on the device . by way of example , a destination and possibly also a location can be selected for a navigation unit . in this case , the destination can be input by inputting the full name of the destination or else by selecting from a list which is presented on a visual output unit , such as a monitor 116 , for example . the monitor 116 is also used to output the routing information . furthermore , the routing information can also be output via an audible output unit 114 . said audible output unit 114 can also be used to output warnings . output via the audible output unit 114 has the advantage that the driver is less distracted from what is currently happening in the traffic . a memory element 113 , which is connected to the central computation unit or update unit 103 or is integrated in the update unit 103 , stores the map data ( digital map data ) in the form of data records . by way of example , the memory element 113 also stores additional information about traffic restrictions and the like in association with the data records . the update unit 103 may also be connected to a driver assistance system 120 . for the purpose of determining the current vehicle position , the update device 100 has a positioning unit 105 with a gps receiver which is designed to receive position signals from gps satellites . naturally , the positioning unit ( capture unit ) 105 may also be designed for other satellite navigation systems , such as galileo . since the gps signals cannot always be received in city centers , for example , the device 100 also has a direction sensor 117 , a distance sensor 118 and possibly also a steering wheel angle sensor 119 for the purpose of performing compound navigation . signals from the gps receiver , from the distance sensor , from the direction sensor and / or from the steering wheel angle sensor are handled in the processor 103 , for example . the vehicle position ascertained from said signals is aligned with the road maps using map matching . the routing information obtained in this manner is finally output via the monitor 116 . since the digital map data are outdated relatively quickly , a subregion of the digital maps is updated , in line with the invention , on the basis of current vehicle positions for adjacent vehicles . each vehicle transmits its own position using vehicle - to - vehicle communication or vehicle - to - infrastructure communication . said position can be ascertained by gps or galileo , for example . each vehicle receives the position of all the other vehicles within its range , possibly via the indirect route via the control center . since all the vehicles are moving , this makes it possible to identify where roads are situated , in a similar manner to a column of ants . in this context , what is meant is that the update device can ascertain the current route from the multiplicity of transmitted position data from the other vehicles . this can involve the use of statistical methods and filters in order to compensate for mismeasurements and to increase the accuracy of the result ( even though it is entirely possible for every single position measurement to exhibit an inaccuracy of several meters ). the update device is capable of calculating the route from the individual ( edited ) positions of the other vehicles , that is to say to attribute roads to appropriate individual positions . the transmitted information can thus be used to check and possibly correct a digital map which is already present . since particularly vehicles traveling in front and oncoming vehicles contribute to this information , these important portions of the map are most up to date . inaccuracies as a result of gps or galileo are rectified and are relativized by means of alignment with the driver &# 39 ; s own position . in particular , critical points , such as sharp bends , can be clearly identified despite these inaccuracies . in addition , infrastructure - to - vehicle communication ( that is to say communication between the control center and the individual vehicles ) can be used to send the course of the road at a hazardous point to all the vehicles at said point and hence to ensure that all vehicles at said point can use an up - to - date digital map . even for vehicles without a digital map , it is possible to use said information to better warn the driver or to provide him with the assistance of driver assistance systems . the changes in the map are stored , so that they are available again when next traveling on the same route and do not need to be “ learned ” again . fig2 shows a schematic illustration of an update system 200 which has a multiplicity of vehicles 101 , 104 , 203 with appropriate update devices 100 . all vehicles 101 , 104 , 203 are capable of communicating with one another , as symbolized by the arrows 205 , 206 , 207 . in addition , all vehicles are capable of communicating with a control center which has a server 201 with an antenna 202 , as symbolized by the arrows 204 , 208 . fig3 shows a schematic illustration of a subregion 301 of a digital map , in this case a digital navigation map . the vehicle 101 is situated on a road 306 and is approaching the junction 305 . in this case , the vehicle 101 receives position data and other data , which have been measured by a traction controller , such as abs ( antilock braking system ), tcs ( traction control system ), esp ( electronic stability program , may also contain traction control system ) or edl ( electronic differential lock ), for example , both from the oncoming vehicle 303 and from the further vehicles 104 and 302 which are situated on an alternative route 307 . after appropriate evaluation of the data , a warning 308 is automatically displayed and also audibly communicated to the driver . the warning 308 contains the information that there is a fallen tree on the route 306 between the exit 305 and the exit 304 ( this information has been measured by the vehicle 303 ). on the basis of the position data from the vehicles 104 and 302 , the update device knows that the hazard spot can be bypassed using the bypass 307 , which leads to the place 304 . the bypass 307 was not known to the navigation system previously , since this is a new road . thus , if the driver &# 39 ; s own vehicle is moving on a road which is not yet recorded in its map , the movement of the vehicle traveling in front and the oncoming vehicle reveals that there are also other possible roads , for example . by way of example , it is also possible to identify that a sharp bend is drawing near , for example , and the driver can be warned of the bend as appropriate , possibly audibly . highly up - to - date , location - specific updating of the digital map is thus possible . fig4 shows a flow chart for a method based on an exemplary embodiment of the invention . in step 401 , position data and other measurement data are collected from vehicles in the surroundings . these data have been transmitted to the vehicle by vehicle - to - vehicle communication and / or vehicle - to - infrastructure communication . in step 402 , the available map is locally updated by said transmitted position data from the vehicles in the surroundings , possibly with simultaneous regard to other data , such as warning data relating to a hazard spot . in step 403 , the changes in the map are stored either in the map itself or on a separate storage medium . in this case , the data from the digital map do not need to be changed , in order to reduce the risk of damaging the map through incorrect storage . the communication between the control center and the vehicles and between the individual vehicles can be effected with appropriate encryption in order to ensure data integrity and to prevent misuse . in addition , it should be pointed out that “ comprising ” and “ having ” do not exclude other elements or steps , and “ a ” or “ an ” does not exclude a large number . furthermore , it should be pointed out that features or steps which have been described with reference to one of the above exemplary embodiments can also be used in combination with other features or steps from other exemplary embodiments described above .
6
in the technology of multipoint coordinated transmission , in order to enable the network side to have accurate knowledge of interference to which a user equipment is subjected to thereby correctly perform resource allocation and scheduling , in an embodiment of the invention , the user equipment needs to measure initial cqis for respective devices in a measurement set , to report the initial cqis of the respective devices to a network - side apparatus and to transmit channel matrix reference information to the network - side apparatus so that the network - side apparatus calculates a target cqi of the user equipment based upon the received initial cqis of the respective devices and channel matrix reference information . the measurement set includes a first device transmitting service data to the user equipment and at least one second device participating in multipoint coordinated transmission to the user equipment ; and the first device and the second device can be base stations of different cells or can be base stations of the same cell . in this embodiment , the network - side apparatus can be the first device in the measurement set or can be any one or more devices in the measurement set ( which can be the first device or the second device ) or can be a central control node connected with all the devices in the measurement set . preferred implementations of the invention will be detailed below with reference to the drawings . referring to fig3 , in an embodiment of the invention , a comp - enabled communication system ( which can be a tdd system or an fdd system ) includes a user equipment and several transmission devices , and there is a multipoint coordinated transmission relationship ( which can be either a coordinated scheduling relationship or a joint transmission relationship ) between these transmission devices , where one of the transmission devices , i . e ., the first device , transmits service data to the user equipment , and the other transmission devices , i . e ., the second devices , also participate in multipoint coordinated transmission to the user equipment ; and a measurement set for the user equipment is composed of the first device and the at least one second devices , and during network registration of the user equipment , the measurement set is notified in advance from the network side to the user equipment and stored in the user equipment , and the user equipment needs to measure channel information for each device in the measurement set so that the network side accurately estimates interference to which the user equipment is subjected . the user equipment is configured to determine a measurement set used by the user equipment , the measurement set including the first device transmitting service data to the user equipment and the at least one second device participating in multipoint coordinated transmission to the user equipment , to receive a measurement reference signal transmitted from each device in the measurement set respectively , to measure an initial cqi of each device respectively based upon the measurement reference signal transmitted from the corresponding device , to transmit the derived initial cqis of the respective devices to a network - side apparatus , and to transmit also channel matrix reference information to the network - side apparatus so that the network - side apparatus calculates a target cqi of the user equipment based upon the received initial cqis of the respective devices and channel matrix reference information ; and the network - side apparatus is configured to receive the initial cqis , of the respective devices in the measurement set , transmitted from the user equipment , to receive the channel matrix reference information originating from the user equipment , and to calculate the target cqi of the user equipment based upon the received initial cqis of the respective devices and channel matrix reference information . referring to fig4 , in an embodiment of the invention , a user equipment includes a determining unit 40 , a receiving unit 41 , a measuring unit 42 and a transmitting unit 43 , where : the determining unit 40 is configured to determine a measurement set used by the user equipment , where the measurement set includes a first device transmitting service data to the user equipment and at least one second device participating in multipoint coordinated transmission to the user equipment ; the receiving unit 41 is configured to receive a measurement reference signal transmitted from each device in the measurement set respectively ; the measuring unit 42 is configured to measure an initial cqi of each device respectively based upon the measurement reference signal transmitted from the corresponding device ; and the transmitting unit 43 is configured to transmit the derived initial cqis of the respective devices to the network - side apparatus and to transmit channel matrix reference information to the network - side apparatus so that the network - side apparatus calculates a target cqi of the user equipment based upon the received initial cqis of the respective devices and channel matrix reference information . referring to fig5 , in an embodiment of the invention , the network - side apparatus includes a communicating unit 50 and a processing unit 51 , where : the communicating unit 50 is configured to receive initial cqis , of respective devices in a measurement set , transmitted from a user equipment , where the measurement set includes a first device transmitting service data to the user equipment and at least one second device participating in multipoint coordinated transmission to the user equipment , and to receive channel matrix reference information originating from the user equipment ; and the processing unit 51 is configured to calculate a target cqi of the user equipment based upon the received initial cqis of the respective devices and channel matrix reference information . based upon the foregoing technical solution , referring to fig6 , in an embodiment of the invention , a user equipment reports a cqi to the network side in the following detailed flow : step 600 : the user equipment determines a measurement set used by the user equipment , the measurement set including a first device transmitting service data to the user equipment and at least one second device participating in multipoint coordinated transmission to the user equipment . the measurement set used by the user equipment can be transmitted to the user equipment after being configured by a base station , and the user equipment determines the measurement set according to an indicator of the base station , for example , the base station notifies a particular measurement set in downlink signaling ; or the measurement set can be configured by the user equipment itself in a pattern prescribed with the network side . step 610 : the user equipment receives a measurement reference signal transmitted from each device in the measurement set respectively and measures an initial cqi of each device respectively based upon the measurement reference signal transmitted from the corresponding device . in this embodiment , the measurement reference signal , transmitted from each device , received by the user equipment includes a crs and / or a csi - rs transmitted from the corresponding device . the user equipment measures the initial cqi of any device based upon the measurement reference signal transmitted from the device by firstly deriving a channel matrix of the device to the user equipment on respective sub - carriers based upon the measurement reference signal transmitted from the device and then calculating the initial cqi of the device in formula 1 : γ qi = q ( f ({ γ qi ( k )} kεs )) formula 1 where γ qi is the initial cqi of the i - th device in the measurement set of the user equipment q ; s is a set of sub - carriers , where s includes sub - carriers in a section of time - frequency resource block , which can be a physical resource block ( prb ), a sub - band ( including several consecutive prbs ) or the entire bandwidth of a system ; f (•) is a mapping function to map { γ qi ( k )} kεs to a value representing an average channel quality on all the sub - carriers in s , where f (•) can be linear averaging , an exponential effective sir mapping ( eesm ) or another mapping function ; and γ qi ( k ) is the initial cqi of the i - th device in the measurement set of the user equipment q on a sub - carrier k , where h qi ( k ) is the channel matrix , with the dimensionality of n r , q × n t , i , of the i - th device to the user equipment q on the sub - carrier k , n r , q is the number of receiving antennas of the user equipment q , n t , i is the number of transmitting antennas of a base station in the i - th device , and n ( k ) represents interference and noise power to which the user equipment is subjected , where the interference preferably includes only interference beyond the measurement set ; or γ q , i ( k ) can be calculated otherwise , for example , the user equipment calculates a linear detector on the sub - carrier k as g q ( k ) according to channel information , and then step 620 : the user equipment transmits the derived initial cqis of the respective devices to the network - side apparatus and transmits channel matrix reference information to the network - side apparatus so that the network - side apparatus calculates a target cqi of the user equipment ( that is , a cqi from which the network side finally performs resource scheduling and mcs selection for the user equipment ) based upon the received initial cqis of the respective devices and channel matrix reference information . the target cqi of the user equipment can be calculated in the first device or can be calculated in any one or more devices in the measurement set or can be calculated in a central control node connected with all the devices in the measurement set , that is , the network - side apparatus can be the first device , or any one or more devices in the measurement set , or the central control node . in this embodiment , the user equipment transmitting the derived initial cqis of the respective devices to the network - side apparatus refers to that the user equipment transmitting the derived initial cqis of the respective devices to the first device on an uplink channel or to the any one or more devices in the measurement set ( which can include either the first device or the second device ) or to the central control node connected with all the devices in the measurement set . in the process of the step 620 , the user equipment can transmit the channel matrix reference information to the network - side apparatus in ( including but not limited to ) the following two approaches : in a first approach , the user equipment transmits an srs after transmitting the derived initial cqis of the respective devices to the network - side apparatus so that each device in the measurement set derives an uplink channel matrix of the user equipment to the corresponding device based upon the received srs and derives a corresponding downlink channel matrix based upon channel reciprocity and then transmits its own derived downlink channel matrix to the network - side apparatus as the channel matrix reference information . in a second approach , the user equipment transmits channel matrices , derived respectively based upon a downlink reference symbol of each device in the measurement set , to the network - side apparatus as the channel matrix reference information after transmitting the derived initial cqis of the respective devices to the network - side apparatus . at this time the user equipment needs not to transmit an srs . for example , after an srs transmitted from the user equipment is received by a base station in a specific device in the measurement set , the base station calculates an uplink channel matrix of the user equipment to the device served by the base station according to the received srs and derives a downlink channel matrix ĥ q , i ( k ) based upon channel reciprocity , and since the user equipment is different in transmission power from the base station and uplink and downlink radio frequency links doe not match , ĥ q , i ( k ) may be different from real downlink channel information h q , i ( k ) by a constant , i . e ., ĥ q , i ( k )= αh qi ( k ). in this embodiment , ĥ q , i ( k ) can alternatively be a channel matrix derived by the base station from a feedback by the user equipment , and at this time , the user equipment needs not to transmit an srs signal . based upon the foregoing embodiment , referring to fig7 , in an embodiment of the invention , a network - side apparatus processes a cqi reported from a user equipment in the following detailed flow : step 700 : the network - side apparatus receives initial cqis , of respective devices in a measurement set , transmitted from the user equipment , where the measurement set includes a serving device of the user equipment and a coordinating device participating in multipoint coordinated transmission to the user equipment . alike the network - side apparatus can be the first device in the measurement set or can be any one or more devices in the measurement set or can be a central control node connected with all the devices in the measurement set . if it is more than one base station , then the respective base stations operate under the same principle . step 710 : the network side receives channel matrix reference information originating from the user equipment and calculates a target cqi of the user equipment based upon the received initial cqis of the respective devices and channel matrix reference information . in this embodiment , in the process of the step 710 , the network - side apparatus can also receive channel matrix reference information originating from the user equipment in ( including but not limited to ) the following two approaches : in a first approach , each device in the measurement set derives a corresponding uplink channel matrix respectively based upon an srs received from the user equipment and derives a corresponding downlink channel matrix respectively based upon channel reciprocity , and the network - side apparatus receives the downlink channel matrix transmitted from each device respectively and takes the respective downlink channel matrices as the channel matrix reference information . in a second approach , the network - side apparatus receives channel matrices , transmitted from the user equipment , derived respectively based upon a downlink reference symbol of each device in the measurement set and takes the respective channel matrices as the channel matrix reference information . in this embodiment , the network - side apparatus calculates a target cqi of the user equipment based upon the received initial cqis of the respective devices and channel matrix reference information particularly as follows : after scheduling is performed by the respective devices in the measurement set ( scheduling here can be comp - based scheduling or single - device scheduling ), the network - side apparatus firstly calculates target cqis of the user equipment on respective sub - carriers and then maps the derived target cqis on the respective sub - carriers to a unified value , where : the target cqi of the user equipment on any sub - carrier can be calculated in formula 2 particularly as follows : { circumflex over ( γ )} q ( k ) is the target cqi of the user equipment q on a sub - carrier k ; γ qi is the initial cqi of the i - th device in the measurement set of the user equipment q ; h q , i ( k ) is a normalized channel matrix derived based upon ĥ q , i ( k ) ĥ q , i ( k )= αh qi ( k ), and h qi ( k ) is a channel matrix of the i - th device to the user equipment q on the sub - carrier k , h q , i ( k ) can be derived based upon ĥ q , i ( k ) variously , for example , and in another example . h q , i ( k ) is derived by normalizing the average of ∥ ĥ q , i ( k )∥ over a segment of bandwidth , and a repeated description thereof will be omitted here ; u i is a set of user equipments finally scheduled by the i - th device in the measurement set ; w q is a pre - coding weight of the user equipment q ; n r , q is the number of receiving antennas of the user equipment q ; γ qp is the initial cqi of the p - th device in the measurement set of the user equipment q , where p ≠ i ; h qp ( k ) is a normalized channel matrix derived based upon ĥ qp ( k ), ĥ qp ( k )= αh qp ( k ), and h qp ( k ) is a channel matrix of the p - th device to the user equipment q on the sub - carrier k , where p ≠ i ; u p is a set of user equipments finally scheduled by the p - th device in the measurement set , where p ≠ i ; and w l is a pre - coding weight of a user equipment l . alternatively if the complexity of calculation is allowed , then the target cqi of the user equipment on any sub - carrier can be calculated in formula 3 : if the complexity of calculation is allowed , then the network - side apparatus can calculate a cqi output from a detector with the following assumed input - output model : where z is interference and noise beyond the measurement set , and z is defined using a covariance matrix which is a unit matrix . if a linear detector of the user equipment q on the sub - carrier k is g q ( k ), then the target cqi of the user equipment q on the sub - carrier k can be represented as : γ q ( k ) is the target cqi of the user equipment q on the sub - carrier k ; γ qi the initial cqi of the i - th device in the measurement set of the user equipment q ; g q ( k ) is the linear detector of the user equipment q on the sub - carrier k ; h q , ( k ) is a normalized channel matrix derived based upon h qi ( k ), { circumflex over ( γ )} qi ( k )= αh qi ( k ), and h qi ( k ) is a channel matrix of the i - th device to the user equipment q on the sub - carrier k ; u i is a set of user equipments finally scheduled by the i - th device in the measurement set ; w q is a pre - coding weight of the user equipment q ; γ qp is the initial cqi of the p - th device in the measurement set of the user equipment q , where p ≠ i ; h qp ( k ) is a normalized channel matrix derived based upon ĥ qp ( k ) ĥ qp ( k )= αh qp ( k ), and h qp ( k ) is a channel matrix of the p - th device to the user equipment q on the sub - carrier k , where p ≠ i ; u i is a set of user equipments finally scheduled by the p - th device in the measurement set , where p * i ; w l is a pre - coding weight of a user equipment l ; and w m is a pre - coding weight of a user equipment m . after the target cqis of the user equipment on the respective sub - carriers are derived in any of the foregoing approaches , the derived target cqis on the respective sub - carriers are mapped to the unified value in formula 4 particularly as follows : γ q = f ({{ circumflex over ( γ )} q ( k )} kεs ) formula 4 γ q is the unified value to which the derived target cqis on the respective sub - carriers are mapped ; { circumflex over ( γ )} q ( k ) is the target cqi of the user equipment q on the sub - carrier k ; f (•) is a mapping function which , for example , can be an eesm or another mapping function ; and s is a set of sub - carriers , where s includes sub - carriers in a segment of bandwidth , which can be a prb , a sub - band ( including several consecutive prbs ) or the entire bandwidth of a system . thus the network - side apparatus maps { circumflex over ( γ )} q ( k ) of the respective sub - carriers to a single cqi value , and here the base station can determine for the user equipment an mcs and a frequency - domain resource for downlink transmission of data based upon the derived single cqi value . in the foregoing embodiments , scheduling by the respective devices in the measurement set can be coordinated scheduling or separate single - device scheduling , and for these scenarios , particularly the latter , the use of the technical solution according to the embodiments of the invention can improve their or its accuracy of cqi calculation and mcs selection to thereby improve the performance of the entire system . in summary , in the embodiments of the invention , the user equipment feeds the initial cqis of the respective devices in the measurement set back to the base station in the network - side apparatus according to the measurement reference signals transmitted from the respective devices in the measurement set , and the network - side apparatus calculates the target cqi of the user equipment according to the initial cqis of the respective devices fed back from the user equipment and the channel matrix reference information fed back from the user equipment , thereby addressing the problem of feeding back a cqi for multipoint coordinated transmission in the tdd system so that the network - side apparatus can derive the target cqi finally used for downlink transmission of data based upon the initial cqis of the multiple devices fed back from the user equipment , and thus the network side can have accurate knowledge of interference to which the user equipment is subjected and further correctly perform user equipment scheduling , resource allocation and mcs selection to thereby effectively improve the throughout of the system in multipoint coordinated transmission and improve the performance of the system . the present embodiments will be equally applicable to the fdd system , and a repeated description thereof will be omitted here . those skilled in the art shall appreciate that the embodiments of the invention can be embodied as a method , a system or a computer program product . therefore the invention can be embodied in the form of an all - hardware embodiment , an all - software embodiment or an embodiment of software and hardware in combination . furthermore the invention can be embodied in the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer useable storage mediums ( including but not limited to a disk memory , a cd - rom , an optical memory , etc .) in which computer useable program codes are contained . the invention has been described in a flow chart and / or a block diagram of the method , the device ( system ) and the computer program product according to the embodiments of the invention . it shall be appreciated that respective flows and / or blocks in the flow chart and / or the block diagram and combinations of the flows and / or the blocks in the flow chart and / or the block diagram can be embodied in computer program instructions . these computer program instructions can be loaded onto a general - purpose computer , a specific - purpose computer , an embedded processor or a processor of another programmable data processing device to produce a machine so that the instructions executed on the computer or the processor of the other programmable data processing device create means for performing the functions specified in the flow ( s ) of the flow chart and / or the block ( s ) of the block diagram . these computer program instructions can also be stored into a computer readable memory capable of directing the computer or the other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner so that the instructions stored in the computer readable memory create an article of manufacture including instruction means which perform the functions specified in the flow ( s ) of the flow chart and / or the block ( s ) of the block diagram . these computer program instructions can also be loaded onto the computer or the other programmable data processing device so that a series of operational steps are performed on the computer or the other programmable data processing device to create a computer implemented process so that the instructions executed on the computer or the other programmable device provide steps for performing the functions specified in the flow ( s ) of the flow chart and / or the block ( s ) of the block diagram . although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described , those skilled in the art benefiting from the underlying inventive concept can make additional modifications and variations to these embodiments . therefore the appended claims are intended to be construed as encompassing the preferred embodiments and all the modifications and variations coming into the scope of the invention . evidently those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . thus the invention is also intended to encompass these modifications and variations thereto so long as the modifications and variations come into the scope of the claims appended to the invention and their equivalents .
7
in many data storage or communications systems , two separate codes are combined to form a composite code . the most common method of combining two component codes is simple concatenation . in simple concatenation , the composite codeword consists of a sequence of smaller blocks . each of the smaller blocks is a codeword of an inner component code . the sequence of blocks is a codeword of an outer component code . simple concatenation combines two component codes to form a composite code that has stronger error correcting capabilities than either component code . however , the composite code incurs the parity overhead of both component codes . encoding proceeds by first encoding the data blocks using the outer component code by adding outer parity blocks . then , every block is encoded using the inner component code by adding inner parity bits within each block . decoding proceeds by first decoding each block using the inner component code decoder . the inner component code decoder corrects all errors in blocks with only a few bits in error . the resulting sequence of blocks is then decoded using the outer component code decoder . the outer component code decoder corrects blocks that were decoded incorrectly by the inner component code decoder . another method for combining two component codes known in the prior art is generalized concatenation . as with simple concatenation , the composite codeword consists of a sequence of smaller blocks . the blocks are not codewords of the inner component code . the degree to which each block deviates from the parity rules of the inner component code is called the syndrome for that block . the outer component code does not operate over the sequence of blocks as such , but rather the sequence of syndromes is a codeword of the outer component code . encoding proceeds by computing the inner component code syndrome for blocks corresponding to data elements of the outer component code . the outer component code encoder then computes the syndromes required for the remaining blocks in order for the complete sequence of syndromes to form a valid codeword of the outer component code . these remaining blocks correspond to parity elements of the outer component code . for the remaining blocks , parity bits are added to force the syndrome to the required value . decoding proceeds by first computing the inner block syndrome for each block . the sequence of syndromes is then decoded using the outer component code decoder . each block is then decoded again using the inner component code decoder and the corresponding syndrome value given by the outer component code decoder . according to an embodiment of the present invention , three component codes are combined to form a composite code . first , two codes are combined by generalized concatenation to form a first composite code . the first composite code is then used as the inner code in simple concatenation with an outermost error correction code to form a second composite code . in the preferred embodiment , a simple parity code is concatenated with a bch code to form a composite tensor product parity code that is then concatenated with a reed - solomon outermost error correction code . it should be understood that the principles of the present invention can encode data using composite codes formed by combining different component codes in a similar fashion . a composite code formed in this way cannot easily be encoded . this difficulty arises due to the fact that both the composite code formed by generalized concatenation and the outermost error correcting code involve parity checks that span the entire codeword . the present invention describes how simple modifications to the details of the concatenation can render the encoding problem more tractable . fig1 illustrates an error correction encoder 100 for a data recording system according to an embodiment of the present invention . error correction encoder 100 of fig1 generates redundant bits that are used for error detection and / or error correction in data recording systems such as magnetic hard disk drives , optical disks , and a variety of other recording media . the error correction techniques of the present invention can also be used in data transmission applications . input data bits are provided to a first level error correction encoder 101 . error correction encoder 101 can apply any error correction or detection code to the input data bits to generate redundant data bits . for example , first level error correction encoder 101 can be a reed - solomon ( rs ) encoder that generates rs check bytes for each block of input data . the data output blocks of encoder 101 include rs check bytes . data output blocks of encoder 101 are provided to delay block 102 and second level error correction encoder 104 . according to one embodiment of the present invention , second level error correction encoder 104 uses a tensor product parity code ( tppc ) to generate a second level of redundant parity bits . second level encoder 104 generates a set of redundant parity bits for each block of input data using a composite code , such as a tensor product parity ( tpp ) code . the parity bits are then inserted into the data block at block 103 . delay block 102 delays the output data block of encoder 101 so that encoder 104 has enough time to calculate the parity bits and to insert the parity bits into the same data block before the data is written onto a recording medium . fig2 illustrates one example of a parity check matrix h rstp for a composite code that can be used to implement error correction encoding according to the present invention . parity check matrix h rstp shown in fig2 is generated by combining a parity check matrix 201 for a bit - wise shortened rs code and a parity check matrix 202 for a tensor product parity ( tpp ) code . it should be understood that the techniques of the present invention can be applied to many types of composite codes , and that the parity check matrices described herein are merely examples used to illustrate the present invention . the span of the code corresponding to the h rstp matrix is the granularity length of each tpp inner component code . in the example of fig2 , the matrix has a uniform ( or fixed ) span of 3 throughout the code block . it should be understood that the techniques of the present invention apply to codes of any span and any size . the example parity check matrix h tpp 202 for the tpp code is the tensor product of a parity check matrix h 1 for a single parity code and a parity check matrix h 2 for a bch code . the parity check matrix h tpp 202 shown in fig2 is generated by taking the tensor product of the following check matrices h 1 and h 2 . h 2 = [ 1101100 1110010 1011001 ⁢ ] the check matrix h 1 corresponds to a ( 3 , 2 ) single parity code , and the check matrix h 2 corresponds to a ( 7 , 4 ) bch code . parity check matrix h tpp 202 is shown below . h tpp = [ ⁢ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 | 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 | 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 | 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 ] the tensor product parity check matrix h ttp can be expressed as two levels of equations using modulo 2 arithmetic . the first level equations are tensor local parity equations that are based on the h 1 parity check matrix . the first level equations are used to generate intermediate values a i , where i = 1 , 2 , 3 , . . . m , and m is the number of columns in the h 2 matrix . using the example h 1 matrix given above , first level equations can be expressed as shown in equations ( 1 )-( 7 ), where + represents modulo 2 addition ( an xor function ). the second level equations are global parity equations that are based on the h 2 parity check matrix . each of the second level equations corresponds to one row in the h 2 matrix . using the example h 2 matrix given above and the example equations ( 1 )-( 7 ), second level equations can expressed as shown in equations ( 8 )-( 10 ), where + represents modulo 2 addition . the parity check matrix 201 in fig2 is based on a bit - wise shortened reed - solomon code . the 9 th , 12 th , and 15 th columns of parity check matrix 201 contain zero entries and corresponds to dummy bits for the bit - wise shortened rs code . these zero values indicate that bit positions 9 , 12 and 15 are not checked by the rs code . in other words , they are equivalent to zero bits for the rs code . in the rs encoder circuits , the data corresponding to bit positions 9 , 12 and 15 are set to dummy values of zero . tpp check matrix 202 contains three columns of parity bits . the 9 th , 12 th , and 15 th columns in matrix 202 contain the parity bits for the tpp code . the dummy bits in matrix 201 are in the same three columns as the parity bits in matrix 202 . unlike many prior art systems , an rs decoder of the present invention does not check the tpp parity bits . this means that the rs code can be encoded independent of the tpp code . a parity check matrix completely describes any linear block code . furthermore , by applying simple algebraic manipulation known to persons skilled in the art , a parity check matrix can be transformed into a generator matrix . a generator matrix can be used to encode data into a codeword that satisfies the parity check rules described in the parity check matrix . encoding by matrix multiplication is not preferred . for the most common codes , more efficient encoders exist that do not require large matrix multiplications . codes used for real hard disk drives are much larger than the example codes shown in fig2 . the dummy bits in matrix 201 act as place holders that greatly reduce the complexity of the computations performed using the h rstp matrix . as a result , the present invention requires less latency time and a smaller chipset to perform the error correction encoding . fig3 illustrates a process for encoding bits with a composite code according to an embodiment of the present invention . the example illustrated in fig3 is a toy example using codes much smaller than codes used in typical hard disk drive systems . a shift register 310 a is shown in fig3 to illustrate the present invention . each portion of the register has enough space to store one segment of 3 bits . the number of bits in each segment equals the span length . in the example of fig2 and 3 , the span length of every segment is 3 , which is based on the span of the h 1 matrix . because every segment in this example has the same span length , the span is uniform . at step 301 , register 310 a is set up , for example , by setting the values stored in the register to zero . the register stores input bits . a set of 12 input bits ( e . g ., 101011011110 ) is serially shifted into the register from left to right at step 302 . none of the 12 input bits are stored in the 9 th , 12 th , and 15 th bit positions of the shift register . instead , three zero - value dummy bits are stored in these 3 bit positions . the last two segments of the register remain empty . at step 303 , a first level of error correction encoding is performed . the result of the first level of error correction encoding is a set of redundant bits that is added to the set of input bits . for example , the first level of error correction encoding can be reed - solomon ( rs ) encoding . rs parity data can be efficiently generated by recursive methods well known in the prior art . in fig3 , two redundant rs check bytes 311 are generated and added to the set of bits to generate a rs codeword . at step 304 , a second level of error correction encoding is performed using a composite code to compute additional parity bits . in the example of fig2 and 3 , the second level encoder uses a tensor product parity code ( tppc ) as the composite code . the parity bits are stored in the dummy bit locations ( e . g ., the 9 th , 12 th , and 15 bit positions of the register in the example of fig3 ). the parity and dummy bits can be stored in any bit locations , except in the rs check bytes . the second level encoding is performed in three steps in the example of fig3 . in the first step 304 a , the first component code based on parity check matrix h 1 is applied to each segment of bits in the codeword to compute intermediate results a i . for example , equations ( 1 )-( 7 ) can be applied to the 7 three - bit data segments stored in register 310 b to generate intermediate results a 1 , a 2 , a 3 , . . . , a 7 = 0010111 . equations ( 1 )-( 7 ) indicate whether each segment of 3 - bits in the codeword has an even ( 0 ) or an odd ( 1 ) number of 1 bits . in the second step 304 b of second level encoding , the second component code encoder generates new intermediate values a 3 ′, a 4 ′, and a 5 ′ such that a 1 , a 2 , a 3 ′, a 4 ′, a 5 ′, a 6 , a 7 satisfy parity check matrix h 2 . in this example , the inputs to the second component code encoder are intermediate values a 1 , a 2 , a 6 , and a 7 , and the outputs are a 3 ′, a 4 ′, and a 5 ′. in general , the inputs are the intermediate values generated by segments that do not contain a dummy bit , and the outputs correspond to segments that do contain a dummy bit . in the third step 304 c of second level encoding , the final parity bits for the composite code are generated by applying modulo 2 addition ( xor ) to the two sets of a i values calculated for the segments with dummy bits . for example , in fig3 , the intermediate values a i calculated from the segments with dummy bits using the encoder for the first component code are a 3 - a 5 . the new values for a 3 ′, a 4 ′, and a 5 ′ computed by the encoder for the second component code encoder are xor &# 39 ; ed with corresponding values for a 3 , a 4 , and a 5 computed using the first component code . in the example of fig3 , the values computed for a 3 - a 5 using the encoder for the first component code are 101 , and the values computed for a 3 ′- a 5 ′ using the second component code are 100 . bits 101 are xor &# 39 ; ed with corresponding bits 100 to generate final tpp parity bit values 001 , as shown in fig3 next to step 304 c . the present invention provides significant benefits to data recording media , including hard disk drives . specifically , the error encoding techniques of the present invention use dummy bits in the encoding process to simplify the computations . the encoding techniques of the present invention are simple enough that they can be performed using encoders designed for two or more codes that are used to form a composite code . for the toy example shown in fig2 and 3 , encoders of the rs code and the tpp code are used in the two levels of the encoding procedure , respectively . the present invention reduces the size of the chipset required to perform the encoding . the present invention also reduces the latency in the controller electronics . fig4 illustrates another example of a parity check matrix h rstp for a composite that can be used to implement error correction encoding according to the present invention . the parity check matrix of fig4 has a non - uniform span that corresponds to the non - uniform span of the code c rstp . the parity check matrix h rstp shown in fig4 is generated by combining a parity check matrix 401 and a parity check matrix 402 . parity check matrix 401 is based on a full reed - solomon ( rs ) code , and parity check matrix 402 is modified from a tensor product parity ( tpp ) code . three additional columns are added to the rs parity check matrix 401 corresponding to three dummy bits per row , as shown in fig4 . these three columns of dummy bits act as place holders for the parity bits generated by the tpp code encoder . the tpp code parity bits are located in the same 3 columns as the dummy bits . the span of the tpp component code is variant in the example of fig4 . the extra columns added to accommodate the dummy bits and tpp code parity bits cause the parity check matrix h rstp of fig4 to have a non - uniform span . the span of the first four segments is 3 , and the span of the next three segments is 4 , as shown in fig4 . fig5 illustrates an example of how bits can be encoded with a composite code having a non - uniform span , according to an embodiment of the present invention . error correction encoding can be performed on blocks of data stored in shift register 510 . after register 510 a is cleared , 15 information bits are shifted into the register . information bits are not loaded into the last 9 spaces 511 . these 9 spaces remain empty . first level error correction encoding ( e . g ., rs encoding ) is then performed to generate first level redundant check bytes 512 . the redundant check bytes are loaded into the last two segments of register 510 b as shown in fig5 . the last three segments having a span of four each have one dummy bit ( 0 ). the dummy bits are the last bits in each of these three segments . the second level of error correction encoding is performed using a composite code ( e . g ., a tensor product parity code ) to compute the parity bits . in the example of fig4 and 5 , the parity bits are stored in the dummy bit locations of the codeword . the first component code encoder is applied to each segment of bits in the codeword to compute intermediate results a 1 - 7 . subsequently , the second component code encoder is applied to the intermediate results a i computed using the segments that do not contain a dummy bit . in the example of fig5 , the values generated for a 1 , a 2 , a 3 , and a 4 are substituted into equations ( 8 )-( 10 ) to generate a second set of values for a 5 ′, a 6 ′, and a 7 ′. this second set of values a 5 ′, a 6 ′, and a 7 ′ are xor &# 39 ; ed with the corresponding values for a 5 , a 6 , and a 7 computed using the first component code . the results of these three xor functions are the correct parity values for the second level composite code . the correct parity values are inserted into the codeword stored in register 510 c to replace the dummy bits , as shown in fig5 . final parity values can be computed for each segment using the non - uniform span first parity check matrix . the foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . a latitude of modification , various changes , and substitutions are intended in the present invention . in some instances , features of the invention can be employed without a corresponding use of other features as set forth . many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings , without departing from the scope of the invention . it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not with this detailed description , but rather by the claims appended hereto .
7
referring more particularly to the drawing by characters of reference , fig1 discloses a face mask such as , for example , a baseball catcher &# 39 ; s mask 10 comprising a plurality of wires 11 interconnected into a grillwork assembly 12 . preferably , the metal wires 11 are welded together at intersecting points and then the entire grillwork is coated with a suitable plastic . defined by the wires 11 are a plurality of apertures or slots 13 that permit the free circulation of air through mask 10 , but are of a maximum size that prevents the passage of a conventional baseball therethrough . preferably , the apertures or slots have a maximum rectilinear spacing between wires of less than two inches . the mask is of a known configuration having a forehead pad 14 and a chin pad 15 positioned within the mask around portions of its grillwork assembly 12 for bearing on particular portions of the face of the catcher of a baseball team . the grillwork is provided with the usual elastic band which passes around the back of a user &# 39 ; s head which is not shown for simplicity purposes . both pads 14 and 15 are attached to the grillwork assembly 12 by straps 16 and 17 , respectively . these straps are attached at one end to the associated pad and encircle one or more of the wires 11 of the grillwork assembly , and overlap themselves at which point a catch 18 , 18 &# 39 ; is provided for detachably securing the pad to the grillwork assembly in the manner shown in fig1 and 2 . in accordance with the teachings of the invention , a sunshade or eye shield 20 is provided which is detachably secured between wires 11 of the grillwork assembly 12 and the forehead pad 14 . this eye shade comprises an arcuate shaped thin plate formed of a suitable plastic material , for example , of approximately 0 . 09 inches thick , and may be formed substantially as a quadrant of a circle . the arcuate piece is provided with three rectangular openings or slots 21 spacedly positioned in a line across the eye shield , each opening or slot being provided for receiving therethrough one of the ends of a strap 16 as it passes around a given wire 11 of the grillwork and back on itself so that the parts of clasp or catch 18 , 18 &# 39 ; may engage each other , as shown in fig1 and 2 . this eye shield is intended to shield the eyes of the catcher when needed from the rays of the sun or night lights of an illuminated ballpark , and may be readily added to or removed from the grillwork assembly when needed by merely unclasping catches 18 , 18 &# 39 ;, removing the shield from the grillwork assembly and reclasping catches 18 , 18 &# 39 ; to again secure the forehead pad to the grillwork assembly . in order to properly align the eye shield in the grillwork , an alignment notch 22 is formed at the middle of the upper edge 23 of the eye shield , as shown in fig1 . further , the lower edge of eye shield 20 &# 39 ; may be formed with a bead 24 for strength , as shown in fig7 and also to eliminate the possibility of a rough edge . it should be noted that even though a catcher &# 39 ; s mask is shown , the invention is intended to cover any type of face mask for other sports , and the openings through the eye shield may be aligned as shown or out of alignment if so desired . although but a few embodiments of the invention have been shown and described , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims .
0
before the description of the preferred embodiments , a prior art method for manufacturing a bicmos device will be explained with reference to fig1 a through 1i ( see jp - a - 4 - 34626 ). in fig1 a through 1i , nmos designates an n - channel mos transistor forming area , pmos designates a p - channel mos transistor forming area , bip designates a bipolar transistor forming area , and i designates an isolation area . first , referring to fig1 a , arsenic ions are implanted into a p - - type monocrystalline silicon substrate 1 by using a photoresist pattern and a silicon oxide pattern ( not shown ) as a mask to form n + - type buried regions 2 - p and 2 - b in the pmos area and the bip area , respectively . then , boron ions are implanted into a p - - type monocrystalline silicon substrate 1 by using a photoresist pattern and a silicon oxide pattern ( not shown ) as a mask to form p + - type buried regions 3 - n and 3 - i in the nmos area and the i area , respectively . then , an n - - type expitaxial layer 4 is grown on the entire surface , and a p - type isolation region 5 , a p - type well 6 and an n - type well 7 are formed within the epitaxial layer 4 in the i area , the nmos area and the pmos area , respectively . next , referring to fig1 b , an about 350 nm thick field silicon oxide layer 8 is grown by a local oxidation of silicon ( locos ) process to partition the nmos area , the pmos area and the bip area . in this case , the field silicon oxide layer 8 is also formed partly on the bip area . then , a heating process is carried out at a temperature of about 900 ° c . simultaneously with doping of phosphorous ions to form an n + - type collector diffusion region 9 in a collector taken - out portion of the bip area . next , referring to fig1 c , a silicon oxide layer 10 is grown by thermally oxidizing the entire surface , and is patterned by a photolithography and etching process , so that the silicon oxide layer 10 is left only on the bip area . next , referring to fig1 d , a gate silicon oxide layer 11 is grown by thermally oxidizing the epitaxial layer 4 , the p - type well 6 , the n - type well 7 and the like . then , a polycrystalline silicon layer 12 is deposited on the entire surface by a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) process . then , boron ions are implanted by using a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) as a mask into the epitaxial layer 4 to form a p - type base region 13 in the bip area . note that the silicon oxide layer 10 is thicker than the gate silicon oxide layer 11 . next , referring to fig1 e , an emitter opening 14 is perforated in the polycrystalline silicon layer 12 and the silicon oxide layer 10 by a photolithography and etcing process . next , referring to fig1 f , a polycrystalline silicon layer 15 is deposited on the entire surface by a cvd process . then , arsenic ions are implanted into the polycrystalline silicon layers 15 and 12 . then , a heating operation is carried out to diffuse arsenic ions from the polycrysrtalline silicon layers 15 and 12 into the base region 13 . thus , an n + - type emitter region 16 is formed . next , referring to fig1 g , the polycrystalline layers 15 and 11 are patterned by a photolithography and etching process , so that a gate electrode g n , a gate electrode g p and an emitter electrode e are formed in the nmos area , the pmos area and the bip area , respectively . then , phosphorous ions are implanted into the p - type well 6 by using the gate electrode g n and a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) to form n - - type impurity ( source / drain ) regions 17s and 17d having a low concentration for a lightly doped drain ( ldd ) structure . similarly , boron ions are implanted into the n - type well 7 by using the gate electrode g p and a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) to form p - - type impurity ( source / drain ) regions 18s and 18d having a low concentration for an ldd structure . next , referring to fig1 h , a silicon oxide layer 19 is deposited on the entire surface by a cvd process . then , the silicon oxide layer 19 is etched back by an anisotropic dry etching process , so that the silicon oxide layer 19 is left as a sidewall spacer on the sidewalls of the gate electrodes g n and g p and the emitter electrode e . then , arsenic ions are implanted into the p - type well 6 by using the gate electrode g n , its sidewall spacer 19 and a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) to form n + - type impurity ( source / drain ) regions 20s and 20d having a high concentration for an ldd structure . similarly , boron fluoride ions are implanted into the n - type well 7 by using the gate electrode g p , its sidewall spacer 19 and a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) to form p + - type impurity ( source / drain ) regions 21s and 21d having a high concentration for an ldd structure . in this case , a p + - type base graft region 22 is simultaneously formed and is connected to the base region 13 . finally , referring to fig1 i , a silicon oxide layer 23 is deposited on the entire surface by a cvd process . then , contact holes are perforated in the silicon oxide layer 23 by a photolithography and etching process . then , an aluminum layer 24 is deposited on the entire surface by a sputtering process , and the aluminum layer 24 is patterned . thus , the bicmos device is completed . in the prior art method as illustrated in fig1 a through 1i , the heating operation for forming the emitter region 16 is carried out before the formation of the source / drain regions 17s , 17d , 18s , 18d 20s , 20d , 21s and 21d . therefore , the short channel effect of the mos transistors can be suppressed . also , the heating operation for forming the emitter region 16 , i . e ., the base - emitter junction can be sufficiently carried out . further , since the silicon oxide layer 10 , which is thicker than the gate silicon oxide layer 11 , is provided between the emitter electrode e and the base region 13 , the parasitic capacitance of the emitter electrode e can be reduced to improve the high frequency characteristics . in the above - described prior art method , however , the reduction of the parasitic capacitance of the emitter electrode e is insufficient . that is , if the thickness of the silicon oxide layer 10 is too large , the presence of the field silicon oxide layer 8 becomes meaningless . also , when the thick silicon oxide layer 10 is completely etched from the nmos area and the pmos area , the field silicon oxide layer 8 is also etched too much , so that the thickness of the field silicon oxide layer 8 becomes remarkably small or the field silicon oxide layer 8 makes stepwise . in view of tradeoff between the field silicon oxide layer 8 and the silicon oxide layer 10 , the thickness of the silicon oxide layer 10 is half of that of the field silicon oxide layer 8 at most . also , the prior art method as illustrated in fig1 a through 1i requires an additional process for thermally growing the silicon oxide layer 10 , thus increasing the manufacturing cost . further , it has been suggested that silicon nitride used in the locos process be left to reduce the parasitic capacitance of the emitter electrode e ( see jp - a - 4 - 34626 ). in this case , however , the high permittivity of silicon nitride cannot reduce the parasitic capacitance of the emitter electrode e sufficiently . in addition , stress caused by the thermal expansion of silicon nitride induces defects in the silicon layers , so that a leakage current flowing therethrough is increased , which also cannot reduce the parasitic capacitance of the emitter electrode e . fig2 a through 2j are cross - sectional views for explaining a first embodiment of the method for manufacturing a bicmos device according to the present invention . first , referring to fig2 a , in the same way as in fig1 a , arsenic ions are implanted into a p - - type monocrystalline silicon substrate 1 by using a photoresist pattern and a silicon oxide pattern ( not shown ) as a mask to form n + - type buried regions 2 - p and 2 - b in the pmos area and the bip area , respectively . then , boron ions are implanted into a p - - type monocrystalline silicon substrate 1 by using a photoresist pattern and a silicon oxide pattern ( not shown ) as a mask to form p + - type buried regions 3 - n and 3 - i in the nmos area and the i area , respectively . then , an n - - type expitaxial layer 4 is grown on the entire surface , and a p - type isolation region 5 , a p - type well 6 and an n - type well 7 are formed within the epitaxial layer 4 in the i area , the nmos area and the pmos area , respectively . next , referring to fig2 b , in a similar way to that of fig1 b , an about 350 nm thick field silicon oxide layer 8 is grown by a locos process to partition the nmos area , the pmos area and the bip area . in this case , the field silicon oxide layer 8 is also formed on a base forming area of the bip area . then , a heating process is carried out at a temperature of about 900 ° c . simultaneously with doping of phosphorous ions to form an n + - type collector diffusion region 9 in a collector taken - out portion of the bip area . next , referring to fig2 c , in a similar way to that of fig1 d , about 2 × 10 13 boron ions per cm 2 are implanted at an acceleration energy of about 100 kev by using a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) as a . mask into the epitaxial layer 4 to form a p - type base region 13 in the bip area . in this case , since the base region 13 is formed after the formation of the n + - type collector diffusion region 9 , the base region 13 can be shallowed . next , referring to fig2 d , an emitter opening 14 &# 39 ; is perforated in the field silicon oxide layer 8 on the base region 13 by a photolithography and etching process . in this case , since the minimum width of the emitter opening 14 &# 39 ; is about 600 nm while the field silicon oxide layer 8 is about 350 nm thick , there is no problem in aspect ratio . next , referring to fig2 e , an about 150 to 200 nm thick polycrystalline silicon layer 15 is deposited on the entire surface by a cvd process . then , a about 1 × 10 16 arsenic ions per cm 2 are implanted at an acceleration energy of about 60 to 80 kev into the polycrystalline silicon layer 15 . then , a heating operation is carried out at a temperature of about 900 ° c . to diffuse arsenic ions from the polycrystalline silicon layer 15 into the base region 13 . thus , an n + - type emitter region 16 is formed . next , referring to fig2 f , the polycrystalline silicon layer 15 is patterned by a photolithography and etching process , so that an emitter electrode e is formed in the bip area . next , referring to fig2 g , an about 5 to 10 nm thick gate silicon oxide layer 11 is grown by thermally oxidizing the epitaxial layer 4 , the p - type well 6 , the n - type well 7 and the like . in this case , the polycrystalline silicon layer 15 is also simultaneously oxidized to form a silicon oxide layer 11 &# 39 ;. next , referring to fig2 h , an about 200 to 400 nm thick polycrystalline silicon layer 21 is deposited on the entire surface by a cvd process . then , a heating process is carried out under a pocl 3 gas atmosphere to reduce the resistance of the polycrystalline silicon layer 31 . also , a phospho - silicated glass ( psg ) layer ( not shown ) is deposited on the entire surface . then , the psg layer 32 is removed by a wet etching process , and the polycrystalline silicon layer 31 are patterned by a photolithography and etching process , so that a gate electrode g n and a gate electrode g p are formed in the nmos area and the pmos area . then , about 1 × 10 13 to 5 × 10 13 phosphorous ions per cm 2 are implanted at an acceleration energy of 10 to 30 kev into the p - type well 6 by using gate electrode g n and a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) to form n - - type impurity ( source / drain ) regions 17s and 17d having a low concentration for an ldd structure . similarly , about 1 × 10 13 to 3 × 10 3 boron ions per cm 2 are implanted at an acceleration energy of about 10 to 30 kev into the n - type well 7 by using gate electrode g p and a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) to form p - - type impurity ( source / drain ) regions 18s and 18d having a low concentration for an ldd structure . next , referring to fig2 i , an about 100 nm thick silicon oxide layer 19 is deposited on the entire surface by a cvd process . then , the silicon oxide layer 19 is etched back by an anisotropic dry etching process , so that the silicon oxide layer 19 is left as a sidewall spacer on the sidewalls of the gate electrodes g n and g p and the emitter electrode e . in this case , since the base - emitter junction of the bip area is completed , the base - emitter junction can be protected against the anistropic etching operation . then , about 1 × 10 15 to 5 × 10 15 arsenic ions per cm are implanted at an acceleration energy of about 30 to 50 kev into the p - type well 6 by using gate electrode g n , its sidewall spacer 19 and a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) to form n + - type impurity ( source / drain ) regions 20s and 20d having a high concentration for an ldd structure . similarly , about 1 × 10 15 to 5 × 10 15 boron fluoride ions per cm 2 are implanted at an acceleration energy of about 30 to 50 kev into the n - type well 7 by using the gate electrode g p , its sidewall spacer 19 and a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) to form p + - type impurity ( source / drain ) regions 21s and 21d having a high concentration for an ldd structure . in this case , a p + - type base graft region 22 is simultaneously formed and is connected to the base region 13 . finally , referring to fig2 j , an about 100 nm thick silicon oxide layer 23 is deposited on the entire surfacre by a cvd process . then , contact holes are perforated in the silicon oxide layer 23 by a photolithography and etching process . then , an aluminum layer 24 is deposited on the entire surface by a sputtering process , and the aluminum layer 24 is patterned . thus , the bicmos device is completed . in the first embodiment as illustrated in fig2 a through 2j , since the field silicon oxide layer 8 , which is thicker than the gate silicon oxide layer 10 of the prior art , is provided between the emitter electrode e and the base region 13 , the parasitic capacitance of the emitter electrode e can be further reduced to improve the high frequency characteristics . although the silicon oxide layer 10 of the prior art requires an additional thermal growing process , the field silicon oxide layer 8 between the emitter electrode e and the base region 13 does not require an additional thermal growing process , thus reducing the manufacturing cost . fig3 a through 3i are cross - sectional views for explaining a second embodiment of the method for manufacturing a bicmos device according to the present invention . first , referring to fig3 a , in the same way as in fig2 a , arsenic ions are implanted into a p - - type monocrystalline silicon substrate 1 by using a photoresist pattern and a silicon oxide pattern ( not shown ) as a mask to form n + - type buried regions 2 - p and 2 - b in the pmos area and the bip area , respectively . then , boron ions are implanted into a p - - type monocrystalline silicon substrate 1 by using a photoresist pattern and a silicon oxide pattern ( not shown ) as a mask to form p + - type buried regions 3 - n and 3 - i in the nmos area and the i area , respectively . then , an n - - type expitaxial layer 4 is grown on the entire surface , and a p - type isolation region 5 , a p - type well 6 and n - type well 7 are formed within the epitaxial layer 4 in the i area , the nmos area and the pmos area , respectively . next , referring to fig3 b , in the same way as in fig2 b , an about 350 nm thick field silicon oxide layer 8 is grown by a locos process to partition the nmos area , the pmos area and the bip area . in this case , the field silicon oxide layer 8 is also formed on a base forming area of the bip area . then , a heating process is carried out at a temperature of about 900 ° c . simultaneously with doping of phosphorous ions to form an n + - type collector diffusion region 9 in a collector taken - out portion of the bip area . next , referring to fig3 c , in the same way as in fig2 c , about 2 × 10 13 boron ions per cm 2 are implanted at an acceleration energy of about 100 kev by using a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) as a mask into the epitaxial layer 4 to form a p - type base region 13 in the bip area . in this case , since the base region 13 is formed after the formation of the n + - type collector diffusion region 9 , the base region 13 can be shallowed . next , referring to fig3 d , in the same way as in fig2 g , an about 5 to 10 nm thick gate silicon oxide layer 11 is grown by thermally oxidizing the epitaxial layer 4 , the p - type well 6 , the n - type well 7 and the like . next , referring to fig3 e , in the same way as in fig2 d , an emitter opening 14 &# 39 ; is perforated in the field silicon oxide layer 8 on the base region 13 by a photolithography and etching process . next , referring to fig3 f , in the same way as in fig2 e , an about 150 to 200 nm thick polycrystalline silicon layer 15 is deposited on the entire surface by a cvd process . then , about 1 × 10 16 arsenic ions per cm 2 are implanted at an acceleration energy of about 60 to 80 kev into the polycrystalline silicon layer 15 . then , a heating operation is carried out at a temperature of about 900 ° c . to diffuse arsenic ions from the polycrystalline silicon layer 15 into the base region 13 . thus , an n + - type emitter region 16 is formed . next , referring to fig3 g , the polycrystalline silicon layer 15 is patterned by a photolithography and etching process , so that a gate electrode g n , a gate electrode g p and an emitter electrode e are , formed in the nmos area , the pmos area and the bip area , respectively . then , about 1 × 10 13 to 5 × 10 13 phosphorous ions per cm 2 are implanted at an acceleration energy of 10 to 30 kev into the p - type well 6 by using the gate electrode g n and a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) to form n - - type impurity ( source / drain ) regions 17s and 17d having a low concentration for an ldd structure . similarly , about 1 × 10 13 to 3 × 10 3 boron ions per cm 2 are implanted at an acceleration energy of about 10 to 30 kev into the n - type well 7 by using the gate electrode g p and a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) to form p - - type impurity ( source / drain ) regions 18s and 18d having a low concentration for an ldd structure . next , referring to fig3 h , in the same way as in fig2 i , an about 100 nm thick silicon oxide layer 19 is deposited on the entire surface by a cvd process . then , the silicon oxide layer 19 is etched back by an anisotropic dry etching process , so that the silicon oxide layer 19 is left as a sidewall spacer on the sidewalls of the gate electrodes g n and g p and the emitter electrode e . then , about 1 × 10 15 to 5 × 10 15 arsenic ions per cm 2 are implanted at an acceleration energy of about 30 to 50 kev into the p - type well 6 by using the gate electrode g n , its sidewall spacer 19 and a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) to form n + - type impurity ( source / drain ) regions 20s and 20d having a high concentration for an ldd structure . similarly , about 1 × 10 15 to 5 × 10 15 boron fluoride ions per cm 2 are implanted at an acceleration energy of about 30 to 50 kev into the n - type well 7 by using the gate electrode g p , its sidewall spacer 19 and a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) to form p + - type impurity ( source / drain ) regions 21s and 21d having a high concentration for an ldd structure . in this case , a p + - type base graft region 22 is simultaneously formed and is connected to the base region 13 . finally , referring to fig3 i , in the same way as in fig2 j , an about 100 nm thick silicon oxide layer 23 is deposited on the entire surface by a cvd process . then , contact holes are perforated in the silicon oxide layer 23 by a photolithography and etching process . then , an aluminum layer 24 is deposited on the entire surface by a sputtering process , and the aluminum layer 24 is patterned . thus , the bicmos device is completed . in the first embodiment , the emitter electrode e and the gate electrodes g n and g p are formed by using different polycrystalline silicon layers . on the other hand , in the second embodiment , the emitter electrode e and the gate electrodes g p and g n are formed by the same polycrystalline silicon layer . therefore , the second embodiment is advantageous over the first embodiment in terms of the manufacturing cost . fig4 a through 4j are cross - sectional views for explaining a third embodiment of the method for manufacturing a bicmos device according to the present invention . first , referring to fig4 a , in the same way as in fig3 a , arsenic ions are implanted into a p - - type monocrystalline silicon substrate 1 by using a photoresist pattern and a silicon oxide pattern ( not shown ) as a mask to form n + - type buried regions 2 - p and 2 - b in the pmos area and the bip area , respectively . then , boron ions are implanted into a p - - type monocrystalline silicon substrate 1 by using a photoresist pattern and a silicon oxide pattern ( not shown ) as a mask to form p + - type buried regions 3 - n and 3 - i in the nmos area and the i area , respectively . then , an n - - type expitaxial layer 4 is grown on the entire surface , and a p - type isolation region 5 , a p - type well and an n - type well 7 are formed within the epitaxial layer 4 in the i area , the nmos area and the pmos area , respectively . next , referring to fig4 b , in the same way as in fig3 b , an about 350 nm thick field silicon oxide layer 8 is grown by a locos process to partition the nmos area , the pmos area and the bip area . in this case , the field silicon oxide layer 8 is also formed on a base forming area of the bip area . then , a heating process is carried out at a temperature of about 900 ° c . simultaneously with doping of phosphorous ions to form an n + - type collector diffusion region 9 in a collector taken - out portion of the bip area . next , referring to fig4 c , in the same way as in fig3 c , about 2 × 10 13 boron ions per cm 2 are implanted at an acceleration energy of about 100 kev by using a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) as a mask into the epitaxial layer 4 to form a p - type base region 13 in the bip area . next , referring to fig4 d , in the same way as in fig3 d , an about 5 to 10 nm thick gate silicon oxide layer 11 is grown by thermally oxidizing the epitaxial layer 4 , the p - type well 6 , the n - type well 7 and the like . next , referring to fig4 e , in the same way as in fig3 e , an emitter opening 14 &# 39 ; is perforated in the field silicon oxide layer 8 on the base region 13 by a photolithography and etching process . next , referring to fig4 f , in a similar way to that of fig3 f , an about 150 to 200 nm thick polycrystalline silicon layer 15 is deposited on the entire surface by a cvd process . then , about 1 × 10 16 arsenic ions per cm 2 are implanted at an acceleration energy of about 60 to 80 kev into the polycrystalline silicon layer 15 . next , referring to fig4 g , a silicon oxide layer 11 &# 39 ; is thermally grown on the polycrystalline silicon layer 15 . then , the silicon oxide layer 11 &# 39 ; is patterned by a photolithography and etching process , so that the silicon oxide layer 11 &# 34 ; is left on the emitter opening 14 &# 39 ; and its periphery . then , a heating process is carried out under a pocl 3 gas atmosphere to reduce the resistance of the polycrystalline silicon layer 15 . in this case , an emitter region 16 is also formed . next , referring to fig4 h , a psg layer ( not shown ) is deposited on the entire surface . then , the psg layer is removed by a wet etching process , and the polycrystalline silicon layer 15 are patterned by a photolithography and etching process , so that a gate electrode g n and a gate electrode g p are formed in the nmos area and the pmos area , respectively . then , an about 1 × 10 13 to 5 × 10 13 phosphorous ions per cm 2 are implanted at an acceleration energy of 10 to 30 kev into the p - type well 6 by using gate electrode g n and a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) to form n - - type impurity ( source / drain ) regions 17s and 17d having a low concentration for an ldd structure . similarly , an about 1 × 10 13 to 3 × 10 3 boron ions per cm 2 are implanted at an acceleration energy of about 10 to 30 kev into the n - type well 7 by using the gate electrode g p and a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) to form p - - type impurity ( source / drain ) regions 18s and 18d having a low concentration for an ldd structure . next , referring to fig4 i , in the same way as in fig3 h , an about 100 nm thick silicon oxide layer 19 is deposited on the entire surface by a cvd process . then , the silicon oxide layer 19 is etched back by an anisotropic dry etching process , so that the silicon oxide layer 19 is left as a sidewall spacer on the sidewalls of the gate electrodes g n and g p and the emitter electrode e . then , about 1 × 10 15 to 5 × 10 15 arsenic ions per cm 2 are implanted at an acceleration energy of about 30 to 50 kev into the p - type well 6 by using the gate electrode g n , its sidewall spacer 19 and a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) to form n + - type impurity ( source / drain ) regions 20s and 20d having a high concentration for an ldd structure . similarly , about 1 × 10 15 to 5 × 10 15 boron fluoride ions per cm 2 are implanted at an acceleration energy of about 30 to 50 kev into the n - type well 7 by using the gate electrode g p , its sidewall spacer 19 and a photoresist pattern ( not shown ) to form p + - type impurity ( source / drain ) regions 21s and 21d having a high concentration for an ldd structure . in this case , a p + - type base graft region 22 is simultaneously formed and is connected to the base region 13 . finally , referring to fig4 j , in the same way as in fig3 i , an about 100 nm thick silicon oxide layer 23 is deposited on the entire surface by a cvd process . then , contact holes are perforated in the silicon oxide layer 23 by a photolithography and etching process . then , an aluminum layer 24 is deposited on the entire surface by a sputtering process , and the aluminum layer 24 is patterned . thus , the bicmos device is completed . in the third embodiment , the emitter region 16 is formed by a heating process under a pocl 3 gas atmosphere for reducing the resistance of the gate electrodes g n and g p . in the above - described embodiments , the gate electrode g n and g p can be made of polycide formed by polycrystalline silicon and refractory metal silicide such as tungsten silicide or titanium silicide . the present invention can be applied to a static random access memory ( sram ) device . also , when the first embodiment is applied to an sram device , the emitter region can be formed simultaneously with the formation of a contact structure ( direct contact structure ) between a gate and an n + - type impurity diffusion region . further , when the second embodiment is applied to a sram device , the emitter electrode can be made of polycide from which a ground wiring layer of memory cells is also made . as explained hereinabove , according to the present invention , since a thick field insulating layer is provided between the emitter electrode and the base region , the parasitic capacitance of the emitter electrode can be remarkably reduced to improve the high frequency characteristics . also , the field insulating layer does not require additional processes , thus reducing the manufacturing cost .
7
the first aspect of the present invention is a composition comprising a halogenated aromatic monomer - metal complex having a halogenated aromatic monomer fragment and a metal complex fragment and represented by the following formula : where l is a bidentate ligand ; m is ir , rh , or os ; ar ′ and ar ″ are aromatic moieties which may be the same or different with the proviso that at least one of ar ′ and ar ″ is heteroaromatic ; and wherein r a and r b are each independently a monovalent substitutent or h , with the proviso that at least one of r a and r b contains a halogenated aromatic monomer fragment and a linking group that disrupts conjugation between the aromatic monomer fragment and the metal complex fragment . the halogenated aromatic monomer - metal complex of the present invention can be thought of as comprising a metal complex fragment and one or more halogenated aromatic monomer fragments as illustrated : r a is x m ar - g - and r b is x n ar - g -; each ar is independently an aromatic group ; each g is independently a divalent linking group that disrupts conjugation between ar and ar ′- ar ″, preferably alkylene , o , s , carbonyl , sir 2 , where r is a substituent , or oxyalkylene , more preferably methylene , oxymethylene , or o ; each x is independently a halogen group , preferably , each x is chloro or bromo ; the sum of m + n is a positive integer , preferably 1 or 2 ; more preferably 1 ; and the sum of o + p is a positive integer , preferably 1 or 2 , more preferably 1 . when o ( or p ) is 0 , r a ( or r b ) can be any substituent including h . thus , it is most preferred that each ar ′- ar ″ ligand contain one monohalogenated aromatic substituent separated from ar ′- ar ″ by conjugation disrupting group . the ligand ar ′- ar ″ is attached at least one substituent that is a polymerizable aromatic monomer separated from the ligand by a divalent linking group . examples of suitable substituted ar ′- ar ″ ligands include , but are not restricted to 2 - phenylpyridines , 2 - benzylpyridines , 2 -( 2 - thienyl ) pyridines , 2 -( 2 - furanyl ) pyridines , 2 , 2 ′- dipyridines , 2 - benzo [ b ] thien - 2 - yl - pyridines , 2 - phenylbenzothiazoles , 2 -( 1 - naphthalenyl ) benzothiazoles , 2 -( 1 - anthracenyl ) benzothiazoles , 2 - phenylbenzoxazoles , 2 -( 1 - naphthalenyl ) benzoxazoles , 2 -( 1 - anthracenyl ) benzoxazoles , 2 -( 2 - naphthalenyl ) benzothiazoles , 2 -( 2 - anthracenyl ) benzothiazoles , 2 -( 2 - naphthalenyl ) benzoxazoles , 2 -( 2 - anthracenyl ) benzoxazoles , 2 -( 2 - thienyl ) benzothiazoles , 2 -( 2 - furanyl ) benzothiazoles , 2 -( 2 - thienyl ) benzoxazoles , 2 -( 2 - furanyl ) benzoxazoles , benzo [ h ] quinolines , 2 - phenylquinolines , 2 -( 2 - naphthalenyl ) quinolines , 2 -( 2 - anthracenyl ) quinolines , 2 -( 1 - naphthalenyl ) quinolines , 2 -( 1 - anthracenyl ) quinolines , 2 - phenylmethylpyridines , 2 - phenoxypyridines , 2 - phenylthiopyridines , phenyl - 2 - pyridinylmethanones , 2 - ethenylpyridines , 2 - benzenemethanimines , 2 -( pyrrol - 2 - yl ) pyridines , 2 -( imidazol - 2 - yl )- pyridines , 2 - phenyl - 1h - imidazoles , and 2 - phenylindoles . as used herein , “ aromatic compounds ” includes both aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds unless otherwise stated . similarly , the term “ aryl ” is used herein to include both aryl and heteroaryl groups or compounds unless otherwise stated . the divalent linking group g contains a linking group or atom that disrupts conjugation , thereby inhibiting electron delocalization between the aromatic monomer fragment and the metal complex fragment . this disruption of conjugation between the fragments results in a similar disruption between the complex and the conjugated polymer backbone formed from the aromatic monomer fragment . disruption of conjugation is often desirable to preserve the light emission properties of the metal complex in a polymer formed from the aromatic monomer - metal complex . such properties could be disadvantageously perturbed if electrons are delocalized between the conjugated polymer backbone and the complex . the linking group is preferably a substituted or unsubstituted non - conjugated linear , branched , or cyclohydrocarbylene group or a divalent heteroatom or combinations thereof . examples of linking groups include , alone or in combination , alkylene or cycloalkyl groups such as methylene , ethylene , propylene , isopropylene , butylene , isobutylene , t - butylene , cyclopropyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl , and cyclohexyl groups ; and heteroatoms such as oxygen and sulfur atoms and r — si — r , carbonyl , and amine groups , except for triaryl amines . preferred linking groups include an oxygen atom and methylene and oxymethylene groups . as used herein , “ oxymethylene ” refers to — och 2 — or — ch 2 o — groups . a halogenated aromatic monomer - metal complex containing a bis ( monohalogenated aromatic ) fragment attached to a metal complex through a linking group can be prepared by a 4 - step process , as shown : g is as previously defined and is preferably o , methylene , or oxymethylene ; ar , ar ′, and ar ″ are each independently aromatic moieties with the proviso that at least one of ar ′ and ar ″ is heteroaromatic . preferably , ar is a non - heteroaromatic moiety including a benzene , a naphthalene , or an anthracene moiety , more preferably a benzene moiety . preferably , ar ′ and ar ″ are each independently selected from the group consisting of benzene , pyridine , thiophene , and fluorene moieties that are complexed with the metal so as to form a 5 - membered ring . more preferably one of ar ′ and ar ″ is a benzene moiety and the other of a ar ′ and ar ″ is pyridine moiety . x is halo , x ′ and x ″ are each independently halogen , boronate , — zncl , — znbr , — mgcl , mgbr , or — sn ( c 1 - 10 - alkyl ) 3 , with the proviso that one of x ′ and x ″ is halogen and the other of x ′ and x ″ is boronate , — zncl , — znbr , — mgcl , mgbr , or — sn ( c 1 - 10 - alkyl ) 3 ; x ′″ is halogen , hydroxy , or alkoxy , preferably chloro , bromo , methoxy , or ethoxy , more preferably chloro or bromo . where x ′″ is halogen , the addition of the hydroxide or alkoxide base is not necessary ; where x ′″ is hydroxy or alkoxy , the addition of a hydroxide or alkoxide base is preferred . l is a bidentate ligand which can be the same as or different from ar ′- ar ″. other examples of l include a diamine , including ethylene diamine , n , n , n ′, n ′- tetramethyl ethylene diamine , propylene diamine , n , n , n ′, n ′- tetramethyl propylene diamine , cis - and trans - diaminocyclohexane , and cis - and trans - n , n , n ′, n ′- tetramethyl diaminocyclohexane ; an imine , including 2 [( 1 - phenylimino ) ethyl ] pyridine , 2 [( 1 -( 2 - methylphenylimino ) ethyl ] pyridine , 2 [( 1 -( 2 , 6 - isopropylphenylimino ) ethyl ] pyridine , 2 [( 1 -( methylimino ) ethyl ] pyridine , 2 [( 1 -( ethylimino ) methyl ] pyridine , 2 [( 1 -( ethylimino ) ethyl ] pyridine , 2 [( 1 -( isopropylimino ) ethyl ] pyridine , and 2 [( 1 -( t - butylimino ) ethyl ] pyridine ; a dimine , including 1 , 2 - bis ( methylimino ) ethane , 1 , 2 - bis ( ethylimino ) ethane , 1 , 2 - bis ( isopropylimino ) ethane , 1 , 2 - bis ( t - butylimino ) ethane , 2 , 3 - bis ( methylimino ) butane , 2 , 3 - bis ( ethylimino ) butane , 2 , 3 - bis ( isopropylimino ) butane , 2 , 3 - bis ( t - butylimino ) butane , 1 , 2 - bis ( phenylimino ) ethane , 1 , 2 - bis ( 2 - methylphenylimino ) ethane , 1 , 2 - bis ( 2 , 6 - diisopropylphenylimino ) ethane , 1 , 2 - bis ( 2 , 6 - di - t - butylphenylimino ) ethane , 2 , 3 - bis ( phenylimino ) butane , 2 , 3 - bis ( 2 - methylphenylimino ) butane , 2 , 3 - bis ( 2 , 6 - diisopropylphenylimino ) butane , and 2 , 3 - bis ( 2 , 6 - di - t - butylphenylimino ) butane ; a heterocyclic compound containing two nitrogen atoms , including 2 , 2 ′- bypyridine , and o - phenanthroline ; a diphosphine , including bis -( diphenylphosphino ) methane , bis -( diphenylphosphino ) ethane , bis -( diphenylphosphino ) propane , bis -( dimethylphosphino ) methane , bis -( dimethylphosphino ) ethane , bis -( dimethylphosphino ) propane , bis -( diethylphosphino ) methane , bis -( diethylphosphino ) ethane , bis -( diethylphosphino ) propane , bis -( di - t - butylphosphino ) methane , bis -( di - t - butylphosphino ) ethane , and bis -( di - t - butylphosphino ) propane ; a 1 , 3 - diketonate ( β - diketonate ) prepared from a 1 , 3 - diketone ( β - diketone ), including acetyl acetone , benzoyl acetone , 1 , 5 - diphenylacetyl acetone , dibenzoyl methane , and bis ( 1 , 1 , 1 - trifluoroacetyl ) methane ; a 3 - ketonate prepared from a 3 - keto ester , including acetoacetic acid ethyl ester ; a carboxylate prepared from an aminocarboxylic acid , including pyridine - 2 - carboxylate , 8 - hydroquinolinate , quinoline - 2 - carboxylate , glycine , dimethyl glycine , alanine , and dimethylaminoalanine ; a salicyliminates prepared from a salicylimine , including methyl salicylimine , ethyl salicylimine , and phenyl salicylimine ; a dialcoholate prepared from a dialcohol , including ethylene glycol and 1 , 3 - propylene glycol ; a dithiolate prepared from a dithiol , including 1 , 2 - ethylene dithiolate and 1 , 3 - propylene dithiolate . preferably , l is a β - diketonate , pyridine - 2 - carboxylate , a salicyliminate , or a derivative of 8 - hydroquinoline or quinoline - 2 - carboxylic acid . the halogenated aromatic monomer - metal complex is a precursor for a metal - complexed conjugated luminescent polymer , which can be a homopolymer , a copolymer , a terpolymer , etc ., and which can be prepared by any of a number of means , for example , the polymer can be prepared by a suzuki coupling reaction , described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 169 , 163 ( the &# 39 ; 163 patent ), column 41 , lines 50 - 67 to column 42 , lines 1 - 24 , which description is incorporated herein by reference . in the present case , the suzuki coupling reaction can be carried out by reacting , in the presence of a catalyst , preferably a pd / triphenylphosphine catalyst such as tetrakis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium ( 0 ), the halogenated aromatic monomer - metal complex , preferably the bis ( monohalogenated aromatic ) complex , with a diboronated aromatic compound . the aromatic group of the co - monomer — which form structural units of the resultant polymer — may be the same as or different from , preferably different from , the aromatic group associated with the halogenated aromatic monomer - metal complex . it is also possible , and sometimes preferable , to prepare a polymer having structural units of more than two monomers by including in the reaction mixture a variety of halogenated and boronated co - monomers along with the halogenated aromatic monomer - metal complex . polymerization can also be carried out by coupling one or more dihalogenated aromatic monomer - metal complexes with one or more dihalogenated aromatic compounds in the presence of a nickel salt , as described in the &# 39 ; 163 patent , column 11 , lines 9 - 34 , which description is incorporated herein by reference . the aromatic co - monomers that can be used to couple with the halogenated aromatic monomer - metal complex is nearly endless but a representative list includes , 1 , 4 - dixbenzenes , 1 , 3 - dixbenzenes , 1 , 2 - dixbenzenes 4 , 4 ′- dixbiphenyls , 1 , 4 - dixnaphthalenes , 2 , 6 - dixnaphthalenes , 2 , 5 - dixfurans , 2 , 5 - dixthiophenes , 5 , 5 - dix - 2 , 2 ′- bithiophenes , 9 , 10 - dixanthracenes , 4 , 7 - dix - 2 , 1 , 3 - benzothiadiazoles , dix triarylamines including n , n - di ( 4 - xphenyl ) anilines , n , n - di ( 4 - xphenyl )- p - tolylamines , and n - dixphenyl - n - phenylanilines , 3 , 6 - dix - n - substituted carbazoles , 2 , 7 - dix - n - substituted carbazoles , 3 , 6 - dix - dibenzosiloles , 2 , 7 - dix - dibenzosiloles , n - substituted - 3 , 7 - dixphenothiazines , n - substituted - 3 , 7 - dixphenoxazines , dix - n , n , n ′, n ′- tetraaryl - 1 , 4 - diaminobenzenes , dix - n , n , n ′, n ′- tetraarylbenzidines , dixarylsilanes , and 2 , 7 - dix - 9 , 9 - disubstituted fluorenes , including fluorenes in which the 9 , 9 - substituents combine to form a ring structure , and combinations thereof , where each x is independently a halogen or a boronate , preferably bromo or chloro or boronate , more preferably bromo or boronate . as used herein , “ boronate ” refers to an aromatic fragment or compound that is substituted with a borane group , a boronic acid ester group , or a boronic acid group . the resultant polymer has a backbone having structural units of a ) an aromatic group which is also attached to a linking group that disrupts conjugation between the aromatic group and the metal complex fragment ; and b ) an aromatic comonomer , which forms a conjugated system with the aromatic group . the term “ structural units ” is used herein to refer to the remnant of the monomer after polymerization . a structural unit of the aromatic group that is attached to the metal complex through a linking group is represented by the following structure : where l , m , ar ′, and ar ″ are as previously defined , and at least one of r ′ a and r ′ b , preferably only one of r ′ a and r ′ b , contains an aromatic group that is part of the polymer backbone , preferably a phenyl group , a naphthalenyl group , or an anthracenyl group , more preferably a phenyl group ; and a linking group , g , that disrupts conjugation between the aromatic group and the metal complex fragment . the other of r ′ a and r ′ b is preferably a monovalent substituent , including h . thus , where ar is phenyl and r ′ b is h , the following structural unit is formed : similarly , a structural unit of a benzene - containing comonomer that is incorporated into the polymer backbone through the 1 , 4 - positions is a 1 , 4 - phenylene group ; a structural unit of a 9 , 9 - disubstituted fluorene - containing comonomer that is incorporated into the polymer backbone through the 2 , 7 - positions is a 9 , 9 - disubstituted fluorene - 2 , 7 - diyl group , where each r is a substituent , as illustrated : accordingly , the structural units corresponding to the above listed co - monomers are 1 , 4 - phenylenes , 1 , 3 - phenylenes , 1 , 2 - phenylenes , 4 , 4 ′- biphenylenes , naphthalene - 1 , 4 - diyls , naphthalene - 2 , 6 - diyl , furan - 2 , 5 - diyls , thiophene - 2 , 5 - diyls , 2 , 2 ′- bithiophene - 5 , 5 - diyls , anthracenes - 9 , 10 - diyls , 2 , 1 , 3 - benzothiadiazoles - 4 , 7 - diyls , n - substituted carbazole - 3 , 6 - diyls , n - substituted carbazole - 2 , 7 - diyls , n - substituted - phenothiazine - 3 , 7 - diyls , n - substituted - phenoxazines - 3 , 7 - diyls , triarylamine - diyls including triphenylamine - 4 , 4 ′- diyls , diphenyl - p - tolylamine - 4 , 4 ′- diyls , and n , n - diphenylaniline - 3 , 5 - diyls , dibenzosilole - 3 , 6 - diyls , dibenzosilole - 2 , 7 - diyls , n , n , n ′, n ′- tetraaryl - 1 , 4 - diaminobenzene - diyls , n , n , n ′, n ′- tetraarylbenzidine - diyls , arylsilane - diyls , and 9 , 9 - disubstituted fluorenes - 2 , 7 - diyls . it is to be understood that the polymer , copolymer , etc . is not limited by the manner in which it is made . the resultant polymer has a conjugated backbone with metal complexation that can be precisely controlled because preferably at least 90 %, more preferably at least 95 %, and most preferably 100 % of the structural units of the aromatic monomer - metal complex contain a metal complex that is incorporated within the polymer backbone . moreover , the metal complex is insulated from the conjugated polymer backbone due to the absence of direct delocalization between the ligand and the polymer backbone , which insulation preserves the luminescent properties of the metal complex . the terms “ conjugated polymer ” and “ conjugated polymer backbone ” are used to mean that the polymer backbone has electrons that are delocalized throughout at least two adjacent structural units , preferably at least five adjacent structural units , more preferably at least ten adjacent structural units . preferably , the ratio of structural units of halogenated aromatic monomer - metal complex to structural units of the comonomer is preferably at least 0 . 01 : 99 . 99 , more preferably at least 0 . 1 : 99 . 9 , and most preferably at least 1 : 99 ; and preferably not greater than 20 : 80 , more preferably not greater than 10 : 90 . the polymer of the present invention preferably has a weight average molecular weight m w of at least 5000 daltons , more preferably at least 10 , 000 daltons , more preferably at least 50 , 000 daltons , and most preferably at least 100 , 000 daltons ; and preferably less than 2 , 000 , 000 daltons . m w is determined using gel permeation chromatography against polystyrene standards . the polymer of the present invention can be combined with one or more other polymers to make a blend . examples of suitable blending polymers include homo - or co - polymers ( including terpolymers or higher ) of polyacrylates , polymethacrylates , polystyrenes , polyesters , polyimides , polyvinylenes , polycarbonates , polyvinyl ethers and esters , fluoropolymers , polycarbazoles , polyarylene vinylenes , polyarylenes , polythiophenes , polyfurans , polypyrroles , polypyridines , polyfluorenes , and combinations thereof . the polymer or blend of the present invention can be combined with a sufficient amount of one or more solvents ( hereinafter “ solvent ”) to make a solution which is useful , for example , as an ink . the amount of solvent varies depending upon the solvent itself and the application , but is generally used at a concentration of at least 80 weight percent , more preferably at least 90 weight percent , and most preferably at least 95 weight percent , based on the weight of the luminescent polymer , the optional additives or modifiers , and the solvent . examples of suitable solvents for the polymer include benzene ; mono -, di - and trialkylbenzenes including c 1 - 12 - alkyl benzenes , xylenes , mesitylene , cyclohexylbenzene , and diethylbenzene ; furans including tetrahydrofuran and 2 , 3 - benzofuran ; 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene ; cumene ; decalin ; durene ; chloroform ; limonene ; dioxane ; alkoxybenzenes including anisole , and methyl anisoles ; alkyl benzoates including methyl benzoate ; biphenyls including isopropyl biphenyl ; pyrrolidinones including cyclohexylpyrrolidinone ; imidazoles including dimethylimidazolinone ; and fluorinated solvents ; and combinations thereof . more preferred solvents include c 1 - 8 - alkyl benzenes , cyclohexylbenzene , xylenes , mesitylene , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene , methyl benzoate , isopropyl biphenyl , and anisole , and combinations thereof . in a typical application , the ink formulation can be deposited on a substrate such as indium - tin - oxide ( ito ) glass having a hole transporting material disposed thereon . the solvent is then evaporated , whereupon the ink forms a thin film of the luminescent polymer . the film is used as an active layer in an organic light - emitting diode ( oled ) device , which can be used to make a display such as a self - emissive flat panel display . the film is also useful in other electronic devices including light sources , photovoltaic cells , and field effect transistor devices . the following examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention . 4 - phenoxyphenylboronic acid ( 10 . 7 g , 0 . 05 mol ) and 2 - bromopyridine ( 11 . 58 g , 0 . 075 mol ) were dissolved in 250 ml of thf followed by addition of 2m naco 3 ( 60 ml ) and tetrakis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium ( 0 ) ( 0 . 29 g ). the reaction mixture was boiled at reflux overnight and then transferred into a separation funnel to remove the aqueous layer . the organic layer was removed in vacuo and the residue was eluted through a silica gel column , first with 1 : 1 chloroform and hexane mixture and then with pure chloroform to afford a pale yellow oil . hplc showed a purity of 99 . 5 %. gcms : m + = 247 . a solution of n - bromosuccinimide ( nbs , 3 . 95 g , 22 . 2 mmol ) in dmf ( 10 ml ) was added to a solution of 2 -( 4 ′- phenoxy ) phenylpyridine ( 5 . 8 g , 23 . 4 mmol ) in dmf ( 100 ml ) at room temperature . the reaction mixture was stirred at 80 ° c . for 1 h . hplc showed about 40 % of the starting material was converted . additional nbs ( 1 . 55 g ) was added and the reaction continued at 80 ° c . overnight . hplc indicated a conversion of 55 %. additional nbs ( 5 g ) was added and the reaction was continued at 80 ° c . for 1 h . hplc showed complete conversion of the starting material . after being cooled to room temperature , the reaction mixture was poured into water ( 300 ml ) with stirring whereupon naoh solution ( 15 ml of 50 % ( w / w )) was added into the mixture . the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 h and was then filtered to collect the solid . the solid was washed with water and was re - crystallized from ethanol to provide 5 . 5 g of the titled compound in white crystals . hplc showed a purity of 98 . 6 %. gcms : m + = 327 . iridium ( iii ) chloride (% ir = 54 . 11 , 1 . 5 g , 4 . 25 mmol ) and 2 -[ 4 ′-( 4 ″- bromophenoxy ) phenyl ] pyridine ( 3 . 5 g ) were dispersed in 2 - ethoxyetanol ( 30 ml ) at room temperature . the mixture was boiled at reflux under nitrogen for 20 h , at which time , a yellow solid precipitated from solution . methanol ( 100 ml ) was added to the reaction mixture to complete the precipitation . the solid was collected by filtration and was washed with methanol , 1n hcl , and ethanol successively and then was dried in vacuo at 40 ° c . to provide 3 . 27 g of yellow powder . iridium ( iii ) bis { 2 -[ 4 ′-( 4 ″- bromophenoxy ) phenyl ] pyridinato - n , c 2 ′} μ - chloro - bridged dimer ( 1 . 05 g , 0 . 6 mmol ) and sodium carbonate ( 1 . 0 g ) were dispersed in 2 - ethoxyethanol ( 60 ml ). the mixture was degassed with nitrogen at room temperature for 15 min , whereupon 2 , 4 - pentanedione ( 0 . 132 g , 1 . 32 mmol ) was added together with 2 - ethoxyethanol ( 20 ml ). the mixture was refluxed for 1 h . tlc showed no dimer starting material and the main product was found to be a green emissive material . after being cooled to room temperature , water ( 100 ml ) was added to precipitate the product . the yellow solid was collected by filtration and dried in vacuo at 40 ° c . overnight . the crude product was re - dissolved in methylene chloride and purified on a silica gel column eluted by methylene chloride to give 0 . 48 g of yellow powder , purtiy of 99 . 5 % by hplc : tetrakis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium ( 0 ) ( 5 mg ) and 2m aqueous sodium carbonate solution ( 11 ml ) were added under nitrogen to a stirred mixture of 9 , 9 - di ( 1 - octyl ) fluorene - 2 , 7 - diboronic acid ethylene glycol ester ( 2 . 149 g , 4 . 04 mmol ), 2 , 7 - dibromo - 9 , 9 - di ( 1 - octyl ) fluorene ( 1 . 647 g , 3 . 00 mmol ), 3 , 7 - dibromo - n -( 4 - n - butyl )- phenyl - phenoxazine ( 0 . 190 g , 0 . 40 mmol ), n , n ′-( di ( bromophenyl )- n , n ′- di ( 9 , 9 - dibutyl ) fluorene - 1 , 4 - phenylenediamine ( 0 . 390 g , 0 . 40 mmol ), iridium ( iii ) bis { 2 -[ 4 ′-( 4 ″- bromophenoxy ) phenyl ] pyridinato - n , c 2 ′}( acetylacetonate ) ( 0 . 188 g , 0 . 20 mmol ), and aliquat 336 ( 0 . 75 g ) phase transfer catalyst in toluene ( 50 ml ). the reaction mixture was stirred at 101 ° c . under nitrogen for 16 h . then , 9 , 9 - di ( 1 - octyl ) fluorene - 2 , 7 - diboronic acid ethylene glycol ester ( 20 mg ) was added and the polymerization was continued under the same conditions for another 3 h . bromobenzene ( 0 . 15 g dissolved in 10 ml of toluene ) was then added under the same reaction conditions for 2 h . phenylboronic acid ( 0 . 4 g ) and tetrakis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium ( 0 ) ( 3 mg dissolved in 10 ml of toluene ) was added under the same reaction conditions for 4 h . the mixture was allowed to cool to about 50 ° c ., the aqueous layer removed , and the organic layer washed with water . the resultant polymer solution was then poured into methanol ( 1 . 5 l ) with stirring to precipitate pale yellow polymer fibers . these fibers were collected by filtration , washed with methanol , and dried in vacuo at 50 ° c . overnight . the polymer was re - dissolved in toluene and the solution passed through a column packed with layers of celite and silica gel . the combined eluates were concentrated to about 100 ml , then poured into methanol ( 1 . 5 l ) with stirring . the polymer fibers were collected and dried in vacuo at 50 ° c . overnight . the polymer was re - dissolved in toluene and re - precipitated in methanol . after further filtration and drying , 2 . 26 g of pale yellow fibers were obtained . the weight average molecular weight ( m w ) of the polymer was measured by gel permeation chromatography ( gpc ) against the polystyrene standards as 121 , 000 with a polydispersity index ( m w / m n ) of 3 . 78 . the procedure described in example 2 was followed except that n , n - diphenyl - 3 , 5 - dibromoaniline ( 0 . 3248 g , 0 . 80 mmol ) was used instead of dibromo - n -( 4 - n - butyl )- phenyl - phenoxazine and n , n ′-( di ( bromophenyl )- n , n - di ( 9 , 9 - dibutyl ) fluorene - 1 , 4 - phenylenediamine ( 0 . 390 g , 0 . 40 mmol ); the copolymer ii was prepared in the yield of 2 . 13 g . a thin film of poly ( ethylenedioxythiophene )/ polystyrenesulfonic acid ( commercially available from h . c . starck and baytron ™ p conducting polyer ) was spin - coated on a ito ( indium tin oxide )- coated glass substrate , at a thickness of 80 nm . then , a film of the metal complex - containing polymer described in example 3 was spin - coated on the pedot film at a thickness of 80 nm from a solution in xylenes . after drying , a thin layer ( 3 nm ) of lif was deposited on the top of the polymer layer by thermal evaporation , followed by the deposition of a calcium cathode ( 10 - nm thick ). an additional aluminum layer was applied by evaporation to cover the calcium cathode . by applying a bias ( ito wired positively ) on the resultant device , bluish green light emission was obtained . the electroluminescent spectrum recorded at 200 cd / m 2 corresponds to the chromaticity coordinates of ( x = 0 . 240 , y = 0 . 270 ) in the cie 1931 diagram . the brightness of the emission reached 200 cd / m 2 at about 13 v with the luminance efficiency of 0 . 08 cd / a .
8